Winter riders

jodysgsa15 · Dec 7, 2015

Well,,how cold have you gone. For us East Coast (USA) side of the America has been crazy warmer
Than normal.
Other then icy, snowy precipitation... What's your temp cut off. .?
Any pics would be awesome to see some situations you may have ridden Fog? Snow squalls?

We are in about 25 f to 50-60 deg swing in temps, very unusual this time year, so for me it's a day by day situation as long as it's dry.... I will ride.
Daily riders, work commuters, , even if your a hard core winter tourer up the Dalton, share your riding tundra.. Story.

akbeemer · Dec 7, 2015

When I lived in AK I rode in the low 20s every now and then, but road conditions more than temps made me stop.

I have a friend who lives in Fairbanks. He wanted to ride to work everyday for a calendar year. He put a Cozy side car on his R100RT and was able to ride to work on all but four days due to an ice storm. He got a two wheel drive Ural and was able to achieve his goal the following year. In Fairbanks each year there are many days on which the high is below zero, and a couple of weeks when the low is in the -40s and the high for the day is in the -20s. I am amazed that he got the bike started, let alone riding in those temps. I believe he had some electric heating pads on the bike and our university had plug-ins at most parking spots. He is an occasional poster on this forum.... You out there Rich; did I get this right?

saddleman · Dec 8, 2015

I rode all winter when I lived in Michigan. Now I live in North Carolina & it is much easier to ride every day. I only stop riding when the roads get rutted with snow & you can't take evasive action because I can't climb out of the rut. I run these M + S studded tires on one of my LT's when the roads are icy or have snow on them.

BMARC153920 · Dec 8, 2015

I have ridden into the low teens but at those temps on the highway for extended periods heated gear struggles to keep you warm. So for me if I'm just commuting I will ride to the mid 20s.

Below that it becomes a pita to layer so much and freeze my butt off pulling my gear off in the train station lot. If I had a commute that let me walk right inside from the bike and change in the warmth I would go even colder.

But man at 530 am when its 20 degrees with a breeze and you have to swap your heated gear for a cold coat out of your topcase it sucks.

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JoeDabbs · Dec 8, 2015

I commute all winter here in VA Beach. 70 miles round trip each day. I do lose a couple of days a winter due to icy conditions. If it starts snowing while I'm at work, I split early so as not to get caught in jams.

AKsuited · Dec 8, 2015

We have a large salt mine 33 miles north of where I live. I won't ride on salted roads, and sometimes the salt is deeper than the snow.

I have been running errands on the bike this past week.

Harry

pglaves · Dec 8, 2015

in Kansas - 8 degrees for 65 miles one-way, then back home when it warmed up to 15 or so. Right after that ride I bought a pair of insulated hunting boots a full size too large for an extra pair of socks and plenty of dead air space. My electric jacket liner kept up but my feet were numb when I got to the Toy run.

I am now retired. We live in Texas. We have a few nights that get below freezing. Even then it warms during the day. There won't be any more 8 degree rides for me unless it is on a dirt bike in the snow just for grins, should that ever happen.

henzilla · Dec 8, 2015

Coastal Texas 26 degrees and sleeting, wearing some sort of flannel shirt and a Levis denim jacket for 60 miles leaving Galveston on IH-45 into the wind...On a naked Honda 90. :hungover

Been awhile!

If we get caught in sub freezing cold, so be it and we will add gear...if we Have to go it better be necessary these days as I can wait it out. I have nowhere to be.
Now if it's wet and any where near freezing...I'm looking for a book and some hot cocoa.
I do recall a mountain pass in Colorado or Idaho somewhere I violated that thought/rule big time one year :eek

That new fangled flashing snowflake on the display caught my eye, along with sleet and snow for a bit.

ahd43 · Dec 8, 2015

In my younger days not too many years ago I would ride down to around 15* F.

One day while riding in temps around 20 or so something took out my rear tire. Lucky for me I was with a few friends that helped get my tire plugged and rolling again before my heated vest had a chance to cool down.

Marty

6322 · Dec 8, 2015

Seems like the common thread is "back in the day". Folks have been snowmobiling for years in subzero so the gear is available to deal with the cold. The question is the condition of the road and anymore I'm not interested in beating up my bikes with the gravel and brine put on in winter. My hacks are fine for stability and traction but still not interested in beating them up. Maybe the dirt hack and I've studded the tires for winter roads in the past.

