I'm enjoying this new to me bike so much that I miss it if I can't ride it to work every day. This morning in southern Ontario the temparture was 4.5 C or 40 F. With my previous bike which had no fairing or even a windshield I wouldn't ride if the morning temp was below 10 C or 50 F. It was just too cold for my long highway stretch. Today it is supposed to warm up in the afternoon so I though I would give it a try. I put the liner back in my mesh jacket, put on a pair of wool socks, found my winter ATV gloves and off I went. Believe it or not I was not cold at all. The full fairing and the motor do a great job of blocking the wind so the ride was very enjoyable, not an endurance test. This was an unually cold morning for this time of year so with that in mind I should be able to continue riding off and on well into October which will be great.
First Cold Ride with the Wing today
- Thread starter Jcol
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Flinx
Well-known member
Nice feeling isn't it?
I rode my wing right up till the first snow fall last year.
Be surprised how many other riders commented that I was crazy because it's much too cold to ride, guess they just don't know what they were missing.
I had to admit that the fairing kept the wind off me and the engine kept my feet and lower legs nice and warm.
I rode my wing right up till the first snow fall last year.
Be surprised how many other riders commented that I was crazy because it's much too cold to ride, guess they just don't know what they were missing.
I had to admit that the fairing kept the wind off me and the engine kept my feet and lower legs nice and warm.
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I ain't all that excited to ride in the cold, but.....I did last winter with temps in the low 50s/hig 40s.
Had to wear a wool-lined denim jacket, a windbreaker, and my big ol heavy leathers. I got some really sweet cold weather gloves, so that's nice. My only issue is with my face freezing! I gotta git me a full-face helmet, dangit! :mrgreen:
Granted, riding in the cold ain't near as sweet as riding in the summertime, but it's ridin, none the less! :good:
Had to wear a wool-lined denim jacket, a windbreaker, and my big ol heavy leathers. I got some really sweet cold weather gloves, so that's nice. My only issue is with my face freezing! I gotta git me a full-face helmet, dangit! :mrgreen:
Granted, riding in the cold ain't near as sweet as riding in the summertime, but it's ridin, none the less! :good:
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My bike is actually cold-blooded (if you will). Temps today in the 60's and that engine just wants to run and run and run!!! It loves these temps!!
It's finally starting to cool off in the mornings here, the wife even rode with me to work today and she says she wants to again tomorrow. The true riding season is just beginning here and everywhere you go if people have a bike they are talking about the first trip out on the road. :rocks: Meh, I ride year round.
~O~
~O~
Bloodbeard
Well-known member
AApple":3ub8x7e8 said:
I just throw "Under Armour ColdGear Facemask Hood" (~ 25 bucks) under my helmet still can hear and have good mobility without the weight of the full face.
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Bloodbeard":s633b7r7 said:
Boy...you said a mouth-full there! :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:
Like this un?
Looks like it would do the trick, but....I need an open mouth type....I WANT folks to be able to see what I'm yellin at them.... :hihihi:
AApple said:I gotta git me a full-face helmet, dangit! :mrgreen:
/quote]
The wife and I went for a ride when it was a little colder last weekend which would have been fine but there was also a real nasty crosswind, almost unsafe to be riding. The fairing was pretty much useless. We used to ride sport bikes and she mentioned that she remembered the full face helmets as being much more comfortabe. After thinking about it for a while I have to agree. In a really strong crosswind you effectively have no fairing and my open face helmet is noisy and tossing my head around like it was connected to a parachute. So I ordered a couple off e-bay.
$100 for both including shipping to Canada.
We'll look pretty dorky, but should be comfy.
At those prices I can afford to keep a couple of full face helmets in the trunk.
Both have Kevlar/fiberglass shells and carry Snell 2005 ratings.
Bloodbeard
Well-known member
AApple":19q9id1r said:Bloodbeard":19q9id1r said:
Boy...you said a mouth-full there! :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:
Like this un?
Looks like it would do the trick, but....I need an open mouth type....I WANT folks to be able to see what I'm yellin at them.... :hihihi:
Yea wanted you to be able to search on it
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- Duncanville, Texas
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- 1981 GL1100 Innerstate("The Turd")SOLD!!, 1996 GL1500 Innerstate
Jorg, those are nice helmets, and dang cheap too!! Don't think you'll be able to get both of them in the trunk, at the same time, tho...the trunk on mine will only fit my ONE 3/4 helmet....
