Who rides in the winter
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,097
Likes: 4,676
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
I remember another bike at the top of a fairly steep hill. Stopped and figured I'd let it idle down in first. It quickly got moving faster than idle, but the wheel didn't speed up, and down I went, all the way to the bottom, probably about a city block, on my backside hanging on to the bike next to me. Rub an ice cube on your arm - gets colder the longer you do it. After a few hundred feet of cold sliding under the legs and behind, it really hurt!
Bikes can go in snow if you can hold them up, but the brakes don't work much better than dragging your feet, and when/if the front locks up, you'll probably go down.
I've ridden trailbikes with knobbies off road in snow, and had a good time with them. Harleys... getting up the driveway is an adventure.
Just a bit off subject - had some snow slush this morning, asked a visiting lady friend if she'd like to do some donuts in the sidecar, and she - most uncharacteristically - answered with one word... No.
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,470
Likes: 3,572
From: Idaho
I've hit snow on at least a couple trips. Can get exciting. This area north of Hot Springs Arkansas looked like clear roads, till I was leaning good through a curve and hit the always in shade backside. That was the longest I ever went sideways on pavement, and think the only reason I didn't go down was because I was going fast, probably around 60 when I hit the few inches of snow, must have had a good gyroscopic effect from the wheels - I didn't use the brakes, kept the power on (not a street instinct, learned that on many hours sliding around on dirt bikes). I didn't lean into any more curves with snow around after that.
I remember another bike at the top of a fairly steep hill. Stopped and figured I'd let it idle down in first. It quickly got moving faster than idle, but the wheel didn't speed up, and down I went, all the way to the bottom, probably about a city block, on my backside hanging on to the bike next to me. Rub an ice cube on your arm - gets colder the longer you do it. After a few hundred feet of cold sliding under the legs and behind, it really hurt!
Bikes can go in snow if you can hold them up, but the brakes don't work much better than dragging your feet, and when/if the front locks up, you'll probably go down.
I've ridden trailbikes with knobbies off road in snow, and had a good time with them. Harleys... getting up the driveway is an adventure.
Just a bit off subject - had some snow slush this morning, asked a visiting lady friend if she'd like to do some donuts in the sidecar, and she - most uncharacteristically - answered with one word... No.
I remember another bike at the top of a fairly steep hill. Stopped and figured I'd let it idle down in first. It quickly got moving faster than idle, but the wheel didn't speed up, and down I went, all the way to the bottom, probably about a city block, on my backside hanging on to the bike next to me. Rub an ice cube on your arm - gets colder the longer you do it. After a few hundred feet of cold sliding under the legs and behind, it really hurt!
Bikes can go in snow if you can hold them up, but the brakes don't work much better than dragging your feet, and when/if the front locks up, you'll probably go down.
I've ridden trailbikes with knobbies off road in snow, and had a good time with them. Harleys... getting up the driveway is an adventure.
Just a bit off subject - had some snow slush this morning, asked a visiting lady friend if she'd like to do some donuts in the sidecar, and she - most uncharacteristically - answered with one word... No.
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 189
Likes: 10
From: Frederick, MD
Up here in northern MD when the salt hits the roads, my bikes get parked. I am not having them rust out.
When I lived in south MS I used to ride all Winter - even in freezing conditions because they never salted the roads.
When I lived in south MS I used to ride all Winter - even in freezing conditions because they never salted the roads.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 158
From: East Coast
No snow, good down to 40 OAT.
My driveway is the biggest obstacle, half mile of sand covered with about an inch of pine needles, then sand, then about an 1/8 mile of gravel. Half of it is shaded, so if it snows, once or twice a season, it stays on the road a week after the roads are cleared.
So it can be 55, sunny, light winds and i may not be able to get down my road.
But a couple of rainy days cleans everything up, another 2 days to dry up and we are good.
My driveway is the biggest obstacle, half mile of sand covered with about an inch of pine needles, then sand, then about an 1/8 mile of gravel. Half of it is shaded, so if it snows, once or twice a season, it stays on the road a week after the roads are cleared.
So it can be 55, sunny, light winds and i may not be able to get down my road.
But a couple of rainy days cleans everything up, another 2 days to dry up and we are good.