One winter we had one car which my wife used for work and I used my dirt hack. My commute was about 120 miles each way, along the Salmon River, over White Bird Pass, down to the S Frk of the Clearwater River to Elk City and finally arriving at Red River. We had one period during that winter when the temp reached -38F and for most of a week it wasn't above -20F. Thank goodness for Hippo Hands and electrics. Attatched is a photo of the dirt hack I built in '84. Too much fun!

trident74 · Dec 9, 2015

Ride all year. As long as the roads are dry. With the right gear, the cold is not a factor. Just make sure you don't have any little gaps where the cold air can get in. The views are totally different in the winter, sometimes nicer.
Val
03 K12RS

glenfiddich · Dec 9, 2015

Like others have mentioned, it's a matter of road conditions more than temp for me. With dry pavement I'll do my hour commute along rural roads on two wheels. 10F seems to be my cutoff for commuting, though, as below that my breath freezes on the pin lock and I need to thaw the visor every half hour or so

saddleman · Dec 9, 2015

glenfiddich said:
Like others have mentioned, it's a matter of road conditions more than temp for me. With dry pavement I'll do my hour commute along rural roads on two wheels. 10F seems to be my cutoff for commuting, though, as below that my breath freezes on the pin lock and I need to thaw the visor every half hour or so

After my Pin Lock froze in the single digits I now use an electric heated visor for winter riding. It also helps to keep the visor clear when riding in snow & freezing rain.

akbeemer · Dec 9, 2015

Some Real Winter Riders

We hosted a couple in Fairbanks who rode from Key West to Prudhoe Bay in February. He was on a Yamaha R1, she was on a F800 GS. She had heated socks, pants, jacket, gloves and visor.

Later another fellow passed thru and he rode to Prudhoe and Inuvik in the winter on a R1200GS. He did not believe in heated gear and camped every night.

One of the Binkley brothers rode up to Prudhoe and then back down to Ushuaia starting in February of 1975 on a R90S. He carried a pillow case full of rags and old socks and stuffed them in his clothing whenever a cold spot developed. He is believed to be the first motorcyclist to travel the haul road. (It was closed to the public in those days)

And finally, in the 70s George Rahn rode from Fairbanks to PA in January. He didn't hit temperatures above zero until he reached Edmonton. One night he thinks he dozed off and dropped the bike. Both he and the bike spun around several times on the hard pack snow of the ALCAN. Fortunately the headlight still worked but he had no idea which way to go. There were no landmarks or signs so he just guessed. He said about 20 miles later he saw a sign that indicated he had guessed correctly.

rangerreece · Dec 9, 2015

I've ridden often in the high 20's low 30's. In my non heated gear, it gets a little nippy. Hats off to the super cold riders out there. More power to you. Currently in December, in lower AL the temps in the afternoon is in the mid 70's. Lovely.

jeffd · Dec 10, 2015

Rode to work this morning in mid 30s and heavy fog. No heated gear, grips or seat. Visor kept fogging up so I rode with it partly open. Think I had about enough fun in that 30 minute ride. Should be in the 50s going home though.
Jeff

mylanc · Dec 10, 2015

My "personal low" was 21F two years ago. I'll ride year round as long as the roads are clean (no salt or sand) and dry for some days so there's no ice. Last year I rode on Jan 1 -- shortly thereafter, the snow flew. We had roads salted last week -- hoping it rains soon to wash away the salt so I can take the bike out at least one more time this year. With the right gear and heated grips, you can still be toasty when the mercury plunges.

AKsuited · Dec 11, 2015

I once rode my bike home from a shop 42 miles - the temperature was around 15F. The sun was out and the roads were clear.

Harry

RTRay · Dec 21, 2015

28F one morning going 64 miles to work on my RT with heated gear. Didn't even get a chill! I don't normally ride if the temp falls below 37F, but the roads were very clear with no ice or snow.

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rangerreece · Dec 21, 2015

Saturday morning, Enterprise Alabama, it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit when I headed out on the 650' no wind protection, lots of layers, 2.5 hours to Pensacola dealership. I was pretty good but by the Crestview the tip of my right middle finger was numb so I took a five minute break in a Burger King parking lot took my right glove off and put my hand down around the engine until the feeling came back. Other than that I was fine. It warmed up to a pleasant 41.

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