I have lived in Florida for nearly my entire adult life. I'm considering retiring to a Northern State. I realize this is directly opposed to what most normal people do!
My question is this:
If I move to somewhere like Montana or South Dakota, would would it be reasonable to think I could ride South to Florida at some point during the winter? Obviously it's going to be very cold, but if I have the ability to leave (and return) when the weather is optimal, how doable would this be? (roads plowed, good weather forecast, etc.)

This might seem like a stupid question to most of you, but to someone like me 50's is cold. People start getting their sweaters out here when it gets down to the seventies.
I guess my biggest concern would be ice and safety. I have a Road King with an aftermarket fairing. I have read about heated gear. Any suggestions or advice would be welcomed.
And, I fully expect to hear "are you nucking futs?" as a reply! :-)

 

Lived in Palm beach 23 years and moved to NC to get out of the rat race. From NC to FL in the winter might be doable if you catch some nice days of weather and have all appropriate winter/rain gear.

 

How good are you with riding in the rain? Multiply the difficulty by a factor of 10 and that is what it is like riding in the winter.

Reaction times are dramatically slower because the cold reduces ones ability to think at the same rate as a warm, sunny day.

 

You should probably draw the line at 50 deg F with clear conditions - wearing cold weather gear.

 

People's answers should be as variable as the weather.

I can tell you this:

last year you pretty much could have left the Northeast bound for Florida at any time during the winter, perhaps waiting a day or 2 to let a brief shower pass;

2 years ago (if you missed a 1-day window and was willing to dress for sub-freezing temps) you would be forced to wait multi-weeks to allow snow and clean-up to be completed.

 

Denver is similar weather to where you're wanting to go (South Dakota-ish), so I'll chime in.

Forget about riding to FL in the winter. Snow/Cold/Ice is sporadic and even more prevalent the further North you go (Montana is WAY worse than Denver, forget about riding in the winter AT ALL up there)

Yes, we do ride year-round, but they're short/local trips. Nowhere we can get stuck without shelter like a long-lonely highway.

And keep in mind, wind-chill is very real. Outside temps may be in the 40's, warm enough to ride for me, but when you're doing even just 50 mph....it feels like 9°. If you're bundled up, it's no problem, but the colder you get the slower your reaction times will be.

Another thing to consider, your bike will act/handle/run different than you're used to. Your front shocks will get MUCH stiffer the colder it is, your bike will run a little worse (cold+altitude) but that can be fixed, and your tires will be stiffer & have less grip when really cold. Black ice is another obstacle we deal with.

Now, starting around April, I'd say go for it. You'll run into rain, but it won't be freezing and icy. There's really only about 3 months I don't ride much, January-March...when we get the most snow and it's the coldest out.

By no means am I discouraging your move, just be aware you may not be able to do everything you're used to doing in FL

YMMV and as always, ride safe :-)

 

If 50 is cold, riding in near or freezing temperatures won't be much fun but the cold is just a matter of sucking it up provided your above frostbite levels. The real issue (for me) is that you also have to factor in that the roads generally will be covered with dirt and/or salt from snow so you and your bike will get sandblasted from time to time and it'll rust in no-time so its a quick way to trash your bike and traction is much diminished between the rubber being cold and dirty roads.

Visibility is also reduced as car windows fog and people generally aren't looking out for motorcycles to boot. Is it do-able, sure. I've known a few over the years that ride year round, but never anybody who is covering long distances cause its really cold. At 60mph, 35 degrees F feels like 17. Even dressed properly, that's cold.

 

I live in Colorado and it gets pretty sunny here in the winter. That being said I have relatives in Wyoming and I wouldn't ride up to see them past November or before March.

Basically if you look at a map of the U.S. I consider the perma-freeze line the top of Colorado, running laterally in both directions. If you want to ride all year long do not live at or above that line.

 

I've hit light snow and temps in the 20's a couple times on long trips (500 miles or more), and I have gotten cold enough in younger days with insufficient clothing I stuffed newspapers under my outer clothing for added insulation (that actually works pretty good). If you hit conditions where snow builds up, the going can get really slow, and if pavement ices over, you won't make it far, give up. Weather reports today are reliable enough you can probably plan around these events, but keep in mind that after a snowstorm in the salt belt, you can have days of salt soup on the road that's miserable to see through without windshield washers; in some conditions it's like gray paint being sprayed on you. No fun getting stiff salt crusted clothes, either. I'll leave it up to you what you think about salt soaking your ride.

You can ride comfortably at 20 below with the right clothing, but that will cost you. A snowmobile helmet isn't a bad idea, too, non-fogging kind, though some motorcycle helmets supposedly have non-fogging shield options. I've had a miserably cold lower face because I couldn't see with the shield fogging when all the way down. If the temps are supposed to be 40 or above, always carry clothing for 20 degrees less, especially in hilly country. It can be light jacket weather at the top of a hill, and below freezing in a valley. A thin balaclava does wonders for the drafts under a helmet, and carry thin glove liners and thin disposable stretch gloves - they'll add a lot of insulation to your gloves - even if you have heated gloves; if those quit, you'll need more insulation soon.

Winter riding is a challenge I find enjoyable when you can do it under the right conditions and with the right equipment, but it's pure misery when it's not. Considering a 3-4 day ride in winter isn't something to be done without a lot of thought and preparation, it can literally kill you. Not that I'm one to ask advice; I just came down with a cold, probably because I was out in a sleet/snow/rain mix 3 nights ago, some of us just never learn... That was with a sidecar rig, even I'm not crazy enough to try 2 wheels in that weather.

 

Never cross north of I-40. NC is a nice cross between all four seasons with summer being the most extreme of them. It's possible to go a couple of years without snow. I mow my lawn almost 12 months a years and burn one cord of wood. Just right in my view.