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Any cold weather riders?

5K views 43 replies 38 participants last post by  Delegate1k 
#1 ·
My last bike was a DL650 with hand warmers. They worked great. I bought a 1k now I want to ride some this fall with cold weather coming on. Initially thought I'd put hand warmers and heated seat on the bike, now I am thinking electric jackets and gloves may be the way to go? An iron butt bud of mine who rides a vintage bike with 270w output uses the electric jackets and gloves for he and his wife and says it was fine. Could only turn the jackets on medium.
I'd like to ride through December here in lower Ohio but I don't see myself riding in the fridgid stuff.
 
#2 ·
I ride my Wee year round. Down to 15F one morning, that's as cold as it gets here, and we don't get much snow or ice, mainly a dry cold. I have a tourmaster synergy jacket, and first gear heated gloves, I also have factory heated grips which are useless below about 45F, they keep your palms warm but fingers freeze and the left side is not as warm as the right, so I do not recommend the OEM grips. I love the gloves though, I plug them into the sleeve ends of the jacket and they both run on the built in controller on the jacket. I have only used it on high once or twice when it got below 20F. No problem keeping my hands warm. I also have added the handguards that your Vee comes with. For lower body I just wear my Tourmaster Venture pants with quilted liner, wool socks, and boots, no problems there either, but even if I did have problems there, not much I could do as I am about tapped out on electrical capacity on the Wee. Your problem is going to be snow and ice.
 
#3 ·
I live near the water, so I don't ride when it's below the freezing point. I wiped out on a patch of ice six years ago, and once was enough for me.

Warm gloves, thick socks and thermal liners in my jacket are enough for me.

I MOntreal (very dry cold) I was ok to commute at -20 celsius, but anything longer than 20 minutes or faster than 100 km/h was suicide.
 
#5 ·
I ride year round, use Oxford Heaterz on the grips & a Synergy heated jacket liner. I'm good down to 15-20 degrees, my legs don't really bother me if I'm wearing layers with my core & hands being warm.

I much prefer heated grips to heated gloves....grips stay on the bike at all times, don't require a bulky glove. You need the right kind of glove for heated grips in the real cold - thin palm and wind-proof, heavy on the outer hand.
 
#23 ·
That's not cold! Heck, this summer, we barely made it *up* to 60F (okay, I'm exaggerating a little...but it was a pretty crummy summer this year).
 
#8 ·
If it's a case of what will keep you warmer or allow you to ride in the lowest temps, the gloves would be the way to go. What's nice about heated grips is that, even this time of year when it's not cold enough to break out the heavy duty winter gear, it still gets chilly on those late night rides, and the grips are always there, just waiting to be switched on.
 
#9 ·
Heated grips do help as do heated clothes, neck gaiter . However only to a point. Ice forms on your visor, and bike and even with heated clothes you will get very cold. My idiot story; I went to spend Christmas in Portland a couple years ago. I am about 35 miles north of Seattle and it was about a 2 1/2 hour run. The temp was around 20F . My thinking slowed and I noticed I felt stiff but Ok during the ride, cold but the roads were clear and dry. I got there and put the kickstand down on my FJR. I had trouble getting off the bike and more or less fell off of it. My legs would not support me. I was hypothermic and spent Christmas in the Hospital. Lesson learned, short rides no problem long not so good.
 
#10 ·
I ride year round as well, and as my name insists, I still ride in snow and ice, with extreme caution of course. I wear waterproof insulated gloves, jacket, pants and boots. I also wear a waterproof balaclava. Here in northwest Washington it rains pretty much every day, however, it only snows maybe 5-10 days a year. Still gets in the teens sometimes. Just my two cents. :thumbup:
 
#11 ·
39 degrees out this morning. Not a bad ride. Good gear makes all the difference in the world... For me, it's an Olympia AST with liner, Olympia Airglide pants with liner, boots, and insulated Olympia gloves with a good gauntlet on them. I've got a 45 minute ride into work, and at the end, it's just starting to get a little chilly these last couple of days. I need to get a neck gaiter and better boots (to keep the up-draft off my shins) but even without heated gear, it's not so bad.

I've ridden as cold as 27 degrees (cool DRY morning) to be in the Toledo holiday parade. Hot cocoa and a warm engine made the parade MUCH more tolerable. :)
 
#12 ·
winter is my favorite time of year to ride. I like the crisp throttle response and the free horsepower

it's surprising how much traction you can get on snow & ice

I'be been out as cold as -15°F for a ride, less than 100 miles I don't really consider a ride, if you count shorter rides, I've been out down to -25°F and I cut the ride short cause I got all hot & sweaty pushing my bike to the road thru 100 feet of 15 inch deep snow from my barn.

what I wear when its that cold
Sorel Premium boots
extrem artic military issue long jons
First Gear HT pants
silk long sleeve t-shirt
First Gear 90w jacket liner
Kilmanjaro jacket
Windstopper balaclava
Fulmer Snowmobile helmet
Reima winter gloves

I use duct tape to seal my jacket to pants, ankles & wrists

I used to just ride when it was clear, but last year I studded my Karoo Ts and changed that

YouTube - winter riverroad.avi



 
#13 ·
Yesterday's commute? 33 degrees. I'll ride so long as the roads are dry, though I have been caught out with snow and freezing rain.

