I've had to DRIVE :x to work the past couple days.
On Monday morning I went out and cleaned the snow and ice off the bike. When it was good enough I tried to start it. "chuh CHUH guh chuh CHUH guh chuh ... CHUH ... guh ... chuh ...." I didn't run the battery all the way down, but I could tell it wasn't going to start. So I drove in and made a note to hook up the Battery Tender last night.
Well, I put it off until about midnight. (Dumb! Dumb!) I took the extension cord and the charger out to the bike, but I was smart enough to take the seat off before stringing cords across the yard. I couldn't get the seat lock to unlock. The key wouldn't turn at ALL! Sigh.
This morning it was 8 or 10 degrees F out when I left for work. Needless to say, I didn't even TRY to start the bike.
It's time to take my own advice and attach the special Battery Tender lead to the battery so I can plug the charger in without removing the seat. Maybe I'll leave work early today and see if the afternoon "heat" (predicted at 29F or so) was able to thaw out the seat lock. :dunno:
brrrrr.. just thinking of those numbers is making me feel cold.
The winter blues will be here soon.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to ride year round like those folks in CA.
Who says I won't? :) If I could just get the bike to cooperate!
Since when is 29 degress warm? :dunno:
It was 29 when I left for work. I drove. My bike is garaged. It sleeps next to my wife's car with the battery tender plugged in. :)
I love to ride, but I hate to be cold. :x My truck is very slow to warm up for heat, but there is no wind chill. :thumb:
Best of luck to you there Kerry. :cheers:
here in atlanta it's 55 degrees.... perfect riding weather!! It's just been raining for like two weeks straight!! arg!!
i wont ride below about 34 or so degrees.... moreso because of ice than the actual cold
Wd40 the keyhole and cylinder for the seatlock.
Hope things go better!
Im in cali, rode to work this morning and it was something along the lines of 37 degrees. Fun stuff. By the afternoon it should be in the mid 40's though :).
Ya, it was 34 in San Diego early this morning. Not exactly toasty...
Kerry - I feel you brother. It has been cold!!
How's Richard doing? I haven't seen him around here much- but I remember him riding all winter last year....
My basic rule- it has to be over 32*.
Lol what the hell, why is GA having better weather than california?
Quote from: DanielyLol what the hell, why is GA having better weather than california?
...and Arizona ??? :dunno: It's just soooo wrong! :x
In Central Bama it pretty much stays in the 60s right now but the other day it got to around 75 or so. :)
We don't get weather that cold around here, but when it's really cold I stick an electric heater near the bike and in 30 minutes it's ready to go.
Had to do that quite often last winter since I had starting problems.
Quote from: KerryOn Monday morning I went out and cleaned the snow and ice off the bike. When it was good enough I tried to start it. "chuh CHUH guh chuh CHUH guh chuh ... CHUH ... guh ... chuh ...."
So how cold was that? I guess I don't feel so bad, if my "alcoholic bike" is having trouble at 20F when parked on the street. They should sell starter fluid in a little breath-spray-sized bottle so I could keep some on the bike ;) .
Speaking of blues, we got a thin layer of snow on Saturday, but even today's 32F and sunshine wasn't enough to melt away the icy spots.... so, rode the bus again today (and darn, is that boring).
Greetings from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
My bike has been covered up, oil-sprayed, etc. since Nov. 11th. So the winter blues are well underway up here. This is a good time to catch up on magazine articles. Expecting wet snow over the next several days. Oh yes, checking my battery every 2 weeks and brought it inside along with the seat. Oh well, happy riding to those still at it this year!
Quote from: KerryI've had to DRIVE :x to work the past couple days.
On Monday morning I went out and cleaned the snow and ice off the bike. When it was good enough I tried to start it. "chuh CHUH guh chuh CHUH guh chuh ... CHUH ... guh ... chuh ...." I didn't run the battery all the way down, but I could tell it wasn't going to start. So I drove in and made a note to hook up the Battery Tender last night.
Well, I put it off until about midnight. (Dumb! Dumb!) I took the extension cord and the charger out to the bike, but I was smart enough to take the seat off before stringing cords across the yard. I couldn't get the seat lock to unlock. The key wouldn't turn at ALL! Sigh.
This morning it was 8 or 10 degrees F out when I left for work. Needless to say, I didn't even TRY to start the bike.
