AberdeenBikers

With winter approaching fast i've been thinking about whether I should garage the bike for the winter or keep riding. I passed my test several months ago so i haven't got any experience of riding through a winter. If i'm honest i don't think i'll be able to stay off it for that long but thought this would be the best place to get some advice on what to do.

If i do decide to ride through the winter is there anything i really have to know/do like check the weather forecast every morning (and then do the opposite cos it's wrong half the time) and take the car if it's going to be below freezing ?

Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers.

My advice - Don't do it!!!!!

I'm inexperienced too and will defo be storing my bike, if not so much for the safety aspect but for the amount of shizzle that builds up. Would store the car for winter if I could too.

I stored my 125 last year and only came out of hibernation early to get ready for test.


There will be plenty of folk on here with winter riding experience that can advise you if you do brave it.

For me, go live somewhere warm.

Unless you have decent kit to put on yourself then probably avoid it.

As for corrosion and the like I have seen bikes that have been put away for winter coming out in spring in worse condition that a bike that has been used all year long. You just have to keep on top of washing to salt off and maintenance.

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian).

If I had the option, I'd put the bike away for the winter months!

In saying that. . .

If you can see the tarmac outside your house and only plan on using the main roads, you can easily get away with it. . .

B-roads normally equal trouble when it's below freezing!

I've ridden through the past 3 winters!

For the first time round, I was going out with a chick who lived in Cupar, which was interesting to say the least! 400 odd miles a week for 3 months in some pretty extreme conditions!
Got hypothermia after getting home at 3am one night, that was fun!

Anyway, wash your bike everyday during winter! You WILL regret it if you don't! Salt is very corrosive and will eat it's way through most parts of your bike!

Take extra special care on the roads, black ice is pretty much invisible!

Ride as smooth as you can and try to avoid blizzards etc

I had no option a couple of winters ago, my bike was a hack so i didn't really give too much of a toss about it which was my main concern.

I only have a 6 mile run to work but by the time i was half way there my fingertips were excrutiatingly numb but that was all.

Get decent kit (Very important!) and heated grips and keep it smooth you'll be fine. I think it improves your riding when you get yourself out in all conditions and it's fun too. If it was a little icy when you looked out and your sticking to main roads it's usually okay. Just keep the speed down and take it easy on really bad days.

Couple of times i left the bike at work and got lifts home because it was blowing a proper hoolie outside, the wind was battering into the windows at work. I'm never ashamed to do that either as i know i would have been blown into a lorry or something. It's a horrible feeling when a huge gust just lobs you over to the other side of the road.

You will regret it if you don't especially on those lovely sunny crisp winter days. If you will end up sitting in traffic in the cage for ages, take the bike i say.

Dark nights will be drawing in soon eh, oh the joys.

I normally ride through the winter but I don't ride on ice. Riding through snow is okay and typically it melts during the day and is still just wet sludge when you're heading home as long as you're not riding too late into the evening when it starts getting frosty again. Good kit is the key. Keep warm, don't try and do too long a ride and take care. Oh, and rinse the bike off with cold water when you get home every day.

Or buy a HONDA fit it with heated grips and ride all year round give it a clean now and again

Give the whole bike a liberal dose of this after every run.....

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=529278

Best to also buy a 5 ltr container and keep topping up the original bottle.

Best winter protection I've ever come across. Water based and water soluble, so no problem if it gets on the brake discs.

Defo keep it as clean as you can, I use the bike all year, all weathers, like a couple have said, keep it smooth and take your time. Can get interesting at times but if you're warm it's 1/2 the battle.

Oh, did I mention keep it clean? salt chewed through my downpipes like they were made of paper last winter.

Tones wrote: Oh, did I mention keep it clean? salt chewed through my downpipes like they were made of paper last winter.

Gazza wrote:Give the whole bike a liberal dose of this after every run.....

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=529278

Cheers for all the advice folks, much appreciated. I've got goretex boots, troosers and jacket with cosy thermal linings so keeping warm and dry won't be a problem. I got all the kit the day before my CBT and on that particular day it snowed so it was a baptism of fire for the kit, and me. Passed though, after crapping myself for the whole final run out on the road cos my glasses and visor kept fogging up.

