suggestion. I live in NC, (not in the mountains) and plan on riding my '06 Kawi Concours thru the winter as long as there is no ice or snow. Any recommendations on riding gear or preparing the bike or feedback in general ?
My favorite piece of low temp gear is a balaclava. Second is a good pair of winter riding gloves.
Obviously if you can run heated gloves, seat, vest, etc. it makes things much nicer.
Anytime you close off all the helmet air vents in the winter you can have issues with shield fogging. There's quite a few means of dealing with this. The best I've found is dishwashing soap on the inside of the shield. Wipe it on, wipe it off.
My helmet also has a chin area insert that cuts all airflow up into the helmet from the chin area. Great addition in cool weather.
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If you don't get an electric vest or jacket, second best thing is a layer of fleece under your leather/textile. Base layer should be technical, preferably with insulation. You want warmth, but not bulky. Try getting a jacket with an actual collar that zips up all the way instead of a sporty mandarin style collar.
A balaclava is definitely worth getting, get one that will tuck into your jacket. And if you don't like covering your head fully, a bandana on the lower half that tucks in the jacket works well also. If you keep your core warm, the rest of your body can do a more efficient job staying warm.
As for your helmet, definitely look into getting a universal Fog-City shield. You'll never have to worry about fog, EVER.
Be wary for black ice specially around bridges, those get tricky even if temps aren't freezing.
Thanks for the replys so far, as far as gear is concerned I have a Fieldsheer Cyclone one piece suit,a base layer top and bottom a balaclava,winter glove with gauntlets and of course winter socks (not cotton).
As far a saftey on my bike I swapped out the dim H-4 headlight and installed a HID conversion. That in its self is a night and day (no pun intended) differance. And I always ride with a Olyimpia Hi Viz refective vest.
My helmet is a EXO-1000 too, thaks for the headsup for the fog-city shield
I use my Olympia GT Air jacket, which has a W/P liner and a thermal liner, and my insulated fieldsheer pants...when the temps drop I use UnderArmor long underwear...that, plus pants a shirt, a sweater and of course a balaclava and gloves does me good down into the teens temp-wise. Layering is the key!
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Well, fire the engines! Spur this iron space-pony on!
With the wind protection you have you should be good to go. How long is your comute? Time in the saddle makes a big difference in the winter time. I can do 30-35* for about 45 min. But since my comute to work is less than 10 min I can tolerate 10-15*. Shield freezes at that temp. Don't care how much anit fog you have on.
I use a two piece leather suit that has NO ventalation. Its a few sizes too big so sweat pants and a fliece pull over fit under it perfectly. That along with winter gloves and a balcalava and I'm snug as a bug in a rug. 8" work boots and normal socks work good enough.
If you do have a little longer of a ride I HIGHTLEY recomend a snowmobile helmet. They vent your breath to the outtside so fogging is completely not an issue. they are ment to be used when your working hard in sub-zero temps and not fog.
I forgot about the bike part. To be sure I mension it. Don't use highly sport oriented tires. I'm sure with a concours your tires are fine. But pure sport bike tires suck when it gets into the 30s. They will spin up rolling on the throttle in a straight line.
Add a power outlet for heated clothes if you really plan on pampering yourself.
And for sure, don't be afraid to hit the deck. Its much more likely to happen in the winter month, so don't fixate on it and you'lll be much more likely to stay up when you hit that slick spot.
Welcome SAS. All good suggestions so far. You may already be way ahead as I suspect the Connie has good wind protection. NC winters are usually pretty mild (I grew up in Raleigh) so you may be OK without heated gear.
On the riding front, take it easy in the corners until your tires are warmed up. A few here have had mishaps on cold tires.
Post up a few pics of your bike. Connie's are nice!
Thanks for the replys so far, as far as gear is concerned I have a Fieldsheer Cyclone one piece suit,a base layer top and bottom a balaclava,winter glove with gauntlets and of course winter socks (not cotton).
As far a saftey on my bike I swapped out the dim H-4 headlight and installed a HID conversion. That in its self is a night and day (no pun intended) differance. And I always ride with a Olyimpia Hi Viz refective vest.
My helmet is a EXO-1000 too, thaks for the headsup for the fog-city shield
I think the stuff you have is good. You can use all of it and then make warmer modifications/additions as the temperatures drop.
30 winter minutes around 9 PM and another 30 around 7 AM will give you the opportunity to get cold...so I would "over-dress" a bit to prevent the body core from getting cold. Once the core gets cold it seems to stay that way for hours afterward.
Another thing: it is really hard to find a good winter glove. Manufacturers exaggerate how effective they are...a possible hedge is to look around for some glove liners that could be used in addition to the gloves you use...
If you ever want to try an electric jacket liner, let me know and I will loan you mine for the winter: it works well and the hook-up is simple...
Thanks for the replys so far, as far as gear is concerned I have a Fieldsheer Cyclone one piece suit,a base layer top and bottom a balaclava,winter glove with gauntlets and of course winter socks (not cotton).
I rode through the cold weather this past winter with the same cyclone one piece suit, a balaclava, waterproof riding boots, and Olympia winter gauntlets. I was able to ride into the 20's comfortably. The layers you wear up top will be important because even though the suit will block the wind, it won't prevent 100% of the cold from reaching you.
Also watch out for sand and salt on the roads after snow. The salt can very quickly put rust on the chain.
Thanks for the replys so far, as far as gear is concerned I have a Fieldsheer Cyclone one piece suit,a base layer top and bottom a balaclava,winter glove with gauntlets and of course winter socks (not cotton).