I have heated grips on mine, and I like them better than heated gloves. You can move your hands around on the heat for one. With gloves you MUST have a heat controller, as I've know too many people who got huge blistering burns on their hands from the gloves, when they couldn't pull over fast enough to unplug them. I also have an electric vest, but since I got the heated grips, I don't end up using the vest as much. With the right jacket and the right layering, the grips are enough into sub-freezing temperatures.

If it's REALLY FREAKING COLD I end up putting my rain gear on over my winter gear to cut the wind. Works perfectly. Also, get a balaclava ... keeps your head warm even if you need to keep your visor open a crack to vent, and cuts down on cold drafts going down your neck.
 
#14 ·
When I first started getting into heated gear a few years ago, the grip heaters were first. Then I got a Gerbing vest, then I sold that and got a full jacket liner, then I got Gerbing gloves. Now I've got it right. :mrgreen:
 
#30 ·
I have the Gerbings jacket. I love it.

My GS had heated grips, which worked great. However, I think I will go with heated glove for the DL. The grips move with the bike. You will be able to use the gloves after (or if) you ever sell the bike.
 
#18 ·
I also ride year round, but this is California after all. It does get pretty cold here though, a lot of the time I'm riding to work in 35 degree weather. That's probably summer weather for some a yoos:mrgreen:
 
#19 ·
Yr round rider in BC Canada.
Heated grips worked very well but tips of fingers still got cold with stock handguards. So I modified my handguard, extending them so they are now beyond the tips of my fingers on the lower part of the guard and above my knuckles on the top. Much much better. Preventing the cold wind from hitting your hands are a huge plus. I can wear summer gloves this way.

When really cold, I'll add heavier gloves that have a wind/water proof backs and somewhat thin palms. I'll also wear an aerostich full jacket liner.

Ken
 
#20 ·
Which Oxford Heaters?

Any input on which Oxford heaters works best for the Wee? Northern California rider and plan on going to Alaska, summer of 2012. I ordered the Oxford "original" however I know there are other options. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
#21 ·
Any input on which Oxford heaters works best for the Wee? Northern California rider and plan on going to Alaska, summer of 2012. I ordered the Oxford "original" however I know there are other options. Any advice would be appreciated.
I don't think there is a "best for Wee" grips out there but I know there are at least two kinds of Oxfords. One has a rheostat to contol heat output and the other has a digital type push button. I've heard of some problems with the dial kind, so I bought the latter. The grips and heating element I can't speak of, but wouldn't doubt if they're the same and will perform as such.

Ken
 
#32 ·
I ride year around as many others. I have done 100+ and down to about 15 degrees. The only thing that has stopped me in the past is salt and ice. This will be my first winter on the Wee and it has much better coverage than my last bike so I'm happy about that. I don't have any electrics but I have a Field Sheer ADV jacket with TourMaster Overpants, fleece balaclava (need to get a thinner one) and Leather Gallery winter gauntlets. I am considering the AeroStitch electric bib to help stop the wind at the zipper in my coat and add the extra core warmth. Maybe Santa will bring it...:biggrinjester:
 
#40 ·
I am considering the AeroStitch electric bib to help stop the wind at the zipper in my coat and add the extra core warmth. Maybe Santa will bring it...
You might consider asking Santa for the Aerostitch Kanetsu AirVantage electric vest. I grant that with a $130.00 price premium over the Warmbib, the vest could be a tough sell. You're interested in core warmth, though, which requires the coverage of a vest at a minimum here.

I have the vest, and it represents the best $197.00 I've ever invested in a particular piece of gear. It controls body temperature three ways: (1) Goretex windstopper shell; (2) electric heating elements; and (3) internal air bladder to trap body heat. Don't pay the extra $70.00 for the zip-on sleeves, as they are unheated and thus quite overpriced for what they are.

TM
 
#33 ·
Friend gave me an original set of Hippo Hands from the 60ies or 70ies a couple of years ago. They work fine down into the low 30ies or high 20ies. If my hands are warm I'm usually not bad. Actually I wear a set of those stupid "YMCA" chaps - they actually work down into the low 30ies. Joe Rocket cloth jacket usually with a sweat shirt and a windbreaker.
 
#34 · (Edited)
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