GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

I know someone out there rides all year. (Except in the snow obviously)

i try and do so .. for the most part..

you can do it in LA, not sure how i will manage in Sacramento with more rain..

oh well when teh time comes I am sure i will ride thru the rain. Though I do need new tyres.

Yup.

Kansas can be quite inhospitable, several weeks can go by without being able to ride, but I manage to ride most of the year.  Plenty of layers, and a good tube-scarf a must.

A heated garage would be nice for the cold blooded Kwaka I ride these days, but not necessary.

You can ride all year here in southern Arizona.

I ride all year...sort of. Winter here is generally pretty nasty, but when I'm suffering from serious withdrawl I ride around in the underground parking garage at my apartment building.

I know it's kinda silly, but it's good practice for the slow speed handling stuff, and it's all I've got when it's -15 and snowing.  :cry:

Course...skiing redeems winter to an extent  :thumb:

John

I have no problems riding all year here in Southern California.  Rain is scarce, and daytime temps really never drop below 50s.  

I usually can't run my favorite mountain roads though from Jan-March or so because it does snow at the higher elevations.




Adam

KS is cold......I don't know why...but arg......no fun but I will be riding until the snow stops me.

In NC I rode all year...yes nasty weather was bad...especially the ice storms...and the super freezing weather...but that is the best weather to do jetting in especially on an unknown bike...so the coldest days were spent jetting my virago 535 and the codest nights were spent testing it...The 2+ weeks I didn't ride were Jan 16-Feb 2-3 2003 when my baby was born. I rode on 16 to work...and my wife drove around town buying some things...and later that night went into labor and by the time we left for the hospital at ~9pm there was an inch of wet snow...
Cool (or Cold)
Srinath.

I usually ride until it starts snowing.  Then I usually put the bike up until it stops snowing all together.  Usually I ride most months out of the year.  I usually get shut out for half of December, all of January, and sometimes February because of snow.  People usually think I'm crazy for riding when it's cold, but I just tell them that I'm "hardcore".

John L.

I only started riding in May, but I'm really starting to have fun on my GS. I'm not looking forward to storing my bike for the winter, but it gets pretty nasty for quite awhile, here in Wisconsin. I suppose once it gets really cold, I won't really want to ride my bike much anyway. I don't know what I will do.

I'm sad now.  :cry:

Laura

I'm in NY, I'm totally riding until it snows. I 'm thinking of getting one of those thermal red suits with the butt flap, a ski mask, and a really thick snow suit or hunting suit....no wait, F that I'm riding butt naked with no socks.

One of the benefits of living in the south is you trade being able to ride all winter, with having to ride in the rain and nice 100 degree 100% humidity summers.

Here in OZ you can ride anytime of the year you want   :thumb:

Although Summer is a killer with leather on.

It's not the cold that bothers me so much. The possibility of hitting a little patch of black ice is enough to keep me off the bike unless I'm absolutely POSITIVE the roads are all bone dry. As much as I hate not being able to ride, it's just not worth the risk.  :cry:

John

I ride quite often as long as the ground is dry and it's at least 34 degrees out so I don't hit any unexpected ice. Not only does this keep me on the mike more, I don't have to winterize thanks to having a garage and it keeping the battery charged.

I like to brag about how I have not owned a car in many years and you asked for it. :mrgreen:
I also love my tales of me kick starting my old Yamaha 400 with icicles hanging from the engine block.
I only lived in Colorado for two years. Most of my riding was in Florida and LA. So I am not as a hardcore as some. Although, now I ride for a living. I am HARDCORE! :x (Flexing a few muscles)

i ride year round here i reno.  it can get cold but its still fun.  been riding in the snow only once. fun but i was a little on edge.  it was just up an down the street in front of my house before i put in the garage for the night.

i've had too many close calls in the snow last winter in minneapolis, so i think i'll be putting it away for winter this year.  it just gets too cold, and too dangerous out here.  not fun at all.  (hurrah for my first post in about a month, man i've been busy)

I ride all year here in Australia,

have just got my Joe Rocket summer gear from America and it works fantastic, feels stable and would hold up under all but a horrific crash!

Stay Safe  :thumb:

I have only had my GS for about 3 months now but I plan on riding it all year round. What can I say, I just LOOOOOOOOVE to ride :thumb:
Not sure what to expect so I am equipping myself accordingly:
1) Summer/Fall - Belstaff Zodiac Jacket

2) Cool Weather - Teknic Chicane leather jacket (from 2pc racing leathers)

3) Rain - ordered a Tourmaster 1pc rainsuit and rainboots

4) Cold/Snow - Zodiac over Chicane ??? (I also have another jacket to fit over these if necessary) and Zamberlan water-proof leather hikers with thick socks

5) Don't forget track day!! - Teknic Chicane 2pc racing leathers with matching boots and leather gloves

The Texas heat was really not as bad as I thought. The key is to keep moving. Currently, the weather has been getting cooler at nights. My riding home from work at around midnight has been a bit nippy for me. I'm going to have to start layering underneath my jacket.

