That’s it. It’s time to accept it. Winter’s here. I don’t care how much everyone is screaming about Global Warming. Cold is cold. And when you’re riding while the winter it feels that much colder. Wind chill is a bitch. Composition the factor of speed. The faster you go the more the temperature drops. So the main idea behind this months Tab. How to survive the winter on your motorcycle.

Some of you silly bastards like cold weather. I’ll never understand that. Maybe it’s because I’m a skinny white boy. Not much blubber to hold in the heat. I live in the south for a reason. But even in the dirty dirty it gets cold once in a while. When the temp drops and the wind picks up I’m grabbing every piece of heavy clothing I can wear at once. If I look like the minuscule brother from a Christmas story when I’m done, so be it. Hell, I’ll wear my underoo’s on the covering if it’ll keep my ass warm. Maybe that’s a bit extreme.

For those of us hardcore (read: stupid) adequate to ride year round we need to get a minuscule creative when reasoning of how to keep warm while riding in the winter months. Ok, so we all ride fighters and are not exactly single about having fairing’s. So to get colse to our stubbornness we need to try and break the wind as much as possible.

Hands, being the first line of defense. Winter gloves are ordinarily a good idea. Something with Gore-Tex or Thinsulate is a plus. Just about every major motorcycle apparel maker offers a winter glove. Most can be had for under with varying stages of protection and insulation from the elements. But aside from going out and buying a name brand glove. There are other steps you can take before you shell out some dough on specialty gloves. Take a run down to either the local grocer, hardware, or auto parts store and pick up a box of disposable latex gloves. These are great for holding in your natural body heat. And because they are form fitting, you can wear them inside your riding gloves as extra insulation. Some habitancy may have a question with latex. In which case, a sporting goods store or outdoor outlet carry glove liners. Inspiring up the sleeve, your wrists are prone to windblast. Even if you wear full gauntlet gloves, when in the riding position and Inspiring colse to your sleeves can creep up and let in the wind. Try a pair of wristbands. A definite cheap trick for holding the wind out of your sleeves.

As far as your upper body is concerned. This is going to take the brunt of the cold. Lack of a windscreen puts you right out there for old man winter to lay into you with a constant body blow. Heavy shirts are a must, obviously. But too many of these at once cannot only be uncomfortable, but restrict movement. Thermal shirts are always a plus. Combined with a sweater and lined jacket. But try some of those cool max shirts as a base to your layers. Anyone to wick away moisture from your body is going to keep you that much warmer. If your jacket lets through wind in definite areas try and pin point them from the inside. Seams, vents, perforation. The fix for this is one that holds the world together. Duct tape. Yup, patch them up on the inside so the zephyr doesn’t make its way through. Plus, if you find yourself needing a piece for a quick fix on the road. There you go.

Lastly, a thin nylon windbreaker under the jacket can be a great help. Or even your rain jacket over top.

Your head and face are super sensitive. Good full-face lids with closable vents are always the way to go. If you’re in an area that gets lots of snow and super low temps, you may want to look into snowmobile helmets for the winter. The ones with heated visors would be a great option. Of policy one of the most base ways to keep your head warm is wearing a beanie under your lid. If that’s too thick for a comfortable fit, try the sporting goods and ski shops for balaclava’s. The ones made of nylon are typically very thin. If you can get one that fits colse to your neck and face you’re that much ahead of the game. If you want to be super biker, there’s always the first-rate bandanna too. This will at least keep the wind off your face and your breath will keep your face warm. Keep breath mints handy though. One more cheap trick for cutting down fog and retaining heat. If your helmet doesn’t offer a breath deflector you can make one out of duct tape. Double up the tape and form it to fit your face. Then tape it right to the inside of the chin bar. Just be sure not to leave any adhesive exposed. Most of us don’t need our mustaches waxed.

The feet and knees are always in the breeze. Ski socks are a definite plus. The longer the great too. Insulated boots are admittedly the only way to go.

The less wind that can get in the better. A great piece of gear I found was Mx knee and shin guards. These are similar to Hockey shin guards.

Plastic caps with foam padding and fabric liners. Also makes for someone else protection alternative. The cool part about these is they are thin adequate to wear under loose fitting pants. The plastic blocks the wind very well while the foam helps to withhold heat. These are fairly inexpensive too. They can be had for under . Some even under . For the rest of your lower extremities, Double up on pants. Sweat pants, Track pants, thermals, etc.

Of policy there’s always the option of heated riding gear. These can get pricey but if you plan to ride in very cold climates, it’s probably a smart investment. The economy recipe is the hand warmer packs. They’re fairly cheap and some last up to 8 hours. If you plan on doing some long riding, I would recommend getting some for the trip. You can put them in your shoes to keep your feet warm, in your gloves to help out your hands and any place else you feel is subjected to direct cold.

So now that you look like a reincarnation of the Michelin Man, what can we do to the bike that will help you out with out totally goobering it up?

Well, again, Anyone that can block the wind will help. Like stated earlier, your hands are the first line of defense. Dirtbike style hand guards will keep some of the wind off your mitts. If you want to keep them toasty you can spend in some grip heaters also. Now Grip heaters are a bit minuscule as they admittedly only work the palm of your hand. With the hand guards in place as well your fingers will thank you. Plus, if your bike has that kind of ruff and tumble look going for it, they’ll fit right in.

Another, idea that struck me. Heated seats. This is admittedly a fairly easy idea. You can pull them from any factory-equipped car. Try the local junkyards. Just make sure they can bench test them before you walk out the door. You’ll want the thermostat control with this, which can be mounted under the tail for adjustment while riding. Basically, heated seats are no more then a heating pad element that sits under the upholstery, a top the padding. The heating elements median about 100-140 degrees F. I did a quest for “Upholstery Heating Elements” and came up with some good results and even factory instructions and tutorials for discrete seats. Both Oem and retro fits.

The biggest help of all is going to be getting out of the wind as much as possible. And to do that, we are going to need some sort of windscreen. Now for some, they may not approve of this idea, but there is an upside. This could be a seasonal rehearsal in restyling your bike. I’m not saying you have to go back to full fairing’s, but stretch your creativity and maybe try a easy upper fairing. Restyle a factory upper, or make your own.

Even a small fly screen can add a minuscule redirection. When it warms back up, you can go back to your primary design. At least you survived someone else cold winter, and maybe… Enjoyed it?!

Everyone stay warm out there, and have a safe and happy holidays.

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