Yesterday's 100 degree ride.

Had to go to Nashville  for annual VA Hosp check up/follow up. I am fine, even blood pressure. I get paid for the mileage

Took Silverwing in the hot temps, bike had no hicups from extreme heat. Maybe slight gas mileage drop. Tires sure felt hot.

I wore wrong helmet=too hot, wore wrong shirt--Aerostich "Rail Road" shirt= too hot. But I believe in keeping long sleeves on.  Of course too hot for jacket---

Things adding to my dislike of the south--- TOO HOT HUMID. I-24, rush hour passing thru Chattanooga, 10 miles in about an hour=poor engineering,no lane spitting here, SilverWing a lttle pain in dense traffic. Lunch at Arby's--poor food and the standard southern feature, dirty bathroom.

Temps really too high for pleasure.

We don' t normally get such high temperatures in the UK. On Tuesday on my weekly ride to the coast it was past 90f. I thought of the people in Florida and other high temp states in the USA. Riding in such temps is not for me, give me some clouds and a comfortable 70f or, even light rain,and that is more to my liking.

John, I feel your pain about the heat in the south.  Man.... I couldn't live down there.  

This Tuesday, I just got back from a 3,500 mile ride through Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and then back home to Washington.  

The temps were often over 100 degrees with 110 in Phoenix the day I left there.  I use these tee shirts called 32 cool and my mesh coat.  You wet the tee shirt and put on the mesh.  When leaving Phoenix, ..... I had never experienced such heat, but at 70 mph and the use of the mesh coat and the 32 cool tees, I was very comfortable.  

Open faced helmet as well, which kept the sun off my head.  
Same heat conditions in Moab, Utah.  105 at 6:00 pm.  Oh, I camped all the way there and back.  13 days on the road.  



This is a picture over my tent in Canyonlands, Utah.

That looks like a Goldwing to me!

Yep, a GL1800 I had one in the same color. As for riding in the heat I find a mesh jacket indispensable. You get good road rash protection while avoiding trapping heat. The wind blows through the jacket but the mesh blocks the sun. Cooler than riding in a tee shirt and a lot safer. I have a water vest that I wear under my mesh in real hot weather (100F+) the jacket slows the evaporation a bit so a goo soak of the vest makes for an hour and a half or more of comfort.
Southern Oregon gets pretty hot in the afternoons, I've seen 110F here more than once. The saving grace is that it usually doesn't get really hot until the afternoon. Nights and mornings are pleasant even in midsummer.

John,
Ever think of moving to a cooler climate? I have not seen many 90+ temps here. I would like to live in Oregon. Maybe in the Portland area. Quality of life is what I am shooting for.

"Of course too hot for jacket" - wrong. I wear a hi viz Fly (brand) mesh jacket and the airflow through it would keep you cooler than wearing a long sleeve shirt. Next time just go with a tee shirt and mesh jacket. You can also get one of those vests that you soak and wear and it's like having a swamp cooler on. I have one and use it when it gets unbearable. Of course this all works better on a bike without the full fairing.

https://www.amazon.com/Hyper-Kewl-Vest-Cool-6529Sil-Xl/dp/B00230MWDI

Mesh jacket---had one, gave it away----okay on ride to work in early morning with liner. For me, not so good when really hot on faired bike---so away it went. My Darien lite, yellow works ok to about 85 degrees F on SilverWing, otherwise long sleeve shirt, real US made LL Bean flannel shirt worked, too. Now I think LL bean shirt made in China. On bike clothes, remember I have been at this, ride in all weathers and everyday.

The 32 Cool tee shirts are designed to be dipped in water and then they cool the body off. Worn under the mesh coat, it is perfect in the very hot weather. Similar to the evaporator vests. I bought them at Costco and they work great.

Old Limey wrote:

That looks like a Goldwing to me!

That would be my 2002 1800 ABS model.

The OP brought up heat in the south, and that is where that motorcycle was just this last week so I thought I would share my experience dealing with the heat.

I hate the heat.

Modernman1953 wrote:

The 32 Cool tee shirts are designed to be dipped in water and  then they cool the body off.  Worn under the mesh coat, it is perfect in the very hot weather.   Similar to the evaporator vests.  I bought them at Costco and they work great.

Do the tee shirts work well in humid climates? I would think it would add to the sticky muggy feeling. I don't ride far so I would arrive wet.

Easyrider wrote:

Modernman1953 wrote:

The 32 Cool tee shirts are designed to be dipped in water and  then they cool the body off.  Worn under the mesh coat, it is perfect in the very hot weather.   Similar to the evaporator vests.  I bought them at Costco and they work great.

Do the tee shirts work well in humid climates? I would think it would add to the sticky muggy feeling. I don't ride far so I would arrive wet.

I was in hot dry weather and they worked great. I did read the information sheets that came with them and they speak of wicking away moisture from the body to assist in natural cooling.

Here is the Amazon page about them:

https://www.amazon.com/32-Degrees-Weatherproof%C2%AE-Anti-odor-Large/dp/B00UCC1F4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469159938&sr=8-1&keywords=32+cool+t+shirts

Easyrider wrote:

John,
Ever think of moving to a cooler climate? I have not seen many 90+ temps here. I would like to live in Oregon. Maybe in the Portland area. Quality of life is what I am shooting for.

If one is looking for quality of life in Oregon, it's best in the South. Medford/Jacksonville/Ashland all close together with just about anything one could ask for. There is a surprisingly large amount of theaters, film and plays, the Shakespeare Festival and the Britt is well known and draws many here. Mild climate all three towns are nestled at the edge of the mountains in the Rogue valley. The old pear orchards are disappearing rapidly being replaced with vineyards and wineries. Good fishing on the river, rafting, etc. Medford is large enough to have everything one needs while Ashland and Jacksonville offer historic buildings, theater, and a lot of artistic events and such. Far superior to Portland area.

I was thinking of maybe Tigard Oregon.

I will move to Ironwood Michigan----real estate still cheap----cold, you can ski----compared to my expense of living in Chattanooga, will have plenty of money left over to go south for sometime in winter. Food better, different kind of people, they even use turn signals.

Mid nineties this afternoon. Not all that bad on my scooter wearing my mesh jacket. It only felt hot when I had to stop. Going to breakfast this morning at Rogue River with riders from Medford and Grants Pass was pleasant in the low sixties. Last night it was 55F at midnight. Good for sleeping. The heat really doesn't come on around here until late afternoon.