It's time to take my own advice and attach the special Battery Tender lead to the battery so I can plug the charger in without removing the seat. Maybe I'll leave work early today and see if the afternoon "heat" (predicted at 29F or so) was able to thaw out the seat lock. :dunno:
Tonight the low should hit around 60F and tomorrow high might be somewhere in the 70's ???????????? Later in the week we might see high 40's for a low and still high 60's to low 70's for the highs. :mrgreen:
Hi Kerry,
Perhaps a hair dryer might warm that seat lock enough for you to get to
the battery? I'm assuming it's the cold making it contract so that the key
won't fit right.
Here in sunny Scotland (55 degrees north) I have the Gulf stream to
thank for the temperature getting down to -1 Celcius as the low point so
far this year and this morning it was 2 Celcius. Hmm, what is that in
American Money?
Ok google says that is a low of 30F and today it was 32 F.
On the down side it doesn't get light till 08:40 and it's dark again by 16:20
so I do a lot of riding in the dark. I gotta get me some superwhite bulbs.
Hair dryer! Very useful. I use that to put the Miata top down in cool weather.
I avoid the adjective "cold," because WA never gets cold. 30 degrees F and a little snow brings the city to a halt. A long ride in the rain at 40F, though, makes me think happy thoughts about heated grips...
Quote from: DanielyLol what the hell, why is GA having better weather than california?
Ha Ha ... Charlotte and of course Atlanta is nice and cool ... for now, and I actually have noticed Charlotte does have better weather than Nor CA... especially winter ... Our winters are generally dry and 30's 40's except for those freakish (OK happens 2-3 times a year) ice storms ... when of course the whole damn state comes to a grinding halt... Nor CA winters are a shade colder but more humidity and more rain ... outside of Ice we get no rain in winter ... OK we are still in fall technically ... what I hate in NC ... rain in summer ... and the goddamm humidity ... which Bay area is the exact opposite, dry and sunny months together ... not here ... So better winter, worse summer for us NC'ers... the spring and fall pretty much even ...
Now AZ ... On one day in early dec, I saw the temp 5 mins before sunset, and it was 75 degrees, we stop at a gas station and my wife goes in to the restroom while I am sitting on the tailgate of the truck ... she comes back out and its 5 mins after sunset, and I am in the truck freezing ... its 45 degrees now... WTF 30 degrees in 10 mins ... must be a record.
I drive to Yuma/El Centro on Christmas eve 2001 ... from San Diego ... and ~ midday the temperature is .. 90+ ... WTF ... and we drive back and its ~7pm and its now 35 degrees ... How the heck do you guys decide what to wear ... Its all very predictive ... you anticipate returning at 5.15 ... miss by 10 mins either way and you are screwed...
Cool.
Srinath.
Frost on my tomato plants this morning in central texas. Rode to work anyway.
Not too bad once I closed my helmet vents (only took 3 miles to realize they were open :lol: )
Welcome to the desert, srinath... in more expansive deserts, water will steam at noon and freeze at midnight...
My sister and her husband moved to Arizona. It works for them, but I don't like a land where A/C is not a luxury and ice is something that only exists in drinks...
Yea, too hot for me, I'd like it to be right at 50 degrees all day, all night, all year ... I sweat like a buffalo even at 70 + ... dry and no rain and no humidity ... but I'll bet that will play havoc with most other peoples respiratory systems... heck even mine prolly...
Cool.
Srinath.
Quote from: red_philPerhaps a hair dryer might warm that seat lock enough for you to get to the battery? I'm assuming it's the cold making it contract so that the key won't fit right.
Now why didn't _I_ think of that? :dunno:
I was able to unlock the seat last night and hook up the Battery Tender. The bike started up just fine this morning, and I squirted some WD-40 in the lock and the works, for "insurance".
Quote from: red_philHere in sunny Scotland (55 degrees north) I have the Gulf stream to thank for the temperature getting down to -1 Celcius as the low point so far this year.
The marquee at the bank said it was 24F on the way to work. (That's what, -4.4C?) I'm holding out for about 10F (-13C), but hopefully we'll never get that low this year. During riding hours, anyway.
I'm a little below 41 degrees north, but living at 4,850 feet (~2,300m) seems to make a big difference in the temperature.
Quote from: red_philOn the down side it doesn't get light till 08:40 and it's dark again by 16:20 so I do a lot of riding in the dark.
I'm not sure what the theoretical dawn and dusk times are right now (around here) but actual sunrise is delayed by the mountain range to the east. (See
this panorama taken from my roof in early summer last year. The left edge of the view is looking roughly west, the right edge is looking to the southesast. If you have the bandwidth, check out the
larger, uncropped version.)
