Good time to start riding?

[Guest]

Hi Folks,

 

New rider here, picking up my new 125 in a few days and i was wondering how many of you still ride when its cold and wet? i mean i won't be going out when its icy, no chance, but wet on the road as a new rider? good idea/bad idea? I just don't want my brand new 125 sitting under wraps until it warms up. Tips and advice?

 

Thanks

[Bender]

12 minutes ago, laughsatcats said:

Hi Folks,

 

New rider here, picking up my new 125 in a few days and i was wondering how many of you still ride when its cold and wet? i mean i won't be going out when its icy, no chance, but wet on the road as a new rider? good idea/bad idea? I just don't want my brand new 125 sitting under wraps until it warms up. Tips and advice?

 

Thanks

Which 125 did you go for.....

 

Plenty of bright dry days, avoid bad weather till you have a bit of time on the bike and be aware you will be the weak link not the bike

 

Clean it well and look after it, nothing wrong with riding in winter.

[husoi]

Hello and welcome to the forum 

 

You will find all sorts.

Some of us are a all year riders while others are what it's called a fair weather rider.

 

Me, I hady share of all year riding. Unfortunately, arthritis stops me from riding when it's cold and damp.

That and being super busy lately with other things and riding had to take a back stage for now 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Bender said:

Which 125 did you go for.....

 

Plenty of bright dry days, avoid bad weather till you have a bit of time on the bike and be aware you will be the weak link not the bike

 

Clean it well and look after it, nothing wrong with riding in winter.

I'm getting a voge r125, i know there is alot of people say bad things about Chinese bikes, but i sat on them all and the voge was the best fit for me and for less than 3 grand brand new it was a no brainer. Going to get all my gear tomorrow, super excited but still a bit nervous, especially i have never ridden in the wet on a bike (car driver for over 30 years). But toal noob on a bike. Hopefully i wont die and in 6 months or so my plan is to get full license and go from there.

[Bender]

There is a reason people say a lot of bad things, there is a 24 reg on eBay with 400miles on the clock for 2k, if you can live with the depreciation.

 

No idea on the longevity of the bike but I would make sure you look after it IE clean and maintain it to within an inch of its life, stick religiously to what ever the service schedule is or there is a good chance they will use it as an excuse to get out of warranty.

 

Good luck with picking gear and getting out on the road

[bonio]

I used to ride 5 days a week all year ride, and I did this from a beginner. No reason why you shouldn't too.

 

Three tips for you:

1. Protect your bike. ACF50 or something similar all over (obviously not the brakes or tyres) and rinse the salt off regularly - every day if you can*.

2. Get good quality, warm, waterproof gear. Cold is your worst enemy. What you need will depend on how long your journeys are and what speeds you're doing: the longer and faster, the better the gear you need. Layers are your friend. Warmest is heated gear, but it's also most faff, so don't go for until you've tried everything else.

3. Ride smoothly. The roads are often wet and slick, even when there's no ice around. Take particular care at junctions and roundabouts, as people usually choose these as the place to dump their diesel onto the tarmac). Smooth riding requires looking far ahead and planning ahead, which is a great skill to practice.

 

I don't do much of it now, but I still enjoy getting out in winter. 

* I never used to bother with rinsing, and my bikes suffered as a result.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Bender said:

There is a reason people say a lot of bad things, there is a 24 reg on eBay with 400miles on the clock for 2k, if you can live with the depreciation.

 

No idea on the longevity of the bike but I would make sure you look after it IE clean and maintain it to within an inch of its life, stick religiously to what ever the service schedule is or there is a good chance they will use it as an excuse to get out of warranty.

 

Good luck with picking gear and getting out on the road

Yeah i get that, but there is also a GSXS 125 for 3 grand on a 73 plate. So depreciation applies across all models. I sat on that bike and it was uncomfortable and felt a bit small, even though i'm only 5ft11, the voge felt the best and most comfortable.

 

and thanks

[Fiddlesticks]

Am generally out in all weathers; one thing I would say is that a wet backside is no fun. Waterproof gear doesn't have to be crazy money - military surplus gore tex over trousers are around £30 and a waterproof bike overjacket is around £45. Other than that, waterproof boots, gloves, textiles, a down jacket for when it's really cold. All good investments. You can also get rain repellent for the visor, and worth carrying a little spray bottle of windowlene and a microfiber cloth.

Have fun.

[Simon Davey]

The roads are starting to become "cleaner" now. There's less mud from farming, and the leaves are clearing to the sides. Bear in mind that a properly wet road is better than a damp greasy one. All the same, your tyres are perfectly capable of keeping traction on wet roads. As previously mentioned, give yourself time to reduce any sudden braking etc. Look well ahead and assume that every vehicle at a junction could pull out in front. 

Choose a good road position, don't hug the curb,keep out in the road and be as visible as possible. Perhaps buy a hi-viz over jacket for wet weather. 

I used to commute in to London, even when snowing. 

Good luck. 

Edited December 6, 2024 by Simon Davey

[RideWithStyles]

Depreciation is along all makes and models, only yours will be hit even heavier than them and the likely hood of px from a dealer is low or some willing to buy it is a lot less likely, longer you have it the worse it will be, just so you know.

 

Agree with all other posts, only to add as the tyres will be oem at best and at worse cheap nasty unknown chinese shite.
they will not particularly like the cold and Chinese ones hate everything, so smooth and forward thinking “of what if this or that and to expect“ so your not going to need to trust the tyre to do a emergency stop when you really need it is the key.

keep an eye on the tyre pressures weekly before a ride when cold as their pressure wil fluctuate with the weather.
Bikes are far more sensitive to this and pressures than cars are, and the warmth of the tyre as after a ride…if it still feels stone cold after a 20 or so mile trek in 0-10degree it will might not be working as well as hoped (there are ways around that but I won’t go into that right now) but if its cheap Chinese tyres then all bets are off.

Edited December 6, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Nick the wanderer]

I watch the weather, high pressure usually means a period of relative calm so that's a good start.

[ChrisBiggsUK]

I've only recently got my CBT and am doing as much riding as I can over these cold, wet, miserable months.  My reasoning is that if I can dive in at the deep end, and learn to ride in the worst of the weather this country can throw at me, then I'll be well placed come the warmer months to just get out there, ride, and enjoy myself.

I'm obviously being extra careful in the wet / wind, and if the weather is simply too bad I won't ride, but in general I'm getting out there every day, doing a few miles, getting myself used to all road conditions and types and, perhaps more importantly, taking things entirely at my own pace.

I'd never ridden or driven before, so you have one up on me there with being a previous driver, but if I can do it, you can too! (Thermals and waterproofs are your friend.  Get some!)

Also;

Welcome to by far the friendliest, most supportive, and most awesomest (don't care, it's a word to me) forum you will ever find!

[Mold]

Riding in the wet is a skill on it's own and salty roads are not good if you want to keep your bike in pristine condition, that said if it's your only mode of transportation, just take your time, brake earlier and softer than you normally would and obviously take the corners slower, there's plenty of grip if you don't make sudden moves like grabbing the brake or accelerating too fast. If it's raining, I hang a cut down window wipe on the dash and wipe my visor! I tried the visor spray but found it didn't work very well. I don't think you get wetter riding a bike than if you were walking and I've been riding in all conditions for around 35 years.

[Fiddlesticks]

Good point - my rule is never put the bike away mucky and/or wet. Even a hose down is a good start. Traffic Film Remover in a garden sprayer works wonders, snow foam is good too. Ebay do cheap and effective bike / pet driers.