Thanx for the tip, Bloodbeard.k:
Thanx for the tip, Bloodbeard.
k:
Too bad. We've got some shorty's right now that fit in the saddlebags and look lost in the trunk, so I guessed they would fit. Once it gets cold up here we may just have to wear them full time.
bhurt
Member
I just winged it and rode my new bike home from where I bought it an hour and a half away. Left at 9pm and it was about 3 above Celsius and really windy. I kinda like to live on the wild side lol... Happily I lucked out and she made it without major issues. Had some wobble from time to time but I am thinking tire pressures and the wind probably were the cause of that as it wasn't like a crazy death wobble or something I couldn't control. The only other thing I noticed was the cruise didn't seem to hold really tight, I am sure there is an adjustment there I just haven't had a chance to look.
Overall for a first ride it was a blast, felt like I was on CHIPS lol... leaning into the corner with that big machine is quite a feeling!
Overall for a first ride it was a blast, felt like I was on CHIPS lol... leaning into the corner with that big machine is quite a feeling!
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The wind can really push these bikes around. I've never had mine wobble as a result though. The only time mine ever wobbled was decelerating with my hands off the bars at around 40-30 kph. Could be something simple like tires, tire pressure. suspension pressure, etc.
On mine I ended up doing steering head bearings, wheel bearings, and adjusted the swingarm bearing. She's like on rails now. Still hate riding in the wind though.
Last year I rode the 1100 km from Medicine Hat to Winnipeg non stop at temps between 3-8 deg.C
The bike worked great but had there been a strong cross wind there is no way I could have done it. The worst part about riding on the prairies is the wind. That and the mind numbing boring roads. :fiddle:
On mine I ended up doing steering head bearings, wheel bearings, and adjusted the swingarm bearing. She's like on rails now. Still hate riding in the wind though.
Last year I rode the 1100 km from Medicine Hat to Winnipeg non stop at temps between 3-8 deg.C
The bike worked great but had there been a strong cross wind there is no way I could have done it. The worst part about riding on the prairies is the wind. That and the mind numbing boring roads. :fiddle:
This is an interesting topic. I had a firsthand experience (I know, I know, Arizona cold) last week that is relevant to this discussion. First, some years back, I did have an '84 Aspencade that allowed year round riding here in Southern Arizona. Now I know why.
As I frequently do these days, I took the Valkyrie to work last week. One morning, the temperature was about 45F. But, just as I got on site, I remembered something I forgot. (Believe it or not, my laptop!) So, back home I went. Luckily, it's only about 12 miles. Here's the rub, the Valk battery has been complaining and the ole girl wouldn't start back up to return to work. I was dressed to ride and didn't want to take the car, so fired up the '78 Wing. Back in the wind, I was surprised to find how chilly it felt. The Valkyrie only has a windshield, but I'm here to tell you that I hadn't even thought about the temp on the ride down with the Valk. It sure got my attention with the naked wing. Fully dressed motorcycles truly can extend your season. To 12 months, I suppose, if you're hardy enough and include proper gear and hand and seat warmers.
Didn't mean to ramble, but I stumbled onto this thread and this was fresh on my mind. I guess it struck me because it's not often you'll be on two different machines so that you have that basis for comparison.
over and out...
As I frequently do these days, I took the Valkyrie to work last week. One morning, the temperature was about 45F. But, just as I got on site, I remembered something I forgot. (Believe it or not, my laptop!) So, back home I went. Luckily, it's only about 12 miles. Here's the rub, the Valk battery has been complaining and the ole girl wouldn't start back up to return to work. I was dressed to ride and didn't want to take the car, so fired up the '78 Wing. Back in the wind, I was surprised to find how chilly it felt. The Valkyrie only has a windshield, but I'm here to tell you that I hadn't even thought about the temp on the ride down with the Valk. It sure got my attention with the naked wing. Fully dressed motorcycles truly can extend your season. To 12 months, I suppose, if you're hardy enough and include proper gear and hand and seat warmers.
Didn't mean to ramble, but I stumbled onto this thread and this was fresh on my mind. I guess it struck me because it's not often you'll be on two different machines so that you have that basis for comparison.
over and out...
Riding the Hunley (naked '78 custom) home from a miserable parking lot show in the high 90's last summer, I realized that this was the first ride in hot weather on an unfaired bike for me since the late '70s. It felt so much nicer than behind the '06 fairing (even with wind wings aimed at me). Because of that, I decided to build an unfaired daily driver for hot weather use. Found a '79 and have it ready for next summer. I wear ATGATT, mesh armor in summer and textile in winter with heated gloves and jacket liner. I've ridden below 7 F on the interstate and been fine as long as the controller keeps working.
***Footnote: Valk battery (Odyssey PC680) is fine. It was not one, but two loose battery connections.
:shock:
:shock:
