Winter Weather Riding Tips?

[music man]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

If it is 18F and spitting freezing rain, ANY car is better than a bike......or raining buckets and a 40 mph wind. That WAS my point.

As for going years with little maintenance cost, that probably means you will be putting on a lot of miles and tires alone for a bike (2) often cost as much as a set for a car (4) and only get half the mileage (typically).

Maintenance cost and costly repairs are at two totally different ends of the spectrum. because now you are talking about maintenance(tires, oil changes, air filters etc...) PLUS new alternators, valve jobs, transmission issues etc... Compared to the bike that you put tires, and maybe a chain and sprocket set on in that same span of time. PLUS, your statement that ANY car is better than a bike in that kind of weather is way off the mark, because if you can't afford to keep it running, then you are walking in that 18F cold and rain, and i will take riding my bike in that weather any day over walking miles and miles in it.

And Heated riding gear is a Luxury, NOT a Need, at least not in the southern states, I have made it through two winters riding my GZ almost every single day, sometimes with temps in the high teens (without factoring in the wind chill), with no heated riding gear (and for that matter, no Motorcycle specific cold weather gear whatsoever), and the first winter I even wore a Beanie style helmet, so my face was exposed too. So it is all up to what you can and/or MUST withstand, Last winter I literally didnt have a choice, the skyrocketed gas prices from last summer had left me Cageless, so it was ride in the cold or nothing, granted I don't live in Chicago or Wisconsin, or god forbid, Canada in the winter, but it is still a Battle against the elements trying to ride in the winter here too.

On a closing note, I FULLY AGREE with Easy Rider (theres a shock for ya!) that your chances of having an accident raise Exponientally when it is brutally cold outside and you are on your bike, no matter what a study shows. Even if you discount the ice/snow and wet, you are still left with the fact that your mind is almost fully pre-occupied with the fact that you are freezing your ass off, which doesn't leave much room in your mind for concentrating on the road ahead of you. So if you are going to ride in the cold, take advice from someone who has some experience doing it, be twice as careful riding as you would be if it were warm outside.

[Easy Rider]

[quote=music man]

Originally Posted by "Easy Rider":77wx5v1s

If it is 18F and spitting freezing rain, ANY car is better than a bike......or raining buckets and a 40 mph wind. That WAS my point.

Maintenance cost and costly repairs are at two totally different ends of the spectrum. because now you are talking about maintenance(tires, oil changes, air filters etc...) PLUS new alternators, valve jobs, transmission issues etc... [/quote:77wx5v1s]

I quit already. Geeezzzz.
Every situation is different as to the specifics; continuing this "discussion", which now sounds more like an arguement, is pointless.

[Dupo]

You guys totally over think things lol.

Heres a tip, if you're cold, put more shit on. If its slippery, wet, icy, snowing - stay the hell home.

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I rode all winter last season down to 18 degree weather. I had no trouble and it only took going out twice to figure out what i had to put on or buy to put on. No heated accessories here ... i think you should be fine.

[dhgeyer]

Funny how luxury/necessity changes depending on one's means. I don't want to criticize anyone for hard times, but music man, you kind of make my point for me. It's true, if you ride in extreme heat/cold/rain without the proper gear, your chances of a mishap go way up, for exactly the reason you say they do. You can't concentrate on the task at hand if your brain is compromised, and heat/cold/wet can do that. So, if I'm going to ride in those conditions, I consider the proper gear to be a necessity for safety reasons. With the proper gear, your comfort, and your mind, are not compromised. You, evidently, have only tried it without the proper gear. I have tried it both ways, and let me assure you it makes all the difference in the world.

I must say, though, that I admire your chutzpah! High teens in a beanie helmet - my God! You are braver than I am.

[Water Warrior 2]

I have also found that age has a lot to do with the weather. A somewhat younger friend of mine will ride bare handed while I have gauntlets and heated grips keeping my hands comfy. Your tolerance for temps is not as great as you get older. Add in a little Arthritis or nerve damage in the wrists and you can be in a world of pain if you aren't dressed well.

[music man]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

I quit already. Geeezzzz.
Every situation is different as to the specifics; continuing this "discussion", which now sounds more like an arguement, is pointless.

Easy, I thought me and you were to the point where we could have some debate between each other without having to really "argue", I was just simply trying to say that there are situations out there where a motorcycle (especially a small one) makes more financial sense, and in some cases is a complete necessity, And agreeing with you that it is more dangerous to ride in the cold, so :neener: .

[mrlmd1]

I got some leather overpants last year and they really do block 100% of the wind and keep your lower body much warmer, especially if you have something warm like thicker fleece underneath. Don't forget the taller socks to keep the wind out.
Most importantly, don't forget the windshield, especially one that extends out over the grips. Eliminating wind and reducing wind-chill factor is one of the best ways to stay warm, and may eliminate the need for electrical warmers which are not practical on the GZ as it has limited alternator output. You really don't want any other major stress on the battery and electrical system on this bike if it's that cold.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

I got some leather overpants last year and they really do block 100% of the wind and keep your lower body much warmer, especially if you have something warm like thicker fleece underneath. Don't forget the taller socks to keep the wind out.
Most importantly, don't forget the windshield, especially one that extends out over the grips. Eliminating wind and reducing wind-chill factor is one of the best ways to stay warm, and may eliminate the need for electrical warmers which are not practical on the GZ as it has limited alternator output. You really don't want any other major stress on the battery and electrical system on this bike if it's that cold.

The GZ will easily support Symtec grip heaters with no problem and are very good overall. A windshield that extends wide enough across to protect the hands from wind is a very good idea. Having just ridden Lynda's "M-50" with a wide windshield was quite a treat. I found the bike to be very calm behind the shield and only had a slight breeze across my eyes with the face shield open on my FF helmet. The same conditions may very well occur with a GZ.

Oh yah, for your feet get some Merino Wool socks. They are great and do not itch.

[burkbuilds]

Great feedback guys thanks! Water Warrior, I'll have to check out the specs on my heated gloves and vest when I go back home next weekend, I don't have that information with me right now.
I had heated grips on the GZ last Winter and had no problems with the battery/alternator handling it and now I'm on the Vulcan 500 and it has a much larger alternator and comes with at least 4 accessory plug in's in the harness so I feel fairly good about it's ability to handle the added gloves and liner.
I did buy a windshield that extends out over my grips in hopes that it will help reduce the wind chill effect some.
I don't plan to go out if it's Icy, but that's usually not a problem in the Atlanta area because if they get any ice down here the schools will shut down anyway and I won't have to go out till it's cleared up.
I guess I do technically have the option to drive my truck, but the truck has well over 100K on it and it has some mechanical issues that could get expensive if I started driving it 25K per year plus the fuel cost at 18 mpg would eat me alive and I'm trying to stay on a budget to get through college. So I've made the decision to drive the Vulcan down each week and back and forth to school each day during the week and then head back home for the weekends with my wife and youngest daughter. I'm probably looking at around 75k miles over the next 3 years and I feel fairly good about being able to put that on the bike without any major problems, but there's no way my truck would even make it more than a few months at that rate. I'm sure we could all debate that issue to death, but that's not the point of this thread.

Thanks for all the great input guys! I think I can do all right based on your advice and input, I really appreciate everybody chipping in from their experience!

[bonehead]

Instead of buying all this high dollar riding gear, I take the truck that I have invested thousands of dollars in. Simple, if it is cold and rainy=I take the truck to work. No sense in being uncomfortable.