Global Moderator sorkyah Posted October 13, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted October 13, 2015 not to rub it in or anything, but ~60deg temps in the winter are awesome for commuting, and the bike likes it even more than I do Aside from it's current condition, the bike will not see storage for as long as I own it. @guru get a kit to xform the FZ into a snowmobile ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Guru Posted October 14, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted October 14, 2015 I remember looking at those kits last year. They are fascinating but I think I will pass. I am not looking forward to another harsh winter so I have an even better plan: head south and skip winter altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted October 14, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted October 14, 2015 I remember looking at those kits last year. They are fascinating but I think I will pass. I am not looking forward to another harsh winter so I have an even better plan: head south and skip winter altogether. That doesnt sound like a bad idea... [span]Phoenix has a nice/mild winter[/span] ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member yamahappy74 Posted October 14, 2015 Author Premium Member Share Posted October 14, 2015 I washed it up and made it pretty today for the trip to storage. Didn't even want to ride it after that. Spring is a long way off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano225 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 My riding season here in PA is also coming to end(not that I ride that much anyway).Bike and scoots they're stored in my garage all year around,when winter comes I fill them up add stabil take a 5 min ride on each then on battery tender (always on tender anyway been doing for years never lost a battery),another thing I do since garage floor is concrete and gets pretty cold in the winter,I use card board under tyres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShiftHer Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 another thing I do since garage floor is concrete and gets pretty cold in the winter,I use card board under tyres.What effect does cold concrete have on tires? (Or tyres, that's is ) Find me at ShiftHer.com & My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano225 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Since I wont be moving any of the bike/scoots for few months,I read somewhere in the past that could lead to a flat spot on the tires and the card board would eliminate that from happening.I been doing it for years without any problems.By the way I never went to school in this country,so I do mistype ones in awhile,but it is sad when you meet Americans that can even read or write their own language . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Guru Posted October 14, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted October 14, 2015 tire-vs-tyre You can also push the vehicle forward or backwards a couple of inches every now and then if you want to prevent flat spots. Although flat spots in tires only happens if the vehicle is parked (and not moved) for expended periods of time. Not just a couple of months. I have multiple cars and if I wake one up after a year or so the tires have flat spots. It will shake al little during the first few miles but once the is some heat in the tires, it will smooth out and all is good. The best thing to do though is get those wheels off the ground. Not only for the tires but also wheel bearings and (some say) suspension components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano225 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I usually hang the kids bicycles on the garage ceiling when not in use in the winter,but I think this year I am going to hang my bike/scoots instead,that way I don't have to worry about anything . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virginiadave Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 here in the DC area we generally have at least a couple days I can ride every month during the winterYou wrote that wrong. It should have said, "there are a couple days where I *CAN'T* ride". We barely get any rumors of snow let alone the real thing. My record temp is 9 deg F in Chicago. That was not fun. In DC if it's over 20F and no ice and snow on the roads, I ride. Brrrr! I don't enjoy riding when temps are below 40. Sometimes I do it on the gixxer, but only if my ride home is gonna be 55 degrees or more. If it's gonna be cold riding in to work, and cold riding home, I drive my truck. Heat, radio, and I can eat! I don't know if I want to ride the FZ at all with no wind protection at those temps. 25 miles on I-95/I-395 at 30 degrees, and I might look like Lloyd and Harry after they went through the Rockies in Dumb and Dumber, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantheraleo Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 You wrote that wrong. It should have said, "there are a couple days where I *CAN'T* ride". We barely get any rumors of snow let alone the real thing. My record temp is 9 deg F in Chicago. That was not fun. In DC if it's over 20F and no ice and snow on the roads, I ride. Brrrr! I don't enjoy riding when temps are below 40. Sometimes I do it on the gixxer, but only if my ride home is gonna be 55 degrees or more. If it's gonna be cold riding in to work, and cold riding home, I drive my truck. Heat, radio, and I can eat! I don't know if I want to ride the FZ at all with no wind protection at those temps. 