Winter blahs

Stumbled onto a website www.dx.com, on the main page is a heading for motorcycle gadgets! Pages of neat things to accessorize Motorcycle and rider! Prices look good. Good way to idle away the winter blahs and dream of the warm days ahead. I like the headset with the Bluetooth handlebar control.....I do have a birthday coming up!

Clicked on the web site. Doe not work.

http://www.dx.com/
Try this one. The motorcycle gadgets is under the Car Accessories heading on the left.

Hi Folks,
It was warm enough recently that I was able to get out on the SWing a couple of days in a row. But I'll still check out the toys ....

hotwings thank you for the link and Dale thank you for the correction.

DickO wrote:

Hi Folks,
It was warm enough recently that I was able to get out on the SWing a couple of days in a row.  But I'll still check out the toys ....

I didn't ride the swing today being it was -12°C, but I did have a short test ride on my brothers 700cc snowmobile. I didn't have a helmet on, only a hat (stupid) so at 120kph it felt like my brain froze. It was like an "ice cream" headache x10 . That is one fast machine. Seemed like the throttle was only half open at 120kph! Tons of fun though, more if i was wearing a helmet .

Beautiful balmy 15c for the last few days so I had to take a ride out in the glorious sunshine each day to stave off the winter blahs!

Chilliwing wrote:

Beautiful balmy 15c for the last few days so I had to take a ride out in the glorious sunshine each day to stave off the winter blahs!

15°C !! Break out the Tshirts and sandals .

It 40 degrees F. today and it was 73 Tuesday but I had extra computer work and couldn't take time for a ride. A few weeks ago on a cloudy 50 degree day I was riding the Burgman 650 and got caught in a "cloudburst" of Biblical proportions on my way home for about 30 soaking miles!

It is supposed to snow tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night!

Sam:)

OUCH, "hotwings"...  I hate it when things get that cold...  Dangerous too, if you're not careful. Closest I ever got was on a Legion/Patriot Guard ride from Topeka up to Atchison, KS, for a murdered policeman's funeral (so 'going' was a "must").  Cloudy, windy, and about 18 degrees F. for about 80 or 90 miles.  Everyone was thouroughly cold soaked by the time we got up there but when we parked beside the local Wal-Mart the manager opened up his side doors and let us in thru the warehouse area.  Very thoughtful on his part... luckily, the day did warm up sufficiently to make it bearable from then on.  Just don't relish the thought of doing it again.

Boy winter is really going to seem like it will never go away for me, I bought my new SW about 3 weeks ago and really itching to ride and put some of my goodies that I have bought on the new wing...Now old man winter is sending Michigan some fresh reminder that he's still in charge and it's not over until the fat lady sings, hurry up and sing already..

Having ridden thru every winter since 1955----bike is transportation for me by choice, lived in some cold wet places...Tacoma, Germany, miserable Wisconsin. So I never put bike/scooter up---- But I find modern day salt, SUV and pick up drivers something to stay away from.

I think one problem many people have....is they do not have adequate cold weather clothes.....over the years I have invested a lot in riding gear and it pays off-----Yesterday dull 30-35 degree F, southern day, felt cold, roads dry.(Joke for northerners) Wanted to go to bike shop in Dalton GA, to buy some fork oil and test new dog in shop atmosphere. Jake, the dog, had new jacket my wife had got him. Rides in Givi E-46 box with hole for head

My keep warm outfit---long underwear and then my Stone Lake leather bibs over that. No jeans. Bibs are on one hand a pain with the straps, but on the other cover your lower back well.

Boots-Aerostich Kombat Lite===ok warm with normal socks and boots stay dry inside for 4-8 hours in scooter use in rain.

Top---usual MC clothes not that warm--so tight tee shirt over LL Bean turtle neck,lined jean shirt---light feather vest and finally my (nearing end of service life) WalMart Feather jacket-- This combo not constricting. No Flap. Wet---add XL 10 yr old Joe Rocket rain jacket-----Helmet, VEGA shielded 3/4 and of course foam ear plugs.

So anyway was comfortable-----Hands always problem after an hour or so----use Ski Gloves from WalMart or KMart lined with Korean or Japanese cotton work gloves----Basic design of bike not help as hands are out in open, will be wiling to try OEM heated grips on next new bike.

Note: my Aerostich Darien not so warm for 30F degree and below for any long distance
My glove combo works for about an hour.

I am not great fan of electric clothes---think failure in the middle of no where, but my SilverWing does have plug I made AND I do have an Aerostich Electric bib=great when water has run down your front and warm feeling keeps you going.Didn't bother with it yesterday.

Jake, the dog meets all tests.

It was -25°C here last night. -15°C here now. John I wished you were here so I could laugh at you "enjoying" your ride from the warmth of my pickup truck . Maybe we could put the swing in the back and show you how comfortable winter travel can be . I think the puppy would enjoy it more as well.

But pickups are not the idea of winter motorcycling.

I went down Hwy 61 to New Orleans Wednesday - didn't go down I-10 - I've done some interstate 70mph+ riding around town but I still need some confidence, especially when 18 wheelers pass me. 1500 miles on my swing when I left - first big bike I've owned.

The BreakAway throttle lock was a bit of a bear to install. The instructions could be better, as could the installer I suppose. This was my first long trip since I installed it. Pricey, but it really works well.

Upper 50s (f) when I left, upper 60s throughout the day. Wore a flannel shirt and jacket with a liner. I added a sweatshirt when it got dark. Comfortable all day.

Visited an old friend in the garden district. He found out an old wild buddy of ours is now living somewhere in the Keys - Key West we think. Now I really want to ride there. And Asheville, NC. And the Ouachita & Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. And..

It's =44 C ,=50C with the wind chill the past two days . I guest it could be worse .

14 degrees here this morning in SW Missouri.

All of our cold weather comes from you Canadians up North and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop sending it down here!

Sam:)

We will stop sending cold whether south,if you send us some heat .We like to share or abundance with or neighbours .

Another 34 days and im out of this God forsaken cold winter! My wife and i are going to the caribbean. Wish it was today, storming with high winds and bitter cold here.

Not to rain on your parade hotwings but in 34 days the weather up there will be so nice and warm you won't want to leave.

At least that's the way my luck runs...

I have a pair of waterproof mittens that seem to work a lot better than gloves to keep my fingers from freezing without electricity. Having all my fingers together seems to keep them much warmer than individual fingers do. I have not tried glove liners inside the mitts. All the controls work fine without individual fingers.

Of course it only solves four fifths of the problem....

Dale N. wrote:

Not to rain on your parade hotwings but in 34 days the weather up there will be so nice and warm you won't want to leave.

At least that's the way my luck runs...

That's true, I've seen March go either way. 4 years ago it went to 27°C in the middle of March but last year we had 10" of fresh snow in April! Either way the warm turquoise water is calling .