Cold weather riders

[Daleroso]

Years ago I belonged to a small BMW riders group, about 25, in Va. We had a day ride planned in Feb. 3 of us showed up. During the ride @ 1 stop about 15 HD's went by. Later another smaller HD group & during the day a couple spaced out 1,2 or 3 HD riders. This after years of riding different marques, (non HD) &  listening to the different opinions making fun of HD. (I was one of them for years prior.) I wrote a short piece in our group newsletter suggesting the BMW riders that didn't show on our Feb ride were comfortably ensconsed fireside @ home smoking their pipe with the dog lying afoot after making fun of HD bikes & riders.
A few yrs ago a friend was atop Pikes Peak & also there were 2 grizzled HD riders on 2 1930's HD's.
I stopped in a mom & pop cafe in eastern Nv 2 Marches ago to warm up @ 6500 feet with windy, drizziling, 40 degree temps outside. Two wet HD riders smiled, nodded knowingly & had me join them.
Yesterday in Virginia City, Nv I couldn't help but notice; 1 Triumph Scrambler, 1Ducati, 2 BMW GS's and about 25-30 HD's.
Being a history & trivia buff I always admired HD's American made survival story sooo, in 2008 thinking HD quality had pretty much caught up to other marques & other marques had aproached HD cost wise I bought a Road King. Then 4 others since untill trading my last for an MGX-21 partly due to a weekened state of lust when seeing the MGX but also tired of the associated negative aspect of the HD costume, pose(non smiling with arms crossed) & noise (I left my system oem.)
I guess what I'm trying to suggest is, knowing there are REAL motorcyclists who ride regardless of their bike of choice, who are the real m/clists? Not wannabe posers. Those who are know one when we see one.

[Huzo]

The REAL motorcyclîsts are the ones who care so little about image, they don't even know they have one.
I'm aware that doesn't totally apply to me, I am a tiny bit narcissistic.
(But at least I know it..)

[ratguzzi]

Never thought about it much. I have clocked 1000s of miles below 32F. Mostly on Guzzis.
JB

[Huzo]

Never thought about it much. I have clocked 1000s of miles below 32F. Mostly on Guzzis.
JB

Then you ARE cool..(literally)

[RinkRat II]

     Like JB I never gave it much thought till now. Over the past 12 years riding to work everyday in Northern Arizona . From Nov. thru Mar. morning temps average about 30F. Afternoons were usually about 50.  Dressed properly stll the best way to start  the day. Quick math says about 75,000 miles worth. Split between V11 Sport, KLRand a K75s.

     Paul B

[flower_king001]

I ride year round...to and from work if it;s not raining or snowing. Man ya day/night in the low 30's on my EV

[kirkemon]

I use summer tires since I live in Los Angeles. Slick streets and black ice are not my friends.
My T120 came with heated grips and I have thermals and thermal lined gear.
Planing on camping a couple days in Death Valley this January.

[Daleroso]

Death Valey was great in mid sept kirkemon. No clouds & 70's. Enjoy!!

[LowRyter]

I am going to do our annual cold butt ride tomorrow in my car, if I go.   

[Daleroso]

My actual point is that having lived in 4 states through winters & 65+ yrs there have always been a LOT more HD's on the road than any other mfg regardless of era. It means something FWIW.

[guzzisteve]

Never thought about it much. I have clocked 1000s of miles below 32F. Mostly on Guzzis.
JB

+1 JB,  Now I live in the South, still don't use heated gear. No more snotcicles & beard wrapped around my neck.

[bad Chad]

My actual point is that having lived in 4 states through winters & 65+ yrs there have always been a LOT more HD's on the road than any other mfg regardless of era. It means something FWIW.

I have seen more Chevys than any other auto over the years, surly that must mean something?

[Daleroso]

In the winter? Be more specific please. Those riders serious enough know what it means.

[Moto]

I like riding in the cold, like the 20's, especially when it's sunny. I even enjoy it without a face shield or windscreen. But not too far!

But that's not what makes anyone a real motorcyclist. It's only a symptom.

Moto

[fubar guzzi]

   WELL,SINCE I'm 1 two brag I guess I will.After wasting all season(5months ) reparing my ev from Hell, replacing bout everything ;I feel I owe it to myself to ride in the winter just to get my monies worth(Guzzi content).Here in Nebraska I"pay nearly90$$ a year I do really hate to let them get a freeby from me!!!As Dusty says it builds character   

[oldbike54]

  WELL,SINCE I'm 1 two brag I guess I will.After wasting all season(5months ) reparing my ev from Hell, replacing bout everything ;I feel I owe it to myself to ride in the winter just to get my monies worth(Guzzi content).Here in Nebraska I"pay nearly90$$ a year I do really hate to let them get a freeby from me!!!As Dusty says it builds character   

 No , I said you ARE a character 

 Dusty

[molly]

I like riding in the 'cold' but cold to me on a bike is 5C/40F and then no more than 30 miles are so in one go. So far in Blighty this winter it has rarely dropped below this temperature so the bike is used on a regular basis. Of course it could snow in the next few weeks then all bets are off.

