When is it too cold mechanically?

When is it bad for the motorcycle to run? It's going to be 20 this week. I wanted to test some heated clothing, but wondered if I could hurt something on the bike.

Plan was to warm it up real good and run up the interstate for an hour to see if my clothes protected me adequately.

in my uneducated opinion, you should be ok, you drive your car/truck in the 20's.

mark f

If you can handle it ride it. The bike is a machine, if it starts it can handle it.
Enjoy the ride

See you out there
Smokey

Just be careful with any plastic/vinyl parts or covers. Some mount the plug for the heated clothing tucked under a side cover, if it is plastichrome the plastic could be a little brittle. Just take it easy on those. Like others said, "it's a machine" long as it starts you should be good.

Dave

I say dont do it. 20 degrees is too cold. You might freeze up. On the other hand everybody will go up in flames riding on a darkside tire.

Stay cool. (get it?)

Badmoon wrote:I say dont do it. 20 degrees is too cold. You might freeze up. On the other hand everybody will go up in flames riding on a darkside tire.

Stay cool. (get it?)

Good one Moon.

Jerry

Friday morning I"m testing some new cold weather gear. Going to go for a one hour ride on the interstate. It's supposed to be 23 degrees.

The reason I bring up this topic is, just in case my bike scatters in a million pieces, I'll know it was the tire and not the temperature!


The testing is just for me. How low can I go kinda thing...

Steve-O wrote:Friday morning I"m testing some new cold weather gear. Going to go for a one hour ride on the interstate. It's supposed to be 23 degrees.

The reason I bring up this topic is, just in case my bike scatters in a million pieces, I'll know it was the tire and not the temperature!


The testing is just for me. How low can I go kinda thing...

So, what did you buy? Steve and I got Gerbing heated gloves this year. I figure every year we'll add a piece. By the time we retire, we should have the whole outfit.

I got the tourmaster synergy jacket. Love it. Rode to Amarillo on 12/18. It got down to 30 during the ride. Wore boots, thick socks, long john top/bottom (actually Rebok), jeans, rain pants (as a windbreaker), Heated Jacket, First Gear Jacket (Mesh), glove inserts, thick outer gloves with large gauntlet, scarf, balaclava, and helmet. Like I say, this was good down to 30.

Friday am, I'm going to put on about the same as above, but going with my Carhart overalls and Jacket. This may get me down to the 20s. I'm not taking any prolonged trips in frigid weather, mainly because of the ice, but want to know if I CAN.

One of these days, I may break down and get a nice "snow suit" type garment. Lot's lighter than layering like I've been doing. but layering allows you to take off a layer at a time as the temperature goes up during the day.

Haven't had the need for the gloves yet. but they are next on my list. At $139, they are a ways down. Like you say, it may be one item a year till I get all of them. Pants would be nice too.

One thing about the tourmaster stuff, you want it tight. It warms by contact, so I bought a medium jacket. It's snug, but keeps me nice and toasty. With my torso and neck warm, I do pretty well. Last year about this time I took off for Little Rock in 30 degree weather. Froze my buns off! don't want to repeat that....a little on the dangerous side.

I got a "thick and thin" sirius balaclava. It's thin on top so the helmet fits well, and thick on the bottom around the neck. Really like the way it fits and keeps my neck warm.

I rode in 20+ but wasn't nice, was afraid on some ice patch on the road.
Two days ago wanted to ride bike to work, but decided to get my minivan instead and was a good choice, as soon when I pulled out from the driveway, I slipped out with minivan on the ice patch. Lol.

Now am waiting to get in 30's so I can ride again.
H8 dang ice,

Gear wise, I am good.
Bought some zero (something) from K-Mart overall and ski gloves, have a full face helmet and also novelty when it's not so cold to ride, ski kap and am ready for chilly weather to ride, but not in 20's again.

I put 125 miles on a PGR mission last year in the winter. 8 degrees when I took off, a high of around 25. The bike did better than I did!!!!!!!!!!!!

the only issue I have ever seen was fork seal problems . Maybe I should have been doing wheelies when it was that cold.... That was back in the late '70s or early '80. Maybe they use a lighter weight fork oil these days.

On an old air cooled motor , I also had the clutch slipping issues if the oil did not warm up enough.

Roy

I've ridden at 17 BELOW zero with no issues at all. I've taken a 200 mile trip with the temp in the teens. If I parked my bike everytime it dropped below freezing I'd be lucky to get 5,000 miles a year

George

I have some old Carhart overalls and coat. Use them for cold weather fishing mainly. I put these on over my long johns and heated jacket. Had on my regular boots and socks, thick gloves with liners, a balaclava, and full face helmet. Temp was 30 degrees and I only had to set the jacket to "low". I think I can go much lower in this setup. Bike did fine. I wasn't the coolest biker out there...no wait, I was the only biker out there which makes me the coolest! (dumbest, bravest, etc, also).

Gotta watch for ice. Bike needs a longer warm up. But the Carharts are wind resistant and a great thermal barrier.

At 40, I can go with my regular riding jacket which has padding and is more asphalt resistant. But 30 degrees is too cold for this setup.

Thanks for the replies

Hehehe, one of the days I rode the coldest was the day after I bought my bike. I had no helmet, a carhart jacket, jeans and workboots. I rode it to work that day, only about 9 miles at the time and it was 7 degrees out. I was determined to show off my new bike. My head almost froze solid. I decided after that to let the bike sit until my helmet came in (had to order it or it would have been on the first day)

George

I had an old mad that rode an old Harley when I was in high school that it was too cold to ride when the 90 weight gear oil froze up.

I think he did too.

Moon