Winter Riding

Winter riding, some do some dont. I myself use winter to rebuild or fix the broken things. Those of you who do ride on the sunny winter days make sure you use cold water to get the salt dust off of your bike. Beware of the cagers they aren't expecting you either.

Have fun, see ya on the road in the spring.

Wardog

If you ride in good weather during the winter as a main form of transportation ,you might want a " winter bike ? ".
Lets not trash our summer bikes.
3 wheeler

Yeah, year round riding in upstate NY can be tough.

I don't ride that often in the winter but I do try and get out for at least
one ride per month (47 months in a row for the current bike).

Besides getting the salt off as quickly as possible and
being extra alert because nobody is expecting idiots to be
out riding when there are 3' snow banks, here are some other tips:

1. Salt + water = slime; watch out at stop signs putting your feet down.
2. Heavy salt or sand in turns & bikes don't mix
3. MC tire compounds are sticky in the summer - not so on cold pavement
4. Wind chill, wind chill, wind chill - 40 degrees feels like 0
at 70 MPH - cover exposed skin & dress in layers
5. I hear they now have heated seats to go with the heated grips,
pants and shirts that I don't have (maybe Santa will bring some
next winter)
6. Just because its 40 and sunny when you leave for work doesn't
mean you won't have an inch of snow and black ice when you try
to leave (happens every year)
7. In addition to thick clothing you'll need thick skin as co-workers
and even other bikers will question your sanity and make
odd gestures and comments when they see you riding when its
under 20/30 degrees
8. The cold will have a negative impact to overall reflexes and
dexterity - especially in your extremeties. Squeezing the clutch or
brake levers or even using your feet can be laborous & even
dangerous at times (see previous comment on heated grips & clothing)
9. Regular MC Engine oil can congeal or thicken at or below freezing level
and even a new battery may not turn it over. If you can't heat up
the garage (or engine using heat lamps or blankets) use a vehicle to
jump it when that happens.
10. Speaking of batteries - some people remove them and keep them
indoors when not riding. I'm lazy and just keep it on a trickle
charger.
11. And for those with liquid cooled engines don't forget to use a
good anti-freeze product in the radiator!