[Mike Craven]

Every year or so there's a thread about waving to other riders.  I can relate this thread.  When it's freezin' cold other riders are rare and you feel a kinship (okay, maybe empathy). The other rider's most likely another commuter, but you think you're the only ones who ride in the cold.  You definitely wave! 
-Mike-

[guzzisteve]

What happen to the GA Cold Butt Ride?  I never saw any other riders out up in IL!! Cept maybe JB at the breakfast in DeKalb, we usually were the only ones.
In GA not many ride if it's below 50*, most don't go if it's under 70*.
Cold air kills germs, but it has to be below freezing.

[rider33]

as with any hobby there are those who dabble in it occasionally and there are those who have it deeply imprinted in there DNA.  In my experience, it's that latter group that you see in the middle of nowhere or out on a 26F day or in a driving rain.  They also tend to be more bike vs brand people.  If bikes are that much a part of you, odds are you like anything with two wheels and a motor.  In terms of winter riding in these parts,  the limit is more from ice and the stuff they put down to deal with it than temp per say.  I can gear up for pretty much anything if needed but the white corrosive spray from the ice melt chemicals will leave a nearly permanent tattoo on your bike, your gear & you if you let it- nasty stuff best avoided.

[ratguzzi]

All this talk, I had to go out for a ride!
JB

[Cam3512]

60* on New Year’s Day in Jersey?  I’ll take it!

[garbln]

Rode in cold weather years ago when needed, didn't like it then, don't like it now.  40F is my limit now, any lower take the car.  I live in MN so when we say cold we mean cold.  I'm 73 I don't need to prove anything to anybody anymore.  Am I turning into a curmudgeon?

[Rusnak_322]

I used to ride in the cold, but the salt on the roads up here is so bad that it really took a toll on the bike. You think it is cold to ride when it is 35 degrees F, imagine how cold you get when washing the bike after the ride, when the temps drop. My pride in nice bike ownership overwhelms my desire to ride while being miserable.

[Toecutter]

I ride until there is ice on the road in the fall, and when there isn't, in the spring... some years that means into early December and back out early March. Other years that means the bike is put away late September, and back out mid-late May.

I have ridden as low as -19 C for 60 km commutes and short runs, and -3 C for a few hundred km on long trips.

I count among my close friends some old tattooed grizzled Bikers that fit every biker stereotype you can imagine, some young, hip garage building chopper fiends, and some middle aged ATTGAT fair weather riders on Honda Shadows. I see some of the young chopper guys riding well into the single digit negatives in the fall, see some H-D guys, some metric guys... don't see a lot of sport bikes. The ones I saw riding latest, and out earliest when I lived in the city... Scooter riders. Usually women. They're nuts. If we base "hardcore" on the desire to ride on two wheels past the point of common sense, I hand that trophy to scooter-chicks.

[Toecutter]

The REAL motorcyclîsts are the ones who care so little about image, they don't even know they have one.
I'm aware that doesn't totally apply to me, I am a tiny bit narcissistic.
(But at least I know it..)

Meh. To quote Linda Powell from "Singles"

"I think that, a) you have an act, and that, b) not having an act is your act."

Everybody has an image they care about and portray, especially the ones that claim to not care.

[nick949]

For me, it's about how desperate I feel.  Right now, with temperatures hovering around -10c (14f)  I'm just not desperate enough and am happy to sit at the keyboard with my feet hovering over the hot air vent.  Ask me in three or four weeks though and it may be a different story. Salt? Pah! It will wash off later.

Nick

[BrotherJim]

Road Glides and Electra Glides have some pretty serious wind protection! 

[Rod]

60* on New Year’s Day in Jersey?  I’ll take it!

Nice Police Ambo, Cam3512!
It was 54 degrees here on the Cape New Years Day. My limit is about 40 degrees.
I'll ride till the roads get sanded. So far no snow here.

[Perazzimx14]

Electric heated clothing and big fairings or at least windscreens make a drastic difference when the mercury really drops. I'll ride in the teens albeit not far (about 5 to 7 miles to the grocery store).

Electric heated gear and and dirt oriented tires make a drastic difference once the snow starts flying




Electric heated gear and a 3rd wheel make a drastic difference once the snow starts getting deep