Its been since I rode in the winter but you can drive in the HOV/ toll lane for free on one here and the traffic in Atlanta is just painful. It may cut my commute time in half. In the old days I wore lots of layers. I Still clearly remember those freezing precipitation rides on the old XS650 hitting like small arms fire... Anybody know of a suit that will keep my older self warm?
Normally I'd suggest something like a Widder electric vest under your snow suit. But you pulled the charging system off that bike and greatly reduced its capacity as I recall. Not sure if the reconfiguration could handle an electric vest.
Reminds me I need better gloves for cool weather. I hate arriving at my destination and having to peel my frozen fingers off the handlebars.
I had a teacher in middle school who rode his bike all through the winter. He had these huge, fleece lined vinyl gloves that mounted to his handle bars and protected him up to his elbows.
On a side note, it's worth mentioning that he only has one leg now.
Sort of like these:
Snowmobile Suit
I wear a pair of Roadgear overpants, they're a nice company to deal with because you can order by actual size like jeans, and not "Large" or "Medium-Tall". They're good at blocking out the wind. For a jacket I wear a Scorpion Commander XDR, which I think has been mostly replaced by something else by them; they sell a tall that actually fits well (I'm 6'5" and on the thin side so gear is a major hassle). The thing comes with an insulating liner and a water-resistant liner in case I run into rain so it's quite versatile.
Gloves are Rev-It! Club H20's unless it's really cold, where I'll switch to some Rev-It! winter gloves I got. The over-mitt setup posted by Woody combined with the Club's would be a great setup, I don't like having to operate motorcycle control with super thick gloves.
The last thing is a good balaclava. If it's below 50 degrees out I really prefer to wear one. Something like this; http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/11/367/28698/ITEM/REVIT-Tracker-WB-Balaclava.aspx and yes the thing costs more than the cheapest on the market but a) I'm a big Rev-It! fan and b) the length is right for motorcycle use, it's long enough that it won't easily walk up and out of the neck hole on a jacket.
It's not cheap but I'd recommend an Aerostich one piece riding suit. They have lots of other cold weather gear as well. http://www.aerostich.com/
ls1fiero wrote: Its been since I rode in the winter but you can drive in the HOV/ toll lane for free on one here and the traffic in Atlanta is just painful.
LOL, were you drunk or stoned when you wrote that? I'm laughing not to be a d**k but because I do the same thing. Why don't all the words in my brain make it to my fingers? You are probably like me, took metal shop instead of typing. Seemed a good idea at the time!
{cough}sprockets!{cough}
NGTD wrote: Snowmobile Suit
This. My Dad rode 50 weeks out of the year in Virginia thanks to a snowmobile suit.
That said, heated stuff would help for added warmth it your bike can handle it. Other wise I have seen battery powered heated gloves, not sure if those are bike spec.
Also maybe heater packs for your hands and feet.
stuart in mn wrote: It's not cheap but I'd recommend an Aerostich one piece riding suit. They have lots of other cold weather gear as well. http://www.aerostich.com/
Seconded. I have one, never looked back. Unsurpassed for bad-weather riding. Actually made for riding motorcycles on the street (it makes a difference), custom made (if you wish, off-the-rack also available), made in the USA by nice Minnesotan folks. It will outlast just about any piece of gear you have; it's money well spent.
Hah! Note the time of my original post. That is truly an awful sentence. The Rev It gloves and balaclava seem to really nice.Will probably have to spend on those. Love the Aerostich and Road Gear stuff. But an ebay special snowmobile suit may have to be my starting place.
I shopped a long time for gloves that actually fit and Rev-It! fits my hands well. I have to buy them in XXL, which I find odd, but with that knowledge of their sizing I can basically mail order and not worry about fit. My hands are long but rather narrow / thin and these are the best for me. Your mileage, of course, may vary.
The snowmobile suit seems like a great solution.
I used to ride through winter in the UK mainly because they don't get much of the fluffy white stuff that's more common out here. I don't think you can get the gear I use out here in the US (it's by a Norwegian company called Halvarsson) but one of the people with a similar commute to mine (actually a longer one) would use an Aerostitch.
Neck protection is pretty important, so get yourself a neck tube. Depending on the outside temperatures you might also want to look into a heated vest or similar.
neon4891 wrote: This. My Dad rode 50 weeks out of the year in Virginia thanks to a snowmobile suit.
I hope he wasn't wearing the snowmobile suit for all 50 weeks. 
Just remember that motorcycle tires don't have the best compound for cold pavement. I was reminded of this when I was laying in the street on a 24 degree morning.
+1000 on an Aerostich suit. After years and years of almost doing it I bought a Darien jacket and pants when I was going to be commuting daily into DC - not especially long, like 1/2 hour or less, but in all weather. I've got Shoei X11 and Arai DS helmets, Sidi and Oxtar boots, Held and Lee Parks Design gloves and Vanson and Spidi jackets - I don't mind spending money on the best gear - but dropping the better part of a G on a textile suit was intimidating.
A week after I got it I was riding to work on a bitter cold day on my KTM 950 Supermoto, which I'd just bought barely used a few weeks prior. Asshat in front of me looking at his Blackberry didn't notice the asshat in front of him who'd had his brake lights on for blocks. When he did finally glance at the road he saw brake lights (irrespective of the fact that the car displaying them was going a steady 30mph) and reacted by punching his brakes. I was at that moment changing lanes from behind him to the lane to his left, and was crossing the big asphalt berm in the center of the lane. The instant I touched the front brake, it locked, tucked the front and I was on the ground instantaneously. I was a road racer for years, and was pretty good on the brakes. In the rain too...This was the fastest crash I'd ever had from a standpoint of "Now my finger is on the lever...now I'm picking up the most expensive bike I've ever owned".
The suit didn't even have a mark on it. I was utterly uninjured. A little sore the next day, more so the day after that, but no bruising, no nothing. It really works.
I added a BMW by Widder electric vest a while later and was never cold. The nice thing about Aerostich is that they're designed to go over your clothes. The pants have leg zippers, so get dressed for work, put this monster garment over that and go.
BTW - I bought the jacket in Hi-Viz yellow. I look like a European airport fireman, but it magically makes cars notice me. It's literally like turning back the hands of traffic density about 10 years.
I can recommend Aerostich products with no reservations.
Another one: Lee Parks Design Deersports phase change gloves. Amazing. Most comfortable gloves I've had in 30 years, and freakishly warm when it's cold but not hot when it's not cold. The range is 70 to 35 degrees, which is most of my season. Expensive, worth every penny.
ReverendDexter wrote: {cough}*sprockets!*{cough}
{cough} my exact thread in Sprockets{cough}
First off, you're in Atlanta. Wear some jeans and a sweat shirt if you want to ride in the winter.
Secondly, my uncle is very against heated gear, for the simple fact that if your bike breaks down then all of a sudden you may be at risk of freezing to death. Of course, in Atlanta this would not really be an issue. And to be honest I never agreed with him because in my mind heated gear is mostly to offset wind chill.
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