Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: inditx on October 31, 2021, 01:31:40 PM
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I know it is weather specific to your locale however, I live in the Midwest USA and have ridden at least once every month for the last 7 years.
It is invigorating! :bike-037:
Anyone else?
inditx
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If the temperature is below 35, I'm not riding. If it is above 35, I tend to, unless I know there's ice on the roads.
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Courtesy of Gerbing’s I have nearly always driven year round. I used to ride in some seriously stupid temps, like upper teens and mid 20s but these days it usually needs to be above freezing for me to get out there. Even said, some of my most memorable trips have been very late Fall, even early Winter. Nobody else on the road, the dense air making the bike sound purrrrfect. Very nice.
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I ride year round In winter if it's over 40F and the roads are dry I'm out
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Here in Tn winter is mild mostly and I have an electric jacket which makes it easy to convert as temps go up during the day. I do remember Kansas City winters when we lived in Overland Pk
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Me!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51382382633_951783c58c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mhu9dR)
Gigi's Puddle (https://flic.kr/p/2mhu9dR) by Guzzi Gal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187828903@N07/), on Flickr
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I used to because I had to, crashed 4 wheels. Sidecar was winter bike, can't fall down. Now I have good 4 wheels so not so much, maybe every couple weeks. I have never used electric anything. I also gave RatGuzzi crap when I saw an electric plug on his bike.
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I used to try to. Now I’m to old and to soft. But sometimes I go for a spin in the cold temps. Haven’t been riding much at all lately frankly. Thursday night I’m riding the goldwing down to the GWRRA monthly dinner though maybe. If you read my weight loss post….I’ll have a salad. Lol
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I go for coffee once a week all year round, it was 1C this morning and I still haven't thawed out.
I ride with Gerbing heated gloves and a vest.
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I did an 18,000 k ride on a 110 Honda recently.
I started in 8 degrees C, around the top in 33 degrees C, and finished back home in 10 degrees C.
That was sort of like riding all year ‘round.
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Me!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51382382633_951783c58c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mhu9dR)
Gigi's Puddle (https://flic.kr/p/2mhu9dR) by Guzzi Gal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187828903@N07/), on Flickr
Class... :bow: :thumb:
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Nah. Just summer, me :evil:
Nick
(https://i.ibb.co/HG5zhc3/IMG-20200929-110130-324.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HG5zhc3)
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a few years ago I rode at least 1 day in every month. In the north east this is unusual unless you like sliding in slush snow and ice.
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I do, but MUCH less than I used to in the summers. It’s SO hot here that’s it’s genuinely exhausting and dehydrating, not to mention somewhere between unpleasant and just plain miserable.
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When I was still commuting, I would ride until the first road sanding. Longer if we got a good rain to wash that crap away. Don't like ice or sand on the road, especially after dark. Since I retired, I have a thousand excuses to take 4 wheels. Comfort is king.
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There are a few days in the summer where I only ride if I can ride from dawn to 11 AM at the latest, and a few days in winter that keep me only on the main roads because we have roads that never quite dry in the winter months which means black ice.
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Look up Blaine Paulus. He lives in Pennsylvania and until that special thing where've all been dealing for the last 18 months put him in the hospital back in March he had ridden at least 10 miles every day within missing a day since February 21, 1997 or over 8,700 days in a row.
Personally I've found riding at least once a month is not difficult as usually there is one day you can eek out a ride where the weather is decent enough to get 10 or 20 miles in. When I had the sidecar rig I prayed for snow. Talk about fun.
:thumb: Blaine is on the right.
(https://i.ibb.co/SPzdwtr/Cagiva-Sunday-001.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SPzdwtr)
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12 out of 12 👍🥶
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I ride all year. I have a three mile commute and I ride if it is not snowing or raining or roads are icy. My cutoff is about 30F though.
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(https://i.ibb.co/r2Trb76/12-31-08-1355.jpg) (https://ibb.co/r2Trb76)
Gave up cars in 2008. Wasn't retired yet. Going to work in Massachusetts winter was part of the deal. It's been fun (sometimes weird fun).
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Great stories guys and gals and pics!
Keep em coming!
inditx
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riding all year is not too big of a deal in SW Missouri, I don't need no steenking sta-bil :thumb:
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No big deal in Northeast Ohio if you don't mind Ohio road salt & brine and their effect on your machine. :laugh:
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Class... :bow: :thumb:
Great Picture :thumb:
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Here in SE VA. its pretty mild except for some time in Jan. Then it can get into the teens for a couple weeks at a time. Then in Feb. you can get some snow storms. But it all melts within a few days. I can generally ride all year round, but I stay home if there is salt on the roadways. Even the dry salt powder can play havoc in electrical connectors!
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No big deal in Northeast Ohio if you don't mind Ohio road salt & brine and their effect on your machine. :laugh:
in the late 70s I lived 2 years in Geneva on the Lake, no way could I ride through those winters!
