Anyone Else Braving the cold?

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Just leave the damn bike alone.
Go bash yourself into a tree or run and slide on the pavement.

It amazes me how dense some ppl can be.

And as usual the moment they crash and pop back up they say...oh I shoulda...not come out.

Go play your PS4/Xbox...it's safer for everyone especially the bike.
 
I brave the cold working as a liftee and skiing. I've ridden when it is as low as +5C as my ST provides great wind protection, but that is usually late in the fall before the snow flies. Then it is ski season and the bike is parked until spring.

BTW, if you are riding stay close to the GTA, because the roads up this way are covered in ice patches, sand and salt.
 
-D- said:
Just leave the damn bike alone.
Go bash yourself into a tree or run and slide on the pavement.
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Ya know it's possible to ride a motorcycle at ANY temperature (and even conditions, within reason of course) so long as the rider takes appropriate precautions, right?

The cold doesn't matter much if you're dressed properly, you're alert to the fact you have less traction, and you pay close attention to road conditions.

Some people make it sound like anyone daring take out a motorcycle in anything less than 15c on a sunny day is a recipe for immediately crashing into a flaming heap on the first gentle corner.

Honestly.....on dry clean roads at 0C you still probably have as much (likely more) traction than on a rainy sloppy day in July. The rest is just temperature, and that can be overcome by simply dressing for it - think about how the snowmobilers do it.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Ya know it's possible to ride a motorcycle at ANY temperature (and even conditions, within reason of course) so long as the rider takes appropriate precautions, right?

The cold doesn't matter much if you're dressed properly, you're alert to the fact you have less traction, and you pay close attention to road conditions.

Some people make it sound like anyone daring take out a motorcycle in anything less than 15c on a sunny day is a recipe for immediately crashing into a flaming heap on the first gentle corner.

Honestly.....on dry clean roads at 0C you still probably have as much (likely more) traction than on a rainy sloppy day in July. The rest is just temperature, and that can be overcome by simply dressing for it - think about how the snowmobilers do it.
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I used to get out at least once a month and I hate rain riding more than a clean road at sub zero temperature.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Ya know it's possible to ride a motorcycle at ANY temperature (and even conditions, within reason of course) so long as the rider takes appropriate precautions, right?

The cold doesn't matter much if you're dressed properly, you're alert to the fact you have less traction, and you pay close attention to road conditions.

Some people make it sound like anyone daring take out a motorcycle in anything less than 15c on a sunny day is a recipe for immediately crashing into a flaming heap on the first gentle corner.

Honestly.....on dry clean roads at 0C you still probably have as much (likely more) traction than on a rainy sloppy day in July. The rest is just temperature, and that can be overcome by simply dressing for it - think about how the snowmobilers do it.
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And you know it's also possibly to ride your bike across lava flow (new black tar road) for a few moments too.
Just because you can do something does not mean it is the thing to do...especially if you are a new rider.
 
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-D- said:
And you know it's also possibly to ride your bike across lava flow (new black tar road) for a few moments too.
Just because you can do something does not mean it is the thing to do.
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Apples and oranges. One can ride until you run out of gas in the winter and nothing will happen if you take due caution.

-D- said:
..especially if you are a new rider.
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On that I'd agree, and have in the past, however the blanket suggestions that riding in the off season is tantamount to tempting near certain death needs to stop. I've felt or experienced reduced traction far more in the summer (on freshly wet roads with the oil film still on it, on tar strips, mud or stones on the asphalt from construction, and hell, even the white/yellow traffic lines when they're wet!) than I've *ever* experienced riding in the off season/winter, again, with due caution.

When I do go out in the winter I do so with an extra measure of caution and attention to the road conditions - arguably those of us who do the same and ride in the winter are *safer* riders due to the hyper attentiveness.
 
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Riceburner said:
c'mon, heated grips should get you to at least -10C.....
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I don't even switch out of my summer gloves or put the liner in my jacket until it's below 10C.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Apples and oranges. One can ride until you run out of gas in the winter and nothing will happen if you take due caution.



