Whats the lowest temp you will ride in?

I've done 20deg F but it wasnt fun. My comfort level is upper 30's and up.

Interesting!!!

No idea really, Temps in the UK rarely get as low as 20F.

My limiting factor is Ice!!! If ice is visible or forecast then four wheels it is for me.

My riding gear is geared up for minus temperatures, (deg. C) and I always ensure I wear enough layers for a specific journey. (Nice thing about a maxi scoot is the ability to store extra kit).

The coldest day I rode my Swing last winter was 13 F. That was rather brisk, but manageable. I grew up in Michigan and we used to ride snow machines with temperatures below 0 F. All you need to do is cover all skin and add layers...

i spent six years in north norway so i know about cold and there are two types a dry cold and a wet cold here in the uk its wet and that means ice if i see wet roads at night its ice in the day then its a walk to work i will ride in o but not with ice or black ice , how do you tell well thirty years of rideing helps

Wow, you guys are tough or crazy,,lol.
I have rode many times when its down to the low 50's F. But i think that is the lowest
i would go. I Wear a sweat shirt and a leather jacket over it. I also have electric heated
gloves for the cold days.
Paul

Once early February this year ... temp was 23F... I was layered up ... had on my riding gear that is rated to -40 F or C ... (that is the only temp at which the reading is the same.... just a little side note for you...) started to Pine Bluff meeting all kinds of traffic. I know they all were thinking... "there goes one crazy man." About half way there.. I literally started laughing... I was as cozy as I would have been if I had been at home standing in front of a space heater.

When I started home it had warmed up to 32 F. I had to come out of a couple of layers. Dry cold is something I can dress for. If it is raining or snowing, it is not my cup of tea. Ice on the road is a complete deterrent for me to ride. It never got below the 23 F temperature here, so, I don't know how cold it has to get to stop me from riding. I will post that temp when it happens.

Gary

Hey Gary i went by Rizon the other day and thought of you. What kind of riding suit do you have that is so good because my old one shrank till they are to small and I need another pair. I also use layers and ride as long as there is no ice but I have thought a lot about heated vest. David

This morning on the way to work it was 27F. Piece of cake...

But I am planning on adding heated grips this month when I take her in for the 12,000 mile service.

earlier in July, I think I got it down to 0.5 C. We have had the coldest Sept ever. We are still going to work in 5 C with daytime running out to "20 C plus" Within a few weeks we should return to more pleasant riding weather. By Jan/ Feb I will be looking for an Aircon I think LOL

I agree with the above poster who said around 50 is a good spot.. .LOL
I rode last week and it was high 30's and my fingers were frozen. I sure didn't enjoy that feeling. I have good pants I just got and a good jacket. It was really only my hands that bothered me. I think with the 8k mile tune up I'm going to look into heated grips or a Givi windshield that would help to cover my hands from the wind...

I've ordered Givi handlebar muffs. I had Bagster muffs on my X9 and swore by them since they not only keep hands warm but dry as well.

I'll post a report on the Givis whan I've fitted and used them for a week or so.

MikeO wrote:

I've ordered Givi handlebar muffs. I had Bagster muffs on my X9 and swore by them since they not only keep hands warm but dry as well.

I'll post a report on the Givis whan I've fitted and used them for a week or so.

Heated grips and muffs!!!!!!!!!!!

You planning on cooking toast when riding Mike?

Hedging my bets, Doug.

I rarely used the heated grips and managed with summer gloves all year round.
On the very few occasions it was so wet my gloves got wet i used the grips to dry them......
.....and I do like my gadgets.

Being a car owner I see no reason to make myself miserable. I'll buzz around the neighborhood with the temps in the 40s F., but unless it's over 60 I won't even consider commuting to work on the bike. I live 50 miles from work, and I work up in the mountains in a ski resort town. It's not just the temperature: Even a hint of bad weather can result in icy roads up in the mountains, and I've almost been forced to find an overpriced hotel room a couple of times.

