Advice for cold weather

[escapefjrtist]

Heated grips, jacket and some Hippo Hands and I'm good down into the teens. On my previous "old" '09, the PO had installed the Cycra hand shields that Niehart referenced. I found them to do amazingly well at blocking wind and additionally, they kept the Hippo Hands off the levers.

Working on a Hippo Hand solution for my '15 as the Cycra shields won't mount on it the same way. I'll have sumptin figgered out before winter hits the PNW...

--G

 

[graler]

Heated jacket - heated gloves here. I have heated grips which are also nice because they are always there (Oxford adventure grips). My favorite time to ride in Texas is November thru April.

 

[Uncle Hud]

gixxerjasen posted: First, keep your core warm. Doesn't matter if that's from layers or added heat, this is the first step. Riding a bike is like any other cold weather activity and keeping your core warm is critical. <snipped>

Ding, Ding, Ding!

The quoted philosophy applies to all outdoor activities: keep your core warm via layers, electric gear, chemical warming pouches, another person, or something else -- otherwise hypothermia creeps in.

Next thing is to protect your primary thermal radiating areas: your head, your hands, and your feet.

Moto-boots and a helmet work just fine, especially with wool socks and a technical fabric balaclava. A biker's hands are terribly exposed, however, and also subject to wind chill factors equal to (or greater than) your travel speed. I have not found gloves that keep my hands warm below 30F, and wonder why nobody's selling Hippo Hands or a similar product. Seems like a windproof/waterproof outer layer with a Thinsulate inner layer would be just the ticket, especially when worn over heated grips.

 

[BigOgre]

Heated Gear. I used to ride in really cold weather with layers. I can't tell you how much more comfortable you are to not dress like the michelin man to ride. A single tight long-sleeve shirt, followed by the heated liner, followed by a good long outer shell. That with my heated grips and some decent gloves, I can ride in any weather until the ice is on the road. For really long cold blasts on the slab I'll add a neck gaitor. While you CAN ride in the cold w/o heated gear, it's just way more pleasant with it. I use the Tourmaster Synergy heated liner and couldn't be more happy with it. Same price as a set of tires.
Another benefit--you save a LOT of space packing by leaving all of those layers behind. If my liner ever fails on the road, my plan would be to stop at the first place that sells clothes and buy the layers to get me home without hypothermia....

https://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/heated_gear/upper_body/tour_master/synergy_2_0_heated_jacket_liner.html?gclid=COfK7LjS08cCFUWRfgodQZUGkQ

+1^ Not being all layered up and having freedom of movement makes the ride that much better. It's also nice not having to decide what or what not to layer up with. With heated jacket and gloves it's almost always the same no matter what the temp.

 

[gixxerjasen]

The quoted philosophy applies to all outdoor activities: keep your core warm via another person

And....now I need a larger roadcrafter.

 

[smithpa68]

It doesn't usually get all that cold in GA. Last winter it did get darn cold. Down in the 20s for quite a bit. I have found a few tips. As said above keep the core warm by fixing those air leaks into your jacket. Keep the colder moving air from ruining your warmer air in your jacket. I would love some handguards to block the wind but my Rifle windshield is too wide. That said.. I LOVE that windshield in the winter. It makes a big difference to have a nice calm pocket to ride in.

I also use the chemical toe warmers. If it is below 45 and interstate speeds, this helps until the day warms up some. On back roads, it helps down to about 30. One tip is don't rush the activation. Give them 30 minutes to warm up. 15 isn't enough.

https://www.amazon.com/HotHands-Toe-Warmers-40-pairs/dp/B0007ZF4PE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441072054&sr=8-1&keywords=toe+warmers&pebp=1441072067889&perid=1S8MQS8QF371F437ZVF4

This year I am wired for electrics. So... in the end, interstate speeds for any amount of time is tough without them. Backroads and frequent stops for hot chocolate can get you through below 40 degrees. But interstate is a different story. Even high end HELD winter gloves are not enough for interstate speeds below 45 for a long period of time. For me at least.

I also admit that I love the "your are nuts to ride in this temperature" looks we get. Fun isn't it?

 

[DHS1981]

Gerbing's heated gloves and jacket liner, with waterproof riding jacket. My base layer shirt is often a cotton turtle neck, or LD Comfort gear. Long johns or LD under jeans, with outer riding pants. Wool hiking socks with the disposable toe warmers that you use when skiing, and good waterproof riding boots. This kit has kept me riding all winter for years, down to about 25 degrees (F).

 

[Big Sky]

Here in Montana when it gets "cold" (minus 20, 30, 40) we recommend a hot buttered rum, a loaded wood stove and some college or pro football on the flat-screen.

