12 December 2024

Ride safe, ride warm, ride dry – but ride!

Weather, what weather?

It’s only a touch of winter. And when the conditions allow, there’s nothing better than riding under crisp, clear blue skies.

Heck, it can still be pretty good under cloud-covered skies.

That is, if you’re dressed for it.

Paul Browne offers a few tips.

 

Have you retired your bike for the winter?

Many do, but sometimes you have to say, “really??”

Maybe you might even throw in an exclamation mark to further express your personal angst.

OK, so winter riding isn’t for everyone. But hanging up your boots can not only mean missing out on hours of joy, but seriously restrict your social life. Us motorcyclists are, after all, a social breed.

So, if you want to stay in the saddle until the summer sun peeks out its little yellow head, we have a few tips to help you out.

Pay attention to the forecast.

There are a surprising amount of good days to take a spin on the bike.

It doesn’t rain everyday and, while it’s not warm, it can still be as much fun as ever.

In the cold you’ll find that main roads are gritted so there’s plenty of grip.

There isn’t actually any good or strong reason to get back into some sort of four wheeled vehicle.

 

Start with the bike.

It’s been a great summer so finish it off by giving it the once over. Something as simple as an oil change can reveal a lot.

The chain and sprockets, the tyres and brake pads all need to be checked and replaced if necessary.

Once that’s done give it a decent wash, dry it, and apply some ACF 50. This will save the bike from rusting and keep it right over the winter as salted roads do their very best to destroy it.

Dress up

Motorcycle clothing has come on in leaps and bounds over the last decade.

While there are still eye-wateringly expensive suits out there, surprisingly affordable ones are now widely available.

Riding a commute can be done in the newer more casual looking kit.

A Belstaff jacket, for example, and a pair of armoured jeans allow you to ride in safety but not need to get changed when you arrive at your workplace.

Add a pair of boots, I wear Spada ones (pictured left) and you have a ‘Hydrophobic’ suit that would pass any hipster fashion test.

Finish it off with a set of light waterproof gloves such as the short cuffed Hadleigh from Knox.

For the longer trips – I frequently cover more than 500km in a day – start with a base layer.

I use the two piece from Knox, these are designed to hold and maintain the body’s temperature.

Then add a mid layer. You’ll find that most will already have a detachable one zipped in to it when the jacket and trousers were new.

Once again you can always dispense with the standard ones. I find the cuffs sometimes snag when I’m taking them off, so I’ve replaced mine with something more comfortable.

The outer layer is going to need to be waterproof.

Laminated fabrics will allow the moisture to flow off them, almost like glass, whereas the rest, while still keeping out the damp, will ‘hold’ at least some of the water in the fabric itself.

This has the effect of making the jacket and pants heavier and quicker to transfer the cold back to the wearer’s body.

Suited & booted

I’m enjoying a Halvarssons Gruven jacket (right) with a pair of Wish slacks from the same place.

Having a full zip from the jacket to the pants makes for a much more comfortable experience. 

Supplementing the suit with a pair of boots that should be waterproof and fit comfortably into the cuff of ones trousers is a must. After all wearing a pair only to have the water flow down the pants and end up inside them will make the wearer sad and possibly even a bit cranky.

Clear thinking

While a clear visor isn’t always necessary, that winter sun is still there. Adding a pinlock allows the me to ride without needing to open the visor. This, in turn, keeps the me warm.

A clear visor can be slid into the inside of your jacket without taking up any space. I wrap mine in a helmet bag.

Bridge the gap between the bottom of the helmet and the top of the jacket with a snood. These are a tricky buy as most are just cotton and soak up water quite quickly. Find a waterproof one. Oxford products do a good selection.

Gloved up

Feeling the love means finding a good pair of gloves.

Thermal linings now take up a lot less space, have a better feel and some even have touch screen finger tips.  It’s also quite surprising how much safety can be added to the construction of a good pair without adding any significant weight.

Finally, don’t be too concerned with keeping it all to one brand. Find what works for you and get the most from your kit.

Riding in the winter will keep up your skill levels and make you so much of a better motorcyclist come spring.

It also makes for a faster, more efficient commute and a great way of getting away from your family on a Sunday morning…!

Year-round protection? Call 0808 945 951 for your annual motorcycle insurance quote.

 

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