I'm all for heated handgrips. I've been on a few long runs where i've had my hands freeze and had to stop to let then warm up a bit. Either that or stop the bike, put it into neutral, lean down and press the gloves onto the engine casings on either side of the bike and let the heat soak through. Bliss.

The main reason i'm asking is because i take the bike to work every day and I dunno about you folks but the though of sitting in the rush hour traffic in my car is torture, even if it would be warmer and dryer. Filtering rules !

So basically the main points i need to remember are:
1. Take it nice and easy
2. Drive smoothly
3. Wash the bike often
(not looking good so far, i've not done any of those things yet)
4. Get good clothing (Check)
5. Stick to main roads (Check)
6. Don't drive in outragous conditions and get hypothermia (Check)
7. Get heated grips (Will do !)

Have i missed anything ?

Steven wrote:Have i missed anything ?

Gazza wrote:Give the whole bike a liberal dose of this after every run.....

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=529278

Gazza wrote:

Steven wrote:Have i missed anything ?

Gazza wrote:Give the whole bike a liberal dose of this after every run.....

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=529278

Got it

So basically the main points i need to remember are:
1. Take it nice and easy
2. Drive smoothly
3. Wash the bike often
(not looking good so far, i've not done any of those things yet)
4. Get good clothing (Check)
5. Stick to main roads (Check)
6. Don't drive in outragous conditions and get hypothermia (Check)
7. Get heated grips (Will do !)
8. Give the whole bike a liberal dose of this after every run..... http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=529278 (Check)

invest in a cage that costs less than your fairings (mine is now worth less than my Shoei after 3 years of (ab)use)

I usually wrap it up for the winter but keep it taxed and insured so that I can get out on those "crisp" winter days. Thought I did really well the other year riding down to Cupar early Feb for its service but was caught out completely by Thainstone on way home around 8pm with a foccin blizzard

Never been so scared on the road in over 25 years. It was a brilliant run home and I was thinking that as I passed Kintore; within a mile it had turned to rats. Sod that in future.

Get into work earlier and leave earlier in the winter to avoid the queues and stay warm listening to bawheid on North Sound

The only problem i had was my hands f**king freezing every morning! That and sliding towards a red light now and again...
Bought big gauntlet bast*rd gloves but the chill cut through them like they weren't there.

Going to do it all again this year tho!

I'm sure I read somewhere that Gore-Tex and heated grips are a bad combination?

I can recommend the Hein Gericke Pathan 3 Finger Gloves for warmth. The feel a bit strange at first but have the longest "time till numb" of any gloves I've tried.


Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian).

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) wrote:I'm sure I read somewhere that Gore-Tex and heated grips are a bad combination?

I can recommend the Hein Gericke Pathan 3 Finger Gloves for warmth. The feel a bit strange at first but have the longest "time till numb" of any gloves I've tried.


Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ).

Cosy, but theres no middle finger salute option available

My gloves are hein gericke ones with the kangaroo leather on the palm and fingers. This should be ok with heated grips . . . right ?

Will fitting heated grips invalidate the manufacturers warranty on the bike ?

Tones wrote:

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ) wrote:I'm sure I read somewhere that Gore-Tex and heated grips are a bad combination?

I can recommend the Hein Gericke Pathan 3 Finger Gloves for warmth. The feel a bit strange at first but have the longest "time till numb" of any gloves I've tried.


Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ) ( Super Nanny ).

Cosy, but theres no middle finger salute option available

There may be no middle finger option but flippin' people the V sign is double strength!

Im new to bikng a year or so, and i travel from Cove to Market Street, and I took my mito for winter riding, just took it easy, not any problems, hand were f'ing freezing tho, but i didnt have winter gloves that defo a must for this winter.

and since the mito has disk brakes on 125?? bit overkill, i had a detendacy to lock the back wheel a few times.

Like one guy above said if you can see the tarmac its all good, even if its slighty white, just take it easy, i just treated it like a super pissing down with rain days, and just tried to keep the bike upright as possible. no good for ye old chicken strips tho

Gazza wrote:

Steven wrote:Have i missed anything ?

Gazza wrote:Give the whole bike a liberal dose of this after every run.....

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=529278

Eh...............she no work Mr gazza.

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Must be the pissy you're on Iz, works fine for me

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) wrote:I can recommend the Hein Gericke Pathan 3 Finger Gloves for the Buckie Flick. The feel a bit strange at first but have the longest "time till numb" of any gloves I've tried.