whats the coldest?
 

ok here goes. this may sound strange but, what is the coldest weather you guys will ride in? just want to see how crazy i am for planning on going out tonite.....

Re: whats the coldest?
 

If I cant stay dry and warm I don't ride. Freezing and soaking wet sucks @$$

I'll head out for a ride if it's above 50. Of course, I've had to ride home at night when it's colder, but that was a matter of necessity.
Picked up some grip heaters over the winter, still need to install them. Should help with the comfort factor.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

Long day ride above 50 degrees, but i regurlarly ride my 10 mile trip to work in colder weather. My drop dead coldest i will ride is 38 degrees. That is without any heater crap, just a good riding suit and my Race gloves.

As long as I can keep warm I don't care how cold it is outside. I have been out on 40 degree weather, without any problems. On a bike without any wind protection though, I would definitely get heated grips/jacket.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

i just rode in tuesday in low 30's . the freezing factor sares me, so ill only do that in daylight to eliminate black ice. yeah.... this time of year we ALL get anxious to go ridin and break the season in. its ok, but that cold asphalt is not a friend of the SH's rear torquey tire. .. . if i blip it at all below 15mph, my back tire is fishtailin sideways. just like it is in the rain. :wink:

Re: whats the coldest?
 

If its just cold I'll ride but I don't do cold and wet I wrap up in my leathers and some layers and hit the road. But it don't normally get too cold down here in Houston, TX. :P

Re: whats the coldest?
 

The coldest for me was between 40-45f when I was young. OK, I can hear you "north" guys laffing your asses off but this has some conditions:

1) I had no real motorcycle gear except for a full face helmet.
2) The three layers I was wearing weren't windproof
3) I was on an unfaired CB750F SuperSport
4) All highway riding

About 1/2 way home I beginning to shake uncontrollably, I stopped and literally laid down on the tank and hugged the motor for about 2 minutes. Air cooled motor wasn't very hot! :lol:

Re: whats the coldest?
 

I'm in a unique situation in that my car horked-up an engine, and I must presently ride the VTR rain-or-shine/hot-or-cold--sold the dang 200K-mile car and plan to buy another car soon.

And, since I live in Atlanta--not Minnesota or Michigan--"cold-weather" riding proved to be a workable situation through the months of January and February, with the addition of weather-insulating ski gear, that is, (mesh ski long-johns, mesh ski socks, and a knit hood). Even so, I did draw the line at ~28 degrees F, cold-weather gear being less of an issue than possible ice on the road was--ye-ouch! :) (One twenty-eight-degree morning, I had to get off of the bike and walk it along the side of the road, over a patch of ice about 10 yards long.)

The ski-gear, in conjunction with Zero Gravity double-bubble windscreen and Sharkskinz lower, worked fine for the seven or eight miles that I travelled regularly (at 45-60mph)--from the suburbs of Atlanta into mid-town Atlanta and Georgia Tech. Traffic lights every few miles also helped the situation, as hypothermia did not have time to set-in before I could warm my hands at traffic lights by putting the VTR into neutral and placing the winter-weight gloves over heat rising from the engine. :) (NOTE: Winter-weight riding gloves make a mondo-big difference in battling hypothermia, as do insulating ski socks. The hands and feet have the greatest area of exposed capillary veins, and insulating hands and feet and the jugular vein make a big difference in the battle with hypothermia.)

In summary, I would say that anything below 40 degrees F pretty much sucks but is navigable, down to about 25 degrees F--for the "truly daring." ;)

cheers,
--HotStreetVTR

Re: whats the coldest?
 

I've ridden in the low 30s to work here in FL where that happens maybe 2 days out of the year. I have a Joe Rocket Ballistic 2.0 jacket and gloves that worked just fine w/ the liner in the jacket. I wear a balaclava to keep my head warm and regular khakis are fine because of the radiators and sweet V-twin. The nadgers do get a little shriveled but it's liveable.

usually 45 is about my cut off point. my commute is way too long to attempt a cold morning run.

