It's that time. Who is putting their bikes away?

[j0hn]

This is my first time facing snow/icy weather but I plan on riding through it, if the weather isn't too severe that is. After my first fall (video below) just the other day - which was completely rider error as you can hear the over-revving just before I came off - I'm having some doubts whether it's possible to ride in these conditions no matter how aware and careful you are. So I'm wondering how many of you ride through the winter time and who puts their bikes away. Would also love to hear some tips

I also bought a can of these Tyre Grip sprays which has great reviews so I'll be trying that out.

The first fall - no damage to the bike, the foot peg and break pedal took most of the impact.

[kenDAWG]

Mine is away now, SORN as of today!!

Come out of the yard yesterday to find myself nearly loosing control on ice I thought its not worth it although when snow is on the ground I think I might have a little blast along the street!!!

It's the black ice man it's mental!!

[slice]

Mine is all tucked away until April, to old (me & the Bike) now to be doing with this cold weather, to those of you that have to ride in this shitty weather you hvae my sincere sympathys. Stay safe and see you in the spring!!

[DirtyDT]

The SV stays out all year and gets ridden.

[Cynic]

The dt runs all year.

As to riding in the conditions. Whats changed. Roads have ice intead of gravel to catch you. Rain is no worse now than in summer, prolly easier cos it washes that layer of slimey shit off that builds up in the winter on the roads. People still drive like dicks.

Just keep em peeled for hazards and be smooooth.

You will of course be in that small group next spring laughing at the wobblers coming out of hibernation.

And not forgetting nothing shuts the power rangers up quicker than a year round motorcyclist

[gizmo666]

as soon as mine is rebuilt(stripped for custom painting)

i'll be back out on it

[kenDAWG]

you all make me feel like a puff!!!

i live in a small country town and when its cold its bad, to a point our car cannot be put on the drive because none of our street gets grited and its full of hills, most cars abandoned on the side of the main road while people walk 20 mins to there houses because they cant get up the street "its a feckin joke" - my girlfriends granny has just slipped over on the ice and broke her hip so she is in the rvi having a hip replacement as i type this....

most of my friends have road legal quads and 4x4's

ken

[Ttaskmaster]

The Dragstar keeps going all the way through (unless the Mrs finds where I hide the key).

[mike1949]

All year round biker. Even in this weather.

I just take my time riding to work (6 miles) and leave early so there isn't much traffic on the roads.

The only weather I wont ride in is severe frost, as in when the road surface is white.

[kenDAWG]

shit the bed!

[mike1949]

In all honestly, the only problem I have is getting out of my street, then I'm on a major road (A4) until I get to about two miles from work where the roads haven't been gritted. Once, I got to within fifty feet of work but had to negotiate a corner so I decided to get off the bike and push it, as soon as I touched the brake the bike just collapsed under me. All it cost me apart from my pride was 60 quid to replace the front indicator and mirror.

[tgsm7]

Id do it if i had an older bike, but right now, i couldnt afford the damages. Im in a village in the middle of no-where, we dont get the luxuries of a gritter and ditch clearers.

[mike1949]

Id do it if i had an older bike, but right now, i couldnt afford the damages. Im in a village in the middle of no-where, we dont get the luxuries of a gritter and ditch clearers.

I totally agree tgsm7(funny name)

Before my current bike I had no problem with my 200 benly, when I got off the main road all I had to do was keep into the curb with my feet on the road like a pair of ski's.

[neversaydie]

All year round, only had half a dozen or so trips to work in the car last winter.

Wont do it in thick fog though

[j0hn]

It's encouraging to know that there are more than a handful of year round riders . I've just been out and did experience a back wheel slide on a hardly used road but I anticipated it and closed the throttle in time. I crap out at roundabouts and try to avoid leaning the bike at all.

mike1949, what's it like riding in the snow? I can't imagine it to be any worse than it would be to ride on icy conditions.

[kenDAWG]

well the rule of thumb is stick to the snow where a car hasnt compacted it into a hard slippy surface which is between the 2 tracks...

ill hit the snow on my dtr no bother but the ice around here is shocking.

just had to throw table salt on my path so i could get my curry delivered!!

[j0hn]

Haha! Maybe some kind of makeshift salt/gravel dispenser on top of your wheels like one of those Scottoiler things might do the trick

[steve 1052cc]

I'd ride all year round but once the temperature drops my XJR refuses to come out from under it's nice warm blanket and garage. Honest it's not me it's the bike

[jimmy]

For the 1st 8yrs of my biking life, I used the bike every day as my only transport, then I started using a car. After about 3-4yrs of car sharing (my daily commute is 105miles round trip) I went back to the bike as I couldn't be arsed travelling with folk. Anyway one January nightshift it started snowing at 1900hrs and it was still snowing at 0700 the next morning when I finished my shift. 52 and a 1/2 miles through deep snow and sub zero temperatures was enough to make me vow never to (knowingly) be in that position again. Hats off to those who still do, but I feel I've done my time

[jimmy]

Wont do it in thick fog though

As I've said in the past, I work on a boat and I can definately state that driving a boat in thick fog is the worst possible situation I have ever been in