Winter riding...

Its coming, dont deny it.

Downer topic yes, but be prepared is what I say, so i place myself before the wisdom of sv'ers wide and far and request information on clothing suitable for the long, cold, dark winter months. I have no intention of storing my bike up unless its snow/ice. So...

What Waterproofs?
What about "undergarments"?
Neck and chin protection?
Thermals or not?
Gloves?
Anti-Visor misty thingies?
Tips for keeping dry/warm

Anyone as brave/stupid as me? Your thoughts please friends.

R

good gloves, a chin/neck warmer thinging (i call it a snoog but that goes back to childhood days, like a scaff but just a circular bit of material) and a big water proof jacket. Ridden the last 5 years worth of winters in not much more than that (and in the same jacket which isnt that waterproof anymore). A set of decent over trouser waterproofs is a good idea but i always burn them on the exhaust so i gave up last year and just took a spare pair of jeans with me.

cold is a relative thing, some people get bothered by it, others dont. im off the later variety so i dont really mind, its the driving hail i dont like, it hurts if your going fast enough. and snow is great fun to ride on as long as you take your time and dont do anything stupid.

[Lissa]

Originally Posted by Redster

Anyone as brave/stupid as me? Your thoughts please friends.

R

Yep!

This winter will be my first, I stored the bike away last year. I'm considering getting some hot grips, have got a neck tube thingy and on the rare cold day I went out last year my HG jacket was sufficiently warm along with my HG Panthan (sp?) lobster type gloves! Oh and I've been recommended to spray bike with ACF50 to avoid corrosion.

Oh and a Foggy mask to deflect your breath away from the visor is a must when it's raining!

[northwind]

I'm a convert to goretex... It's hardly neccesary but on a wet cold day, getting back into wet gear to come home at the end of the day is no fun, and a cold, wet, miserable rider isn't going to be at their best... So, I love my goretex trousers, and I have a perverse desire to see what they're like in a scottish winter.

Good jacket doesn't have to be expensive, my Belstaff Polar cost me £80 fully armoured, even with the knox back protector, and it's a great winter jacket- heavy but not restrictive, very warm but not sweaty, and solidly built- lots of proper overlapped panels etc for burst and abrasion resistance. It could be more waterproof though.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MENS-GENUINE-B...QQcmdZViewItem

But if I was buying a jacket today, I think I'd get goretex for that, too. Hein Gericke, most likely.

I love these:

http://www.chasesuperbikecentre.co.u...roducts_id=214

Best winter gloves I've owned. They're fairly cheap, warmer than HG Pathans and fully armoured too. Not so heavy that they restrict, which is important.

Keep your feet dry! Doesn't matter how, but it makes all the difference. And keep the drafts out, a Polar Buff is like voodoo for the winter rider. Plus, you can cut it in half and have a summer necktube too. Mist prevention is more important, so a fog city or similiar is wise.

Bikewise, I love my heated grips. REminds me, I've got to refit them. And sensible tyres, IMO a sport touring tyre is a much better choice for winter than a stickier tyre. And if you have a curvy, watch out for carb icing, Pro FST is a miracle cure, but BP Optimax seems resistant too. And look after the bike- don't buy this "wash after every ride" nonsense, all that means is at the start of every ride you have unprotected bike getting plastered with a new layer of filth. Better to protect it and wash it occasionally IMO, I put my faith in a coating of ACF50 and then more or less neglect it, seems to work.

Northy: What trouser do you have, as i said above I'm on the lookout for some new ones ans I figure if they'll be OK for your Scottish winter they should be more than adequate for my nancy boy southern winter!

What size Panthans did you have (If you can remember) and what size gloves do you have now (the ones you posted)?

[northwind]

They're Rukka Unit trousers, I think. Ludicrously expensive, I can't honestly recommend them because of that but they're superb. Also, they have a repairs service- that was what sold me, my Teknics textiles were good and cost me £140, but they were wrecked after one crash. I don't mind paying top dollar for gear I might still be wearing in years to come. Then, I haven't tested them in winter yet.

Hein Gericke makes more sense, though!

Another vote for polar buff.

I did my CBT and DAS in the winter and wore thermals (top and bottoms) and also found that (goretex) waterproofs over leathers are v good at keeping the cold out. If you have a Shoei helmet I would recommend the whisper kit, it's supposed to be for cutting out noise but it also prevents drafts.

A good neck warmer- no point being all snug inside warm textiles and a helmet, and having a bare neck exposed to the freezing elements.

[Lissa]

I bought new Frank Thomas Goretex winter gear at the BMF last September, but the winter was so mild I actually got away with wearing my leathers with a good, thick fleece over the top.

I will also recommend the Pathan gloves though..................never had cold hands with those, even in -10 conditions.