So long as there isn't ice on the road, temperature is not really a factor. I would say -10 but it doesn't get that cold round these parts. It gets down there. 10 above, maybe. but that's about the coldest I've seen in my 6 years in Topeka KS.
From June of '96 to 'January of 98, in Tulsa, I rode a Honda Nighthawk 450 year round. It was my only form of transportation. Used the bus and taxis when there was ice on the roads. Wasn't very often. Rode it in the sunshine, rain and snow. Even hail a couple of times. That wasn't really fun, but with the gear, it wasn't that bad. Just had to layer up and go slow in the snow.

Digressing slightly. Still on two wheels and still weather.

I did ride a push bike in minus 15 deg. C.

Oh - yes it was cold. As a bonus I developed pneumonia, lost a few of my life and had quite a long time of work. As a result of that experience I always ensure I dress for the weather after checking forecasts for the areas I will be transiting.

Dress to survive is the message I suppose.

I ride all year around however the local temperature does not normally go below -10 degrees C

During the winter months I tend not to venture very far from home, which is about 500 Feet above sea level, and will not venture out at all in winter if :-

* It is too much below 0 degrees C

* There is any hint of ice / frost on the road in front of our house

* Temperature is below freezing and road in front of house is damp

* It is snowing and not lying or it looks as if it is going to snow.

* There is snow lying on road

* If weather forecast looks at all dodgy

* Roads have just been salted and or there is too much lying salt on roads already

The older I get I find that I tend not to want to go out as much as I used to do in the cold weather.

I rode in 16 degrees F in January 2010. Got home just before a snowstorm hit. I stupidly decided not to stop to get gas, and then had to use the spare gas in my rotopax (like a gas can) to top up. Cos my gloves are too thick to effectively manipulate the rotopax, I took them off to open the rotopax and my hands just got so cold I could barely move my fingers. What would normally take 3 minutes to do ended up taking me almost 10 agonizing minutes cos my hands were so cold and clumsy I kept dropping stuff. My breath also iced up the entire inside of my visor. It was CRAZY! Next time I ride in those conditions, I'm making darn sure I gas up fully and don't push it like I did this last time.

In 1975/1976 winter I saw the local bank time and temp tell me it was -18F at 7:30 am. I was about a quarter mile from work at the time. I couldn't feel anything in my feet or hands. I still don't know how I managed the last furlong.

Now, at age 72+, I prefer riding temps that approximate my age. I'm not really comfortable below about 65F.

:flower:

It's all about the gear.

I rode around town on Wednesday in the beautiful evening weather looking at car dealers to replace my dead car. I found a deal I couldn't live without so I bought the car and drove it home, leaving the Swing locked up in the dealer's lot.

I grabbed my jacked and keys when I left the house the next day with my wife to pick up the scoot, but I didn't realize the temp was going to drop as much as it did before we got to the lot.

It was only in the 50s, but with nothing but a flimsy jacket I was freezing my balls off. I did have warm gloves stored under the seat for such situations so at least my hands weren't freezing.

I stopped and bought a sweatshirt to wear under the jacket and that made it bearable.

I usually ride for pleasure, and usually only ride in the cold by accident or necessity. Tolerating the cold isn't a "challenge" for me, it just makes me miserable.

I have a lot of respect for people that like driving in the cold and live with just a scooter and no car for backup. But I sure ain't one of them

I haven't read this whole thread, but will jump in with my tuppence, regardless. I commuted on my Helix all winter about 5 years ago. Thirteen miles one way. Even with the best gloves, there were mornings that I arrived at work fearing that my fingers were permanently damaged from the cold. The warming of them was almost painful. The rest of me did OK. This year I will probably ride to work all winter on the Wing, but it is only a two mle run to my current job. The time and distance being a greater factor than the temperature. I expect it will get down to the mid twenties F.

x

Bigbird you are tougher than I am .The coldest that I have ridden is -2
from Roblin to Russel it was that cold in the morning . I have heated grips and my hands still froze . I have ridden a snowmobile at -35 and it was not
cold at all . That is the wost thing on the swing hands .I have tried the handle bar covers and didn't like them . I have put my bike away until March when I go to Texas . How ever if a warm day comes I will get it out and go for a ride . I will give you a call if that happens .

x

I have ridden straight thru for 55 years....some sidecar so ice wasn't factor. But some in WI and MN---some in Tropics, Okinawa.

So I have ridden solo at -20 F(Helix starts at that temp, Suzuki did not)..


