[Desi Bike]

If the roads are clear, I ride year round. For years I lived in Ottawa Ontario where the winters get down to -30 Celsius
Dress warm, but make sure you can still move around as you don't want to restrict your movement with bulky clothing. Remember that the faster you ride, the more cool air will get into your clothing.
I have a pair of insulated coveralls that I wear when the temps get down below the single numbers on the 'f' scale.
The bike runs very well with the cooler denser air in the winter.
Road salt is another issue to think about in winter riding. Oddly enough I'm not going to mention the corrosion aspect of the salt first as a year round rider where its best described as "holy f.... its cold". Its the chipping of the paint finish that can happen if one gets peened by a passing salt truck or flung up from other vehicles.

Pay attention to keeping the bike dry... very dry to avoid a majority of the affects of the salt. My bike lives in the garage, unheated. I do not get the bike wet or allow it to get condensation on the outside, as this will allow the salt to penetrate into all the inaccessible places. If the temperatures rise to get closer to the 32f or 0 in the international standard C, I would get the hose out and wash the salt off. Salt needs moisture to work, so I keep the bike cold and dry. Your own area may be different in moisture levels, where I lived before its a dry cold. (ya ya... I hear the echoes of the Arizona people saying its a "dry heat"... but it works both ways.)

Keep the fuel tank near full. After your ride of the day is over, the warmth of the engine below will heat up the fuel and condense the moisture out of the fuel with the use of the free air space in your tank and bugger your next ride up.

Never had a problem starting up in the mornings, haven't used the thumb switches either. Don't know how use the choke thingy on the left handle. One swing of the kick and it fires right up. By the time the fool that sits on the seat is geared up, its ready to ride. I am gentle for the first few miles as this is when any spark plug likes to foul up. Once the engine and spark plug is nice and toasty roasty I let it rip.

Bare in mind that tires will be very hard and not responsive to high traction demands. The compound of pretty much any available tires will not be up to task to peg dragging cornering.

The choice its yours to ride in the cooler temperatures. The roads are nice and free from those UAM motorbikes and their corporate clad leather outfitted riders.

Oh, and I stick to the regular oil change schedule and viscosity year round

[ByTheLake]

Nice to learn of another winter rider.  I'm in northern Michigan, and while most of my bikes take a nap during winter, my '72 Honda CB175 gets switched to 5W-30 for the cold season.  I only ride if the pavement (or dirt roads, which are more common where I live) are free of snow.

I agree that proper clothing is key when the temps are super-cold - the wind chill factor at 65 MPH is hazardous.  Your comment about hard tires is absolutely true.  No fast cornering in the winter.

My winter rides are relatively short - maybe a trip into town for a hot breakfast, or a 10 mile jaunt to visit family.

Thanks for the post, and stay warm and safe.

[ROVERMAN]

Welcome to the forum ByTheLake. I will assume by your handle you are located up north, er,by the lake. . I don't do winter riding, too soft i guess  . Let me know if you come downstate to check out Detroit Iron Cycles. Ride safe and watch for bears.
Roverman.

[High On Octane]

I lived in Wisconsin for the first 32 years of my life.  Now I live in Denver and when people see me riding my bike in 15*F weather, they look at me like I'm insane!  Not to discredit my sanity, or lack there of.  LOL  Yep.  As long as there isn't snow on the pavement, I have no problem riding in the winter regardless of temp.

Scottie

[AussieDave]

Wow! And I thought I was real riding thru Melbourne winter- you guys are hard core! Great advice for winter riding Desi, very thorough assessment .

[REpozer]

For me, if it gets below 32f or 0c , because of the air moisture, Have to watch out for black ice ( almost invisible ) .
Other wise ride till you can't stand it.

[ByTheLake]

Welcome to the forum ByTheLake. I will assume by your handle you are located up north, er,by the lake. . I don't do winter riding, too soft i guess  . Let me know if you come downstate to check out Detroit Iron Cycles. Ride safe and watch for bears.
Roverman.

Roverman, I am down-state 4 days per week for work, then back home otherwise.  I'd like to check out the dealer some time, sounds like fun.

It's the darned deer and turkeys that tend to get in my way on the motorbikes - no bears yet.

[Craig McClure]

Getting old is sad. I rode to work for about 10 years daily on my 1972 Triumph tiger, Or my Dneper sidecar outfit. At the Time I lived in Decatur Georgia, & rode to down town Atlanta rain or shine. It gets cold in North Georgia, though not as bad as up north. At that time I owned a CANVAS AVIAKIT GREATCOAT. It was canvas on the outside, with a layer of PVC, Flannel, then Wool, It was long & strapped around the legs, its high collar came up around my helmet. That with waterproof boots & fur lined Gauntlets afforded some comfort riding in foul weather. Fortunately Atlanta closed down on snow days, but I can remember many rides in Sleet & Flurries. I can honestly say I miss those days, because I was young & felt more alive from the challenge. Now days I still get out in the winter but can only get enthused about nice days.

[ROVERMAN]

I can do the cold but because i leave so early in the morning the combo of dark,fog,and moisture really saps the pleasure. Maybe if i renegotiated my terms of employment? Nevermind, won't happen, along with retirement.That's not on the cards either. .
Robert & The GREen B. Happy winter.

[barenekd]

When I lived in Wyoming many years ago we commonly went riding if it was above 0^oF. We would go out and play in the snow out on the prairie and in the mountains. It was great fun! Even now we will go up the mountains into some pretty chilly air! Not quite as sporting as when I was younger, but will still catch a few ice and snow patches. Just long johns and a good coat are generally sufficient with little heavier gloves and warm boots.
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

If it's near freezing or below I generally don't set out, too much black ice where I live in those temperatures.  If it's above freezing and clear I'll set out.

If the streets and weather are clear on New Year's day I generally set out no matter what the temp to meet a friend for a New Year's Day ride.  One year it was wicked cold.  The ride lasted about 10 minutes and the coffee afterward was 3 hours.

The Firstgear Thermo one piece suit is super warm and very inexpensive.  I've seen reviews of people doing just fine in sub freezing rides with just jeans and a t-shirt underneath.  I tried one on in the shop and started sweating as soon as the zipper was up.

Scott

Scott

[mattsz]

Winter here is problematic - they use so much ice-treatment that the roads are never dry.  If you ride you will get covered with a salty wet mist - or worse, when they spray liquid magnesium chloride.  I've had to replace all of my brake and fuel lines in my car, and I sure don't want that stuff swirling around and settling on every surface of my bike!

[Desi Bike]

That stuff is no fun.
Once the temperature goes down below the affective temperatures for salt to work, they stop using it here. I guess its one of the advantages of living in the frigid areas.

[Roeland]

We don't really get a harsh winter out here; maybe a bit of snow on Table Mountain and a minimum of -2 Celsius. So we keep on biking all year round. Saying this our biggest problem is the south easter - I have seen many that stopped next to the road because of the windy conditions.