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Winter riders

I've ridden as low as single digits but I don't enjoy it at all. High teens is about where I stop with regard to "on purpose" rides. I won't go out in active frozen precipitation either but will ride if there is good clearance with some hard pack in spots. Stuff that works for me - I bought some ATV bar mitts and modded them (poked holes) for the GS mirrors. They slip right over the bark busters and offer good wind protection. If it's really cold I toss a couple hand warmers in there too. I wear UA cold gear compression shirt and pants as a base, then thin mid-layer of ski undies, an electric jacket - then the windproof Klim stuff on top. Balclava tucked into the undies... the whole deal. Bio breaks are not simple matters :)

Oh, I almost forgot... @jodysgsa15 / OP... where in NE PA are you? I'm out in South Abington... I feel like the only guy on the planet with a motorcycle this time of year.
 
"Back in the day" when I had a 9 to 5 (actually 7 to 4) job, I commuted by motorcycle everyday, year 'round, if I could get out of the garage w/o getting wet and there was no ice on the roads. Coldest that I remember was 18 degF. Yes, I had heated gloves/heated jacket. Commute was about 12 miles each way. Only "pucker moment" that I remember was hitting a 24' (about a car-length and a half) sheet of ice where water ran over the main highway and froze. All that I could think was "Boy! This is going to hurt!" Somehow I made it on through the patch. Didn't ride again that year until they fixed the water leak/temps rose above freezing.

Memorable ride #2 -- October, 2005. Wife and I were in WV. We decided to ride the Appalachian Highway. As we left the motel, my wife commented that "Those were pretty white rocks over there. I didn't notice them yesterday." Yes, it was snow. No, we didn't turn around, as the roads were dry going up to the AppHiway. We stopped at the first rest area on the A-H when 2 young men in a pickup truck, w/2 mountain bikes in the back pulled in and asked which way we were headed. When we said we were heading onward on the A-H, they said "Be careful! We ran into black ice at the bridge." We stupidly went on. Yes, a 600lb touring bike w/2 riders can ride -- al-be-it v-e-r-y slowly and carefully -- in icy conditions. We made it the entire length of the A-H without any incident, tho' we were frozen when we pulled into the ranger station at the south end of the A-H. I am happy to say that we were out of the icy conditions there (but not the cold), and the rest of our loop was a lot of fun!

Memorable ride #3 -- November, 2013. I headed out to OK on my F800ST (solo trip). Wind was blowing out of the south. Route went west of Birmingham on US82 to Dallas, then north -- almost to KS -- on I-35. Temps weren't bad leaving Birmingham. Made it to Dallas first day and stopped for the night. Next morning, temps were still good, but the wind had picked up to about 45mph, still from the due south. Ride through OK to Blackwell, OK was a dream come true! I don't think I ever enjoyed a ride more -- that tailwind was terrific! Until you've ridden with that type of tailwind, you don't know how quiet a motorcycle can be! However, when I turned west out of Blackwell, for the last 26 miles of the outbound trip, the wind took a nasty change and the temps dropped to near freezing. It was like riding through one of those freezer curtains you find in walk-in freezers. Little did I know that that was the highest temps I was going to find for the next 4 days. When I reversed my trip to return back to Birmingham, the temps were in the mid 20's. Fortunately, the wind had died down, but that was of little consequence, as that sport shield on the ST just directed the wind right up under the chin guard on my full-face helmet, literally freezing my face. (Replacing that windshield with a touring shield was the first thing I did when I returned to B'ham). Temps finally rose above freezing somewhere south of Pauls Valley, OK, and the ride from there back to Birmingham was much better.

Now, winter is making a few forays into the area. So far this year I've only ridden in temps down to the mid to upper 40's, but winter still isn't here in force. Remains to be seen if I keep riding all winter this year, but I'm looking at another trip out to OK right after the first of the year. I'll see what the weather brings!
 
I was out a couple of weeks ago at -3C, fog but dry roads as it had been warm the day before and the tarmac still had some heat in it. There was a hard white frost on the fields.
With a heated jacket, good gloves with polypropylene liners (magic) and heated grips on my R1200RS I was fine except I had to crack my visor open and got a cold face. All in all it was nothing compared to some winter rides in the UK in my youth: snow, black ice, freezing fog and none of the cosy gear.
I had to get the bike somewhere, or I wouldn't have been out, though. Any time that snowflake thing shows on the dash is too cold for safety.
 
