all season riders: How do you prepare your bike for the cold months?

[Motorcycle-Vagabonds]

A question for the all-seaons-riders: How do you prepare your bike for the cold months?

I admit, that I don´love ice and snow riding. Usually I try not to be out on the bike when the conditions are really bad, but nonetheless I spent a lot of time on my motorcycle at low temperatures because I´m an addict and I live „car free“.

My modifications for the cold season are:

- winter tires (K60 M+S Silica (SiO2)) – I bought them last year by chance and they turned out be good. The rubber is really soft. Thereby I put new SiO2-K60 on just these days.

Heated grips + handlebar muffs- The muffs look horrible, but in combination with the heated grips they are a real pleasure. Much warmer fingers than with standard hand protections. You get the best results if you ride with semi-warm gloves since that allows much more temperatur transfer on the inner side of your hands and the outer side is wind protected by the muffs.

So again the question: How do you prepare your bike for the cold season?

Cheers

Frank / Motorcycle-Vagabonds

[Guest]

I don't prepare my bike or myself at all. Same tyres all year round [Michelin Pilot Road 4] , no heated grips etc Ride in my one piece summer leathers that i cannot add much layers under or over as that would make me look fat summer gloves and boots with no extra space for thicker socks Therefore I am always cold.

However great thread and pictures. Looking forward to more advice one day I hope I will come to my senses...doubt I will but hey

[mr slike]

I ride all year, only thing that stops me is the snow, pair of gloves under my leather gloves help, 3 layers of clothing under my textiles do the job, I keep meaning to invest in some heated grips, one day I will but for now I soldier on [emoji106]

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

[Six30]

I prepare mine by keeping em in the garage on trickle , don't get me wrong if we get the odd day when it gets up to about 11 degrees I might get out

[Stu]

I buy a 19kg bottle of propane for my heater and fettle it over the winter

[Mr Fro]

Your bike looks the proper tool for the job though!

[rob m]

My bike is under an Oxford cover until Spring.

[Hoggs]

in my one piece summer leathers that i cannot add much layers under or over as that would make me look fat

 

I just have many layers of fat under my clothes to keep me warm. *eats cake*

[Motorcycle-Vagabonds]

in my one piece summer leathers that i cannot add much layers under or over as that would make me look fat

 

I just have many layers of fat under my clothes to keep me warm. *eats cake*

 

The approach is a bit similar to my one: Instead of having a fur on the seat I stopp shaving my bum in early autumn to grow my own fur

Cheers

Frank

Edited November 28, 2016 by Motorcycle-Vagabonds

[Joe85]

Just installed some heated grips, been out in a a low of -1 and whilst my fingers hurt like crazy when filtering (which is 70% of my journey) it was slightly more bearable than without.

Other than that, thermal inserts on.

[toad]

Heated grips After cruising over the Brenner Pass last April I had great difficulty using my left hand for a month or so. It was pissing it down all the way to Innsbruck and then started snowing. No hand protectors, heated grips, muffs. Never again...

Took special care to install heated grips with five settings, not just the usual "defrost" and "cooked" setting. Muffs next. Winter tyres? Never even considered that...

[Lateralus]

I used heated grips for the first time today - mostly ok, but did nothing for the fingertips! Would having hand guards help much with that? Not keen on the idea of bar muffs really.

[Motorcycle-Vagabonds]

I used heated grips for the first time today - mostly ok, but did nothing for the fingertips! Would having hand guards help much with that? Not keen on the idea of bar muffs really.

 

Depends on. For my bike (Honda XL700VA) the stock hand guards are a bit better than nothing, for other bikes they might help more.

Cheers

Frank

[Oasis]

Do they do those hand muffs that also go over hand guards?

[Gerontious]

I have handguards on both of my bikes. If I were to fit muffs then the guards would come off. it seems pointless to me to have both for normal day to day riding or commuting- even if its possible to have both at the same time. once the weather changes and it gets mild. swap back.

[Motorcycle-Vagabonds]

Do they do those hand muffs that also go over hand guards?

 

I know of Guys, who have the Touratech muffs over their handguards.

Depends on the motorcycle / hand guards model and the muff model.

For my bike/muffs it doesn´t work with one over the other.

Cheers

Frank

[Six30]

Do they do those hand muffs that also go over hand guards?

 

I know of Guys, who have the Touratech muffs over their handguards.

Depends on the motorcycle / hand guards model and the muff model.

For my bike/muffs it doesn´t work with one over the other.

Cheers

Frank

 

Any pics of a Muff model

[Oasis]

Do they do those hand muffs that also go over hand guards?

 

I know of Guys, who have the Touratech muffs over their handguards.

Depends on the motorcycle / hand guards model and the muff model.

For my bike/muffs it doesn´t work with one over the other.

Cheers

Frank

 

They're the original Triumph on the explorer. Will have a rifle through the touratech catalogue.

[Oasis]

Do they do those hand muffs that also go over hand guards?

 

I know of Guys, who have the Touratech muffs over their handguards.

Depends on the motorcycle / hand guards model and the muff model.

For my bike/muffs it doesn´t work with one over the other.

Cheers

Frank

 

Any pics of a Muff model

 

I have links six, oh do I have links....

[Motorcycle-Vagabonds]

Any pics of a Muff model

 

Those are my ones: https://www.louis-moto.co.uk/artikel/louis-handlebar-muffs-universal/10008398?list=254641419&filter_article_number=10008398

Rather cheap, but good quality. I use them the second winter. They do not push against the leverages.

But it all depends on the model of bike.

Cheers

Frank

[toad]

Any pics of a Muff model

Here you go.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/381374218068

[Six30]

[toad]

Didn't find a sexier one but at least I'm getting to know more smilies

[Classickid21]

This is my first propper winter riding all year rounder.

tyres-michellen pilots

Going to order oxford heated grips

I am not sure if the hand bar muffs will look very good on a yamaha yzf r125 or will it look and ride fine with them ?

Presently:

Thermal cargo work trousers

Thermal 2.2 tog leg socks

Neck warmer/raggy scarf

Ski gloves with thick thermal inners -30

Miles ride and i start to get stiff hands and loose the feeling in them

[Gerontious]

I would suppose that if it were possible to ask the vast majority of year round riders here in the UK who use muffs for the coldest period of winter: "Do they look good?"

after the laughter stops.. many would say: "I couldn't care less what they look like or what anyone else thinks, they work for me. make my daily commute bearable. and its only for a couple of months."

next question.