When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've ridden ONCE below 20. Didn't find out what the temperature was until after I got to work. Last couple of years, body says nothing below 50.
Originally Posted by smitty901
I have ridden at 20 below. Road condition govern. Rides in 30 degree weather are common. The October rain and morning temps of low 30's to 40 have been almost daily with it warming up to around 50's .
As long as the roads are dry, I'm pretty comfortable down in the 20s with proper riding gear. I rode to work one day back in January when it was 7, but I'll admit, that was pushing it.
When I was a young lad I would ride in temps of 30 to 100. I rode to school 10 miles once when it was in the teens. Didn't even have a leather jacket.
Now that I'm in my sixties, I'm only good from 50 to around 90.
The past week it's been pretty chilly in the mornings. I leave for work around 6:30 am and the sun its coming up later as the year progresses to fall, then to winter.
For a while I was throwing on the leather jacket and doing fine, but a few nights ago it got real cold through that leather jacket. It was an evening ride and it was about 45 degrees. My body started tightening up (like rigamortis set in). I was having a hard time focusing on the ride.
This morning I left the house and asked myself...should I drive the bike or the truck? It was 50 degrees and the high is forecast for 56. I opted for the truck with its heater. LOL
There's a period in the year where I'm going to be lost while I wait for the snow to pile up in the Sierras. Once I put the bike away for winter I'll be waiting for snowmobile season to fire up. Do I buy warmer riding gear so I can ride until we get ice on the streets?
What's your magic temp to put that bike away? I know you Texas and Florida guys are gunna tell us how great you have it. I'm thinking seriously about retiring to AZ...maybe lake Havasue...
When there is no traction because of below freezing temps.
I find with the right gear cold temps do not bother me on the bike. I got a Klim Latitude jacket this past spring after several recommendations and am truly blown away by how well it works and how versatile it is in both the heat, rain and cold. I would have thrown away my old leather jacket years ago if I knew how much of an improvement Cordura/Gore Tex gear is over the leather stuff. It much lighter weight, less restrictive to movement, cooler in the summer heat, warmer in the cold and keeps you from getting sweaty underneath with Gore Tex. It also actually has more abrasion resistance and impact protection than pretty much anything but a leather race suit with armor under it. 1000 denier cordura has a similar rating to full grain leather and if you add an under layer of D30 armor you will never wear through to skin in the longest slide even if the outer layer disintegrates.
The past week it's been pretty chilly in the mornings. I leave for work around 6:30 am and the sun its coming up later as the year progresses to fall, then to winter.
For a while I was throwing on the leather jacket and doing fine, but a few nights ago it got real cold through that leather jacket. It was an evening ride and it was about 45 degrees. My body started tightening up (like rigamortis set in). I was having a hard time focusing on the ride.
This morning I left the house and asked myself...should I drive the bike or the truck? It was 50 degrees and the high is forecast for 56. I opted for the truck with its heater. LOL
There's a period in the year where I'm going to be lost while I wait for the snow to pile up in the Sierras. Once I put the bike away for winter I'll be waiting for snowmobile season to fire up. Do I buy warmer riding gear so I can ride until we get ice on the streets?
What's your magic temp to put that bike away? I know you Texas and Florida guys are gunna tell us how great you have it. I'm thinking seriously about retiring to AZ...maybe lake Havasue...
When it's 118 F. in Havasu you'll be dreaming of the 50 F. temps you had in Reno.
Down to 50 is OK as is up to 90, assuming the humidity is not too bad. 40 is certainly bearable as is 100 but 60 to 80 is my sweet spot; but then again, I'm getting old and fussy.
Haven't ever had to pick a temperature where I'd quit riding. When a motorcycle was all I had, I rode, whenever I wanted to go somewhere, even in snowstorms. Nowadays, like some others mentioned, I'll put the bike away when the salt comes out.
Originally Posted by TwiZted Biker
When I lived in the midwest I had one, if I could get the bike started I rode. Was never a temp hard stop it was the kick starting A few of us did a new years day ride on a bet, it was 4 degrees out, wasn't a repeat the next year.
If I couldn't kick it, I'd push it. Temper, I guess. Didn't know a damn thing about taking care of a battery, so had to deal with that more than I should have.
I know, I know -- never had one without a battery.
Just did a 5,100 mile multi state tour. Found record rain and temperatures in Texas. So, I’d like to add, that the following is not my magic temperature:
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.