Biking in the winter

Tones
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Tones »

Coddy wrote:
Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ) 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.
Image
:eek
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Cossackmannie
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Cossackmannie »

I tend to ride all year round. Not for 'Hero points', but simply because I find using the car a complete chore now. When I had both the R80 Beemer and the Cossack outfit, I was well sorted for winter. Both were flat twins so kept the feet warm, both had heated grips too. I had B.M.W. handguards on the R80 which did really well but not as good as the Russian made hand guards on the Cossack. I rode around Aberdeenshire all day in minus-zero temperatures and my hands were toasty.
Plenty of layers is the key. When I had to go from Westhill to Blackburn every day in the winter on the moped then the GP100, I had jeans, fleecy troosers with cooncil waterproofs on top, t-shirt,jumper, leather jacket and the snorkel parka I had at school,hands were covered with a pair of my mum's thin gloves and a huge pair of ex-army gauntlets, feet had 2 pairs of socks,1 pair of thick soccer socks and a pair of wellies over them. The piece-de-resistance was the pair of screenwash containers(2.5 litre I think?) cut open and taped onto the bars with a self-tapper holding them steady at the bar ends. Looked really 'Heath Robinson' but meant I didn't get frostbite!! :2up I still remember seeing guys on race reps in the late 80's/early 90's with home-made fairing extensions fitted to keep off the windblast.
As you can see, I didn't really DO fashionable biking in my teens. I tried it but preferred to look like a complete nonce and be warm, than try to look cool in jeans and baseball boots, wondering if you're ever going to see your genitalia again.
I think most of us blokes have experienced the panic that is getting off the bike, running behind a tree/bush, then finding out that your fingers have ceased to function and you're struggling to get your zip open and get your 'Old Boy' out before your bladder lets go :oops
On the subject of riding, my mate mothballs his bike as soon as there is the threat of cold/ice/snow, usually around October, then he pulls the bike out for it's MOT in late March. The calipers have seized up,the chain is solid and, worst of all, his riding skills and confidence have deteriorated so he spends the next month or so sorting the bike then fannying about like he needs stabilisers.
General opinion seems to be- Yes, put the bike away for winter but keep it maintained and ready for use so that when there's a nice sunny day or two, you can get out and hone your riding,and be up to speed by the time the good weather arrives. Bikes don't like not being used and if you're not out on the bike, SWMBO will find you things to do around the house or make you go shopping ;)

Jeez, I don't half ramble sometimes................................... :oops
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iamnotrossiyet
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by iamnotrossiyet »

Right, sorry to barge in new to this "forum" stuff, plan was for me to ride through winter :P , i blame black ice :oops tho.....so now am stuck with the "unpleasent" :x astra till i get the old girl fixed, isnt it amazing how light your bike gets when u lay it down 200-odd kilo's suddenly became feather weight :evil , it was a sad day, people at work blamed inexpereance not being big headed but i do a fair bit off road and have a good idea of what goes where when and how, i had a choice of barb wire fence and 5ft grass bank or the friction filled tarmac :confused ,
so down i went, but before u judge it was at 6 oclock in the mornin and when i picked up the bike we both slid to the bottem camber of the road. i have ridden in snow slush rain shine but ice isnt great :arse . cya :biggrin2
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Zax
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Zax »

iamnotrossiyet wrote:Right, sorry to barge in new to this "forum" stuff, plan was for me to ride through winter :P , i blame black ice :oops tho.....so now am stuck with the "unpleasent" :x astra till i get the old girl fixed, isnt it amazing how light your bike gets when u lay it down 200-odd kilo's suddenly became feather weight :evil , it was a sad day, people at work blamed inexpereance not being big headed but i do a fair bit off road and have a good idea of what goes where when and how, i had a choice of barb wire fence and 5ft grass bank or the friction filled tarmac :confused ,
so down i went, but before u judge it was at 6 oclock in the mornin and when i picked up the bike we both slid to the bottem camber of the road. i have ridden in snow slush rain shine but ice isnt great :arse . cya :biggrin2

Not a happy note for a "first Post" but Welcome to the board any way.
hope that you get the bike all fixed up and the bumps and bruises heal soon .
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Akrapovic
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Akrapovic »

Welcome to the forum iamnotrossiyet. :2up
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Gazza
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Gazza »

Welcome aboard youarenotrossiyet :2up



I do hope the auto login works for you.....Could be a bit of a pain typing that lot in. ;) :log
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RK6
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by RK6 »

Welcome aboard :2up
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Zathos
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Zathos »

Welcome aboard and sorry to hear about your off.

Had a zx6 filter past me (I was in the cage) this morning, downhill, on the lumps of bumpy ice in the middle of the road heading down to the kingswells roundabout from Cults :worthy

Back end steping all over the place, but he/she kept it upright and ir was impressive to watch......


