What About Winter Rides?
Winter motorcycle riding can be a lot of fun, or it could be miserable, depending on if you have the right clothing, equipment, and mental preparedness. I’ve ridden in the winter quite a bit, as well as talked to some who ride all year long to work and so forth. I find winter riding to be stimulating and exciting. There are times when the roads get dicey, and you have to slow down. Did you hear that? there are times that your mental preparedness will tell you to slow down, and it’s wise to listen to your head at that time. It requires more patience to ride a little slower in order to stay safe. Unless you live in some of our high elevation, mountainous areas where the snow stops you from moving, wet roads are simply something you have to get a good feel for and know the safety standards to be put in place as you conquer the road.
I’ve thought through “5 Motocycle Safety Tips for Winter Riding” that I would like to share with you as we start into 2024.
- Check the weather before meeting with others that you like to ride with, so you can be well prepared for what lie ahead. It’s best to think through what type of clothing you might want to take along, and what you should leave home with. If the weather could change throughout the day, you could be miserable if you don’t have waterproof and warm clothes. Perhaps a good pair of goggles would be something that could make or break a good ride.
- Make sure your motorcycle is in Tip-Top-Shape. It’s important to make sure all the lights ore functioning well. People need to see you, especially during the winter months. If your lights are not on it will not only make it hard for the oncoming traffic, but also the people coming up from behind. During good weather it’s easy to keep people off your tail by making good moves to stay out of the lane where you see tailgaters are traveling. However, on wet, slippery roads, you can’t always get out of their way, so good (maybe even flashing) lights will most likely protect you. Of course, there are many other things to check before hitting the road. The thing I like to keep in mind is that it’s much more difficult to wait for long hours during the cold winter weather than during the warm riding season.
- Tires, Tires, Tires! We all know what can happen if there is not much tread left on our tires at the end of the riding season. Please make sure your tires are in good condition all year long, but especially during the winter months.
- Wearing the right kind of gear can certainly change the way you remember a wintertime ride. The coldest temperature I remember riding in is 18 degrees. My fingers went numb after about an hour and I had 2 more hours to ride. That’s when I learned the hard way that heated cloves are not always necessary, but sometimes they can be. I also rode through a rainstorm in Washington State. This time I had my rain suit in the saddle bags. I stopped at a gas station and put it on. As soon as I got back on the road, I found a truck to ride behind that I thought was going a safe speed. I told myself that this trucker was most likely going to stay back from the traffic in front of him, so there would be no sudden stops. I rode all the way to CA behind that truck and all was good. The rain suit kept me dry and warm as well.
- Make sure to stop often if you can. Winter riding takes a lot more concentration and energy due to the weather. It’s a possibility that you can feel good while riding and not realize that you are jacked up on adrenalin, due to the conditions you are riding in. If you stop, get off the bike, and just walk around for a few minutes, it can make all the difference in the safety of your ride. Of course, a cup of hot coffee and a donut doesn’t hurt either.
- Published in Motorcycle