Riding In Winter?

[Ice]

I agree with Hornet - Riding in the rain improves your skills. It makes you a much better (& smoother) rider - in both the wet and dry.

Originally Posted by Scoundrel

It's not going to harm it. But I rode in that morning hailstorm the other week and it was a fucking spinout let me assure you. 100's of beestings!

One of my bikes got hail damage to the screen from a ride through the sting-y stuff. It's the only reason I try to avoid it when I can.

[cruelcheffy]

This morning it was about 2 deg C.
The only part of my body that feels the cold it my fingers.
Otherwise I am wrapped up nice and warm. I ride every day. I don't mind showers or rain, but if I get up and it thunders, and it blows a gail then I have been seen taking the car.

[thro]

Yeah +1 to riding in the rain improving your skills.

In the wet, you feel traction loss, sliding, etc at FAR lower speeds than in the dry.

Obviously, you say?

Well, have a think about the implications of that for a second.... in the dry, you might not get the chance to experience traction loss unless you're giving it a REAL handful or cornering at much higher speed - or even worse, you hit a patch of oil or something.

Now, given that is the case - what happens if you get it wrong first time it happens in the dry?

That's right...

1. things happen a lot quicker
2. if you really cock it up and highside or whatever - the stakes are much higher. *if* heaven forbid, you hit anything, the impact will be a lot harder :|

Even if you don't commute in it, i'd certainly recommend making the effort to get out there from time to time and practice. AS turbo has said on here many times - its an excellent learning opportunity.

At least when riding in the wet (as opposed to hitting a patch of oil in the dry) you're EXPECTING it to be slippery and are being careful.

There's generally a lot more grip than you realise, so don't be scared - just be SMOOTH and gradually work out how much acceleration/braking/leaning you can do - so long as you're *SMOOTH* you'll feel the bike starting to complain when you get close to the limit...

[optimal]

Originally Posted by thro

Yeah +1 to riding in the rain improving your skills.

In the wet, you feel traction loss, sliding, etc at FAR lower speeds than in the dry.

Obviously, you say?

Well, have a think about the implications of that for a second.... in the dry, you might not get the chance to experience traction loss unless you're giving it a REAL handful or cornering at much higher speed - or even worse, you hit a patch of oil or something.

Now, given that is the case - what happens if you get it wrong first time it happens in the dry?

That's right...

1. things happen a lot quicker
2. if you really cock it up and highside or whatever - the stakes are much higher. *if* heaven forbid, you hit anything, the impact will be a lot harder :|

Even if you don't commute in it, i'd certainly recommend making the effort to get out there from time to time and practice. AS turbo has said on here many times - its an excellent learning opportunity.

At least when riding in the wet (as opposed to hitting a patch of oil in the dry) you're EXPECTING it to be slippery and are being careful.

There's generally a lot more grip than you realise, so don't be scared - just be SMOOTH and gradually work out how much acceleration/braking/leaning you can do - so long as you're *SMOOTH* you'll feel the bike starting to complain when you get close to the limit...

+1 Well Said (You took the words right outa my mouth)

[mark_rattigan]

I haven't ridden this winter - mostly because my bike has been at smash repairers since mid May.
Will be trying to get slowly back into it when I get my bike back in the next couple of weeks.
Will have to get used to the cold.

[cruelcheffy]

Originally Posted by optimal

I used to hang shit on ppl with heated hand grips, but now I have them Ohhhhh Heaven,
Hornet you sould Invest In some.

I was thinking about BMW's as I was riding to work yesterday morning.
I test rode the K1200R and the R1150R a Month before I decided on the ZRX. hmmm. may buy one for next Winter.

[Revelations]

i find wind more anoying on the babyblade. If its cyclone tracey outside, then car it is. Rain is ok, wind is thy enemy on a 250.

[Klara]

Originally Posted by rc_sam

Only thing i don't like is the wind gusts, blows the 250 all over the road.

Totally agree with this, GPX gets lifted off in a strong wind....otherwise I love riding in the winter.
I had my lessons in the winter last year and first lesson I had was during a storm, but I loved it!!! Every lesson after that it always rained as well, so I got used to riding in the rain, which Im thankful for.