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It can be a challenge battling winter weather here in the Bay Area, but I you're determined and dress warmly, it's possible to survive those brutal days when the temperature drops into the 70's :grin:
(https://i.ibb.co/J3zqctV/x21r60-IMG-4277.jpg) (https://ibb.co/J3zqctV)
Rain's another matter around here. When a serious storm blows in from the Pacific, and there can be some question which roads still exist and which ones have washed away, I chicken out and stay off them until Caltrans has a chance to figure things out...
(https://i.ibb.co/vXS6w5X/fig01-IMG-2996.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vXS6w5X)
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Ride almost every day for last 30 years even when I lived in middle Tennessee (black ice was a factor) , north Florida still gets plenty cold in winter, I rode the kids to school every day when we lived in the virgin Islands
(https://i.ibb.co/Wf18Jv7/20150802-090005.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Wf18Jv7)
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As long as it's 1°C+ and the roads are not covered in salt water, I'm riding.
Cheers,
D
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Me!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51382382633_951783c58c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mhu9dR)
Gigi's Puddle (https://flic.kr/p/2mhu9dR) by Guzzi Gal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187828903@N07/), on Flickr
Beautiful pic. Where in AZ did you find a puddle? :grin:
I envy those in climates that get very little rain, and starting now through spring, envy those who do not have to endure winter.
That said, as long as temps are above 32F and the roads are dry and ice free, I will ride at least some. Before -, I commuted to work
on my motorcycles almost daily from about mid-March through mid December. It just isn't worth it when it's below freezing in the morning though. So, in the winter, getting out for a weekend ride when the weather allows is a real treat!
To make winter rides over an hour pleasant, heated gear is a must. My R1200RS has excellent wind protection and heated grips, so, usually just my trusty Tourmaster heated jacket and Aerostich Road crafter plus a pair of Rev-IT winter gloves that have much thinner insulation on the palms (for better control feel, and to let the heat from the grips reach my hands) is my go-to kit. If the temps aren't going to make it above 40, I will often just use the First Gear heated gloves instead. I also have heated socks for those really code days. Hands and feet are the hardest parts to keep warm. Wearing good thermal layers on the legs to keep the blood supply to the feet warm is a big help. Keeping the core warm with the heated jacket is the real key though. Once your core is not warm enough, the body reduces blood supply to the extremities, and the battle with the cold is lost.
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I refuse to subject the machines that are so good to me to the horror of a western NY winter. SO much salt and brine.............. ..............
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I mostly do...
I think motorcycling is supposed to be fun, so I dont ride if it's colder than mid- 40's outside
I dont ride in the winter if it is raining/ sleet/ ice/ snow or if the roads are wet- cause I dont want to wash them in cold temps after I get home from a cold ride
Luckily we have a couple 50+ sunny days almost every month here, except maybe jan/feb.. Most years I get in a ride or three in November/December.. I am lucky to get out once or twice in Jan/Feb.. By March I can ride a few days, and in april we are begging for spring, even though it's still cold and dreary at least the first 2/3rd of the month.
So I'll ride 'year round' but it probably works out to just 5-10 rides from October until late April depending on the severity of winter. Better than nothing I guess. I don't winterize my bikes for this reason. I just give them a real good wash after the 'last ride of the season' while the weather is still nice, fill the tank with fresh non-ethanol fuel with a dash of stay-bil and try to remember to run the battery tenders when it's above 40deg in the garage.
I think today (11/1) is going to be that 'last ride of the season' day... should be over 60 for the last time for a while. I will take two bikes out and run them hard for a half hour each, fill them up with gas & stabilizer, then wash them and blow 'em off with the leaf blower.
I do believe I'm actually going to drain the fuel out of the ambo tank and carbs and disconnect the battery, I dont think I will ride it again until May.
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Sure.
(https://i.ibb.co/fHtfMbg/DSCN0497.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fHtfMbg)
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I still do- but I can see that ending sometime as I am starting to get some Reynaud's syndrome in my fingers.
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A lifetime ago I rode year 'round. Used a beater CB650 to ride to work.
Worked 2nd shift twenty years ago. We had a period of sparse snow winters for several years. If the temp was 32f, or above, at 3pm and little chance of heavy precipitation I rode. Usually had to bump start the bike for the ride home after midnight.
Once the salt washed off the roads in late winter/early spring I was back on my Cal III. I realized how "tractor" like the old Guzzi is after riding the CB all winter.
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Yep Year Round rider
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I do, but MUCH less than I used to in the summers. It’s SO hot here that’s it’s genuinely exhausting and dehydrating, not to mention somewhere between unpleasant and just plain miserable.
Same here, and I live in SoCal. The past few summers have been brutal. 90F and high humidity from the monsoons shifting over from Arizona to Socal.
I just can't handle humidity, plus the Eldo doesn't like overly hot days.
