Miss riding my bike

Scorpio1963

Scorpio1963

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Man Guys I had 5 days of great weather to ride in and didnt even have the time.I was so busy working on another project and getting ready for a long road trip for the holiday the oppurtunities slipped away.Today it friggen snowed and its supposed to be real cold the rest of this weekend into next week.:banghead:
 
Just a matter of shortime the withdrawls will hit.I`ll get terribly sick ,have the shakes and other symptom.Then I`ll have to go to my doc and explain.
Hopefully he`ll write me out a script to go some where warm and be able to take my bike with me.
Then I wake up! LAMO.Winter is here and I hate it:banghead:
 
The long range forecast here is calling for temps just above freezing and no rain or snow next week. I'll be out as much as I can. I especially enjoy the looks on the faces of the Harley owners around here. They won't even consider riding unless it is >+15C and sunny. I guess leather chaps don't keep their, errr, "boys" warm enough... :0

Dave
 
16VGTIDave said:
The long range forecast here is calling for temps just above freezing and no rain or snow next week. I'll be out as much as I can. I especially enjoy the looks on the faces of the Harley owners around here. They won't even consider riding unless it is >+15C and sunny. I guess leather chaps don't keep their, errr, "boys" warm enough... :0

Dave
Click to expand...

Your forecast is similair to mine,Highs in the mid 30`s F and lows in the mid to upper 20`s.Except we have chance of snow showers every day.I see guys riding in this cold sh%t Im wondering how they do it.I have rode my bike when it was 40* and had 4 layers on plus coveralls and heavy coat then still froze.:wtf:
 
The trick is how you layer! Wool or silk thermal undergarments are a must, cotton will get damp with sweat and you will be cold! Thick wool socks. Wool pants and shirt. A heavy sweater, preferably wool. Wind and waterproof pants - I wear fleece lined snowboarding pants with good cuffs on the legs. Suspenders to make sure pants don't drop down. Waterproof boots. A motorcycle jacket with liner. A fleece snowmobile neck protector or balaclava. Full face helmet. Silk gloves with snowmobile gauntlet style gloves on top of jacket sleeves.

All pockets closed, all cuffs snug. Overlap all joints so the wind can't get in. Don't ride stiff! Keep yourself relaxed and move a little while riding to keep the blood moving. Wiggle toes and fingers as you can.

And don't forget to go to the bathroom before you get suited up! A full bladder will make you feel cold, and getting un-suited takes longer than you'd imagine when you are rushing... ;)

Dave
 
I think the best and easiest way to keep warm would be to just get a snowmobile suit.They are warm and have all the wind resistance built into them.A facemask hat with full cover sheild helmet and apir of googles.Then a pair of warm fleece lined boots and gloves and that would do the trick.This time of year I always wear the new type of high teck thermal underwear also.

Oh on a side note Im pretty sure they make eletric heated suits that will set you back about $500 more than my budget can afford.
 
Snowmobile suits are not the best for riding a motorcycle. The riding posture is very different and they usually don't have pads like a good motorcycle jacket. They are also usually bulky and will flutter and flap in the wind. And you will still have to layer-up. Goggles under a full face helmet won't work. Expect fogging. Fleece lined boots may be warm, but try shifting with those on! And synthetic fibers are crap when compared to what nature has had millions of years to perfect.

Electrically heated suits are nifty, but the charging systems on our bikes are not powerful enough to run them.

I'll stick with what I've proven to work. ;) Wool and silk layered, and wind protection on top.

Dave
 
1982400xs said:
Man Guys I had 5 days of great weather to ride in and didnt even have the time....Today it friggen snowed and its supposed to be real cold the rest of this weekend into next week.:banghead:
Click to expand...
You missed last Thursday? :yikes: It was like a cool summer day (for about 4 hours anyway). And then a light dusting this AM.
A pair of tight, thin leather gloves worn under my cold weather MC gloves lets me go at least 10 miles if it's no lower than 5 C (41F). A little further if the sun is out. That lets me take the scenic route to the coffee shop.
Lots of layers a must with a synthetic (never tried silk) against the skin (polypropylene is best, polyester a decent second) - then wool to wick moisture. Cotton against the skin is a bad idea as are athletic socks which are usually cotton blends.
Last year's last riding date was Dec 4th - and without electric underwear. Still don't have any plug-in clothes but hope to pass Dec 4th with at least a few days above 5.
 
