Extreme Cold Weather Riding

[bikerfish1100]

This mornings 23F felt downright balmy on the F8GS, after yesterday's nipply 14!
a Goldwing-sized windshield would be nice for saving face.
fortunately, the morning commute is only 15 miles or so.

[Kent Niederhofer]

So I'm curious what the lowest temperature is that any of you fanatics has ridden in? I try to get on my K1300S anytime road conditions allow it but thus far that's only meant that the lowest temperature I've ridden in was 28 degree F weather. How about the most hardcore of you out there?

Kent

[mika]

Coldest -7 / warmest +117 deg F according to the Fly-Over-Land bank displays I passed. Gives me a bank temp range of 110 degrees.

[royaltyl]

I live in ?çincinnati, Ohio and the winters here are not real nice, not particularly cold but nasty, wet, damp cold. That is an aside; I wonder what temperatures any of you have ridden all day, like on a trip to wherever. Have you ever struck out on a trip in the middle of winter, knowing you will be riding all day in the cold? I rode out West in October and some of the days started in the low 30" and never got out of the 40's. I had on my Stich suit and an electric jacket under it, and I thought this was all the cold riding I could endure. When the sun got low in the afternoon it would get cold real quick, again.

The jacket worked pretty good, but my hands and feet got cold after a while. I ride an 12RT and it has real good wind protection.

Larry

[05Train]

I've seen a day of riding when it never got above the mid-20s. Gerbing's stuff head-to-toe, and it was fine.

[OfficerImpersonator]

I've often ridden with temps in the teens. The morning commute this week has seen temps right around freezing. This is my first winter with the GSA, so I'm having to learn how to ride in cold/wet weather without a huge fairing and handlebar covers to protect me from the elements. I get so spoiled on the RTP...

For me, the temperature is almost irrelevant. I'm focused on precipitation.

Maybe I'm ignorant, but I ride 15,000 miles a year year-round in Seattle, and I'm giggling at the posts about lowering tire pressure, warming up tires, etc. Traction has never been an issue, except when I expect it to be an issue because of hazards on the roadway (ice, oil, gravel, etc.).

I get on my bike and ride it. If there is a threat of ice on the road, I'm extra careful - even to the point that I'll put on my hazards and ride at 5 mph until I"m sure the risk has passed. But I'll still ride. If I know there is frozen precipitation on the roadway, I'll let the weather warm up the pavement before heading out.

I don't adjust tire pressure. I don't scream around corners for the first five miles of my commute when it's cold because I never scream around corners for the first five miles of my commute because I know my tires are always cold for the first five miles - whether the air temperature is 25 degrees or 85 degrees.

I slow down a lot when it's raining, because I've heard it frequently mentioned that wet pavement affords 30% less traction than does dry pavement. Thus, I try to ride roughly 30% "less aggressively" than I otherwise would when the conditions are wet. I'll go 30% slower around corners, I'll give myself 30% more braking distance, I'll give myself 30% more room to accelerate away from a stop or into traffic, etc.

[f14rio]

when my 'nads start flirting with my back teeth, i put the bike in the garage.

[queretaro]

when my 'nads start flirting with my back teeth, i put the bike in the garage.

regardless of the temperature.

[WalterK75]

One issue in cold weather riding around here is salt on the road, which ends up coating the bike. Takes a lot of effort to get it off the bike, I've been told. No cold weather riding on salted roads for me.

[05Train]

People make a bigger deal about salt than I think they should. Spray the bike off with Salt-Away on a warm (above freezing) day and you're fine.

[mika]

People make a bigger deal about salt than I think they should. Spray the bike off with Salt-Away on a warm (above freezing) day and you're fine.

Salt is an maintenance/care issue that gets blown out of proportion. Sensible selection of riding days and reasonable care of the bike and you are fine if you decide to try to be a Rounder.

Cold Temps: For a forum that harps on wearing the proper gear I have always found it a bit ironic the difficulty people have with the idea there is proper gear available for cold weather riding. My coldest day ride was in February and something of an 'event' ride to keep a long string of months of continuous riding in tact. I have never ridden day after day in sub zero temps but have the gear and the plan to be able to if I chose. Obviously YMMV and that's cool.

[no pun intended. or at least not to much. ]

[ragtoplvr]

If you have had several days below freezing but clear, the water that drips out of tail pipes can freeze on the road. I put my foot down on a spot and it slipped sideways. On a tall heavy bike, that can lead to a drop. My leg hurt for several days.

I have also had the ABS kick on for the same reason.

Rod

[KJ6OCL]

Since we have long winters here, I decided that if I'm going to do much riding it has to be winter also! Have started off in the morning as low as 15F on trips of 1.5 - 2 hours long. Most of the winter is 20's and 30's. No heated anything, OEM fairing and airflow hand guards. I'm fine on long trips, with the exception of my fingers. Using silk undergloves under regular winter gloves is a big help, but not perfect.

The chemically treated sand used on some turns and straight sections of road that are shaded most of the day proves to be a problem. I did not get that stuff washed off for a couple of months, resulting in some small pits in the chrome rims. Also, the sand accumulations in the turns can be a bit seat puckering if not seen ahead of time!

[141987]

Be very cautious with cold tires! I found out the hard way. About two years ago I took a customer for a demo ride, him on a used K12LT and me on my 94 R1100RS. About 35 degrees out in late November, bike was sitting outside the shop all day on a cloudy dry Saturday. Took my usual demo ride route.

About four miles from the shop (all straight, no turns) I banked into an easy right hander at a intersection in a rural area. I did it about 15mph slower than I usually do, and AWAAAY goes the front tire like it was on packed snow. I low-sided my bike! No damage to me, scuffs on my riding jacket and pants, scratches on the RH valve cover and saddlebag. Picked the bike up and rode it back to the shop.

The turn was completely clean, and I studied it closely looking for clues. Back at the shop, about an hour later, I checked the front tire with an infared sensor, and it read 27 degrees though the air temp was 35. I rode the bike on the same route again. When I got to the turn I pulled over and checked again. 55 degrees on the center of the tire, 27 DEGREES OFF CENTER where the tire leaned over on the contact patch.

So, on cold days, allow ten miles of riding to heat the tires before expecting near normal traction. Also, drop your tire pressures about five to ten psi. Coldest I have ridden, temps wise is 17 degrees in January, 1/2 hour ride to work at highway speeds.

Something isn't making sense to me regarding your temperatures...if the air temperature was 35 F, it would be impossible for any part of the tire to only be 27 F. How can any part of a tire be colder than the ambient air temperature?

[ARGENT BRICK]

So I'm curious what the lowest temperature is that any of you fanatics has ridden in?

Kent

Twenty-eight degrees on my old R60/6. That was before windchill factor. Maybe it was 24 degrees out , but I think it was 28. Not sure that I would do it today. I am twenty years older now. Like to be warm.

You folks that ride in colder weather than that are braver than I am.