And today's commuting highlight is...

[Pothole]

Max5476 said:

Pothole said:

I'm on a 1400-0200 shift today so my ride in was in said sunshine. I've recently purchased a cheap, Chinese bluetooth headset which I fitted to my lid today. Then, after I tested it and found the volume way too low, I pulled the lining back a bit to reveal two depressions in the polystyrene which are a) actually close to my ears and b) designed into the lid for the exact purpose! Grrr! Now I need some more stick on velcro!

I specifically got a helmet with pockets for speakers this time. Never bothered with the velcro though, they stay in place on there own.

The pockets are way too shallow. Gonna try something different.

[Abdul Abulbul Amir]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Traffic was disgusting this evening, took me 5 mins just to get out of Mayfair.

The magazine?

[Pothole]

Abdul Abulbul Amir said:

Tribal Chestnut said:

Traffic was disgusting this evening, took me 5 mins just to get out of Mayfair.

The magazine?

insert joke about something stuck together here

[Mr Tidy]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Traffic was disgusting this evening, took me 5 mins just to get out of Mayfair.

Maybe there was an Escort or Fiesta in the way?

[black-k1]

DirtyHarley said:

Monday was COLD - first time I've ever had to break out the space heater to defrost everything so it starts on an EFI bike!
Much better today but LOTS of cars still fannying about at 55-60mph on the motorway for no reason - no ice, wind, or rain - just dark as is usual for it being nearly December!

Noticeably fewer bikes out and about now, although I did see a rather nice Goldwing (in goldy brown) on Westmisnter bridge today which tickled me for some reason.

Really? A space heater to start a bike? I've been riding mostly EFI bikes since the late 80's and have NEVER had an issue with them starting in the cold, and that includes conditions colder than we've had at any point this year. In fact, I've always found EFI bikes easier to start in the cold than carb'd bikes.

[DirtyHarley]

black-k1 said:

Really? A space heater to start a bike? I've been riding mostly EFI bikes since the late 80's and have NEVER had an issue with them starting in the cold, and that includes conditions colder than we've had at any point this year. In fact, I've always found EFI bikes easier to start in the cold than carb'd bikes.

Yep that has been my experience until Monday too!
I thought it was crazy as well but it was indeed very frozen and not wanting to start at all. Battery isnt an issue as its left on tender whenever parked up and I load tested it and its all showing as tiptop, spark plugs are less than 1k miles new and gapped to spec etc.

Chatted to a chap at work who also rides HDs and he mentioned people having issues with E10 fuel and freezing temperatures. I don't know if this is what it was for me - but it is the only thing different from previous winters which have even been colder and still not had issues with starting.

[CAPP0]

Glad to see some people still commuting in, I've retired now so those days are behind me. Haven't sold the commuter bike yet but that's on the cards soon.

[voyager600]

Ethanol attracts water so the reason for non starting is likely linked to that . Heating it up makes the water in the fuel less dense so that's why it starts if warm

...Or something

[wa16]

well its been a tt of a week so far
Monday - 5 = heated clothing burnt me, i look like i've been branded, crud everywhere, ice on the road so bad i had to push to the main road before i could ride as the council refuse to grit the main estate feeder road.

Tues - up to bloody 11 - sweating like a pedo outside a primary school all day.

Weds - raining. high temps, crud everywhere and to cap it all - fell off on a farm track - i was sweating like a pedo picking the bloody thing up. Just priced up and its around £150 in plastics and a new mirror, TFF engine bars

[Tribal Chestnut]

wa16 said:

well its been a tt of a week so far
Monday - 5 = heated clothing burnt me, i look like i've been branded, crud everywhere, ice on the road so bad i had to push to the main road before i could ride as the council refuse to grit the main estate feeder road.

Tues - up to bloody 11 - sweating like a pedo outside a primary school all day.

Weds - raining. high temps, crud everywhere and to cap it all - fell off on a farm track - i was sweating like a pedo picking the bloody thing up. Just priced up and its around £150 in plastics and a new mirror, TFF engine bars

I fell off mine in a petrol station week before last, first time in sodding ages. Bent clutch lever and scraped crash bungs, but that was it, apart from the damaged pride, thankfully.

[Sea Demon]

I bought some RST heated gloves after years of using heated grips/muffs - they dont get roasting but warm enough to take the edge off, no wires and muffs would like st on a GSXR

[Pothole]

Sea Demon said:

I bought some RST heated gloves after years of using heated grips/muffs - they dont get roasting but warm enough to take the edge off, no wires and muffs would like st on a GSXR

I never think I want mine to be any warmer than they are...and no cold fingertips and thumbs like heated grips! I'm a big fan of my muffs on the scooter, though - for full on Deliveroo boy feels!

[Sea Demon]

That is true, any warmer I'd probably only turn them down anyway

[Pothole]

Sea Demon said:

That is true, any warmer I'd probably only turn them down anyway

I've recently got a new controller for my wired-in Gerbings and it only has one heat setting where the other one had two, but came close to burning my knuckles on high, so pointless, really. Maybe if I lived in Siberia, but then I'd probably ride a nice, warm Yak!

[DirtyHarley]

Rode in today with my new heated vest taht I picked up on the black friday sales - never had heated geat before - is an absolute game changer nad has made be think about ehated gloves now too!! Rode in with it on medium and was comfortably warm (although still think I need the fleece over the top to keep my arms warm) - rode home with it on high and it was simlpy too hot until I got moving on the motorway and even then my back and chest were proper sweaty when I got home.
Probably out of the office for a few days now due to a family issue so I'm a bit miffed I don't get to try it out a bit more yet.

[Krikkit]

voyager600 said:

Ethanol attracts water so the reason for non starting is likely linked to that . Heating it up makes the water in the fuel less dense so that's why it starts if warm

...Or something

Unless it's been stored with almost no fuel in it for months in a sopping wet garage with no fuel cap... It won't absorb enough water to make it not start.

[Pothole]

Krikkit said:

voyager600 said:

Ethanol attracts water so the reason for non starting is likely linked to that . Heating it up makes the water in the fuel less dense so that's why it starts if warm

...Or something

Unless it's been stored with almost no fuel in it for months in a sopping wet garage with no fuel cap... It won't absorb enough water to make it not start.

Don't let facts get in the way of overwrought E10 scaremongering, though!

[Chicken_Satay]

Today's highlight was getting out of the residential parking! With temperatures of -2 last night, it was like a skating rink. I did think twice about bothering, especially as I don't strictly need to be in the office. However, I pushed the bike out as much as possible and then took it fairly easy on the way into London, no issues!

[kiethton]

Chicken_Satay said:

Today's highlight was getting out of the residential parking! With temperatures of -2 last night, it was like a skating rink. I did think twice about bothering, especially as I don't strictly need to be in the office. However, I pushed the bike out as much as possible and then took it fairly easy on the way into London, no issues!

I was the same but instead wimped out. Went out, saw the white frost covering our close and woke my wife up so she could drop me at the station instead

[stu67]

It was indeed a bit parky this morning, the freezing fog didn't help especially with a Mercedes Sprinter sitting 6 inches of my back wheel down the A1, you do have to wonder about people.