[wayney]

Was positively warm this morning compared to the past 2 days. It was a great ride to work this morning.

[hlucin8]

I'm going to buy my thermals now. Last few days have been freezing in the morning. But i agree with the others. even with my winter gloves i can still feel the cold. but comparing that to the summer gloves i was wearing on sunday... at least i can feel my fingers in the winter gloves. i had to stop on sunday cos my fingers had literally siezed up. I couldnt use the levers properly so i stopped till i got feeling back in my fingers.

[D34N0]

man this morning was I think the worst experience I've ever had on a bike. I start work at 6am and commute from south of the river to the north side. It was pissing with rain and every time I closed my visor the thing instantly fogged up. I couldn't see jack shit! I may as well have ridden with my eyes closed. So i had to ride with my visor half open all the friggin way to work. Just enough so the water didnt pierce my eyeballs but so that I could still see below it. At one point not too far from home I seriously thought about turning back. It was friggin dangerous.

Is there anything you can get to put on your visor that prevents this from happening?

[Hornet]

Originally Posted by hlucin8

I'm going to buy my thermals now. Last few days have been freezing in the morning. But i agree with the others. even with my winter gloves i can still feel the cold. but comparing that to the summer gloves i was wearing on sunday... at least i can feel my fingers in the winter gloves. i had to stop on sunday cos my fingers had literally siezed up. I couldnt use the levers properly so i stopped till i got feeling back in my fingers.

Depending on your bike, sticking your hand down behind the radiator (watch out you don't grab the headers) can add a lot of heat to your hands. Crossing the Nullarbor I used this technique back in '03. If you're able, using your left hand on the throttle allows you to swap and put your right hand down for a minute or two, as well. It's amazing how much heat can be generated even in cold weather.

[Desmogod]

Yeah, stator and clutch covers are awesome things.
Just don't go trying to warm your hands up on the Duc.

[shardzero]

I didn't know we even had winter in Perth? When is it? I fell on black ice 5 times on the way to work in Dublin once and still arrived smiling. Ride slower.... All fully faired bikes blow about in a side wind. I think all suzuki's are waterproof hahaha

Only thing I dislike are cagers driving at 40km/hr in the fast-lane on the freeway when it pours.

[Roller]

Originally Posted by D34N0

man this morning was I think the worst experience I've ever had on a bike. I start work at 6am and commute from south of the river to the north side. It was pissing with rain and every time I closed my visor the thing instantly fogged up. I couldn't see jack shit! I may as well have ridden with my eyes closed. So i had to ride with my visor half open all the friggin way to work. Just enough so the water didnt pierce my eyeballs but so that I could still see below it. At one point not too far from home I seriously thought about turning back. It was friggin dangerous.

Is there anything you can get to put on your visor that prevents this from happening?

Yeah if you go to your bike shop and ask for the ultra clear shield, it's an anti fog sticker you could say that no matter how hard you try won't fog up on you, I have one in my tinted visor and it's a god sent.

[D34N0]

thanks Roller, I just googled it. Sounds good. I was reading about a few liquid and wax agents you can use but they only last a couple of days then have to be re-applied. They also wash off with water which makes it a bit pointless in the rain.

[Roller]

No worries D, this is the way to go mate, just make sure when you put it on you clean the inside of the visor and you don't screw it up otherwise it stuffs up your vision, like I said it works wonders.

[Graelin]

The coldest I rode in was minus 7 degrees in New Zealand.

I was in traffic police and sent to do driver testing 40kms away. Every 2kms I stopped and put guantlets over the end of exhaust pipes and gave the Yamaha 650 twin a good handfull of revs. It was agony!!!!!

We used to get so cold we can not write out tickes because our hands would not release from the shape of the hand grips!
We could not use the high level bridge in town in winter mornings because of ice and had to take the long way to town.

I used to repair tyres and breaking the ice off the out door water trough and looking for a slow leak in a tube wanst much fun either.

Graelin

[Colonel Mustard]

Get a fogoff they deflect ur breathe away from the visor and they work a treat, even in melbourne on a 5 deg cel day.

[Colonel Mustard]

When i bought my beamer i even asked if they could take the heated grips off.
mmm eating words nom nom