Cool Running

[snavetrauts]

The coldest I ever got was on my first bike in 1968...BSA C15. I did about 175 mile with some very dodgy gear on (no money then) When I got back and made ready to dismount, my brain said that I had put my foot down... In fact it was still on the peg and I fell over into the dustbins... what a dildo i felt... good days though.

Stuart

[BlueBoxer]

Foggy tonight on the way home, slimy salty stuff on the road make riding interesting Not sure whether it helps, as the unsalted roads were better

Gerbing kit makes for a warm rider

[sproggy]

I'm not sure what they'd sprayed on the A1 yesterday but whatever it was was lethal from a biker visibility point of view. I wiped my visor with my gloved finger as I usually do but instead of creating a clear area it just smeared the stuff so that I couldn't see at all. It was kind of sticky/greasy. Fortunately I was only a couple of miles from home so carried on carefully, squinting and opening the visor now and then for better visibility (zero degrees, 60-70mph - not recommended), but I should really have pulled over to clean the visor properly with something.

Didn't notice any effect on grip, but I was riding so carefully due to the reduced visibility that I guess I probably wouldn't.

[JamesL]

Your sticky crud may be molasses - popular in Warwickshire for the last two seasons and added to salt / grit to give it a bit more body...

I've bodged a set of GS hand guards on to the RS and they cut down the wind chill on the hands well - even look vaguely OK.

Coldest ever trip was in the snow from C. London to Weymouth one Jan night, x-country on a Honda 250, no fairing and decades before modern kit. Thought I was going down with hypothermia so stopped for some "exercise" ha ha; spent 20 mins to lurch one length of the layby. Some time around then I put a hand on the exhaust header and didn't feel it - didn't even get burnt that I remember - just wondered what was hissing.

Happy days...

[BlueBoxer]

The crud on the road is safecote It's a salt with molasses mixed in with it. It sticks to the road, and when damp turns to a greasy sticky black road covering.

I prefer the old fashioned salt! It's more motorcycle friendly.

[bigblackfalco]

I remember once on a courier job out to Maldon Essex getting caught in the most god damn awful blizzard.
I was riding an ex AA R80RT (the same bike I converted into a single cylinder boxer in a daring duel with a coach outside Victoria Coach station) tastfully repainted in dark snot green. I think it had heated grips, but only one was working!
When I left Heathrow it was crisply cold and sunny. On my journey out into Essex up the A12 it started to get extremely cold. I dropped off the package, and left Maldon heading back towards the A12.
I'd just got on the A12 when all of a sudden (asthough someone had turned on a machine), there was an instant white out snow storm. As fast as I could wipe the snow away from my visor it instantly formed another thick covering. All the vents into the helmet were blocked solid with frozen snow. I had to leave the visor open a` tiny bit to stop the damn thing steaming up, and the snow was being forced into the opening!
The screen on the bike had about a foot thick of snow, and it kept breaking off in huge chunks. I really couldn't see a thing as everything was white.I couldn't even see where the carriage way was on the road, and was very worried that I might be riding in the gutter.
I was doing about 5 mph and really wanted to stop, but couldn't find anywhere to pull over as there were still stoopid cars going way too fast in the conditions.
So it was a very painful 10 miles of continually wiping my visor and then alternately wiping the screen. My hands and feet were frozen solid.
Luckily it cleared up down near Chelmsford, but it was still extremely cold.
When I got back to Heathrow it was still clear and sunny and the guys in the office laughed hysterically when I told them of my ordeal.
Bailey.

[Al]

I went to a motocross meeting in february at foxhills nr Swindon from cardiff on a vfr 400, it was ok in the morning but got colder during the day, on the way home I was already cold from standing about watching the races, when I got to the services at the seven bridge( there was only 1 then) I decided to stop for a pot of tea and a warm. 1 1/2 hours later when I woke up I was still sitting in all my gear(minus helmet and outer gloves) propped against the radiator, my tea had a skin on it and not one person had checked on me. the wife was a bit worried as I was late( pre mobile phones)so now I am only a winter biker when I have no other option, hats off to those who do it to earn a crust..

[bigblackfalco]

I went to a motocross meeting in february at foxhills nr Swindon from cardiff on a vfr 400, it was ok in the morning but got colder during the day, on the way home I was already cold from standing about watching the races, when I got to the services at the seven bridge( there was only 1 then) I decided to stop for a pot of tea and a warm. 1 1/2 hours later when I woke up I was still sitting in all my gear(minus helmet and outer gloves) propped against the radiator, my tea had a skin on it and not one person had checked on me. the wife was a bit worried as I was late( pre mobile phones)so now I am only a winter biker when I have no other option, hats off to those who do it to earn a crust..

Did you drink the tea??!......

[eggcup]

Why is it that of all my motorcycling memories the winter ones stick out the most is it the utter madness or the fact as an apprentice I could only afford a bike.
I worked at Crawley Hospital as Welder in Jan 1980 and can remember taking 31/2 hours to do 40 miles the snow was deep and had to keep both feet down it was bloody cold when i got there my belstaff was so frozen you could stand it up I headed straight to the boiler house and spent the next hour thawing out,at least my guvnor was impressed as half of the other blokes didnt turn up and they were in cars!
I dropped the Suk loads of times but as the snow was so deep it didnt fall far and those old bigears crash bars where brilliant if far from flattering.
I really miss those years as strange as it might seem they were just more fun, I suppose the stresses of life and lack of free time, crowded roads take that carefree feeling away and looking in the bloody mirror and seeing all that silver stuff growing out of your head kind of brings you back to reality.
no wonder the kids dont want to leave home"

[Ade B]

stoopid cars going way too fast in the conditions.

the most scared I've been on a bike was this spring coming back from Leeds on the M1 in a freak blizzard, snow build up on screen and visor exactly as described... the maddest thing was I was frightened to do less than the traffic speed, about 50mph through 2 inch slush, as I was convinced some idiot in a car was going to scoop me up as the visibility was almost nil..

Only hands got cold though (as waterproof liner packed in half way back....)

Whilst trying to thaw hands under dryer in the services, passed a biker coming back from Donnington (BSB?) in jeans and a paddock jacket - he was soaked but didn't look the slightest bit bothered...

Ade

[Blackal]

The crud on the road is safecote It's a salt with molasses mixed in with it. It sticks to the road, and when damp turns to a greasy sticky black road covering.
.

Mmmm....... That might explain why my car's traction control kept on cutting in today.

Al

[winger]

As a 19 year old remember riding to work at half five in the morning with 6" of snow on the road on a brand new 500 kawasaki H1A two stroke 3 cylinder triple that gave somthing like 25hp at 5900 revs and 60hp at 6000!!