Stayin' Warm this Winter

[NewVisionGuy]

Hey  guys,   I was riding home tonight (on the V-star,   the Vision will be running again shortly. I now have the r/r)  and  I was thinking, " man,  it's only 60* and it's  almost cold  at 65 mph"   It  seems  now  would be a good time to  start  thinking about  some  winter gear.   I'll  be riding year round and  here  in TN,  it'll  drop to around  30*  on occasion.   Does anyone  know  where I could  get  some decent  gear  for  a reasonable  price?  I just can't  see myself  spending  $140  at the dealership  for  a jacket  that probably won't keep me warm.    I  know  motorplow  has  one of those   heated vests, which i'm interested in.   Any  help  here would be great.

[h2olawyer]

I have a set of nylon Fieldsheer gear (pants & jacket) that has removable insulation.  I have never needed to put the insulation in & I've ridden in mid the 30s @ 60+ MPH for several hours with that stuff.  Didn't get chilled.  Gets unbearable at anything over about 80, though.

Look for a balaclava (head insulation) that has a fleece neck gaiter.  Turtle Fur makes a good one.  That will keep the chills from the most difficult area to keep warm - your normally exposed neck.  Heated grips (or grip heaters) are available through Dennis Kirk & other outlets.  A good set of insulated gore-tex gloves will help keep your hands warm, too.

Underlayers are important as well.  Get some expedition weight polypropylene long underwear - REI is a great source for it.  I have several weights for skiing & they work just as well on the bike.  In the summer, I wear silk weight long johns under my leathers.  Serves two functions - wicks sweat away & makes it easier to get in & out of the suit.  As the weather cools, I can go to a mid weight or expedition weight as conditions dictate.  Polypropylene wicks moisture & will keep you dry under most conditions.

My last two long rides have been in wet & cold conditions, including some snow.  I was wearing my silk weight long underwear, one piece perforated leathers & a rain suit.  On the ride a couple weeks ago, I thought I was staying warm until I got home & proceeded to shiver for an hour or so.  The expedition weight underwear would have worked well.  Still wished I had heated grips on both those rides.  The ride this past weekend wasn't as cold - only got into the high 30s & I was only riding in it for about 20 minutes.  Same gear & never got chilled.

For footwear, some dedicated motorcycle boots without laces & a pair of heavy socks should be sufficient.  Many mc touring boots are gore-tex lined & have quite a bit of armor & padding that act like insulation.  Try New Enough Leather as one good source.  Kneedraggers,com & motorcyclecloseouts.com are other good sources.

There may be some cold riding gear info on the AMA site as well.

I'm sure others have some additional ideas as well.

H₂O

[zore]

My gut feeling tells me that I could get away with less winter gear on the sprint.  I wore a heated vest, flease sweat shirt, winter gloves and balaclava.  I could ride all the way down to the 30's.  The only problem I had was my feet.  It seems the fairing or whatever threw teh cold wind on my feet and they'd freeze.  Didn't have that issue on the vision.

[NewVisionGuy]

H2O,  thanks  for the starting point.  I'll  be riding  a couple 7 hour trips  this winter and I'll definitely need some of this stuff.  I don't  have a wind shield on the v-star.      I was looking online  a little bit ago and found a very affordable jacket.http://www.newenough.com/cortech_fusion_jacket_page.htm   Is this  a jacket that is going to last me  or  do  I need to go ahead and  fork  out  the extra 60 bucks on something else??

[kiawrench]

a good set of leather, single or two piece works well to keep you warm, esp if you chose to size then so you can add extra under them.

   there are many choices on what to get,  i prefer my work clothes, chaps and a good jacket, topped by a neck warmer, my helmet (with skull cap over ears ) and a good set of insulated gauntlet type gloves.
living at beach now, i wear much less, but i did live in an area of cold fall,winter temps.

check this site, they have decent stuff at a realistic price, may be of help !


http://www.discount-leather.net/mimage/BLS005.html

the goods are well made, prices are not like dealerships and the leather they use on many products is tanned well, and doesnt need a lot of work to keep it up,, .

[MotorPlow]

I am still in the experimental stages for my home-made heated vest. I've worn it now three times as the weather is getting cooler. However, the last time I wore it, it blew the inline fuse on the vest. I checked some of the connections on the inside of the vest and found that the electrical tape covering some of my sodier points has turned to goo as it melted. Gotta see what else I can use to cover the connection points.

