Parking up for the winter, who's done it yet?

[Birky_41]

All year round biker...and I only own Italian bikes recipe for disaster that one

Just switching from Conti Race Attack to M7RR's today. Will fit tonight/tomorrow

I'll ride with leathers until its cold and wear thermals, when too cold for that I wear textiles

Learn to ride and read the road in the cold & wet and Im sure it helps when something catches you out on a dry day

[Loyly]

My bike goes away at the end of September. I could string it out for a few rides in October but I don't bother. I just ride for enjoyment, and having ridden in winter before, it's no fun for me. Between the grit and salt, slimy roads, low sun, low temps and dark evenings, the enjoyment gets sucked out for me.

I think I enjoy riding in summer more because it feels like a treat. High, hot sun and greenery everywhere. Other bikers out having fun. Bone dry country roads with a minimum of debris. I'll take that for a few months every summer.

[sjtscott]

Birky_41 said:

All year round biker...and I only own Italian bikes recipe for disaster that one

I did 5 winters on my old Aprilia Falco starting in the early 2000s, you sum it up quite well. For three of those I owned no car either so it was my sole personal transport for outside London trips in the middle of winter too LOL
For that Aprilia/Italian reasoning alone I've never and won't ever be doing it again year round on something italian.

[moto_traxport]

It's still lovely at the moment. I quite like riding around in Autumn.

Tax is due on the road bike at the end of this month and I'd normally not question taxing it through the Winter months in the hope of the odd crisp & sunny day but this time it's getting SORN'd and any free bike time will be used fixing the smashed up track bike, cutting a doorway into the garage, concreting and tiling the floor and generally MotoGP-ing the place up.

Or just watch Bake Off, that Dancing thing and ignore the jobs altogether.

[sjtscott]

17 years now of not putting bikes to bed for winter out of the 21 I've been riding. But then I live in the South where we don't get proper weather according to those north of Watford Gap Services (the north/south divide for southerners)
I distinctly remember riding two of my bikes over the years both sport road bikes on summer sports tyres in Snowy falling or previously laid conditions after being caught out and yes its proper dangerous/brown trouser inducing - would I choose to do it ever again no.

[RizzoTheRat]

sjtscott said:

I distinctly remember riding two of my bikes over the years both sport road bikes on summer sports tyres in Snowy falling or previously laid conditions after being caught out and yes its proper dangerous/brown trouser inducing - would I choose to do it ever again no.

It was the day I was commuting to work and came across a 20 yard section of road covered in sheet ice and a car in the ditch that gave me a proper brown trouser moment. Luckily I was already going slow enough that I could stop before the ice and line myself up to cross it in a straight line.

My current commute isn't really doable by bike though.

[mckeann]

I've never commuted on a bike before, only ever been for fun, so I'm a fair weather biker for sure. I'll ride the trackbike in the rain if I have to.

That might be changing as my new job means crossing the forth road bridge, so I may well be buying a 2K stter of a VFR800 and buying some textiles and heated clothing so I can filter through the 3 miles of st traffic every day. Going to see just how bad it is next month when I actually start.

[RizzoTheRat]

Heated clothing really does make the world of difference for winter commuting. If you get properly cold it's just miserable. If you're a cheapskate you can make your own heated jacket for about £30. I've got a temperature controller that was about another tenner that I haven't got round to fitting yet though as I wasn't using the bike to commute the following winter.

[sjtscott]

RizzoTheRat said:

Heated clothing really does make the world of difference for winter commuting. If you get properly cold it's just miserable. If you're a cheapskate you can make your own heated jacket for about £30. I've got a temperature controller that was about another tenner that I haven't got round to fitting yet though as I wasn't using the bike to commute the following winter.

After changing bikes and loosing my OE Honda heated grips I'd used for the 8 previous years, I invested in decent heated gloves last winter which I wire through a heat controller to the bike battery which work perfectly on my Speed Triple for winter riding. Having toasty warm fingers and being able to cover levers is quite a novel experience after heated grips!

[rapide]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

For info. I get similar mileage out of M7RRs and other similar sports tyres. 7-8000 miles out of PR4s (just put on my 3rd set), so they'll likely be with you a while if you do change. I've only used PR4s in winter, so I'm not sure how much extra mileage is due to the tyre and how much is down to 'winter' riding style

[moanthebairns]

mckeann said:

I've never commuted on a bike before, only ever been for fun, so I'm a fair weather biker for sure. I'll ride the trackbike in the rain if I have to.

That might be changing as my new job means crossing the forth road bridge, so I may well be buying a 2K stter of a VFR800 and buying some textiles and heated clothing so I can filter through the 3 miles of st traffic every day. Going to see just how bad it is next month when I actually start.

where you starting?

[Birky_41]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

be good to try them PR4's as people rate them and you've tried M7RR's. I got I think 2000 maybe a few hundred more out of the rear but the front is maybe a 1/3rd worn so Ive just bought a rear and using the front I took after Nurburgring

I thought about the new Pirelli Rosso 3 but most say they are M7RR but better dry not so good wet. I would run sticky stuff in summer so that sealed the M7RRs again for me and they are a bloody capable tyre given how versatile they are

[jjones]

Will be using the s1000rr for commuting until salt hits the roads.

[PTF]

Thanks to the roadworks on the A14 i think i'll be commuting on the VFR until the temp drops below 5 degC. It's an 80 mile trip so below that temperature i find that even well insulated bits of me start to freeze!

Not commuted past sept/oct for the past few years, but the traffic is so bad it's soul-destroying.

I drove in last week and it took about 2.5 hrs. This morning on the bike was 1.5 hrs via the more scenic route.

[Pothole]

I've just bought a winter car...I don't mind the cold, I'm getting too old for the wet and I hate the salt eating my bike! I religiously poured warm water on my brakes every time I got home last winter to save them getting proper gungy but they still could do with a rebuild.

[mak]

Jazoli said:

4. I don't want to clean my bike every time after a ride]

That's the kicker for me, although I could never throw a dust sheet over the bikes for winter and forget about them, that would mean id have to resurrect some of my other hobbies like wking more often.

We get mild winters now so the colds not so bad, the greasy roads and mud off the farmers fields are a different matter. I will still get out given a nice dry day .

[Biker's Nemesis]

I quite like having time off over winter from the bikes.

[mak]

Biker's Nemesis said:

I quite like having time off over winter from the bikes.

Gives you time to blow the cobwebs of that old rs I have spotted in your garage .

I nearly bought one of a friend 3 years ago (the mk1) but ive got enough stuff lying around loosing money so didn't bother, they have only gone down in value so if you fancy offloading the old gal drop me a pm Another great financial decision on my part

[King Herald]

Fleegle said:

Jazoli said:

I could go on.......

Yes, we know

He probably doesn’t ride in summer either, because of the gnats and flies splattered on his visor, and tourists, and sweat, and sun in his eyes........

[Fearful fifer]

This is my first year of owning two bikes, one will be rested over the winter. What's the script:

Store on rear paddock stand
Deflate tyres
Add and run fuel stabiliser (any recommendations or steer clears?)
Coat in AFC50


Anything else?

Don't have a trickle charge...