How cold will you ride?

[n-trude]

I just don't ride much below 50 if I have a choice. After OCT.

On another forum a guy was mad his bike would not start.
He is near Boston, and he said it was 16*.
He was going to ride somewhere.
So he put it on the charger..

[SuzyRidr2]

Fifties. We get unseasonably warm days in the fifties and sometimes even sixties every month during the winter, so I just never ride in temperatures lower than fifties simply because I don't have to. I've been known to brave thirties when I needed to get my motorcycle inspected (which is due in Feb) or tires put on or something like that, but that would be a very rare thing indeed.

[old time rider]

Four degrees for 50 miles is longest with no elc. gear for me.Rode lots teens.Sat. rode 20 miles at 14 degrees to meet other old coots.Have not put my elc. hook up back on yet and would have felt good since at 70 have started taking BP meds and get cold easy now .

[SuzyRidr2]

[Suzuki Johnny]

We ( HOG Group ) rode 228 miles yesterday.. took the coast road to go and dine at our favorite seafood restaurant in Abbeville, La... with one stop at 52 miles.
When we departed it was a cool 30 degrees but by the time we hit the coast it was a balmy 39 degrees.....it reached a high of 53* by 3 pm.
We have our annual Polar Bear Ride in either January or February depending on when or if it gets below 20 degrees on any given Saturday...
Last years ride was a disappointment for all...low only reached 29*

[VRH]

I can't start my VS1400 below 40F. My VS1500 will start and I have been out as cold as 27F ... bundled up like I was going skiing in a blizzard. If the roads are clear, the sun is out and the bike starts, I will ride for a couple of hours.

[Suzuki Johnny]

I can't start my VS1400 below 40F. My VS1500 will start and I have been out as cold as 27F ... bundled up like I was going skiing in a blizzard. If the roads are clear, the sun is out and the bike starts, I will ride for a couple of hours.

I had the same problem with my 2002 1400 except it was around 32* when it would tighten up like a green persimmon ..I'd have to stop trying to crank it when the battery started gettin low....she was kept on a battery tender all the time and that helped a bit ..but that stubborn Suzuki just wouldn't fire up. Several folks who owned a 1400 told me they had similar problems with theirs.....

[scootermcq]

If the roads are clear I am riding. I share the car with my bride during the snow period, so it's not like I'm a hero or bad ass... It is out of necessity. I can only afford 2 vehicles and I would rather put up with sharing the car for 3 months and some cold riding in the fall and spring vs not having a bike period.

I put her to bed on Saturday. We got about a foot of snow yesterday. I doubt I will be out now before March

It is not uncommon for me to ride in negative temperatures, I also have a heated vest & heated gloves which make a world of difference.

Back in the 80's I rode year round if the roads were clear, but the salt is really hard on the bikes....

2016-11-03_09-31-10 by Scott McQ, on Flickr

That was Feb 1988.... damn near killed me. I went to visit my folks. About 100 miles, jeans no chaps, work gloves without insulation no windshield etc. It was about -12C or 10.4F

[scootermcq]

This was taken on April 17th this year. My son & I did about 500 miles that day. When we left it was about 4 degrees or 39F. You can see the ice is still on the lake behind me.

It warmed up nicely though the day but dropped back down to around 4/39 by the time we got home.





Normally we would not have gone for our longish run until Father's Day, but he left for the Army 2 weeks later. We would rather suck up some cold than not ride

[old time rider]

Roadsalt has turned the cases of lots of my bikes a shade darker under and will not wash off.Have not tried a polish wheel.On my 01 Nomad I had extra warranty and Kaw gave me two new front fenders that road salt runied. They have a inner fender in front and lots of spot wields to it.They are a heaver bike than a regular 1500 vulcan. Salt would get in the wield and make it give enough that a sink place like the real old japan pick up trucks looked like on bed sides.Then the paint would come off that spot.Kaw told my dealer to under coat the second one and three coats under it.Saw it three years after I sold it and still ok.I put over 82,000 in a little less than four years on it but new owner had only put 2,000 more in three years last I saw it.
My 04 1700 RoadStar has four of the salt dimples on its rear fender now.My 1400 had a wire go bad to the stator they blamed on road salt.I never plan to ride any of my wire wheel bikes in it.When working at the shop a few hours a week we got a five year old 360 Honda to clean carbs on.It was so rusty! Owner had moved from FL..He told us lots look like that when owners like him are close to the ocean and just the air will rust them fast if not really in to the clean and wax often.Plus it was never covered or inside.

[VRH]

I know what you mean about salt air. People who live by the Jersey Shore have the same problem ... everything will rust very quick due to the salty spray in the air.

[NE_FL]

If it's below 45 degrees I won't work on my car or ride the bike. I figure, why suffer when you're supposed to be having fun?

[Herb]

If it's below 45 degrees I won't work on my car or ride the bike. I figure, why suffer when you're supposed to be having fun?

[emoji106]

I ride in low temps, when I have no choice, but not for fun.

I have got caught out in temps down to 15, in snow, and the worst was a freezing rain.

[HARRIS]

THE WEATHER IS NEVER A PROBLEM .... JUST CRANK UP THE HEATER.

THAT'S WHAT 4 WHEELS ARE FOR

[old time rider]

32 now so ride to Danville in a short while should be OK as roads dry.Yesterdays ride to the bank was 39 so the big dip in temps after today will not feel good.Last few weeks up and down.14 lowest in last few days for ride.

[PCC]

I rode at 14° once to keep my appt for new tire install on a Feb. Morning.
I have ridden in the 40's but prefer it to be at least in 50's.

[Suzuki Johnny]

The cold really hasn't bothered me that much compared to riding in the rain............
We left home in a downpour one year on a long distance ride...will never do that again, stayed wet the whole first day on the road..miserable and soaked to the bone
.......I may get caught out on the road in a rain storm but I will never again leave home while it's raining

[jonnycando]

I have a heated garage, so I can go out and tinker anytime with my bikes...but riding? Not below 50 if I can get avoid it.

[old time rider]

Same as Sat.14 but did take seats off C50 and hook elc plug in to it for first time.So if it starts in about ten minutes will head out with heat That is if it starts? No way my old 1400 would have.Suzuki rep gave up on it after repeated trys.They never got it to start below 30 if in a unheated place all night.

[old time rider]

Heat did feel good going.With no wind block at hand part behind shield had to put hands as Sat..Lay gloved hands on part of bar behind shield and lock gas on when on open four lane.Heated gloves not near as thick as mittens.On return ride did not use heated ones and dug thick mittens out of saddle bag.Nice sun but high of only 20 called for.