Do dirt bikes count?  After my last race of the summer/fall, I put the GS away and get the CR250 out!  Roostin' in the snow is a freekin' blast! :thumb:

Rich

I ride all year.  But then look where I'm from.

Paul  :thumb:

I'm sure gonna try. Definitely not going to brave any Michigan six-inch snow storms, but rain and cold don't bother me so much. I tested my raingear the other day, and i especially like riding in torrential downpours simply for the strange and sometimes pitying looks you get from cagers.   :?  :roll:  :o  :thumb:

I've said this before but...

Northeastern Mass., all year, barring snow on the road or heavy rain.  Wife doesn't like the rain, so I respect that (tho she's completely wrong )  :kiss:

Trev

I ride all year too in NE OH as long as streets aren't slippery with ice or snow.  Always wet with salt water though.   :lol:  Been out in 15-20F weather for shorter distances.

Been using rusty old 81 CM400A with 98k on clock for winter bike.  Think the restored 97 GS will be my winter bike by next year and Hondamatic will be retired.  Rusted thru front fender fell off recently.    :mrgreen:

My virago was my winter bike of choice...Still will be I guess...Winter riding is actually better than summer for me... I tend to sweat a lot...and have good cold resistance...anyway that's why the gear is there...My complaint is that the suit dont let in enough air to make me feel comfy so I have 1/2 the front zip open...and the shoes I have are so air tight...My feet ... well you know...So I swap boots as soon as I get to work. Leave the ventilated ones at work.
Cool.
Srinath.

All-year, all-season rider here, been doin' it almost continuously for 17 years, love it, wouldn't give it up for the world. I just enjoy the looks I get from car drivers when I ride in the rain :mrgreen: . The rest of you are just hardcore! Right on! :thumb:

Quote from: SpazzRWCI know someone out there rides all year. (Except in the snow obviously)

What's wrong with riding in the snow? :thumb:

My bike in the snow is on page 7 of the wall of fame.  I forgot to include my member ID but the caption is

"89\' on a 350 mile trip through Tahoe and Truckee"

You should see the looks on people's faces when it's 13 degrees and snowing and you ride by them on a motorcycle....  HAHAHHAHAHAA I &*^@#$*^ love it  :mrgreen:

QuoteI ride all year too in NE OH

GSJack... you're this Mid-Atlantic Boy's HERO!!!

I live only a mile from campus here in U.P. and I've been thinkin' hard about selling my truck to my Bro-in-law and going Bike/Bus/ShoeLeatherExpress all year long...

how can I NOT go all-weather now?!!  After being brought up MD/VA style... I can't let this Ohio badass show up my peeps!  I gotsta represent this January!!!  ;)

P.S.  Jack's choice of bikes in the colder months makes a good point about winter wear... if you live in a state that salts their roads, this is a  major corrosion factor in the winter.... that salt will hang around until the first few spring rains ... and it WILL to damage to your bike's belly (particularly exhaust systems).

I ride all year as long as the road surface is "friendly".

One or two winters ago I rode to work with no problems.  It rained during the day, and then the temperature plummeted and the rain turned to ice.  As I headed for home across the long parking lot, I thought I'd better see what kind of braking ability I had.  I put minimal pressure on the front brake and WHAM! the bike was on the ground.

I got a passerby to help me pick the bike up.  It took a while to start it up again.  I rode home on the snow-covered sidewalks and the slushy parts of the road, avoiding anything that looked like an ice sheet.  When I got home I went along the snow-covered side yard toward my shed.  I used the front brake as I approached the gate (like I always do) and WHAM! the bike was on the ground again.

Moral?  Be very careful about friction-challenged surfaces (DUH!).  Cold air is one thing - slippery asphalt (or grass) is another....

You may have seen the pic below in the cigarette lighter How-To.  It shows my standard winter "getup".  

(http://www.bbburma.net/MiscFotos/DCP_1472_WinterGear_Blockbuster.jpg)
Yep, those are insulated overalls.  "Farmer Johns" I call them.  Which makes sense, because I bought them at a feed/seed/horse tack/ranch gear store.

The white thing around my neck and over my lips is a Turtle Fur (acrylic?) tube.

EDIT: Changed link from sisna.com to bbburma.net

Riding in the winter is a blast.  You have the roads to yourself.  I live in Bergen County NJ and make a loop into NY State around Greenwood Lake.  If it's too cold to go too far.  Almost always I find at least one other person riding.  So I'm not the only nut.  It's a pisser to see the snow icicles on the sides of the road.  Down to 30 degrees is no problem.  Dress warm and put your rain gear on last to block the wind.  Stick some aluminum foil under your pants over your knees and you are good to about 1 hour at 30 degrees.  If it's over 36 your are ok for about 1 and one half hour.  Wear a Neck Gaiter.  That is the most important thing besides the gloves.  Consider a pair of Thermal  Trousers made of some Hi Tech material.  I have a pair made by proline sports in the UK.
It's sad to see people winterize their bikes instead of themselves.