.....from the comfort of a heated leather seat :log
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iamnotrossiyet
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by iamnotrossiyet »

My bike is now fixed, cosmetically and i had a split diafram in the carburettor so thats now replaced now i need to balance the carbs or better still get a friend and his little computer to do it for me, my insurance ran out the day i got it fixed i have now run out of money to redo my insurance...... :angryfire :x i look forewards to it being warm again so i can ditch my cage...

p.s my bike is not a cruiser.
p.s.s i hate cruisers they are not right
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Dave
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Dave »

iamnotrossiyet wrote:My bike is now fixed, cosmetically and i had a split diafram in the carburettor so thats now replaced now i need to balance the carbs or better still get a friend and his little computer to do it for me, my insurance ran out the day i got it fixed i have now run out of money to redo my insurance...... :angryfire :x i look forewards to it being warm again so i can ditch my cage...

p.s my bike is not a cruiser.
p.s.s i hate cruisers they are not right

Welcome to Aberdeenbikers! :2up

Glad you have two wheels to get back onto. :2up


Riding on icy roads isn’t that bad, apart for the corners, they can be tricky.
Oh yeh and the slowing down, that is tricky as well.
Did I mention that getting up to speed is tricky.
Not that you want too much speed, there are always corners coming up and you need to slow down for them. :biggrin2

BUT IT IS STILL BETTER THAN SITTING IN A CAGE WATCHING BIKE FILTER PAST !
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brooner
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by brooner »

Around town might be ok, but its nae the wisest move out in the sticks.

I nearly stacked my 1 day old bike, 1 day into ownership due to frost on a untreated road doing a rather unimpressive 10mph....There was still a crease in the seat when she got traded in 18 months later. (not sure if I should be posting my escapades on my old F800ST, as I have seen it in Abz and Inverurie, so if you have a grey 56 plate one....please dont come hunting for me. :hippy )

Without a doubt, winter riding is good, as if you can ride safe and smooth when the roads are covered in crap, then you can ride smooth in almost anything.

I suppose riding in 'adverse' weather conditions (rain, torrential rain, greasy roads etc) should be promoted, within reason, as I would say someone who is never off the bike is a more rounded rider that those who only dust it off for the perfect Sunday in July and put it away again.
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Dave
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Dave »

brooner wrote:

Without a doubt, winter riding is good, as if you can ride safe and smooth when the roads are covered in crap, then you can ride smooth in almost anything.

I give it a go in most road conditions, but not many people call me smooth :log :log



Seriously, winter and night rights is good. :2up

There is surprising grip in most conditions.

And although it might feel like the progress is slow, it doesn’t add much, if any time to the overall journey time, especially if you have to travel thru traffic.

When there is a bit of moisture in the air, or on the ground the quantity of cars seam to double and travel at half the normal speed.
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by meepmeep »

Image

:eek
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Neorion
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Neorion »

IZINBARD wrote:



:confused Eh...............she no work Mr gazza.

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You got that installed?
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dedpidgin2
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by dedpidgin2 »

meepmeep wrote:Image

:eek
There are some great vids of that if you do a search for ice bike racing or similar... looks like awesome fun! Although you wouldn't want to fall off and be run over by someone following! :eek
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iamnotrossiyet
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by iamnotrossiyet »

i live in the middle of no where, the roads are wet and muddy icy to but ive been out playing anyway, its better in the snow than my car, only my car wont fall over, hell i'll take my bike anyday, sorry it's a shitter with 85k but it's mine and i love it
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Cossackmannie
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by Cossackmannie »

One of these days you will all see the light and get yersels a Cossack. Winter has never been so much fun :freebird :biggrin2
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iamnotrossiyet
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by iamnotrossiyet »

Cossackmannie wrote:One of these days you will all see the light and get yersels a Cossack. Winter has never been so much fun :freebird :biggrin2
trying to sound like an intellegent non retarded person what's a cossack?? tried it into google its a horse??
saoralba
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Re: Biking in the winter

Post by saoralba »

Just a quick tip, use ACF50 instead of the ACF 365 mentioned, as the latter is water souble.
ACF365 is fine for protection while storing bikes, but will just be washed off by any water.

Just before winter/salt/crud hits the road, cover the bike in ACF50, don't clean it for a few months.
Completely clean, then reapply ACF50, continue this cycle until winters over. :)
So there will be you're bike, and on top a protective layer of ACF50, then all the crud.

Also, is you want to wash out some of the crud, use cold water, not hot water, as hot water will react with the salt and increase the rate of corrision.
Also don't wash you're bike through winter, you're exposing the bare clean metal to more salt/crud, which will increase corrosion over winter than compared to not cleaning it.
And for gods sake, don't use a powerwasher :)

Been through a few, firstly on a RS50 :)
And my old SV650S, was good fun :)
Take it easy, and enjoy you'reself.
Hand guards and heated grips if a amazing combination :)

Image
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