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I've ridden as low as single digits but I don't enjoy it at all. High teens is about where I stop with regard to "on purpose" rides. I won't go out in active frozen precipitation either but will ride if there is good clearance with some hard pack in spots. Stuff that works for me - I bought some ATV bar mitts and modded them (poked holes) for the GS mirrors. They slip right over the bark busters and offer good wind protection. If it's really cold I toss a couple hand warmers in there too. I wear UA cold gear compression shirt and pants as a base, then thin mid-layer of ski undies, an electric jacket - then the windproof Klim stuff on top. Balclava tucked into the undies... the whole deal. Bio breaks are not simple matters :)

Oh, I almost forgot... @jodysgsa15 / OP... where in NE PA are you? I'm out in South Abington... I feel like the only guy on the planet with a motorcycle this time of year.

Been Riding, temps bouncing still between 29* to low 40* Snow sticking on the ground up in Sullivan County, will be riding as long as there's no precipitation.

Ice or a Nor'easter storm. Which usually means time to put the bike away.. The roads suck in Pa with any kind of freezing
then Penn dot, gets the roads sprayed and starts dropping rock salt....
 
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It is a very bad idea to ride in cold temperatures. Articulating parts can stress and break, tubes and hoses are brittle and can break, orifices do not seal well and are prone to leaking fluids and noxious fumes and heaven only knows what affect it has on the bike.
 
It is a very bad idea to ride in cold temperatures. Articulating parts can stress and break, tubes and hoses are brittle and can break, orifices do not seal well and are prone to leaking fluids and noxious fumes and heaven only knows what affect it has on the bike.

Winter advice from just about the only guy almost ever to retire to Montana. :)
 
Been Riding, temps bouncing still between 29* to low 40* Snow sticking on the ground up in Sullivan County, will be riding as long as there's no precipitation.

Ice or a Nor'easter storm. Which usually means time to put the bike away.. The roads suck in Pa with any kind of freezing
then Penn dot, gets the roads sprayed and starts dropping rock salt....

I hear you on the PA roads. The frost heaves around here on "good" roads are enough to bounce me off the seat. For the salt, I spray the whole bike with CorrosionX MaxWax to keep it from eating things but whatever that stuff is they are spraying these days even rusts the tackle on my boots. Nasty stuff. I usually end up parked for most of January/February due to weather. This year, I've developed a slow oil leak between the motor/trans so I will ride until the first real stretch where the roads aren't clear and then tear into it.
 
I tested my limits not long ago and right after I got the 04 GS Adventure by commuting 26 miles to work at 16 degrees with no heated gear. I wore snowmobile grade bibs, jacket, balaclava, and boots and they all worked very well. I needed better gloves, but with the heated grips and hand guards it really wasn't that bad. With better gloves I think I could ride in even lower temps. The worst part it the Shoei fogging up so bad that I had to ride with the visor up. I'm with everyone else though, won't do it if there is any ice on the roads. I may be crazy, but not stupid.

I actually find it fun to get all geared up. And since I made that ride, I am putting the same gear on a lot more to take the dogs for walks in frigid temps.
 
We were actually having fun on this day near Crater Lake. The road was warm enough to melt the snow as it fell.
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There was one day in northern Pa and southern NY where is was snowing hard enough to cover the road and we were leaving tire tracks.
Debbie was on her own bike then.
Late in the day when it was snowing hard I pulled up to a run down motel and Debbie pulled up next to me. See looked at the ratty motel, looked at me, and said it was not that bad out and we kept going :)
 
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McDonald Pass outside Helena,MT on way to Glacier...Had a layer of sleet and ice on windscreen and faceshield...my brother on his Victory behind H was not impressed. Fun times:dance
 
We've had some cold...like 25F...weather for the past few days. I could've taken the car everywhere, but why? The roads were dry. The only thing to watch out for was the very few places that had water seep out of the ground, which later froze. And there's also the sand that was spread when the snow first came, but that'll be there even after the temps get warmer.

If you have the gear for it, riding in the winter is very doable and enjoyable.

Chris
 
Christmas Day ride.

Saw some strange folks out on the ice, ice fishing.
Man, they really must like ice fishing.

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Had a good 2 hour ride.
THe electric gloves made all the difference (see the red light).
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Would have been about 20 minutes without them.
 
Eighty seven (87) degrees F today at Santa Elena Canyon in Beg Bend National Park. So far winter was January 7, 8, and 9. I suspect May and June will be a bit hot if this keeps up.
 
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