Mine is a 2009. Some of the rides I take are long and varied, including going over mountain passes in inclement weather. I've outfitted all my other bikes with heated grips and heat-trollers to add heated gear (just a jacket liner). I used to just try to cover up and stay dry, but once I found heated gear, that all changed. I try to use it as much as possible now, because if I can stay warm, it doesn't really matter if I'm wet. I'll dry out when I stop for the day.
Hypothermia on the other hand, can kill a ride (not to mention the rider!) very quickly. Last year, a couple of friends and I took a quick 400 mile ride to lunch on the other side of the state. Even using their rain gear and jacket layering, they arrived at the lunch spot, shivering and miserable, not wanting to continue home after lunch. Me? I was a little chilled on some spots, but my hands and core were warm, which made for a great ride. They changed their minds after they warmed up, but they got cold going back, too.
Most times, with bikes that have low output charging systems, guys will just install a volt meter to keep an eye on things. When voltage starts to get low, they'll just turn things off until voltages start to go back up. I'm planning on doing that to my X500 (hey, I'm learning the lingo!) when I wire in a power distribution block, relay, heated grips, and heat-troller. Even though I carry AAA, I don't like to interrupt a ride with a dead battery.