Silk is wonderful! It wicks moisture, traps air, and is very durable. Synthetics don't even compare!

I got my thermal gloves off of eBay. Black silk with knitted cuff. They came from the UK and were advertised as ski wear. About $16 CDN shipped. That makes them over 10x cheaper than heated grips and much easier to install! :)

Dave
 
You know if I got by a new wardrobe just to ride my bike as much as I miss riding it its not worth it to me.I`ll get over the withdrawls of not being to ride soon enough.I knew thse days would be here I accepted that when I bought my bike I`ll just have suckit up and go on.
 
Well, that is one way to look at it.

I prefer to think along the lines that warm clothing is just that. Warm clothing. Where and when I wear it is irrelevant as I live in an area that gets cold. I need to be outside at times, regardless of the weather. Other than my helmet, jacket and gloves, nothing else is motorcycle specific. But it is cold weather applicable.

And don't forget that thrift stores often have great deals on virtually new clothing. Many people get rid of wool clothing as they think it is too difficult to wash. And if you are slim, you will find lots of clothes that people have, errr, out grown. Obesity can be your friend when you aren't obese and want to save some money... :)

As an example, I recently bought a pair of Victorinox (Swiss Army knife company) jeans for $10 from a thrift shop. They looked new and are a cotton and wool blend. Much warmer and softer than regular jeans. And the seams are flat sewn so they don't cause discomfort when riding. I think that they were a great deal, especially since they are selling on eBay for $80 when you can find them...

Shop wisely,
Dave
 
Well I live in a town that has alot of low income people and the thrift stores get picked over pretty well around here.
Im not a slim guy nor a very tall football size line backer either.I have broad shoulders and large arms pretty musculer.I also have a bit of well round mid section as well and at 5,10 22olbs thanks to the holidays LOL.Its difficult to find clothing in my size.
Even when I buy new clothes Its difficult to find anything that fits me.I wear XL 1 1/2 or XL 2.+
 
high in north Texas today will be 75F. sorry but i couldn't resist saying that.

still... i rode to work recently on a 34F morning. i was impressed the bike started so easily and layering clothing i was actually pretty comfortable. hands are always the biggest issue but i wore synthetic knit gloves under lined leather gloves and warmed them on the engine at every stoplight. tolerable, but i'll admit i drove my truck the rest of the week.
 
Ironhead said:
high in north Texas today will be 75F. sorry but i couldn't resist saying that.

still... i rode to work recently on a 34F morning. i was impressed the bike started so easily and layering clothing i was actually pretty comfortable. hands are always the biggest issue but i wore synthetic knit gloves under lined leather gloves and warmed them on the engine at every stoplight. tolerable, but i'll admit i drove my truck the rest of the week.
Click to expand...

Oh sure rub it in it was 23* here last night and only 31* for the high today plus an 1 1/2 inches of snow.I couldnt ride today no matter what.I put a heater on the crank case to warm up the oil and charged the battery.Tryed starting fluid,drying out the plugs and she finaly fired up for 10 seconds.Then after that nothing.I ran out of day light said forget it I`ll try tomorrow.

We have some family in the Hill country down there we are trying to talk them into letting us stay there for part of the winter like january or Febuary.
 
sorry, man. just trying to entice all of you to move to Texas! having seen most of the state, i'll say that the hill country is the most scenic, IMO. hope you can get down there.
 
I was just wondering who was still riding with it getting cold out.

Thankfully i'm only 1mi from work so riding when it's 25* out isn't too horrible, give me a chance to use my helmet.

Texas is nice, went there this year for my first time and had to bring the bike, the scenery deff is nice.
 

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