winter lay-up or not?

[y2blade]

whats you take on winter (bike wise)

for me personaly
i stop riding the blade once the gritting lorrys have been out (keep the nasty salt of my baby) but i do ride the DRZ (off-road) all year round ,helps keep me sharp

[Chilli]

Ha, I laugh in the face of the gritters, and look forward to the chance to hang the rear out around the corners!!

Might even go up two teeth on the rear and get a power commander fitter purely for the winter riding!!

[IsMad]

Chilli said:

Ha, I laugh in the face of the gritters, and look forward to the chance to hang the rear out around the corners!!

Might even go up two teeth on the rear and get a power commander fitter purely for the winter riding!!

I am considering the idea but I am not sure that I would use the winter bike as the GSXR is just always calling out to be ridden . I also see it as something of a matter of honour to use the sports bike in the winter to prove to my family that it is not just a toy... but a serious means of transport.

[shot2bits]

Well, I rode last year in Jan when the sun was shining at the temp was around 7 or 8 degrees. Chain and sprocket ended up looking like they were 10 years old but other than that, you'd never know.

I think there's a few decent days throughout winter - it's just that the wet roads take so long to dry so they're few and far between.

I agree about the salt though - this year I wont be riding when the roads are full of salt.

[Ballon]

I stop the minute the gritters appear.

[Fire99]

All year round.. just give the bike a quick hose down when i get home and a good wash each week..

[Davel]

I stop for snow and ice!

Otherwise I ride all year round.

[rsv gone!]

y2blade said:

i stop riding the blade once the gritting lorrys have been out (keep the nasty salt of my baby)

Same here.

[black-k1]

I keep the bike taxed and tested and do take it out for a run or two on the occasional nice sunny winters day. Washing the salt of afterwards normally helps keep things in reasonable order but I tend to take the car if there is a hint of rain or the slightest suggestion of ice!

[dern]

Davel said:

I stop for snow and ice!

Otherwise I ride all year round.

Same here. Rode it through the winter a couple of years back and the salt did their thing so there's no more damage to be done.

[Twit]

Yep, all year round here too. Don't give a toss about corrosion etc - bikes are meant to be used. I just tend to cost the thing in GT85 or something like that and then don't touch it all winter, just let the crap and shite build up on it, then give it a was in spring. Seems to be OK. The benefits of riding in the winter far outweigh a bit of corrosion here and there!

[podman]

I dont find it fun at all riding a sportsbike in the depths of winter...I like to ride my bike hard and you just cant do that when the road surface is colder/leaf ridden , salt strewn etc etc ,and why lose hundreds of pounds (or more)letting some exotic piece of machinery corrode away in front of you....GT85 etc are all well n good but they cant stop all corrosion on all surfaces.

Mr Blade man has the right idea, leave the sportsbike layed up and play around on an off roader.

[Mad Dave]

rsv gone! said:

y2blade said:

i stop riding the blade once the gritting lorrys have been out (keep the nasty salt of my baby)

Same here.

Me too. Used to ride my ZX7R all year round, but my R1 is far too nice. I may take it out for the odd blast, followed by a thorough hose down, but generally I think i'll avoid the salt.

[sjtscott]

Round London all year round save for snowy and very icy condition only - though this is rare here.

Don't ride out of town in the winter now, I did 3 winters when the bike was my only transport. Riding at even legal motorway speeds in zero/-ve deg C with wind chill making it -XX degrees just isn't fun ever. Also not fun riding my Falco on hard packed snow with a fresh ice covering about 0.5 of a mile to get back to gritted main roads at Christmas time also isn't fun when you have two 90 degree junctions to negotiate and some upslope graidents too. I solved this by getting a car which although does minimum mileage handles all this winter transport perfectly.

[y2blade]

podman said:

I dont find it fun at all riding a sportsbike in the depths of winter...I like to ride my bike hard and you just cant do that when the road surface is colder/leaf ridden , salt strewn etc etc ,and why lose hundreds of pounds (or more)letting some exotic piece of machinery corrode away in front of you....GT85 etc are all well n good but they cant stop all corrosion on all surfaces.

Mr Blade man has the right idea, leave the sportsbike layed up and play around on an off roader.

im really looking forward to getting out on the DRZ on the cold frosty sat mornings and being the first set of tracks on my local greenlane route (about a hour route around my house)

this is a picture i took in the spring

[Biker's Nemesis]

My road bike is off the road from mid October till March/April, I did off roading for years until all my old injuries caught up with me.

I now have a DIY season.