On that I'd agree, and have in the past, however the blanket suggestions that riding in the off season is tantamount to tempting near certain death need to stop. I've felt or experienced reduced traction far more in the summer (on freshly wet roads with the oil film still on it, on tar strips, mud or stones on the asphalt from construction, and hell, even the white/yellow traffic lines when they're wet!) than I've *ever* experienced riding in the off season/winter, again, with due caution.

When I do go out in the winter I do so with an extra measure of caution and attention to the road conditions - arguably those of us who do the same and ride in the winter are *safer* riders due to the hyper attentiveness.
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Right? I understand that there's risk in riding in the cold, but in all reality there's risk riding in the summer too. There's currently no snow in sight where I am, and the main roads are relatively clean.

Would I go track riding right now? No, of course not, but putting across town? why not? I pay upwards of $2000 a year for insurance, I'm riding every damn chance I get.

As for the hyper attentiveness, I've heard that studies show cyclists are less likely to get hit by a vehicle if they aren't wearing a helmet because drivers recognize the danger and give them more space. Do you think the same principle would apply to drivers seeing motorcyclists in the winter? With them being less common and all, as well as people seeing them and wondering what the hell they're doing out in January (but seeing them for once none the less.)
 
stevenwashere12 said:
As for the hyper attentiveness, I've heard that studies show cyclists are less likely to get hit by a vehicle if they aren't wearing a helmet because drivers recognize the danger and give them more space. Do you think the same principle would apply to drivers seeing motorcyclists in the winter? With them being less common and all, as well as people seeing them and wondering what the hell they're doing out in January (but seeing them for once none the less.)
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I ride most days (some days I have nowhere to go) year round and I think that cagers give motos more of a berth in the winter. Although I don't particularly think it's due to any particular altriusm to motos.

Rather I think it's due to :

- when attempting to drive aggressively and stomping on the magic pedal, they just spin one tire and they do not like the ensuring spike tugging on the steering wheel. Armed with zero knowledge of skid avoidance techniques and vehicle dynamics, they back off and hence go slower in general

- their stopping distances are compromised on their all season tires in these freezing temps. They don't like the ABS vibes and so they leave more space to slow down

- bicyclists and pedestrians can go in all different directions at any time so this plays into their choice of min speeds

It is common in the summertime for cars to line up less than 10 cm from our bike rear tires. It is much more uncommon in the winter for this to happen. In my experience, when it's nasty out (ie. snow and ice on the roads), most cars stop way short... more than a car length in cases.
 
mudmojo said:
I ride most days (some days I have nowhere to go) year round and I think that cagers give motos more of a berth in the winter. Although I don't particularly think it's due to any particular altriusm to motos.

Rather I think it's due to :

- when attempting to drive aggressively and stomping on the magic pedal, they just spin one tire and they do not like the ensuring spike tugging on the steering wheel. Armed with zero knowledge of skid avoidance techniques and vehicle dynamics, they back off and hence go slower in general

- their stopping distances are compromised on their all season tires in these freezing temps. They don't like the ABS vibes and so they leave more space to slow down

- bicyclists and pedestrians can go in all different directions at any time so this plays into their choice of min speeds

It is common in the summertime for cars to line up less than 10 cm from our bike rear tires. It is much more uncommon in the winter for this to happen. In my experience, when it's nasty out (ie. snow and ice on the roads), most cars stop way short... more than a car length in cases.
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Lol your observations of the driving habits of cagers is pretty good, though I'll continue to ride like they have no idea I'm there or that the brakes do indeed work more than 10 feet behind the vehicle in front of them. If riding has opened my eyes to one thing it's that no law or tickets can fix the truly awful driving habits people have.
 
I'll probably head out for a rip on Saturday when its 7 degC. Just picked up a really nice pair of Alpinestars SP-2 gloves and a Milwaukee M12 heated hoodie, so I'll be golden. Never did anything to winterise the DRZ, so she's ready to go any day.

-D- said:
Just leave the damn bike alone.
Go bash yourself into a tree or run and slide on the pavement.

It amazes me how dense some ppl can be.

And as usual the moment they crash and pop back up they say...oh I shoulda...not come out.

Go play your PS4/Xbox...it's safer for everyone especially the bike.
Click to expand...

Man you care more about my bike than I do lol
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