Proper winter tires | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Proper winter tires

Do you get a snow tire discount on your motorcycle insurance?

Haha, no. But if the insurance company insists on charging me through winter, and actively penalizes me if I try to stop my insurance over winter, then screw 'em, I'm riding' and they can suck it up.

That said, I've never claimed any winter damage, and haven't had an off in winter in about 10 years, despite ~25000 calendar-winter kilometres ridden in those 10 years. So it isn't like I'm a statistic that's raising our collective rates.
 
Not so, Go drive the roads in BC, (in the lower elevations), with their heavy wet snow, them go drive in Alberta, (or the much higher elevations with their powdery snow), with their light fluffy dry snow. So not all snow and slush are created equal.

Heavy wet snow is the same in BC as heavy wet snow is here in Ontario.

Light fluffy dry snow is the same in Alberta is light fluffy dry snow is here in Ontario.

My point is that we get the all sorts of mixes of different snow and such right here in Ontario through an average winter - wet and soggy, light and powdery, we typically get both, as well as stuff in between, and we are all quite familiar with how they all are to shovel as well.
 
Haha, no. But if the insurance company insists on charging me through winter, and actively penalizes me if I try to stop my insurance over winter, then screw 'em, I'm riding' and they can suck it up

You're not being "penalized" by cancelling your insurance during the winter, you would just be paying the balance of what you would otherwise have paid during the summer when you were actually using it.

Your winter payments make your summer payments lower, basically. If we all demanded 6 month policies vs the 12 month policies (that some feel go "unused" in the winter) your monthly payments would be exactly twice as much as a result.
 
You're not being "penalized" by cancelling your insurance during the winter, you would just be paying the balance of what you would otherwise have paid during the summer when you were actually using it.

Your winter payments make your summer payments lower, basically. If we all demanded 6 month policies vs the 12 month policies (that some feel go "unused" in the winter) your monthly payments would be exactly twice as much as a result.

Except when the insurance companies stopped letting people cancel their insurance for winter (or more precisely, began penalizing people for canceling and then restarting in spring), rates didn't drop in kind.

Regardless. I have insurance during the winter, so if the roads look survivable, I'm riding.
 
Except when the insurance companies stopped letting people cancel their insurance for winter (or more precisely, began penalizing people for canceling and then restarting in spring), rates didn't drop in kind.

I think you missed my point.

If you purchased a fancy pool (and installation) and then only used it from June through to September you still have to make the monthly payments all 12 months of the year, even when there's a tarp over it and it's full of snow in February.

I remember when I was riding back in the 90's there was still options for 6 month policies but the monthly payments were drastically higher than the 12 month policies because of the payment spreading. Yes, many took the 12 month policy and then tried to cancel it at the end of the 6th or 8'th month....so the insurance companies simply stopped offering them as a result.
 
Haha, no. But if the insurance company insists on charging me through winter, and actively penalizes me if I try to stop my insurance over winter, then screw 'em, I'm riding' and they can suck it up.
They're charging you through the winter because they're financing your annual premium.
Agreed on the "penalty" though. It supposed to be a fee for cancelling part way through a year and I'm pretty sure it was implemented to keep us from cancelling and renewing.
 
Except when the insurance companies stopped letting people cancel their insurance for winter (or more precisely, began penalizing people for canceling and then restarting in spring), rates didn't drop in kind.

Regardless. I have insurance during the winter, so if the roads look survivable, I'm riding.

You aren't being penalized, you are paying the premium of what it would be in summer because the amount is spread over 12 months instead of just summer. For example, if you got insurance in May and the amount of insurance to cover you the year cost $1200. If paid over 12 months that's $100 per month. But if you canceled in Oct, you still owe them $1200, not $600, because the insurance is weighted to the summer months. Check your policy breakdown. Each month has a % of the premium used. Nov to March uses almost nothing and it goes up to peak summer and down again each month.

This explains it better:
SF.jpg

http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...-Farm-policy-Want-to-know-your-Penalty-Refund
 
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My insurer charges me nothing over the winter months, Nov-Feb. That doesn't validate putting my bike away, just as those being charged over the winter shouldn't feel it obliges them to ride during that time! You're still charged the same over the year. Ride whenever you want (except winter in QC because of the snow tire thing).

Actually I wonder if I only wanted to ride from November to February, if I could get away with free insurance... hmmmm...
 
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I've wondered if race rain tires would be beneficial in low temps. Softer rubber and more aggressive tread pattern would help, I'd think? Although I've heard the softer compound tires actually get even harder than normal compound tires in the cold (which makes little sense to me but I guess it could be true).

Something like these:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/tire-tyre-guide/Avon-SupermotoPro-XtremeRain.htm
Avon-SupermotoPro-XtremeRain.jpg


Pete's Superbike told me they can get them a few years back but I never bothered to get them.
 
[video=youtube;v4Fh_BdoWEA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Fh_BdoWEA[/video]
 
[video=youtube;v4Fh_BdoWEA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Fh_BdoWEA[/video]
Great for deep snow and ice. Crap on pavement, though.
 
Ive signed up with td in the past in early November, and they have that rolling payment system ( 5 payments a year) where basically you pay nothing for winter menthes, and all policies end/start back up in February.

I sighned up aand all I had to pay was a $25 min. policy fee to ride for the 4 months or so ( it was a super mild winter).
 
I don't care how good your winter tires are riding a motorcycle with snow on the ground is not going to end well
 
Okay, so, how did you do that? :)

I got them from Riders Choice, special order from a disti in Quebec. I paid around $500 for the pair.

How are they working out for you?

..Tom
 
How are they working out for you?

..Tom

So far they're fine, but I admit I've only done a couple hundred KMs on them so far; spending most of my time on my K1300S, enjoying the last days for it before the salt descends upon the streets.
 

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