Now, older, below 40 degreesF and dark, no go for me. Best cold weather riding is bright sunshine.


Long distance requires professional clothes that are waterproof.

Next bike will have heated grips.

Yesterday I went for ride in TN country, below 40 degrees at start---made mistake, wore my RedWing boots, feet got cold....solution would have been overshoes.

I wore wrong gloves----hands got cold, had warmer ones under seat, but it was warming up so I stuck it out.


Lived in Europe 20 years, can be wet there---sidecar solution is best. I have been to the Elephant mid-winter rally several times, of course sidecar was safest solution, but Vespa solo works pretty good in snow.

And real cold riding is not necessary unless you have to ride to work---then hopefully short distance.


And again for serious winter riders, SALT is the enemy----One winter of everyday riding and your bike is trashed.

Of course slippery is dangerous because of all the idiots on the road.


Riding on fresh snow in closed parking lot, great machine skill training....and spinning donuts fun, too. Honda linked brakes alway lock rear first....so you can stay upright.....front goes, down you go.


John Grinsel

john grinsel wrote:

Of course slippery is dangerous because of all the idiots on the road.

I see this written a lot and I have to agree with it. But I will go further and say that the term "idiot" would include the motorcyclist who is out on slippery roads - at least, in my opinion.

If by slippery, you mean ice, I wholeheartedly agree. After that 1 winter when all I had was a bike, I would never ride in ice unless I had a sidecar attached. Dropped the thing twice in half a block.

As for 1 winter with salt and your bike is trashed, the key is don't go all winter without cleaning it. A dedicated rider takes care of his machinery.

And I have 1st hand experience about the front brake causing you to go down. Never done it myself, but when I was 14, I taught my mom how to ride my Honda CT-70. she gets on a dirt road on the property we owned and what does she do? She pulls the right lever to stop. Down she went. She was only going 5 mph so neither she nor the bike were injured. Just a bit of a sore shoulder on her part. She never did it again, though. She didn't want to ride anymore, but I convinced her that it was like a horse. If you fall off, the best thing to do is get back on and learn from your mistake. She sure did.

Starting to develop into a climatology thread!!!!

Whilst -35deg C is cold. If it is a dry cold then the risk of icing will be far less than say in the UK where the climate is predominantly wet, the same temp would result in severe icing if suffering from our usual Sou-westerlies. If the weather originated in Europe, (Easterly winds,) then the air mass effecting the UK would be dry and less icing.

So by logic, I would ride far more if the weather was drier but unfortunately - it ain't!!!!

In my younger years I used to ride my Yamaha 125 trail bike in -30F fairly often between the Kotzebue, AK FAA station to the Eskimo village about two miles away. On the sea ice which was covered with wind driven snow it wasn't difficult riding. In fact when the temps are that low even the ice isn't too slick exept here it's been wind polished. I kept the bike inside so that I could start it but it ran okay in the cold. I kept it in low range so that the thick oil wouldn't lug the engine down too much. As for my SW I won't ride it when there's ice on the road. I've been dumped off a couple times with motorcycles when I hit black ice on the road and don't wish to repeat the event in my more advanced age. It just takes too long for the hurt to go away now.
This winter I can ride in more comfort. I bought Gerbings heated gloves and jacket liner. It was wonderful a week ago riding over the mountains to Eastern Oregon on my GW. For once in cold weather my hands weren't painful. I just installed a 12V outlet on my SW so I can plug in when riding it in the cold. What a wonderful invention these gloves are far superior to heated grips in keeping your hands comfortable.

I road to Columbus Ohio to a funeral of a good scoot rider it was 13 degrees.F
I would have reconsidered had I checked ahead of time but I just forged ahead bundled and layered. At a Warm Up stop along the way everyone was staring at me. I had my suit on under my riding gear so I had a proper shirt and tie for the ride. The round trip was 60 miles. at the funeral I thought the building was shaking from heavy equipment rolling by. I looked down and it was my numb legs shaking uncontrollably. We had a scooter processional through town then I headed back before the sun began to set.

40 ,thats like your 15 below to you Yankees , and super cold here in South Texas.....