 

[SacramentoMike]

I like my Lee Parks Designs "DeerTours" very much, but they're not really a winter glove, short and single layer. Still, with heated grips, my hands are very seldom cold at all, and I appreciate the sensitivity a thinner gloves gives me, unlike bulky winter gloves. But my gloves offer absolutely no rain resistance. I've tried the very awkward Aerostich rubber covers (basicially an oversized dishwashing glove, in a pukey green color), but hard to get on over leather gloves, especially if they're already damp.

I've thought about Hippo Hands, but wasn't sure about them. Looks, for one thing. And couldn't find them on line (I understand they stopped selling them for a while, but may have begun again). There are other, similar things out there too, but I wasn't sure how they'd measure up, plus I like to see and hold things before I buy.

Then I found that the local "California Scientific" (CalSci), maker of fine windscreens, has their own "handlebar mitts" on their website. Since I can ride over there in five minutes, I did, and bought a set. Very sturdy, heavy nylon and fleece-lined, very easy off/on (nice feature when--as usual--they're not needed), and reasonably priced at $30.

I found you can mount them over V-Strom handguards if needed (I haven't tested them out at speed to see if the wind deforms them and interferes with the levers, a criticism I've read of Hippo Hands. I'll do that soon and edit this post to include that info.) They also make getting to the horn and starter buttons a bit more tricky. They have a steel piece at the hand opening that bends to hold them open so you can take your hand away and easily re-grab the grip. When you take the mitts off the bike, you can bend the opening closed again for flat storage. Looks like I'll be good with my deerskin gloves all the time now.

 

[CrabbyJack]

Walmart #551782808, $29. Can't get much simpler than that. Not that I'd go there, though.

 

[rszk]

Lots of great replies. I prefer a mix of old tech(thin layers) and new tech with heated grips, jackets. Did a 5 hour day on the KLR in this stuff a couple of years ago. Got to do this to get those riding miles in, here in the Great White North. Pavement, to gravel, to snowladen roads:

Still had to stop for warm soup and tea as well!

 

[gixxerjasen]

From the looks of that road, clearly those bikes were wheeled very carefully into the position for the picture. I wanna know what both you and the bikes looked like after the ride...and more importantly, what the guy riding in the back looked like.

 

[Niehart]

And this is why Curly Joe never lets me lead any more.

And yes it does snow in the Pacific Northwet ...

 

[Pterodactyl]

From the looks of that road, clearly those bikes were wheeled very carefully into the position for the picture. I wanna know what both you and the bikes looked like after the ride...and more importantly, what the guy riding in the back looked like.

Don't know thy you would say that. He said he road in it, and a slush and mud mix is very rideable, especially with knobbies.

 

[Teehaml]

And this is why Curly Joe never lets me lead any more.

And yes it does snow in the Pacific Northwet ...

That's crazy...

I like it.

 

[NightShine]

From the looks of that road, clearly those bikes were wheeled very carefully into the position for the picture. I wanna know what both you and the bikes looked like after the ride...and more importantly, what the guy riding in the back looked like.

Don't know thy you would say that. He said he road in it, and a slush and mud mix is very rideable, especially with knobbies.

Yeah, but look how clean the bikes look!

 

[JRF]

Plan is to get a heated jacket,gloves & heat troller from gears Canada, and install a voltmeter on the bike. Thanks for the input guys ill follow up with results.

 

[rszk]

From the looks of that road, clearly those bikes were wheeled very carefully into the position for the picture. I wanna know what both you and the bikes looked like after the ride...and more importantly, what the guy riding in the back looked like.

Don't know thy you would say that. He said he road in it, and a slush and mud mix is very rideable, especially with knobbies.

Yeah, but look how clean the bikes look!

Tough crowd!

That was the beginning of the ride out to my buddy's place.

They got Soo dirty I had to take apart the engine and clean it!

 

[Bill]

Over the years, I've had Widder heated gloves, Original Gerbing's heated gloves, Gerbing's newer heated gloves, and Warm & Safe heated gloves.

Nowadays, I use Warm & Safe heated glove liners with Olympia 3 season gloves. For my hands, the heated lines are warmer than ready-made heated gloves, and I have the freedom to choose whatever brand, style or type of glove that I want to wear over the liners.

 

[jblanken64]

Over the years, I've had Widder heated gloves, Original Gerbing's heated gloves, Gerbing's newer heated gloves, and Warm & Safe heated gloves.
Nowadays, I use Warm & Safe heated glove liners with Olympia 3 season gloves. For my hands, the heated lines are warmer than ready-made heated gloves, and I have the freedom to choose whatever brand, style or type of glove that I want to wear over the liners.

Exactly why I like my liners.