Best all round winter upgrade I've made is heated grips. $27.00 and work great!

[Blake]

One thing that i might suggest (and i can actually say helps on the v-star) is a set of leather chaps (if you dont want to get a set of pants).  I picked mine up at a motorcycle rally for less than 50 bucks, and it makes a BIG difference (i lowered my v-star seat, so the tank seems to help cover the "exposed area" ;)  except for the goods getting a little cold, my legs stay reasonable warm.  But also like h20 said, a balaclava helps lots.  I went through about 3 or so (some just neck ones, thicker, thinner, etc) until i found one that had slightly thinner material on top (so it fits nice in the helmet) and nice thick stuff around the lower portions.  for the life of me i cant remember the brand name, and i've lost it since.  I'll have to take a look around.

Oh also,  getting some glove liners (thin gloves you wear inside snow gloves) helps a lot too.  However i have noticed just wearing those and my regular leather gloves, the tips of my fingers still get cold after a long ride, but not nearly as much as before.

Hey H20,  I've actually been looking at the fieldsheer textiles (supersport jacket, either apollo or booster pants).  you know of any places to get a deal on them?  also, most importantly (the reason i was concidering them in the first place), how much is it really "waterproof"?  that was a big thing since then i wouldnt have to lug around a rain suit going on longer rides.   just curious.


Blake

[hfarley]

Ok you older guys probably already know this trick but, if you get really stuck and have to ride in weather that is colder than you expected you can always stop at some store and pick up a newspaper. Wrap it around your legs/ arms/ chest. It really helps to block out the cold. Not a good long term option but good if you get stuck somewhere without cold weather gear. I personally go to the ski shop and get thermos, gloves,fleece neck liner, helmet liner, ect... Things seem to be a bit cheaoper at the ski shop around here. Plus I figure the stuff has to be warm, skiiers are on the slopes all day in the cold. Also rain gear over your clothes help to block out some of the wind too. I have also gone to Dicks sporting goods store and picked up some of those hand, foot, toes warmer packets. I throw them in my tank bag and if my hands or whatever get really ice cold I just open one of those packets and throw them on. Kind of a good emergeny thing to have on you. Hope this helps!
-Heather

[Brian Moffet]

I don't understand, in winter the average temperature (when it's not raining) is about 54...  My leather jacket works just fine.

Brian

[Paul_Jungnitsch]

I've had heated grips and a heated vest for a long time, both from Aerostich. Both are worth their weight in gold and I wondered why I never got them for so long. The grips were the wrap around type, I think I'll get the ones that go underneath next time. Only 20 bucks or so. The vest was more expensive, but nothing feels nicer when its chilly out. The Vision powered both without a problem and both transferred easily to the Strom.

Not just handy in the spring/fall but also in the summer on rainy days.

[h2olawyer]

H2O,  thanks  for the starting point.  I'll  be riding  a couple 7 hour trips  this winter and I'll definitely need some of this stuff.  I don't  have a wind shield on the v-star.      I was looking online  a little bit ago and found a very affordable jacket.http://www.newenough.com/cortech_fusion_jacket_page.htm   Is this  a jacket that is going to last me  or  do  I need to go ahead and  fork  out  the extra 60 bucks on something else??

For the price, it looks like it's worth a try.  Cortech is made by Tour Master.  I have a Tour Master rainsuit & it works great.  Had to use it 3 times this summer & every time, it has kept me dry & comfortable.  It's easy to put on quickly on the side of the road as well.  Cortech is good quality & you don't see everyone wearing it - like Joe Rocket stuff.  Should last several years without any major problems - unless it has to do its job.

Fieldsheer no longer makes the style of jacket (Glen Scott) and pants (Highland) that I have.  They do make what looks like a great touring jacket - the Siberia.  Their Highland suit is another option.  Less expensive than an Aerostich.  My only complaint with Fieldsheer's ballistic cloth gear has been the zippers.  Partly my fault - I gained a little weight & put some additional stress on them.  Their Revo Sport leather suits are absolutely incredible for the price.  1 or 2 piece, armored & under $400.  Kneedraggers.com has some discount pricing on Fieldsheer but they don't have the full line.

You should have bid on that Aerostich suit on eBay that had all the 'cred'!   ;D  Aerostich is great for lots of motorcycle gear.  Anybody see the "Analog GPS"?  Shows they have a good sense of humor, too.

H₂O