Daily Slideshow: Maximize Your Riding Year: Tips For Enjoyable Cold-Weather Riding

1. Why Ride In The Cold?

A better question would be; why not? The reality is that most of us ride motorcycles as a sport and we want to do it as much as possible throughout the year. For the unfortunate souls that live in areas where ice and snow cover the road there are days, weeks, or months, where your motorcycle sits idle in your garage. For many of us, however, cold weather is just another challenge to overcome and do it gladly. While a short ride to work or to the local restaurant might not be worth gearing up in 19-degree weather, touring during cold months is definitely worth the time. 

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2. Mental Preparedness

Seasoned riders know that unlike driving, riding takes some degree of planning and preparation even in the best of weather conditions. Riding in cold weather takes far more concentration prior, and during riding than it does in warmer days. In the end, is all about safety so make sure that you consider not only the temperature but the wind-chill, the length of the ride and your reason for riding. Generally speaking, if you are riding for any other reason than fun, cold weather will quickly drain your motivation. Seems basic, but many rides have prematurely ended due to poor preparation in one way or another. 

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3. Physical Readiness

Let's face it! riding a motorcycle is physically demanding. Long rides (those over 500 miles) really test your mental and physical abilities. Cold weather is notorious for ruining a rider's spirit. Those with a few miles under their belts know very well that cold weather riding places demands on the body that sometimes exceed a person's capabilities. While hot weather can make a ride uncomfortable, and in extreme cases, dehydration can create a medical emergency, cold weather increases the body's demand for energy, circulation becomes a real concern in extremities, and in very cold rides, the mental acuity of the rider is decreased significantly. In addition, multi-layering restricts mobility, range of motion, and even visibility. Providing that you are mentally ready, you have the right gear, and your bike is in good shape, the single best thing you can do is to keep yourself physically ready. This means; hydrated, clear-headed, and active! so hit the gym routinely or walk constantly and extend your riding years (no reason for you not to be cross-country touring beyond 70).

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4. Gear

So you are emotionally pumped up, mentally prepared, physically ready and good to go!.. but is your gear up to par? On rides through Main, Alaska, and Switzerland, the single biggest reason(s) to make emergency stops was due to some sort of equipment failure [clothing]. Snow flurries melt and can ruin the wind-chill protection on garments such as gloves, jackets, or neck gaiters; In some cases, new riders to the group were ill prepared with inferior gloves, jackets, or boots; In other cases (and most commonly), the rider overestimated his/her ability to withstand the cold for an extended period of time or simply did not have enough clothing on. Although you DO NOT need the most expensive gear you do need appropriate gear. In any weather condition, water-proof gear of some sort is essential. Spare gloves (even on shorter riders) is important, and asking questions to more experienced riders, if available, is a must for newer riders. Good wet-weather gear is light to carry and can turn a warm riding ensemble into one that can easily and comfortably take you through a mountain pass at 12 degrees. I, personally, don't mind looking like a construction orange cone and will throw my rain gear over my leathers and fleece layers... some people really have an issue with this and will end up miserable.. to each their own. 

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5. Wear And Tear

Wear and tear on the bike, the rider, and your gear is potentially higher than when a rider is in temperate weather. Therefore, there is more maintenance, preparation, and general effort that needs to happen. This is why many riders put the bikes away for the winter months. Salt on the roads and sand used on the roads following a snowmelt are hard on bikes and riders alike. Extreme cold is hard on rubber and leather. This might seem obvious but is important to consider. Like hydrating, few people think about conditioning rubber mounts and leather during the winter. To be aware of these simple things keeps your ride ready for the rest of the year. 

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6. Experience

In the end, it is all about becoming a better rider. Experience is the one thing that only comes by going out and finding it. Riding in cold, rain, heat, dust, gravel, etc. will feel like a breeze for a seasoned rider who ventures out during inhospitable weather. Experience makes for a safe rider, a safe rider makes for a good mentor, and good mentors keep good riders on the road. Ride within your personal capabilities but always look for ways to expand your comfort zone for the sake of discovering new roads. 

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For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.