Time... sigh

[GoldOxide_imp]

I just did a 40 mile trip between rains and through cold fog on my KLR650...at least I got to do a few miles of forest service roads...but, wow, the cold fingertips and toes need 30 mintures to dethaw

Hey pdedse - what's going on with those hands?

[pdedse]

I just did a 40 mile trip between rains and through cold fog on my KLR650...at least I got to do a few miles of forest service roads...but, wow, the cold fingertips and toes need 30 mintures to dethaw

Hey pdedse - what's going on with those hands?

Thanks for the video...might have to give it a try. My daughter bought me some generic battery gloves for Christmas 2 years ago, but they barely warmed the gloves at home, and were useless for actual riding. I don't think they were really designed for mc riding either, so we returned them.

What I usually do is wear my rain gloves over normal cold weather gloves and they help quite a bit. But I had them tucked under my coat on a ride last winter and when I got off to stretch they fell out and I didn't realize it. I replaced them over the summer with a nice pair of Aerostitch rain gloves--and I completely forgot I had them...so it's time to break them out to see if they cut down on the cold like my other ones did.

But I might give these a try. I need something for December to February. Our coldest weather often goes hand-in-hand with our dry days here in my neck of the Oregon woods.

[the-inquisition_imp]

pdedse Wrote:I just did a 40 mile trip between rains and through cold fog on my KLR650...at least I got to do a few miles of forest service roads...but, wow, the cold fingertips and toes need 30 mintures to dethaw
I got the Oxford heated grips on my KLR650 and it made things a LOT better. I also switched to snowmobile boots in the winter and sometimes gloves, but it all depends on how crazy I wanted to look riding a motorcycle when there was snow on the ground.

[GoldOxide_imp]

pdedse Wrote:I just did a 40 mile trip between rains and through cold fog on my KLR650...at least I got to do a few miles of forest service roads...but, wow, the cold fingertips and toes need 30 mintures to dethaw
I got the Oxford heated grips on my KLR650 and it made things a LOT better. I also switched to snowmobile boots in the winter and sometimes gloves, but it all depends on how crazy I wanted to look riding a motorcycle when there was snow on the ground.

Spin on some aggressive-like shoes on a Honda Monkey or PCX150, or similar, and crazy gets tamed down to outright fun.

[misterprofessionality]

If we're discussing ways to keep riding in the winter...I cant stress enough the value of a pair of bark busters (hand guards to some). This is my first year riding with a pair on my versys, and let me tell you i don't feel the need for heated grips at all. A simple thing like blocking the wind from your hands completely changes your comfort level.

[GoldOxide_imp]

If we're discussing ways to keep riding in the winter...I cant stress enough the value of a pair of bark busters (hand guards to some). This is my first year riding with a pair on my versys, and let me tell you i don't feel the need for heated grips at all. A simple thing like blocking the wind from your hands completely changes your comfort level.

Not to diminish what Mr. P. said, but beware the expectation of hand guards for wind protection. There are limitations, and it will vary depending on the rider's tolerance.

Example:

Hand guards are useless for "warmth protection" on freeways at 120 km/h with air ambient of -25C. This example includes the use of grip heaters set at or near maximum. So if there is no wind, the freeway windchill is about -48C (-55F).

Scale the example appropriately for highway and regional road speed rates.

It might be more effective to some riders to simply invest in modern heated gloves. They tend to focus on the top of the hand where the blood vessels are and the finger tips, and that is unlike grip heaters that waste energy on the palms. I reckon it is key to keep fresh warm blood flowing to the finger tips in order to have an enjoyable, longer ride ... and maybe focus on keeping your visor clear, eyeballs from freezing, and sumthin' like that.

A final note:

The CB1100 has no problem handling these conditions, just be prepared to maybe ride at least one lower gear than what you normally would. Also, avoid ice and snow patches. Expect to ride on roads with an excessive amount of salt, although most likely it will be powder dry during the day when the sun is out.

I know this isn't a typical southern Californian example, but it is closer to north eastern U.S. and south eastern Canada, and especially Winnipeg and Minnesota areas.

[Tev62]

If we're discussing ways to keep riding in the winter...I cant stress enough the value of a pair of bark busters (hand guards to some). This is my first year riding with a pair on my versys, and let me tell you i don't feel the need for heated grips at all. A simple thing like blocking the wind from your hands completely changes your comfort level.

Totally agree. The Barkbuster Blizzard range take so much wind-chill off your hands and keep your gloves out of direct rain. I fit them on my main bike every winter. They are not a full muff but allow you to wear a lighter glove, which I prefer, for a much longer season.