Moderator Cynic Posted March 2, 2017 Moderator Share Posted March 2, 2017 More bikes are on the road, (not mine yet still needs an oil change) and the forum is awash with questions from the great unwashed. Start your engines tit Monday is coming.... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhat250 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Yip Jason, its blue skys here, [ warm sun cold air, ] but were out this sunday, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Variomatic Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Starting to see more bikes about at last, I was getting lonely all on my own out there in the winter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I had a run out last week, only about 30 miles but it was nice to get out. Yup roll on tit Monday..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1949 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Last few Saturdays whilst doing approx 180 mile round trips in atrociously bad weather didn't see any other bikes, but, when out with the missus in her Fiesta on a nice bright day it seemed that all the "dry bikers" were out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 I'm a dry biker (sue me!) saw a guy yesterday on the M4 and it was pissing down with rain and there was fog from the water being chucked up he looked like a wet rag, I would have traded places with him in an instant rather than sit in traffic but had to take my Mum shopping so needed the car 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Cynic Posted March 4, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted March 4, 2017 Haha, I wouldn't. That's why I have a car. My bikes are more expensive to run than my car, they are all older statesmen in the scheme of things and riding them in the pissing rain and cold. Been there done that. Have done 7 winters all told and that was plenty with 2 wheels as my only transport. Fun times where the visor iced shut, or the carbs open (always fun), you and everything else coverd in black slime, never really knowing if the shine ahead is water, ice or diesel. Nah, save the odd winter sun they go on holiday from October to end of Feb. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 As above I spent a number of years with my bike as sole form of transport (most of which I did have a car licence but chose not to use it). The last 4 years of using it, I was travelling 53miles each way to work and going over some remote roads. My last trip I went to work for nightshifts and it started snowing around 1900hrs and was still snowing at 0700hrs the next morning. Took me 3 and a 1/2 hrs to get home and I pushed the bike into the garage, phoned my work and arranged that night off then went and bought a car. That was my breaking point. Now I put my bikes away round about Oct/Nov and I went for my first ride of this year last week. I will not willingly start a journey if there is more than a 40% chance of rain, so up here thats quite a proportion of the time. During this winter I actually thought about selling my bikes as I felt I don't use them anywhere near enough, however when I went out last week I came home delighted and the wifes first question "still selling then?" Anyway to sum up my thoughts. If I lived in a country with dry climate I would be on the bike all year round, but as I don't I just doff my cap to those who do (for whatever reason) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bippo Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 I don't have much riding experience, but I too have done winter on a bike - with my YBR 125 and Tiger 800 I used to cross the Pennines each day for work (100 miles daily). That was fun at times... But my most suffering bike was the ill-equipped (for winter riding) Street Triple which was clocking up 600 miles of commuting distance a week. Anyway I realise now I've picked up the F800GT just how much a little bit a fairing drastically improves the long distance riding experience! Today I've done about 200 miles to get me back into the swing of 10 months without a bike and was loving the fact I didn't have to think about holding my head in place on fast roads, or that fact that when it rained I didn't get soaked, etc. However as with Cynic and Jimmy - I don't think I'll be going through the 2-wheeled winter motions again unless I absolutely need too. Why I did it before I don't really know as I've always had access to my own car... Perhaps it was just youthful enthusiasm at the thought of being on 2 wheels?! For example this weekend I was looking at camping with my bike but when I looked at the weather forecast I decided against it, even though it's only a bit of rain... I tip my hat to the folks who do ride through winter (through choice like me, or through no other option). However equally I can't blame those who buy the bike of their dreams and wish to treat it well by bringing it out on only the nicest of days. At the end of the day, like me my bike is a hobby and the car is just a given 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Cynic Posted March 4, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted March 4, 2017 Struth Bippo, that photo makes me shiver just looking at it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bippo Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Makes me shiver too... That was at the top of Woodhead Pass (A628) and the beginning of a jaunt down to London on our glorious M1... I had just been round Airheads house as he helped me fit handlebar risers. In the short ride round to his my jacket had frozen...! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie1 Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Still doing 700 miles a week on mine but that does involve the M40 and M25 every day so a car isn't that practical (in my mind!) Mind you, I did just buy some heated gloves so I'm not that hardcore 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bippo Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 40 minutes ago, Katie1 said: Still doing 700 miles a week on mine but that does involve the M40 and M25 every day so a car isn't that practical (in my mind!) Mind you, I did just buy some heated gloves so I'm not that hardcore Then my hat doff tip to you Katie... (heated gloves or no heated gloves)! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finnerz89 Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Heated gloves are a revelation! Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie1 Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 1 hour ago, finnerz89 said: Heated gloves are a revelation! Tell me about it! It's amazing to still be able to use the controls by the time I get to work I put off buying them for ages (they ain't cheap) but am soooooo glad I gave in! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toutsuite Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 I do ride the cb500 to work all year round, but my commute is only a 10 mile daily round trip (so 50 miles per week) and I work inside the C charge zone, so a car is out of the question. On the very rare occasions it snows in London, I stoop to taking the train. Or arrange to work from home! The draggie on the other hand, being a cruiser with chrome up the wazoo and ridden purely for pleasure, is put away at the end of October and brought out again around March or later, depending on how well-behaved the weather is. Apart from the unpleasantness of riding in the bitter cold and wet of winter, the salt on the roads would be enough to eventually dissolve the bike from the bottom up! And I've finally got round to buying a shed for the bikes, so they don't just sit under a cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchFJ1200 Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 On 3/4/2017 at 11:06 AM, slice said: I'm a dry biker (sue me!) saw a guy yesterday on the M4 and it was pissing down with rain and there was fog from the water being chucked up he looked like a wet rag + 1 mate. Kernow is lethal enuf on a dry sunny day so while it's still bucketing down and blowing dogs of chains here the FJ is staying snugly under her cover in the garage, thank you very much. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacha Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 No riding here. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wild foamy Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 TIT MONDAY! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarke Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 That road looks fine Sacha... I ride all year round but recognised my age a few years ago and bought a heated jacket, then fitted heated grips. The winters haven't been too bad recently, the worst was when I had my FZS600 Fazer and my road was sheet ice. Trying to cross a junction a group of lads (c.10yr old) stopped and pointed at me chanting "he's gonna drop it!" Little gits. Then had to dig the snow off the drive to get it in the garage. I've also noticed Suzuki's have crap electrics that aren't waterproof so corrode like a bastard. May well have to return to mother Yammy... Lots of bikes out now, half of them thinking my commuting route is a race track. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts