Cold-Weather Motorcycling Presents Unique Challenges
Part of this article is from On All Cylinders. And part from one of my old articles.
To start, let’s assume you’ll be wearing a full face helmet. Since you can lose a lot of heat through your head, a full face helmet is a key piece of winter riding apparel. You should regularly inspect your helmet anyway, but during the winter specifically check to make sure the headliner is intact and vents are free to open and close. For added peace of mind, companies make anti-fog spray that can reduce the chance of your faceshield fogging over.
Don’t just grab a big parka out of your closet; get a cold weather motorcycle jacket or heated jacket liner. Remember, baggy clothes won’t hold heat and the constant tug of the wind contributes to rider fatigue. A cold weather riding jacket should be snug and include extra thermal protection that can be zipped in and out when necessary. It’s also important that the jacket does not restrict your movement, so you’re able to maintain control of your motorcycle.
Based on riding position, your legs are often the most exposed parts of your body—ensure that they’re well protected with riding pants be that they are insulated leather or gore-tex riding pants. Make sure they fit well, but still allow you to put your leg down at stoplights and manipulate your foot controls. Companies make full or partial chaps also that guard your legs against the cold and can be easily removed, making them a good choice for the commuter.
As with the jacket and pants, winter gloves should fit perfectly. That allows them to retain heat, while still giving you free movement to work your clutch, brake, and various buttons and switches. Gauntlet-style gloves have skirts that overlap the sleeves of your jacket—further sealing out any cold air.
Winter riding boots play an important role, as your feet are often unprotected by a fairing. That leaves them exposed to road wind. Winter boots should overlap your pants, cutting down on exposed areas of skin. Make sure your boots have decent tread and can handle slippery environments. Water can puddle and freeze in the ruts created from semis resting at stoplights, making intersections treacherous.
Don’t forget about your neck. You can address this by wearing a turtleneck undershirt, or purchase a dedicated neck wrap. Avoid scarves—the last thing you want is a loose scarf end dangling around your rear sprocket! Socks are important too.
Water-soaked clothing holds little thermal protection, which is why winter riding gear should be water-resistant. Wool is a smart choice, because it can wick moisture away from the skin. Be aware of any built up sweat, too. Your gear needs to breathe and allow any sweat to dissipate through your clothing.
Dress in layers. Long underwear adds another level of warmth, while sweatshirts and jeans provide a good middle layer of protection. Always err on the side of dressing too warmly; you can always peel off a layer to cool down. All the years that I was a winter warrior I used heated gear from the jacket liner to the pants to the socks to the gloves. Best winter riding investment one can make if you are a true winter warrior. It’s just like riding on a toaster is what I tell everyone who see’s me out riding during the winter months.
Now that you’re dressed to grapple with a yeti, let’s look at your motorcycle. Without going into a full-blown inspection list here, remember to do regular checks of your chain/belt/shaft, tires, brakes, and suspension, to make sure your ride is roadworthy. Winter roads are obviously more daunting than summer roads. You’ll experience ice, road salt, and potholes—make sure your bike is physically ready for winter’s assault. And that you are physically ready to ride in the winter elements.
You can also modify your bike to make your ride more comfortable—specifically in the form of heated grips. Heated grips use your battery’s power to warm elements in (or under) the grips. You can also add heated seats. Make sure that your bike’s electrical system can handle the extra current draw and you have room to install the switches, wires, and relays necessary to make them work.
Depending on the style of motorcycle, the addition of a faring (or larger windshield if already equipped) is an obvious way to protect your body against constant icy wind blasts. As with any install, make sure that all of your levers, mirrors, and switches operate freely before venturing out on the roads. If you’re looking at a dedicated winter fairing, select one that offers maximum body coverage.
When you’re ready to take to the winter road, remember that there are several unique hazards posed to a motorcyclist in winter. Be wary of any new potholes that appear; snowplows love turning highways into obstacle courses. Always be on the lookout for excess road salt and sand—it tends to build up near intersections. Your fellow motorists are more of a danger than ever, as it’s uncommon to see a motorcycle in the roads in the dead of winter.
Depending on your location, ice represents the ultimate hazard to the winter rider. You do not want to hit a patch of that stuff. It might be a good idea to drive your route in a car first, scanning for any potential icy zones.
Be safe: ride alert, ride prepared, and ride confidently. Winter riding can be the most rewarding motorcycling you’ll ever experience. I personally really enjoyed riding during the winter months. Another key tip here is don’t ride at night time in the snow belt area’s during the winter. All the years when I was a winter warrior I did not ride at night time during the winter. Only rode during the daylight hours. Now for all you riders down south or out west just continue to ride in the winter in awesome riding weather. Keep the contact patch between the lines. Michael Theodore National Road Captain
Ten Simple Steps to Winterize Your Motorcycle
I have posted this article on winterizing a bike the last few years here. Hope it still helps someone.
1) Surface Prep
Washing your bike when nobody will see it for a few months anyway can be a drag, but giving your bike a thorough cleaning before storage is important When you let bug guts or water spots or dirt spots sit on your paint over the winter can corrode the finish permanently. Wash your bike and dry it completely to get all the moisture off the surfaces. You can use an electric or gas leaf blower to get all the nooks and crannies completely dry.
Add a coat of wax, which will act as a barrier against moisture and rust. Finally, spray exposed metal surface with WD-40 to displace all moisture (fun fact: the WD in “WD-40” stands for water displacement) and to give them a protective coating against corrosion.
2) Change Oil and Filter
Change your oil and filter. It’s better for your lubrication system to have fresh oil sitting in it for several months than to have used, broken down oil in it, not to mention the last thing you’ll want to do when riding season begins is change the oil before you can go ride. Using a winter weight oil like 5W30 can help it start up easier come spring time as well.
If you’re going to be storing your bike for a long time (4-6 months or more) you will want to protect your engine’s internals against moisture by coating them lightly with oil. You may not be able to see it with your naked eye, but the cold winter air is perfect for moisture to gather in your engine and cause rust to form on your pistons and cylinder walls.
In order to do this, remove the spark plugs and put a little squirt (about a tablespoon) of engine oil into the holes, then turn your engine over a few times to coat the cylinder walls by spinning the rear wheel with the bike in gear. Once everything is coated, replace the spark plugs.
3) Lube Moving Parts
Keeping moving parts lubed up during the winter. This will help keep moisture from building up on them and causing any rusting or binding. Any part of your motorcycle that needs to be lubed at any point should be lubed again before storage. Some parts to check are: chain drive, cables, controls, fork surfaces, and any other pivot points.
4) Prep Fuel System
Gas tanks have a tendency to rust when not in use, and untreated pump gas breaks down and becomes gummy over time. To prevent rusting and make sure your fuel is ready to run after a few months in storage you will want to fill your tank completely with fuel treated with a product like Sta-Bil or Sea Foam both are great Fuel Stabilizers.
On your last ride of the season before you plan on storing your bike. Stop at the gas station nearest to where you live and add the proper amount of fuel stabilizer then top off the tank with a full tank of fuel. This will keep moisture from building up on the tank walls and adding the stabilizer before the short ride home will help mix the gas and stabilizer together and run it through your fuel system before storage.
5) Safeguard Battery
Batteries have a tendency to self-discharge when sitting over time, especially when they remain hooked up to the bike. The easiest way to combat this is to hook up a battery tender like the ones that uses smart technology to monitor the charge and keep the battery topped off without overcharging. Normally you should pull the battery from the bike for storage, but with a smart tender you can also connect the tender with the battery left in the bike. Before doing this, make sure the electrodes are clean and corrosion free if necessary clean them off and give them a light coating of grease.
6) Protect Tires
If your tires are left to sit in the same position all winter long, they could develop flat spots. Keeping the tires off of the ground will prevent this, so if you have a motorcycle stand/Jack you can put the bike up on them for storage. If you don’t have stands try to get at least the rear tire off the ground, or you can rotate your tires by rolling your motorcycle slightly every few weeks. If you need to leave your tires down on concrete put a piece of carpet or plywood under them to keep any moisture from seeping into them.
7) Check Coolant/Anti-freeze
If you are storing your bike somewhere that gets below freezing, make sure you have adequate levels of anti freeze in your coolant system. This is very important; if you run straight water in your coolant system and it freezes, you could come back to a cracked head in the spring!
8) Plug Out Pests
Mice and other rodents are notorious for hiding from the cold inside exhaust pipes and making homes out of air filters. In order to avoid any furry surprises when it’s time to ride again plug up your pipes with an exhaust plug. Or you can also simply stuff your air intake and the ends of your exhaust with some plastic bags – but do use bright colored bags or tie something to them so you don’t forget to take them off when you fire up the bike!
9) Keep it Covered
With your motorcycle fully prepped for winter, invest in a proper quality motorcycle cover. It will not only keep dust off the bike, but will keep the moisture out so it doesn’t get trapped underneath it, and create corrosion or rust. If you’re storing it outside, be sure to get a cover with tie downs to prevent it from blowing loose in wind. If you’re storing it inside you’re in much better shape, but you should still use a cover to prevent dust from building up on it.
10) Theft Protection
If you’re storing your bike outside, bear in mind that being parked unattended for months at a time makes it an easy target for theft. In addition to protecting your bike from weather, using a cover will conceal it from view, and securing it with a heavy lock and chain can give you some peace of mind. If you are going to be storing your bike anywhere it can be accessed by others consider investing in some security measures.
Michael Theodore National Road Captain
State Watch
Information for State Watch is from the AMA
California
Senate Resolution 63, introduced by state Sen. Anna Caballero promotes increased public awareness on the issue of motorcycle profiling. The resolution also encourages collaboration and communication between the motorcycle community and local and state law enforcement agencies to engage in efforts to end motorcyclist profiling. It also urges state law enforcement officials to include statements condemning motorcyclist profiling in policies training materials.
Wisconsin
ABATE of Wisconsin reports that two state senators are circulating a draft bill that would allow retailers to dispense all blends of fuel through one pump nozzle. The bill (LRB2170/P1) would apply to fuel blends up to 15 percent ethanol (E15). The AMA joins ABATE of Wisconsin in opposing this bill, which would dramatically increase the likelihood of inadvertent misfueling by motorcyclists. No motorcycles or ATV’s sold in the United States are certified by the EPA to operate on fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol (E10).
Georgia
The Department of Driver Services Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program received a $83,464 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to help reduce motorcycle fatalities, increase driver awareness of motorcycles and educate motorcycle riders about safety initiatives. The grant allows the safety program to continue promoting state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP promotes driver awareness of motorcycles on the highways, rider education at 40 locations across the state and motorcycle safety initiatives. The GSMP operates motorcycle training for new and experienced riders. Classes focus on riding a motorcycle legally and safely.”We want to ensure everyone has access to proper rider education,” said Holly Hegyesi, GSMP Program Manager. “Motorcycle safety classes are essential for new and experienced riders, alike. Almost one third of motorcycle fatalities involve a rider without a valid license.”
Missouri
Motorcyclist in Missouri will be required to wear helmets while riding, at least for another year, after the states legislature declined to overrule Gov. Mike Parson’s veto of a bill that would have repealed the current motorcycle helmet law. Parson cited safety concerns raised by the state Department of Transportation in issuing the veto. Freedom of the Road Riders supported the bill, which would have provided riders and passengers 18 or older the option of going without a helmet,if they carried health insurance.
PRESIDENT SIGNS SCENIC BYWAYS ACT
The Program is Set To Revive
President Donald Trump signed H.R. 831,the Reviving America’s Scenic Byways Act, on Sept 22,2019.
The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to request nominations for, and make determinations regarding, roads to be designated under the national scenic byways program, which has been closed for six years. The AMA was part of the coalition that helped create this program in 1991 and played an active role in the efforts to revive the program. The program provides resources that help communities along designated byways benefit from the tourism they generate, while preserving the characteristics of the roads that made them great destinations in the first place. Even before the bill passed, officials said they were prepared to seek National Scenic Byway designation for 44 roads in 24 states. Michael Theodore National Road Captain
Up Coming Events for 2019
There are No upcoming events at this time. Please remember for 2020 when planning an event to let the board know of your dates and event information. So that it can be posted on our National website along with our face book pages.
Michael Theodore
National Road Captain
UPCI Ohio Men’s Conference
September Ohio UPCI Men’s Conference was truly a huge Blessing and a big success. We made a lot of new contacts who stopped by to tell us thank you for what we do. We were busy explaining to potential members that not only do we support our missionaries but we help members with biker Sunday’s to reach out to the bikers that others don’t know how to reach. We had quite a few pastors stop by to say they support what we do. ASR was blessed by the Ohio district Men’s conference as they gave us a donation for M4M.
Michael Theodore
Ohio Coordinator
Up Coming Events
There are No upcoming events at this time. The Fall retreat In Texas has been cancelled. Please remember for 2020 when planning an event to let the board know of your dates and event information. So that it can be posted on our National website along with our facebook pages.
Michael Theodore National Road Captain
2019 General Conference
General conference 2019 was blessed and a huge success. One of the things that made me proud to be an Azusa-SteetRider was when Brother Howell and some of the missionaries stopped by to tell us thank you for what we do. We were busy all week explaining to potential members that not only do we support our missionaries but we help members with biker Sunday’s to reach out to the bikers that others don’t know how to reach. We had quite a few pastors stop by to say they support what we do. One of the highlights was meeting one of the advisers Brother Reyes from the Azusa-streetriders Philippines. They are looking forward to us visiting with them so if anyone is interested in heading to the Philippines within the next 2 years save up and lets start planning a trip. I would encourage anyone that has the time to help with the ASR booth at next years General Conference in Saint Louis MO to come out and help, you will be blessed.
Michael Theodore National Road Captain
Do You Have a Non-drinking Problem?
The First Step to addressing a problem is to first acknowledge that you have a problem. I will admit to you all that I do not a serious non-drinking problem. I have always hydrated before,during and after a ride.If you are one of the many riders who forgets to drink enough water, here are some indicators of dehydration and a few steps you can take to break your non-drinking habit.
Recognize The Warning Signs
If you ride for long periods without the urgency to stop at a rest area to relieve yourself, you may be dehydrated, instead of water, you may have to go more frequently but are actually flushing out vital water reserves since coffee acts as a mild diuretic.
If your skin,mouth,lips and eyes are dry, you may be low on H2O. Similarly, if you find yourself becoming fatigued or achy, or are beginning to experience headaches, don’t wait; you are way overdue to re hydrate. In extreme dehydration, you may become dizzy,experience elevated heartbeat and rapid breathing, or even becoming confused and disoriented. At this point consider this an emergency; it’s time to get help as soon as possible.
Avoiding Dehydration
Begin to drink water in the hours before you hit the road. Don’t think you can simply down a large bottle of water just before you jump on your bike. It doesn’t work that way. Drink smaller amounts more often so your body can absorb instead of pass the vital fluid.
Pack water bottles on your bike and have one in your cup holder. Make sure you refill yourself each time you stop to get gas or to just stretch your legs. I am always sipping on my water as I ride.
Keep this drinking habit going after the kickstand is down. Continue to replenish your body and prepare for the next day’s journey. By being more conscious of the issue and following these simple guidelines. You have now begun to control your non-drinking problem. You should now be able to ride for hours and still feel fresh at the end of the days ride. Hope this has helped you. Now drink up!
Keep it between the lines
Michael Theodore
National Road Captain
National Rally has come and Gone
I would like to take the time to say thank you to the Maryville, Tennessee chapter for hosting the 2019 National Rally and doing a tremendous job. What a great time in fellowship and riding we had. Our church services were amazing so powerful. Looking forward to 2020 National Rally in Nashville,Indiana. Michael Theodore National Road Captain