Come on spring!

Re: whats the coldest?
 

Gear recommendations:
1) Joe Rocket Dry-Tech Liner - $30, windproof, water proof, lined w/ light fleece. Works great under my Fieldsheer perforated jacket.
2) Mask that covers mouth, cheeks & neck. Velcro in back. Windproof nylon outside, fleece inside. (I can handle cold on my legs, but the cold on my cheeks feel like daqgers! Can't deal with it!)

Cold is a state of mind... up to a point. That point has to do with time & distance, as well as ultimate temperature.
As long as I can convince myself it's not really THAT cold, I'm fine. Once you really THINK you're cold, it's over.

About 4 years ago I was "between" cars for about a year & the bike was my daily ride on a 20 mile commute. Properly dressed I could handle upper 20s fine. I do remember one day when it was 18 degrees. That was not cool; hands numb, brain numb... literally. I'm riding down I95 in traffic at 80mph when it dawned on me that the circulation to my brain was so compromised by the cold that I was having difficulty concentrating on what I was doing. It was a real act of will just to think about where all the cars were around me. That was over the line, for sure.

I've got a car now, but I still commute regularly in the upper 30s. I stay off the bike when it's below freezing.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

39F is the cutoff for my work commute, probably about 45F for any normal kind of riding. The wife gets cold in anything less than 55F so I got her a heated liner, she rides much happier and more often now.
Sometimes around here the fog is more of a factor than the temprature. Has anyone ever tried the Respro Foggy Mask? http://www.i-bike.com/store/prdBuy.cfm?prd=1657
I've done the fog city shield and currently use Zooke wax but this device looks like a nice addition.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

cool, no pun intended, now i dont feel like such a knob for going out riding last nite in the 30 degree weather. people at the local tavern thought me and my buddies were crazy but then again, we are.

I rode in low 30s weather before. i had ice all over my helmet when I got home. The only part of my body that got cold was my thighs.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

like my buddies and i say, ice on your helmet means your a real man...

Yeah, Phil, u guys are crazy. Wish I was there.

I have been out in below zero weather during a snowstorm, but I was young and dumb then. now I stay in unless it is nice.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

its funny, we got stuck in a snowstorm this past fall, people looked at us weird, dont know why!

I'll ride as long as the roads are ice free. This usually means about 34, depending on recent temps and precipitation. I still have to look out for patches under bridges, etc. I invested in decent boots, gloves, and a heated vest, which makes my main concern wiping out due to lurking ice.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

heated vest? could you explain a little more please...very interested..

Re: whats the coldest?
 

was this you? lol

Phil,

Heated vest as in one that plugs into the bike's electrical system. Mine is a Widder, but there are many brands. I have the heated sleeves and chaps as well, but have never needed to use them.

OK, Phil...just remember, get the heated vest and you'll have to take a step back from the "real man" thing!

Re: whats the coldest?
 

ha, me and my bud took turns riding his newly ebay bought tl1000s back from ohio, where it was snowing. Was like 25-35 degrees and snowy/rainy for like 200 miles, than was like 50 degrees for 100, than back down to 30 for the last 75 mile stretch. Not fun, thats for sure.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

yah, maybe i am getting old or smart thinking about heated vests, but riding in the cold makes you appreciate the warm so much more....you southern guys have no idea what winter in new england means to those of us on 2....

Re: whats the coldest?
 

Point taken; if I lived in NE I'd actually have to learn those winter storage procedures & get a Battery Tender.

Now checkout the other extreme!

Re: whats the coldest?
 

Cool. Why have painted flames when you can get the real thing.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

yo l8r, heres how i store my bike for the winter, ride it every thursday unless there are plows on the street! well maybe not EVERY thursday but i came close this year.

Re: whats the coldest?
 

I live in colorado and ride when ever I can the coldest i've ridden is 11 degrees with the wind chill and the previous owner ripped off the carb heater assebly I ride regularly in the winter it appears you dont need that set up at all.