25 miles on I-95/I-395 at 30 degrees, and I might look like Lloyd and Harry after they went through the Rockies in Dumb and Dumber, lol. 40 degrees is my cutoff temp, too. Unless it's been several weeks....then I just want clean dry roads for a short ride to get a fix. Virginia usually lets me ride at least a few days every month during the winter. O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause...till it come back to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 but also wheel bearings and (some say) suspension components. if left stationary sediment and other junk coalesces and can make a ridge of material which then tears up bushings, seals and such. By leaving it at full-extension it doesn't necessarily prevent that same damage on initial movement, just that the problem is at a location that the damper doesn't see under normal circumstances and so cumulative damage is reduced. I expect these sort of considerations only really apply to vehicles older than the mid-70's or early 80's when things weren't made as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Guru Posted October 15, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted October 15, 2015 but also wheel bearings and (some say) suspension components. if left stationary sediment and other junk coalesces and can make a ridge of material which then tears up bushings, seals and such. By leaving it at full-extension it doesn't necessarily prevent that same damage on initial movement, just that the problem is at a location that the damper doesn't see under normal circumstances and so cumulative damage is reduced. I expect these sort of considerations only really apply to vehicles older than the mid-70's or early 80's when things weren't made as well. See, expertise right at our fingertips. That's what this forum is all about. Thanks for clearing that up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenchickendinner Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 For those who ride during cold temps, what kind of jacket do you wear or what kind of layer helps you stay warm for top and bottom body parts? Here in NJ its been getting really chilly in the morning (40F) and night (40-50F). Wore my underharmour and summer coat (don't have winter riding coat) and it help a lil bit but afterwards my @ss was freezing on rt 80 because of the winds, felt like 20-30F! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 another thing I do since garage floor is concrete and gets pretty cold in the winter,I use card board under tyres.What effect does cold concrete have on tires? (Or tyres, that's is ) Beats me... I usually just fill up the tires to max pressure listed on the sidewalls (40-60psi) and let the bike sit in the garage on the concrete floor. Never had any issues. In the spring I readjust the pressure to proper levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Do any of you actually follow the recommendations in the manual that says to pull the spark plugs, add some oil in the holes, and crank the engine (with plugs out) to lubricate the cylinders? Never did it in the 4 years I owned my Honda Shadow, just put fuel stabilizer and battery tender on that bike. I've never had to do it just for the winter and all my bikes started up just fine in the spring. I did do a trade with a guy a couple years ago and received 98 Chevy S10 that had sat for 5 yrs. The truck was in amazing shape for having sat for so long and only 68k miles on it (a great deal for me) but I didn't take any chances and took all the plugs out and used some Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder and let it sit for at least 24 hours before I cranked it over. It fired right up without even a tiny puff of smoke, amazing! Ran like a top, too! [attachment id=1003" thumbnail="1] Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I wear a 3/4 jacket with the water liner installed - stopping the wind knifing thru is the key. I wear winter weight bicycle top and bottoms as a base, and then a pull-over active-wear sweater-like thing with FULL turtleneck. I might add another Performance neck tube if it's really bad. I wear MC overpants no matter the weather and in winter I have "waterproof" ones with the insulator inside. Core heat isn't really the problem for me, it's the hands that limit my time out. I haven't been all that happy with the glove selection to date, even double-gloving hasn't been useful. Go for Lobster style. 45min to 1hr tops at sub-30 ranges. But I have noticed that if you use hippo-hands or have hand guards with really good coverage that can add 30 minutes. I used to use electrical vest and gloves and on a naked bike they are fantastic. But if the power fails, you're in BIG trouble and fast. So make sure you stay within the charging capacity of your alternator and don't run into traffic where you can't keep your RPMs above 5000. I was coming home and got into a snarl with blustery wind driven snow and was happy as a clam until my lights dimmed and motor started misbehaving. Basically drained the battery and had to yank the vest and dive into Tyson's mall to re-heat myself and wait the traffic out a bit, took a couple tries to bump start the CB750, and then rode home with everything turned to minimums and kept the engine racing. One late October I rode from St.Saut Marie to Boston along the Canadian Interstate. All I had was my summer weight gloves, perforated, heavy leather jacket, and thankfully non-perf JR overpants. I had started out in DC and being naive hadn't realized Canada can get cold that time of year. Riding around Michigan had been great so I was unprepared. I wore everything that would fit under my jacket (rain suit being key) and literally rode alternating each hand on the exposed engine block. In fog and drizzle listening for the roar of a diesel truck coming up and flattening me in the low visibility. I had Hot Cocoa or Soup every 50 miles or so as each Bob Hortons came into view. The looks I got from the locals and the unending stream of Chinese and Japanese tourists