This is the perfect time of year to ride. Sometimes it would be 35F or so Saturday mornings at 6:45AM when I ride up to Huntington Beach for Cars n Coffee.
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Yes. Nothing better for the soul in the middle of winter than to get out on a clear, dry day and ride between snow filled farm fields.
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All year here! :thumb: land of perpetual summer. :grin: Hawaii. Ocean temp today 80F.
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In the 80s when I was young and invincible, ie stupid, my only transportation was a '62 Triumph TR4 without a top and a '78 Bonneville T140. One winter the car wasn't running (not that it mattered without a top, and I rode the bike all winter. Only to school and work so not more than 5-6 miles one way but Ohio winters were cold with a lot of snow then. Now, I usually don't ride below 50deg.
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yes
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Yes, I do. Although as has been mentioned my cut off temp has been rising with my age. I really don’t get out if it’s under 40f. But here in GA I get to ride 12 months out of 12.
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Nope. After fifty years of riding I have done all of the cold, crummy weather riding that I will ever do. Has to be a nice day, above 60 degrees F.
Larry
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I try to get out at least once or twice a month in the winter. Barring ice, snow over a few inches, I’ve been able to do this. Since I’ve had a heated vest and heated grips, it’s been much more comfortable.
(https://i.ibb.co/6F6dhb0/038-B65-E0-C0-FD-4-BA8-B85-A-965-B3-BC07-DA0.jpg) (https://ibb.co/6F6dhb0)
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Yes!
Tom
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Yes I do, but I pick and choose my days for sure. No need to be a masochist about it. Give me a dry cool day in winter in South West England and it can be magnificent. To be fair, instead of an all day ride around Devon and Cornwall I'll do 60 miles in the South Hams to my favourite greasy spoon and be a happy chappy.
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Yes...for sure down south in the "Valley of the Sun"...but even in northern AZ, one can ride "year round!" :wink:
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Beautiful pic. Where in AZ did you find a puddle? :grin:
The night before, we'd had a "good storm," AKA it rained for more than 10 minutes. :shocked: It always floods in a dip in the road near our home, creating a small lake. :thumb:
The summer here makes for miserable riding. The hottest we've ridden in was 120°, and we wouldn't do it again willingly. :bike-037:
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I ride year round. We get some beautiful days here in the Pacific NW in January. Don't like riding below 40 degrees though. I used to commute and bought "Winterhands" long ago which were a copy of Hippo Hands:
http://nwguy.fun/mc/winterHands/index.html
They worked well until you got above 90mph. Then they depressed the clutch and brake levers.
I used to wear a heated vest but sold it. Now I wear a goose down parka under my leather riding jacket and quilted liner. I find I'm actually warmer with that since it fills all the voids, even in the arms. No need for heated gloves since I have heated grips.
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I do but pick my days. Don't go very far if it is cold.
kk
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Yes, yes I do.
Nebraska weather is a fickle beast at times but the cold/wet/ugly days are just part of doing what I love.
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I go for coffee once a week all year round, it was 1C this morning and I still haven't thawed out.
I ride with Gerbing heated gloves and a vest.
Good on ya Roy............. Your a tougher guy than me.
I go out on day permits weather permitting. :grin:
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Since I bought the Norge in July of 2010, I think I have ridden it almost every month. There are some months where it rains every day or it is cold and icy, and I keep the Norge in the garage.
I also have a Ural, that can be really fun in the snow....
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(https://i.ibb.co/s9D96D8/Spring2021010.jpg) (https://ibb.co/s9D96D8)
This has become close enough for me , and this was in late April :( . Peter
The pic would've been clearer if not for my shivering !
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If it’s above freezing and sunny, I do.
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I ride year round.
How many have seen the temp on a CARC dash go to dashes? Seen it plenty, and my R1200GS did it too.
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Most of the time I'll get 11 months or so in up here in central Maine.
I can't get the bikes up or down the luge run that serves as my driveway when it's icy.
And I won't subject a nice bike to salt. I did that one winter and the bike was
never the same cosmetically. I oughta buy a Ural or a winter beater.......
-Stretch
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I rode year ‘round when I lived in San Diego, but around here, there’s no way. We typically have snow on the ground from October to April (although it’s been dry this year so far).
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I ride year round. Here in NC (Winston Salem area) during cooler months if it's 45 and up (no heated gear) sunny, mostly sunny, low wind I like to get the 97 1100 and the 2014 1400 out at least a couple times a month and tool around on mostly secondary roads with little traffic to charge the batteries get things lubed up and of course my juices flowing too. :thumb:
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All year rider here in the UK, no garage to put the bikes away so I just ride them to keep things going. Did 100 miles on the Cali today on dry roads so an enjoyable ride. Was very cold when I got home so sat by a log fire for a few hours. Life could be worse.
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Indeed it could Rusty. Hoping to get out on the Breva on Saturday to bimble around bits of Devon.