winterizing your bike??? bah humbug

[sportrider]

just a little ride report from today. this morning when I left my house it was 38 degrees, the intake air temp was 41 as I was RIDING to work. my new commute is 47 miles one way. on the way home it was 53 degrees, air intake reading 57.

I'm diffidently going to be buying some thermals. I was wearing my one piece suit with a fleece northface liner under the top. the air was cutting through the perforated leather and the fleece like nothing!!! tomorrow I'll try my liner from my cortech jacket and see if that helps. it was kinda funny I let my bike warm up this morning and as I started my ride to work once I got on the expressway the temp dropped on the bike and the blinking bar on the tach came back on for about 5 miles before it turned off again. tomorrows supposed to be colder. sounds fun!!!

 

[gmickey2001]

Danny,

It has been in the high 20s & low 30s this week, and I also have been riding to work (though only 12 miles each way).

I put both the waterproof liner and the insulated liner in my TourMaster Flex jacket and the insulated liner in my over pants.

I have not been the least bit cold except for my fingers and my neck.

Balaclava has been requested for x-mas so my neck will continue to suffer. The wife is picking me up some glove liners today.

It is an exhilirating way to start the day - I am definitely awake when I get to work

I will keep riding (even if it gets down into the teens) as long as ice on the road does not become an issue!

The fun part is the look on the cagers face when they see me on the highway. They are in their cars and all bundled up - they look at me in disbelief. I did pass a fellow rider going the other way this morning - so I am not that crazy.

 

[Maverick]

Warm gloves, dickie, balaclava, polypropylene underwear, fleece liner, and textile pants and jacket are starters for some of us here in Canada... there are also heated grips and heater vests that some folks use to extend their riding season. I rode until it started freezing overnight. We are now consistently below freezing now (and have snow) and the salt trucks have been out for over a week now so I threw in the towel for this season.... boo hooo hoooo . I'm already dreaming of next season.

Enjoy your riding, all be it in the "cold" :rockon:

 

[gmickey2001]

Thanks,

It gets really cold here, but we almost never get snow and if it rains it is accompanied by warmer weather usually.

So you can pretty much ride all year (at least where I live).

Up in "The Great White North" I am sure it's a very different story.

Say Hi to Bob & Doug McKenzie (sp?) for me

 

[Maverick]

All of us in the colder climates will have to live vicariously through those of you in warmer ones still riding - eh?

For those of us who put away the bikes, we can drink more beer now since we're not riding :thumbup: Hmmm, grasping at straws here... so there's no real good sides...

 

[Botch]

It was above freezing this morning so I wanted to take the bike, but I needed to make a grocery/wine run after work. Good thing, as we got 2" snow accumulation by the end of the day.
My faceshield froze up at 22 degrees, now I need to find the magic temp between 22 and 32 where it no longer happens, and try to keep riding all winter (supposed to be a low snow year, as a skier/motorcyclist I'm sad/happy).

 

[craig007]

I'm still riding in the Chicago area. Heated gloves, Olympia AST jacket and ranger 2 pants keep me pretty warm. I get pretty strange looks from cars. On Sunday, I got caught in my first (and hopefully last) snowstorm. When I left the house I saw one or two flakes per minute. When I was about 5 mile from home, the snow started coming down really fast. I had to keep wiping it off of my face shield and my windscreen was completly covered. Needless to say, I headed straight home. I was a little scared.

It was clear and dry today so I commuted into work (about 30 degrees). The weather is supposed to turn bad later this week, so I think that there are only a few days left in my season.

 

[sportrider]

I rode again today. the wind breaker under my leathers made all the difference in the world!!! still gonna be getting some thermals, in another month it will be in the 20's in the morning and evening (right when I'll be riding thanks to my new hours) I'm also going to buy some winter gloves, the summer ones aren't cutting it anymore. I've been wearing some lined leather gloves the last two days, there warmer than my A-stars but they don't have the protection so its time to go shopping!!!

 

[gmickey2001]

Got these today.

Cycle Gear - FRANK THOMAS: AntiFreeze Inner Glove, BLACK

I will let you know how they work out after tomorrow's ride in to work.

 

[Nelly]

I rode again today. the wind breaker under my leathers made all the difference in the world!!! still gonna be getting some thermals, in another month it will be in the 20's in the morning and evening (right when I'll be riding thanks to my new hours) I'm also going to buy some winter gloves, the summer ones aren't cutting it anymore. I've been wearing some lined leather gloves the last two days, there warmer than my A-stars but they don't have the protection so its time to go shopping!!!

According to this Danny, you will be commuting in -6C if your doing 70mph
Even Santa don't get that cold lol.

Wind Chill Calculator

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Looks like we have good number of members who are hard core winter riders. Glad to see that. I'm with you guys, it gets chilly here in Vegas too. High 30's for the low tonight. I know, that's nothing for you guys back east or the midwest. However, I'm planning a trip to LA in a few weeks and I'll have to go over a couple of passes around 4000 feet at night, so I'm sure I'll be encountering subfreezing temps. I did buy a fleece neck/half face liner to protect the wind around my neck at an outdoor sports shop. Doesn't completely shut out the cold but definately helps. My fingers tend to get a bit frosty, will have to look into some liners or warmer gloves. My Rev-it pants and Yamaha Endurance Jacket seems to be working for the moment.

As far as the rain, I'm wondering if I'm better off buying a rain jacket or suit at an outdoor sporting goods store, like the Bass shops. Doesn't exactly have to be motorycycle gear. It would just go over my overall gear anyway. Even though my jacket says its waterproof, I don't want my jacket to get all dirty from the back wash from the cager in front of me.

Which gets me thinking and wondering what kind of rain gear everyone else has?

 

[gmickey2001]

Got these today.

Cycle Gear - FRANK THOMAS: AntiFreeze Inner Glove, BLACK

I will let you know how they work out after tomorrow's ride in to work.

Don't buy these liners. I used them this morning, and I felt no difference. My fingers were still aching painfully when I arrived at work.

I will be taking these back and use the money toward some winter gloves (I hope they are better).

The worst part is that the liners plus gloves make my hands feel like stuffed sausages (very uncomfortable and limited mobility).