piling out of their busses bundled up like it was Siberia clearly indicated they had never seen anyone so bleeping stupid. Best comment I got riding in the cold (9F) was at a dealership in Racine WI. "What kind of snow-mobile you got?" I pointed outside and said, "you see any snow"? I had my Gerbings running on full and I was still losing body heat at a dangerous rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShiftHer Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 For those who ride during cold temps, what kind of jacket do you wear or what kind of layer helps you stay warm for top and bottom body parts? Here in NJ its been getting really chilly in the morning (40F) and night (40-50F). Wore my underharmour and summer coat (don't have winter riding coat) and it help a lil bit but afterwards my @ss was freezing on rt 80 because of the winds, felt like 20-30F! Depends where I'm going and how long my ride will be. I'll link my specific gear below. In the 50s on my very quick work commute (10-15 minutes)... Lower body: [ul type=disc][*]Work clothes (business casual)[*]Riding Pants (waterproof), no liner[*]Socks (over the calf) (usually bring a pair of dress socks with and I leave shoes at the office)[*]Riding Boots (waterproof) [/ul][div]Upper body: [/div][ul type=disc][*]Work clothes (business casual)[*]Riding Jacket (water-resistant) with insulated vest liner[*]Leather gauntlet gloves with thin fleece lining [*]Helmet [/ul] If I'm riding farther and not to work in the 40s-50s, then I just start layering... Lower body: [ul type=disc][*]Thermal underwear[*][span] [/span]Normal jeans with some stretch (more comfortable bending knees)[*][span] [/span]Riding pants (waterproof), no liner[*]-OR- [*][span] [/span]Kevlar jeans over thermals, no riding pants[*]- OR -[*][span] Riding pants with insulated liner[/span] [*][span style=background-color:transparent]Socks (over the calf)[/span] [*]Riding boots (waterproof)[/ul]Upper body: [ul type=disc][*]Thermal shirt, thin or thick sweater, fleece vest[*]Riding Jacket with insulated vest liner[*]Glove liners[*]Leather gauntlet gloves with thin fleece lining [*]Neck bandana OR Buff head/neck sleeve (balaclavas don't work well with my glasses) [*]Helmet[/ul] Sometimes I put those warming packets in my pockets. I also ride slower to lessen the wind chill, and/or take routes that keep me on roads with slower speed limits (like ~45 mph). I don't do interstate under 50 degrees because it's just too cold for me. I would need heated gear and a tall windscreen, neither of which I have. Essentially, just layer up underneath and make sure you're wearing wind-resistant/water-resistant outer layers. Biggest thing is keeping your hands warm. Cold hands = less control. Find me at ShiftHer.com & My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineappleunderthesea Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 For those who ride during cold temps, what kind of jacket do you wear or what kind of layer helps you stay warm for top and bottom body parts? Here in NJ its been getting really chilly in the morning (40F) and night (40-50F). Wore my underharmour and summer coat (don't have winter riding coat) and it help a lil bit but afterwards my @ss was freezing on rt 80 because of the winds, felt like 20-30F! You need to buy a heavier jacket with a liner. Or wear a soft-shell jacket (outer layer will stop the wind) underneath your summer jacket, not anything fleecy since the wind will go through that. Wearing a neck gaiter also helps stop wind from going down your neck. I had bought a cheap-ish heavier jacket with an insulated liner from leatherup years ago (the X-element brand), does the trick when it's 40F outside. Now I'm eyeing a Fly Terra Trek 4 jacket (I like all the pockets), apparently it also does the trick in 40F weather. Anything colder than that you have to spend a lot more money to get a jacket that does winter temperatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamalv Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 @pattonme Thats good stuff !! I ride a vstrom with adjustable windshield during winters in DC. On a naked, it will probably not be a pleasant effort. Key is, decent windscreen and hand guards to cut down the wind. Good textile jackets all with thininsulate + water proof lining(going off memory here about the actual material). I find them to be really waterproof even in the heaviest of downpours and exposed for about an hour plus. I bought alpine stars pants with similar specs but those get wet in your crotch area lol after about 20 mins. Not too bad, but enough to make you uncomfortable when you get off the bike an hour or two later. For winter, I add in patagonia capiline 3 baselayers for legs and upper body. Then simply pants and shirt plus jacket and motorcycle pants keeps the body very cozy for about 2 hrs of interstate riding at quite low temps. BUT..heated grips and heated gloves! I used Volt Titan battery operated gloves last winter and found them quite good for two plus hours of riding provided you have hand guards and heated grips for very very low temps. And they seem to be working going into this winter as well. So will see if they crap out at any point. So far so good. Feet are my only problem. I use 'darn tough socks' winter material socks which I really like. Plus gortex boots which come up till the calfs. But, the feet still get cold after an hour. Then I basically lose feeling . I prefer not to plug into the bike for various reasons, mostly because of my absent mindedness, and so will see if there are any convenient battery operated socks which are robust and convenient. But then, thats a lot of damn batteries to charge every night /sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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