how many of you home bois are commuting this winter?

[hugeduck]

i wasnt planning to but i dont really want to skint myself out to buy a shitty car (mrs uses the car) so i thought fook it cant be all bad riding in the snow looooooool. god knows what i'm going to do if its like last year, i'll have to get off and push it through the snow or summin. no to fussed about the cold, i wear my leathers no matter what! i'm not scared looked into buying some of that electric heated kit but its so exspensive its not worth me getting it becuase i dont go that far, and heated grips and sh1t too (it dont warm my balls up lol)

first winter with the storm, any suggestions on what to keep clean and lubed (other than chain and brakes) so it doesnt rust up and fall off?

cheers

[Wicky]

Hippo hands and heated grips - toasty warm

M&S thermal underwear, Millets thermal socks and snood. XXL large waterproof jacket with room for fleece and xtra layers underneath.

Make sure you protect the starter motor connection under the rubber hood from salty corrosion.

what to keep clean and lubed (other than chain and brakes) so it doesnt rust up and fall off?

ACF-50 on everything apart from brakes and seat.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/acrobat/ACF-50% ... KES%20.pdf

For the past couple of years I've been cycling more. Saving the bike, and time togging on & off and keeping warm in the process.

[hugeduck]

Hippo hands and heated grips - toasty warm

M&S thermal underwear, Millets thermal socks and snood. XXL large waterproof jacket with room for fleece and xtra layers underneath.

Make sure you protect the starter motor connection under the rubber hood from salty corrosion.

what to keep clean and lubed (other than chain and brakes) so it doesnt rust up and fall off?

ACF-50 on everything apart from brakes and seat.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/acrobat/ACF-50% ... KES%20.pdf

For the past couple of years I've been cycling more. Saving the bike, and time togging on & off and keeping warm in the process.

have you got a link for the hippo hands and acf stuff please? definately need some of that stuff ;)

cheers

[Wicky]

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productinfo/5866 ... ies/Tech-7

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productinfo/5409 ... ion/ACF-50



http://www.marksandspencer.com/Marks-an ... ed-items-3

[hugeduck]

cheers, just purchased

[darkember]

If you have not far to go I would garage the Storm & get a real cheap rat bike for the snow so if you bin it who cares

[hugeduck]

as much as i loved my old 125 bike i couldnt bring myself to ride another heap of shite lol, and for the price of insurance etc it wouldnt be cheap (not for me anyways)

[seb421]

I might be, but its wombles horrible,

Anyone who say's different is a liar the daily winter commute on a motorbike is about as pleasurable as getting stuck in a lift with Purple Aki

Nothing you do will stop the searing cold from trying to shut your body down at 4am on the Motorway

This year i'm going to Cycle in / get the Train in / wait for a few hours in station for first train and get that home, that winter a few years ago was just horrible never been as scared in my life there was trucks abandoned on the motorway cars crashed all over the place, the storm didn't let me down and amazingly i didn't crash it, did drop it down my driveway (steep drive) and i drop it further down the estate where it goes off camber it slid out but once you get on a gritted road its not so bad if you drop the pressure a little

If i was to use the bike again i would cable tie some large sponge sheets to the bike's fairings to help protect it if it goes down ( it will looks sh1t as wombles but better anything better than scuffed fairings come spring)

[benny hedges]

i used to commute in all weathers but since 1990 ive had a works car / van so dont need to any more.
i do find that commuting saps your enthusiasm a bit... like those who commute on 2 wheels arent so keen to go on a long weekend ride, and i used to love driving, but these days see it as a chore.

one time i was working in the middle of liverpool and in one week i got knocked off 3 times. my mum insisted i got a train pass after that but i left soon after as commuting by train meant i was working a 12hr+ day compared to 9 on the bike.
the last occasion i had bought a bikini fairing for my bike and was carrying it over my shoulder as i rode home.... halfway round a roundabout a black cab just ploughed straight into me and drove off without stopping = ambulance job. you can imagine the mess the fairing made of my shoulder and collar bone

and one year, i was riding a 250rs honda (i had 3 of them over the years )

the little village i lived in was completely snowed in and i was bored so attempted to make it to the motorway 1 mile away.... unbelievable lol, i made it but was dropping the bike every 50 ft lol, hard pack ice and ruts in the snow from car tyres.
once i got on the motorway 2 lanes were clear.... silly me ventured into the 3rd lane at 70+ lol

strangely, i dont remember ever being cold... but then again it was only a 8-10 mile commute each way

i'l be prepping my bike for winter today as it happens... ready for the occasional dry ride. ive got some nice textiles now so the cold and wet dont bother me at all.
just make sure you have the right gear and the weather isnt a problem as long as there is a bit of traction!

[mr.john.coates]

As my Storm is my toy, It'll only be coming out on fine days. I have a Deauville for work, and a push bike if I'm feeling fit so I do ride everyday unless there's snow or bad ice. The Deauville's got good weather protection and with a big fairing and heated grips it's fine. My journey is only 6 miles so not really time to get too cold. I rode my push bike to work last year when my weather station said -9 c - when I got to work my face was frozen and, as it thawed out my nose started to bleed

Winter takes it out of you and your kit. The Deauville is now starting to look tatty after 4 winters, but it's also been very reliable - that's why I bought its big brother!

[StormingHonda]

I dont mind the winter riding, I put my foot down when it snows tho ( even tho I end up going out in it, one way or the other ).

Heated grips pfffff, dont want to break your nails more like, Winter sorts the mens from the boys

[AMCQ46]

Snow and ice is only for the off road bikes these days...when I was young and the bike was my only transport I have done far too many miles in those conditions and as I didn't have much cash there was no fancy kit to keep you warm. Best we did was put newspaper down the jacket and trouser fronts to add an extra insulation layer!

Long gone are those days when you are close to tears as the feeling comes back into your fingers after a long cold wet ride! I don't miss them

[BigVeeGrin]

Push bike for me at the moment, or me lad's car - first time in three years not used the old Storm through the winter, so now toying with taking bits off and tidying up. Front engine stuff for one, forks, rear suspension linkage and so on. And getting to clean bits that have never been touched etc

[lumpyv]

bright and breezy sunny dry days , i,ll be there, rain snow and sleet? ? cant see the point cos i would,nt enjoy it which is the point of having the thing .

off work tomorrow though and hoping for some dry sunny weather

[agentpineapple]

what about finding some cheap but tatty fairing to put on the bike thru winter, at least if the worst happens you can put yr good fairings back on...