[WeaponZero]

I’m willing to bet that a good bit of us live in places that actually experience the winter season, and that means we’ve only got 2-3 months (at most) left of suitable riding weather before we have to store our bikes away for 3-5 months and forget about them. What will you be doing to pass the time? Will it be hard for you not being able to ride for that long? Are you going to be taking the necessary precautions to “winterize” your bike?

EDIT: For those who need/want to know, I’ve found a lot of guides about how to properly “winterize” your bike, but most people are telling me a good bit of it is unnecessary if you can keep your bike indoors. At most all you need to do is before you garage it, give it an oil change, fill it up with a full tank of gas and add fuel stabilizer to it, and disconnect the battery and keep it on a trickle charger up on a shelf or a table, where it’s not on the ground. Keeping a battery directly on the ground can ruin it. When winter ends and you’re ready to ride again, put the battery back in and get riding! Though if you can’t keep it indoors you may have to replace the brake pads and tires before you can really go riding. I plan on keeping mine in my basement.

[Budd]

I plan on riding mine as much as possible. It doesn’t really get too cold here, and sure there are some days when it will be below tolerable, but I will ride as much as possible.

“I am the best there is at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine

[ShannonG]

Since I didn’t get my bike until mid-May, my insurance doesn’t expire until Nov 15. I hope to ride until then, although it could be pretty chilly in the great white north by then. It would be a rare occasion for us to have snow by then.
All my best/favorite toys are good weather things; winter sucks!

[CityHunter357]

I think I’ll be able to ride 9 – 10 months out of the year here in TX. It gets really cold and icy in January/February, but other than that, I think I can manage as long as the weather holds out.

–“You don’t get to be old bein’ no foo, see? Lotta young wise men that’s deaaad as a motha!#@% ain’t they?– Richard Pryor as “Mudbone”

[WeaponZero]

Here in Pittsburgh you basically can’t ride at all from December (sometimes as early as late October) up to April, sometimes May. It sucks. We usually get the worst winter storms of the year after winter has officially ended.

[Matt]

I plan on putting my baby to rest in a heated facility, and getting out the snowboard.

—
“The two seconds between ‘Oh S**!’ and the crash isn’t a lot of practice time.”

[Jim]

Hey thanks for the winterizing tips, I was wondering about what to do with my new bike for the winter. I garage mine, so good to know I won’t have to worry about alot of these winterizing things I’ve been reading about.

[WeaponZero]

You’re right, you won’t have a lot to worry about. But you’ll still have to do the oil change, battery, and gas tank stuff. That’s about it though.

[Andrew]

Why the oil change before and not after winter bu t before riding?

[WeaponZero]

Because you don’t want contaminated oil sitting in there for 4 months. I’d do both though.

[fotobits]

What’s that? Oh yeah, that’s the time of year it gets dark too early to take the long way home after work. Sure makes for some nice Sunday rides, though. I can hardly wait.

[AaronMerlot]

Ok, you guys are making me depressed. It will be summer here in michigan till at least november, oh who am I kidding it is going to snow next week! In fact I think it mite be snowing in Canada already, sorry guys.

[ShannonG]

Jerk.

[megaspaz]

Winter? what’s that? We get spring, summer, and 2 autumns in the bay area… sometimes there’s rain… hopefully enough rain to get most other motocyclists off the road so I can ride in relative peace…

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[Anonymous]

Actually, Spaz is rubbing it in a bit.

Here in the S.F. Bay Area, sometimes it rains for a week or more in the “Winter”.

Feel better now?

Rab

P.S. He’s right about motorcycle commuters disappearing with the slightest hint of rain or an overcast sky; only us brave and hardy (or stupid, depending on your viewpoint) souls ride in the rain.

[Author]

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