As far a saftey on my bike I swapped out the dim H-4 headlight and installed a HID conversion. That in its self is a night and day (no pun intended) differance. And I always ride with a Olyimpia Hi Viz refective vest.
My helmet is a EXO-1000 too, thaks for the headsup for the fog-city shield
forget the shield, the scorpion exo-1000 is the best anti-fog i've seen
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
I have a scorpion. The anit fog is bogus once it gets cold enough. Only way to stop it is to vent ones breath outside the helmet.
Of coarse I don't htink NC riders will have to worry about such things too much. North of the salt belt though is a different story.
Hand guards are awsome in cold weather. I can wear my summer gloves into the low 40s when hand guards are used. Might look a little silly on a concours though. But if they work, why knock them.
I have a scorpion. The anit fog is bogus once it gets cold enough. Only way to stop it is to vent ones breath outside the helmet.
Of coarse I don't htink NC riders will have to worry about such things too much. North of the salt belt though is a different story.
Hand guards are awsome in cold weather. I can wear my summer gloves into the low 40s when hand guards are used. Might look a little silly on a concours though. But if they work, why knock them.
thats odd, my exo-1000 gave me no issues last winter except at looong traffic lights
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
I'm wearing 3 layers under my textile jacket and it's getting pretty cold up here. Thanks to my heated grips. Don't know how much longer I'll be able to ride to work at 6:30 AM. WINTER SUCKS
I'm getting everything prepared for winter riding this weekend
hell ya! .... although i ski ... which is completly backwards for a 21 yr old in southern california... cus technically i SHOULD be snowboarding. i cant wait for the snow!
The lowest it has been on my morning commute is about 60 degrees so far. I usually ride until they salt the road. My winter gear includes (top to bottom)...
- Daily helmet with the vents closed
- Neck gaiter
- Teknic textile jacket and liner
- Wal-Mart 3M Thinsulate Gloves
- FieldSheer overpants with liner
- Joe Rocket boots
That is all on over my typical khakis and polo for work. I stay nice and toasty until the mid 40s. It gets chilly below that, but still tolerable for my 10 mile commute.
I'm wearing 3 layers under my textile jacket and it's getting pretty cold up here. Thanks to my heated grips. Don't know how much longer I'll be able to ride to work at 6:30 AM. WINTER SUCKS
Your idea of cold is probably VASTLY different than the rest of ours. What's the Edmonton weather like this time of year? when do you hang it up for the season?
.
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Well, fire the engines! Spur this iron space-pony on!
I don't normally venture out below 40 degrees except on a rare occasion: 28 being the lowest I have traveled in.
Arai Full Face
Neck Gaiter/Zub/Buff
Long sleeve T-shirt
Gerbings G-3 Gloves
Jeans
Darien Jacket
Gerbings Jacket Liner
First Gear Over pants
Knee high Fox socks
Alpine Stars Boots
The less bulk the better with adequate air space in between.
Doc
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Thanks everyone for your inputs. I've been doing some shopping and have mostly everything I think I need for now. Just getting a headstart before old man winter rolls in.
Cheers
Ron
My scorpion anti fog worked great in 50 and I believe 40* weather. Once is got to the mid-low 30s it wasn't any better than I remember a normal visor being. And teens were out of the question. I held my breath for anything below 20 mph. Luckily I don't have any light on my way to work. Just two stop signs.
I always intended on use a snorkle of sorts to breath outside the helmet but never wenth through the effort. My comute is too short. I just say screw it and drive at that point.
Your idea of cold is probably VASTLY different than the rest of ours. What's the Edmonton weather like this time of year? when do you hang it up for the season?.
Right now it is about 44F but we can still see temps up to 75F this month. I can't speek for him but I give it up at about 10F. My coldest ride to date is about 0F. I don't have any heated equipment.
[QUOTE=The Shadow;413104]Your idea of cold is probably VASTLY different than the rest of ours. What's the Edmonton weather like this time of year? when do you hang it up for the season?
On friday it was -3 celcius, around 30 F, heated grips did not keep my fingers warm. I have to get on the highway for about 20 mins., my whole ride to work takes about 25 to 30 mins. depending on traffic.
Here's a question, is it better to ride faster in the cold and get where your going sooner, or ride slower to keep your body temp. up???
Your idea of cold is probably VASTLY different than the rest of ours. What's the Edmonton weather like this time of year? when do you hang it up for the season?
On friday it was -3 celcius, around 30 F, heated grips did not keep my fingers warm. I have to get on the highway for about 20 mins., my whole ride to work takes about 25 to 30 mins. depending on traffic.
Here's a question, is it better to ride faster in the cold and get where your going sooner, or ride slower to keep your body temp. up???
Kind of like walking or running in the rain. Ain't it? About the same IMO. I would still rather get there fast.
Welcome SAS. All good suggestions so far. You may already be way ahead as I suspect the Connie has good wind protection. NC winters are usually pretty mild (I grew up in Raleigh) so you may be OK without heated gear.
On the riding front, take it easy in the corners until your tires are warmed up. A few here have had mishaps on cold tires.
Post up a few pics of your bike. Connie's are nice!
On the winter riding front, I picked up a first gear heated jacket liner this week. Rode for an hour and a half in 40 degrees this morning and man was that nice! Came home and ordered some gloves to go with it.
Glad you two liked the pic. I can relate to early morning rides, I leave for worfk at either 9 PM or 5 AM and in the cold air it is great. I just put on those fairing extentons this week to assist with the wind on the legs, now it's all gone. Very pleasent cruisng. I purchased this 06 Connie Memorial weekend og this year. She had 17,325 mile on her. Now she has 26,867. I've ridin her eveyday and plan on riding her thru the winter. As long as there is no ice or snow.
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