Nice panorama's Kerry!!
It's been cold here in SoCal...
Last night it was 34, rode in to work and was about 45, actually set some records in some areas! Very chilly, especially at 80mph. I might have to get some boots and a baclava soon. But I can't complain too much, at least I still get to ride every day... :thumb:
Quote from: cucamonga<Snippage>
baclava soon. But I can't complain too much, at least I still get to ride every day... :thumb:
Yea I love Baclava ... but I cant eat it while riding ... too dangerous ... and the sugar and honey get everywhere ... :lol: :lol: :lol:
Cool.
Srinath.
Wow, gorgeous panoramas!
I'll have to come visit. During the summer. :)
Not TOO far into the summer - it gets pretty HOT, too.
I must confess that the panoramas give a somewhat skewed image of Utah. The cities / towns tend to be nice and green with trees, lawns, etc. But the stretches in between can be pretty desrt-like. (Kinda like seeing pictures of western Washington and then riding through Eastern Washington. :o )
But some of the mountain / canyon roads are truly beautiful. For a smattering of several "habitats" in the state, see:
Around the Great Salt Lake (http://www.bbburma.net/GreatSaltLake_2003.htm) page
* My Cow Trip 2 (http://www.bbburma.net/CowTrip2.htm) page
* Photos from my as-yet-"unpublished" Jan 2003 trip to Southern Utah (http://www.bbburma.net/Trips/SouthernUtah_2003/)
* Days 1 and 10 from my British Columbia II (http://www.bbburma.net/Trips/Canada_2003/index.html) page[/list:u]OK, I have to stop now before I let thw "Winter Blues" REALLY get to me.... :mrgreen:
Oh no Not the cow trip :lol: ... oh no look what you've done roadstergal ... :lol:
Cool.
Srinath.
Quote from: KerryI'm a little below 41 degrees north, but living at 4,850 feet (~2,300m) seems to make a big difference in the temperature.
It's not so much the altitude as the location inside a large continent. makes for huge temperature differences between winter and summer. Oceans nearby have a stabilizing effect on your temperatures, even without the blessing of a warm stream such as phil is enjoying.
Ah, I see from the Salt Lake trip that you're a seasoned traveler... er... sorry. :p Love the Mirror Lake shots!
I'll take Eastern Washington in a heartbeat for a roadtrip over the I-5 corridor to Portland. That three hours is a godawful and heavily patrolled trip. Eastern WA is actually pretty scenic all of the way through - but in a laid-back, simple way, not like the I AM BREATHTAKING!! LOOK AT ME!! vistas in Western WA.
Eastern WA:
http://www.edoghouse.com/cbishop/3_7_04/y62.jpg
http://www.edoghouse.com/cbishop/3_7_04/y52.jpg
http://www.edoghouse.com/cbishop/3_7_04/y63.jpg
http://www.edoghouse.com/cbishop/3_7_04/y113.jpg
http://www.edoghouse.com/cbishop/3_7_04/y122.jpg
I want to head out to Arches some time in 2005...
Check out this site, Its a local riders group here in Cincy and on the left side if you scroll down about half way, they have a MC wind chill factor calculator.
http://freeridersclub.org/index.php
you guys are so lucky u still get to ride.....we have almost a foot of snow here and its a steady -1 degrees celcius :( :dunno:
I got the blues a bit tonight when I stopped by my friend's place after class. Got to his place about 8:15PM, came back out to find my seat had frozen over at 11:00PM. Friggin' A!!! Ah well, I rode the 5 miles home with my regular summer jacket with the liner in, my summer gloves (Teknic Chicane), electrical tape over the helmet vents, and a T-shirt with a thermal longsleeve shirt over that. Oh yeah, and a pair of windbreakers over a pair of cotton slacks. Only cold spots were my uncovered neck, and the gap between my pants and shoes. If I'd had boots on I'd been fine, along with a balaclava of some sort. Temp now (11:55) is 32F.
Having lived in New England for 20 years I know exactly what the winter blues are all about.
Of course I took care of that problem :lol:
Just thought i'd let you guys know the last few days here have been 100+ degrees fahrenheight or 38+ degrees celcius but this afternoon we got plenty of cloud cover and the weekend should be of low 20s to a high of high 20s degrees celcius. c0r. :cheers:
:cheers: