Hardcore winter hackers

[TAX MY BRAIN]

With the s**t summer we have had and winter fast aproaching.....

im suprised to see so many bike's still out on the commute to and from work when its hammering down with rain,

Now this got me thinking what with the so called credit crunch and getting robbed everytime we fill are cars up with fuel.

Are more people turning to bikes to save a few quid or are us bikers just getting used to the crap weather,

what with the rain washing mud and stones out onto the road and bloody mud plugger's ( tractors ) dragging s**t out onto the roads kind of got me thinking....

what makes a good winter hack

what bikes if any are you all gonna be riding this winter

is it the opposite of are best bike i.e we tuck it up for the winter in the garage and bring out the winter hacker thats been tucked up all summer in the garage

Just a few thoughts there

Any winter riding tips to keep us all safe could come in handy too
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i also ride the local bike.............she's like a moped great fun to ride as long as your friends dont see you !!

[Whosthedaddy]

I'm going to be on the 7R, the same bike that I was on last winter and all through summer.

[Jaloopa]

Coming up to my second winter, and I'm looking at doing a lot more miles this year. I'll still be on my TW125. If I fit my DAS in soon enough I might be able to get something bigger. If I get a driving license and can afford a car + insurance + tax etc. then I'll probably use that instead for commuting.

The best tip I learned last winter: don't speed round tight blind corners in driving rain. Also, if you're planning a long ride into the winter sun invest in sunglasses or be prepared to be blind with a bad headache.
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mattsprattuk wrote: but at least the lifan could do like 104mph in 3rd gear

[Ben.]

will be doing it on a fecked r6, any if it get really cold ill take the ducati so i can have toasty balls.
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follow my racing season
Race bike - R6
Road bike - sv650

[TAX MY BRAIN]

I did last winter on my trusty old cbr600 fk the old jelly mould,

With frank thomas antifreeze jacket and trouser's which where worth every penny kept out the cold and the rain,

Had a few nasty moments coming out of bends to find patches of mud and stones where the back end kicked out a few times keeping the visor clean enough to see was a nightmare but i found that if you cut down an old towel and sew it up like a sweat band and wear it round your arm comes in handy for cleaning your visor after the lorry in front has coverd you with crud

sorry to say i sold the cbr which i still regret to this day the old girl was bulletproof
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i also ride the local bike.............she's like a moped great fun to ride as long as your friends dont see you !!

[LeeR]

Any bike that's up to the job is a good winter hack, personally I'll do it on my V-Strom just like I did last year, the year before that I did it on a 125.

Just as the summer is no longer really "summer" so the winter is no longer really "winter". Both are wet and the winter months are a few degrees cooler, so the most important factor is good gear to keep you warm and dry.
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[kawakid]

I ride 365.

There's various bits of advise for you as the rider and also how to look after your bike.

From a rider point of view, make sure you have warm clothing, lots of layers keep you warm. A neck warmer is a must.

Both my bikes have heated grips, these make a massive difference to me, my hands are comfortable and give better reaction times when cold.

From a bike point of view, I wash the bike down every day there is salt, I mean going over it with a hose, when you get home. (or if your lucky like me, I have a hose at work). I also go over and clean all the swing arm, shock and exposed metal areas with WD40 at least twice a week.

Another must I find is after hosing the bike down is to spray Scotoiler preventative spray all round the bike (including underneath), this stops the salt on the road rotting your bike. (only place not to spray is your brakes and disks).

Keep up with normal maintenance like lubing your chain. I also find my battery struggles in winter if the bike is left over the weekend. (Thus I charge it).
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I've a twin and a 4.

[mr jamez]

I clean my brakes once a week during winter, remove the pads clean up the pistons with brake cleaner, also remember to keep the pins greased if you have a sliding caliper.

Fit gaitors.
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NSR 125F > BROS 400 > NC30 > BROS 400 > Trumpet S4 > '97 VFR 750

[truslack]

I'll be on the Armstrong 500 - the same bike that I ride in the summer (or I'll be on the RG125 when the 500 breaks down)
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Whosthedaddy]

Always fancied a CB1 for some strange reason as a 2nd bike.

[iooi]

Any decent sized off road/trail bike.
The riding positon is so much better to control any sort of slide.
Also they tend to be better and coping with scrapes down the road, when it does go pear shaped on you.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[neatbik]

Last year i used the s4, but this winter i'll use the cg bobber/chopper thing..
Whosethedaddy, i had a cb1 and getting rid of it is a big regret. It would have made a perfect second bike winter hack.
Im constantly on the lookout for another one

[MinhDinh]

tbh i use to bicycle it in the rain with a shirt to work, and believe me you get a lot wetter with shit on your back.

it's almost easy on a motorcycle with your hair staying dry, no sweat, no hard work, a lot faster to get home. i havent had a car because i can't drive so am not use to the luxury i guess.

i love biking in the summer, but i still love it in the winter apart from i gotta watch out abit more.
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Hit the G spot.

[Wil]

This will be my 5th winter. Looking forward to it, to be honest! Crisp cool sunny mornings, seeing your breath... it's nice. Except when its pissing down with rain and dark on the way home, but that's what decent gear is for.
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'07 Triumph Speed Four

Aw look, a baby driving a car. And look, there's a dog driving a bus!

[virus]

Gpz 750r, last year i was on the cg trailie, when we had a massive ammount of snow in worcester i went out at 4am, was great fun christening the knobblies.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[tatters]

just brought a honda CB250 nighthawk for the winter, cheap to run too
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[MinhDinh]

never been on my bike in the snow though. gotta say i wouldn't want to risk it at all.
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Hit the G spot.

[damz]

rode my rvf through winter and is still going fine, as said wash the bike with cold water, lots of wd40 and scottoiler

my work bike, a honda sh50 got treated the same as it does during the summer, put oil in it every month or so with constant use (2 stroke too) and bassically do nothing with it, still running albiet with shit loads of rust on it
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Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[garth]

I have an xj600n for winter.

Trying to make it as crash proof* as I can this year. Engine bars + Motocross brush guards to save the levers, with heated grips and a little fly screen.

I like riding in the rain and stuff, with the right clothing. I also like having an upright riding position as mentioned above, it's good for a few slides.

*Probably wouldn't have to if I weren't a tit, however.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[apple tango]

I'll be on my Bandit 6 for my 2nd winter. Can't say i'm looking forward to it.

Last year i remember the only real problem i had with the cold was my hands. Even with thick gloves and heated grips my finger tips were about to drop off when i got to work.

Had no problems with the bike, apart from on one morning when we had really dense freezing fog. Lines of cars were broken down on my commute to work. My bike made it, but the engine didn't like it one bit.

I had an idea this morning...when the weather starts to be freezing cold, i might invest in a small hot water bottle. Fill it with hot water before i start to get ready for work (give it time to cool down slightly), then bang it under my bike jacket for a nice toasty belly on the commute
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CBR125 -> Bandit GSF600 '99 -> SV650 02

[neil.]

I'll be putting handlebar muffs on this winter, as last time, even with 2 gloves on each hand, my fingers froze. Other small things:

A screen on the bike can help keep the wind blast off you.

Put your trouser legs over your boots so water doesn't run inside them.

Put your sleeves over your gloves so water doesn't run inside them.

Wear a few thin layers rather than one thick one as it's warmer.

Balaclava is a must.

Something to help with the visor misting up too - Pinlock for me, but there are other ways like riding with it up a notch, or there's a Hawaiian Stick thing you rub inside which has got good reviews (never tried it myself).

Something to deal with rain on the visor, you can get sprays you rub in or Rain-X wipes that coat the visor making rain water run off it more easily.

Consider making yourself more visible due to fog/rain/darkness in the early morning/late afternoon.

Watch out for fallen leaves in the autumn making the roads slippery and 'micro-climates' in shadowed areas where the ice hasn't melted away yet.

Can't think of anything else really apart from keeping the bike well maintained/lubed/tyres at right pressures etc.
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CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[blownygti]

this will be my first winter riding my NC29 and to be honest I am looking forward to it !!! I have got my Alpinestars El Nino all in one suit, my new alpinestars SMX4 waterproof boots a Foggy mask andneck warmer, just need to get my new rear BT090, chain and sprocket fitted together with my shiny new scottoiler and I`m away
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https://www.bikepics.com/members/blownygti/90cbr400/Default.asp

[Kal]

Wet dosn't bother me. Having the bike sideways in a corner again on ice and snow does.

I'll just take it easy and overcome.

Decent waterproof touring boots are worn all the time anyway. My neck scarf goes over my nose and under the collar of my fleece. Winter gloves come out to play - best investment I made - lobster clawed things, takes more than 40 minutes riding to start getting cold.

This year the shiny bits of the bike will be getting a coat of vaseline, at least until I can get the Superdream on the road as a winter hack and my visor will get a once ver with a pledge'd cloth.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Finglonga]

[Louise]

Ill be using the ZX6 still.
I dont have an issue riding in winter altho this year I will be wrapping up more.
i wont be riding as much so i will be spraying some protective stuff over the bike and covering.