Apparently the temp dropped to about -18 at one point on the way to the Elephant Treffen in Germany when we went a couple of years ago - All I remember is stopping and putting my hands on the engine to warm them up!

30-odd years ago, I rode in temps as low as 10 degrees F. Nowadays, I have a 30-30 rule: under 30 or rain chance over 30% and I drive the cage.

Broke my own rule last week, though; it got down to 23 here in northeast Florida. It's been so dry there wasn't much chance of ice and the 65 degree ride home was worth it.

When I was in college, I had no car, so I rode my motorcycle all year around, probably down to about 10 or 15 degrees F. The only time I would take the bus is when there was snow on the streets.

Now that I'm old, and have a car, I tend not to ride when it's below 40 F.

I used to commute a short route (14 miles 1 way) to work on a Honda VTX routinely in 0-10 Deg weather here in Maryland and would only "truck it" to work if it had been wet out hence the ice thing...
Worst part was the inside of the face shield icing over obscuring the vision.
Now its only a 1 - 3.75 mile commute depending on my route / mood so its bicycle time.

Cheers!

I hate to be cold but I will ride in the 40's and have good gear and heated grips which help. I have a gel seat I can put in the microwave that is good for about an hour. The 30's are really tough, it always seems there is some spot that is getting cold.....

30F here. I just wish I had a pair of heated gloves. Maybe Santa will find a pair amoung his presents, in his sack, this year. I sure hope so.

I don't usually mind the cold when I ride while wearing my Tourmaster jacket along with my "normal" winter clothing under it. I went to Cabellas and got myself a good pair of snow pants and riding gloves (not heated) and my full-face HJC helment do a resonable job together. The trick for not getting cold hands or feet is to make sure that my body core stays warm enough. Living outside Chicago means lots of cold-weather days in the winter but when the salt and ice are gone, I ride. The bike doesn't like to perform as well in the colder weather and I've often wondered if I'm not decreasing the bike's life doing it but I always make sure to get at least two LCD bars on my temp gauge before riding anywhere and I keep it in the garage at home.

When I was much younger, I rode a Yamaha 180 home at 3 in the morning wearing a non-insulated leather jacket when it was probably about 40 outside (ride took about 30 mins but normally would have taken 10-15 if I weren't so bloody cold). My core temp dropped enough that by the time I got home, I was suffering badly from hypothermia in my extremeties especially my legs. I had to jump into the bath tub for a while to slowly raise my temp back to normal levels just so I could go to sleep.

Now, I ride in much colder temps without the negative experiences of my youth by making sure I have the right clothing even if it is a bit of a pain to put it on and take it back off.

There is one part that really annoys me about cold-weather riding though - because I'm legally required to wear corrective lenses and I don't use contacts, cold weather often fogs up my glasses. I have to figure out how I can get a good heated helmet with something that will prevent my glasses from fogging up while I ride. In the past, I've opened up the windscreen just slightly (and temporarily) to keep the lenses clear but that just doesn't work at very low speeds or when I am breathing a little harder. If I had a way to pre-heat the air coming into the helmet, that would fix the problem at all driving speeds. Maybe I'll look into that for next winter... :-) Down to about 40F, it doesn't bother me too much but below that, it gets really annoying.

kbcmdba wrote:

I don't usually mind the cold when I ride while wearing my Tourmaster jacket along with my "normal" winter clothing under it.
...
Maybe I'll look into that for next winter... :-) Down to about 40F, it doesn't bother me too much but below that, it gets really annoying.

OOPS - I forgot to mention that I have ridden in about 10F weather and was reasonably comfortable on my 20 minute ride at that temp but I don't think I'd want to go much lower than that without adding heated gloves and helmet. If I wanted to go way below that, I'd want to change over to a heated suit though I really don't feel the need to given that my main reason for riding is to generally save on gas (apart from the fun of riding). The expense to get all the gear required to ride at temps below 10F would simply wipe out the benefit so it's not likely to happen any time soon.

x

That would be about 55F degrees. I don't much like dressing up like an Apollo astronaut to go riding.

The coldest I have ridden in is 15F. As long as there is no snow or ice on the road, I'm fine with riding. With heated gear, 15F feels like 55 or 60.
If there has been precipitation, I won't go below freezing.