Quote from: KerryMoral?  Be very careful about friction-challenged surfaces (DUH!).  Cold air is one thing - slippery asphalt (or grass) is another....

You may have seen the pic below in the cigarette lighter How-To.  It shows my standard winter "getup".  

Yep, those are insulated overalls.  "Farmer Johns" I call them.  Which makes sense, because I bought them at a feed/seed/horse tack/ranch gear store.

Those look like Carhart overalls to me :)

I've also been told to use the rear brake when traction is not good (gravel, dusty, grass?)

I'm still deciding if I want to be a year round rider.  My big concern is people around get even worse at driving when its raining  :roll:.  I've gone through wet weather alright so I'm not worried about doing that.

I'll need some good rain gear before I ride too far in the rain.  I hate coming out to a bike with a wet seat :lol:

Quote from: 70 Cam GuyThose look like Carhart overalls to me :)

Yep, you got it.

When it gets REALLY cold and/or wet, I second what mp183 said about adding a waterproof/windproof layer on the outside.  I bought my FroggToggs big enough to go over my entire winter "getup" - overalls and all:

I'm the Michelin Man on the left.  Can you tell that I tend to go for visibility over fashion?  8)

I sometimes pull windproof mittens on over my regular sport touring gloves.  They're windproof, not waterproof, but my windshield helps keep the rain off.  They make all the difference in the world on a long winter ride!


EDIT: Changed links from sisna.com to bbburma.net

Here in upstate NY in the Adirondacks, winters are about as severe (and long) as they can get anywhere.  I'll try to ride into November, but at the first real snow, I'll winterize and cover the GS...and hibernate her in my UNheated garage.  HOWEVER...the battery will be warm, snug, and charged inside the house, waiting to be dropped back in on the first rideable day...after which it will go back inside til the NEXT rideable day...til I'm sure the night temps will no longer go too far below freezing.
And yes, skiing (xc and downhill) does take up a lot of the riding slack during the winter.

I'm out all year (minus snow days). Biggest things I found to help were:

1 - Windproofing (including a balaclava for your neck)

2 - Keep the hands warm

I wear my JR jacket and snowboarding pants to deal with the wind. To deal with the hands I just wear some mid-weight gloves (found them to let the warmth through better from my heated grips  :thumb: ).

If your hands are cold, not only does the ride suck to the point that your hands hurt, but it's DANGEROUS. If you can't feel your hands, you can't feel your controls. Longer highway miles seem to be much more conducive to heated grips. You spend much more time away from your heat source in the city.

This will be my first year attempting to do so, and in Pittsburgh I dont know how possible it will be. Guess I will find out sooner rather than later...

I plan to ride as long as possible this winter also. It was in the upper 40's this morning on my ride to work and will be again tommorow. Only problems I had was the wind coming up my neck and on my face. So gonna find something to stock that, I had a fleece pullover with the color up under my leather jacket but the wind still got in there. And my hands were getting a bit cold so gonna find some small stretch/form fitting gloves to wear under my gloves.

I ride all year in Seattle.  In fact I started riding in mid December.  Rain or shine, I'll be out there (at least commuting).  I don't get to go on as many full day rides during the winter as during summer though, because twisties aren't as fun when your slipping and sliding around every corner.

I'm a bike-only type so I ride 365, Ice is a problem but the GS is very stable, years ago i rode a lambretta scooter and the weight distribution was a horror, it flipped on every corner. I only missed one day last year when the ice was bad but thanks to global warming (alledgedly) our last few winters have been cancelled ice-wise, can be very wet here but simply getting the right kit and reproofing it with a spray every Autumn does the biz. The DVA is not supposed to do driving tests when there is ice but I passed mine in very borderline conditions, I think the examiner saw that I had come 30 miles in sleet/snow/rain and let me take the test, it made my Christmas!

Oh no!

This morning I wore my Carhartt insulated overalls for the first time this season.  (See my first post above.)  I just happened to look over at them, hanging in my cubical at work, and they're not Carhartt overalls after all -- they're made by Berne Apparel!

Uhhhh ... is that bad?   :oops:

(http://www.bbburma.net/MiscFotos/100_0628_Berne_Overalls.jpg)

EDIT: Changed link from sisna.com to bbburma.net

It must be nearly 7 yrs since I have owned a car but at least there has always been at least two bikes in the shed at any one time.

I have been a postie here in Aus for nearly two years and that means I dont get a choice in riding everyday (even if it is only 110cc of raw power).
I have ridin in minus 12 degress all the way to mid 40 degrees. Never ridin in the snow yet. I think it snows about an inch here every 50 years if your lucky.

Its a good life.. :lol:

I ride all year round any weather and i love it. if it really snows i may get the bus but i have riden my bike in the snow gotta be carefull tho gotta clean the bike after to cos the salt they but on the roads can eat away at the wonderfull gs :cry: