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Post by richard on Dec 13, 2013 20:36:23 GMT -5
Rode my bike the other day. It was 38 degrees. I had all the winter gear on so it wasn't bad. The bike ran great. The only issue was as usual my thumbs seem to get a wind chill. I had on the winter gloves with freeze out liners and still had the same thumb thing. Has anybody ever tried installing something like bark busters to break the wind? Sometimes I sit working in the garage looking at the bikes and I just have ride no matter what the weather is. When it's cold It's like a little adventure although brief. I pulled up to a four way this time and a guy in a F-150 looked at me like I was crazy, I laughed. Maybe I am, but I'm having fun at it. The sun was out, sky was clear and cold as crap, but it was generally a nice ride. No bugs at all.
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Post by grizld1 on Dec 14, 2013 9:35:59 GMT -5
Good for you, Richard! The best way to winterize a bike is to keep it running! Re. the hands, what works for me is layers: rubber surgical gloves under thin merino wool glove liners under fleece-lined leather gauntlets.
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Post by richard on Dec 14, 2013 14:19:53 GMT -5
Thanks Gridlz1
I knew someone had a layering solution that would work. I have a perfectly good Ford F150, but I enjoy riding, unless it raining. I ride every chance I get and the cold weather gear extends that. I looked at electric gloves which have a low draw, but I don't want a bunch of extraneous wiring to encumber me. I'll have to hunt down some wool liners and gloves like yours. Do you have any suggestions of where to get them?
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Post by grizld1 on Dec 15, 2013 10:49:19 GMT -5
I bought the leather gauntlets about 20 years ago at a local independent shop.After all those years they're not even close to being worn out. The shop can't get them anymore, but I'd bet even money that there's something out there that would work equally well--textile ski gloves, maybe. The merino liners came from a local shop that specializes in outdoor gear for campers, climbers, kayakers, etc. If I remember right the brand is Patagonia.
I've used this particular winter combination for more than short hops. A few years back I believed a weather forecast that predicted 10% chance of rain and 45* weather for the whole route of a 170 mile trip to a 650 Society rally, so I rode instead of trailering. Temp was in the high 30's when I left so I went with full winter gear, figuring I'd shed some of it on the way. Light rain started 10 miles into the trip and I never did run out of it. When I got to the rally site (Rolla, MO) a bank clock read 36*F. I can't claim it was a comfortable trip, but it was tolerable.
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Post by richard on Dec 15, 2013 18:32:12 GMT -5
!70 mile of 36 deg that's a long way. I used to live not far from the where Patagonia store was in Ventura Ca. so I know their products well. I used to have a pair of rabbit fur lined gauntlet gloves I really like, but I loaned them out and never got them back. In 82 they cost $35 bucks. I've been looking for another pair, but so far no rabbit fur to be found. Tour master makes some nice ones with fleece lining, but quality costs so I'll have to save for those. I'll look into the liners at Patagonia too. I like my hands to be flexible for the switches, but when you get enough stuff on it's always a trade off.
I saw on youtube yesterday where a guy rode his KLR from Coldfoot AK to Deadhorse in November this year. That's crazy LOL :-)
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Post by yamimoto on Dec 17, 2013 19:25:15 GMT -5
Richard you're so right that the bikes love it.I too like to ride in the cold weather as long as there is no ice. Used to ride dirt bikes all winter, it's fun until you crash and the plastic parts generally crack or break but the rider gets to wear extra protection, full body armor under a skidoo suit. For the hands in cold weather I wear some reasonable quality downhill ski gloves which work quite well. The snow is here now, no more riding for a while, only in my dreams. Yamimoto
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Post by richard on Dec 19, 2013 1:07:13 GMT -5
Ice is scary for me no matter what I'm driving. Bridges come to mind, but out west here on the flat it is most dry between 30 and 50 in the winter. Snowmobile suites are great for that. I used to have a really nice one. I kind of went through a phase where I wasn't going to ride any more, but I always come back to it, and this time have to buy new gear. Dirt bikes are great in a few inches of snow if you get enough gear on. The price of things is what is hard to get a grip on. My mind is still back in the 80s on prices. I've been riding with my snow ski gear lately and it works pretty good except the gloves I have to work that out. My ski gloves are too stiff for the bar switches. I have two sets of motorcycle gloves winter and summer and one set of liners bought a year or two ago, but haven't found anything to match my old winter gloves.
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