Sad day yesterday...

[Motorcycle_Girl]

So I had to put my bike away for the winter yesterday....I envy those who can ride year round...with snow just around the corner it had to be done.

Yesterday, I washed it to get all the bug guts off...then a short ride to warm up the engine, stabilizer in the tank, oil change, battery tender and the the cover..all tucked in for a long winters nap...

and to keep me busy over the winter I am learning to play the drums...

Celeste

[AllanCook]

When I lived in Snow Country I used to play guitar in the off-season. Now that I'm in Texas, there is no off-season and I've barely touched my guitar.

[LumpyCam]

Hey Celeste ~ sorry to hear, but look at the good news: the sooner the winter starts and is over with the sooner the awesome spring riding can start! Yeah, that doesn't help much but i had to try.

Even on the 'temperate' Canadian left coast the morning commute is getting pretty close to 0°c.

[tobes]

LA's forecast. I may have to wear a light jacket on Wednesday - brrrrr. Sorry, I had to rub it in a little. Good luck with the drums. I'm currently learning to play the dobro.

[Lost Rider]

Hey Celeste ~ sorry to hear, but look at the good news: the sooner the winter starts and is over with the sooner the awesome spring riding can start! Yeah, that doesn't help much but i had to try.

Even on the 'temperate' Canadian left coast the morning commute is getting pretty close to 0°c.

Speaking of Canadian left coast....
What's the weather like in Feb?
I'm working at the Olympics and will be taking my R there for 6 weeks....

[ka5ysy]

Celeste: you need to come south to Louisiana. It was a great ride today. Temps are in the upper 60's to lower 70's, and clear with little humidity. We have no "riding season" whatever that is. Only time to store the bike is during a hurricane!. Plus the food down here is the best in the country.

[Motorcycle_Girl]

Celeste: you need to come south to Louisiana. It was a great ride today. Temps are in the upper 60's to lower 70's, and clear with little humidity. We have no "riding season" whatever that is. Only time to store the bike is during a hurricane!. Plus the food down here is the best in the country.

I may just take you up on that offer!

[LumpyCam]

Speaking of Canadian left coast....
What's the weather like in Feb?

Simply put: We get about 1 week of snow per year, usually in January. Feb should be snow-free and about 5-10°c.

The longer answer is that Vancouver is so close to the edge of being a 'snowy' climate that it really depends on your elevation. Vancouver downtown is pretty much sea level and may never see snow. But just a hundred feet elevation and you could be into the white stuff. The city of North Vancouver, just a mile away, will often get a lot of snow throughout the winter. Elevation will also determine if you see morning frost.

Here's a typical view (and something you might not get in Louisiana ) and you'll see how the city is green and the hills are white. Ride your bike all day then hit the hills for night skiing.



If you're coming up from Seattle/Portland on the I5 that's a pretty flat highway and you should be fine unless there's a storm underway. I did Vancouver to San Francisco mid-March last year and it was chilly, but no snow (except in Klamath Falls but that's another story...).

I commute year round on the R12R, and wife does the same on a Vespa. Not a problem. As the date gets closer let's stay in touch and I can try hook you up with some adventure options while you're here too.

[jed1]

Im almost packing my bike away for a few months for the opposite reason. The last 2 weeks here in Brisbane, Australia, its averaged between 32-38 deg C (90-100 Deg F) with high humidity. It only gets hotter and more humid between now and Feb before it starts to cool off again. Too hot to ride with all jackets and stuff on. Mind you, I am a bit of a wus .

[Mollygrubber]

ChiTown wrote:
Speaking of Canadian left coast....
What's the weather like in Feb?

Bring your waterproof gear, obviously...

I usually ride all year (although I have a car for backup - bit of a wuss also, when I see 50mm of rain & gale force winds in the forecast); like Lumpycam said, stay at low elevations and you'll prob'ly be fine. Of course, that takes all the fun out of it! You could bungie your skis on and be the only R1200R at the hill...

[ShinySideUp]

Im almost packing my bike away for a few months for the opposite reason. The last 2 weeks here in Brisbane, Australia, its averaged between 32-38 deg C (90-100 Deg F) with high humidity. It only gets hotter and more humid between now and Feb before it starts to cool off again. Too hot to ride with all jackets and stuff on. Mind you, I am a bit of a wus .

Lots of choices here, even for us wusses:

http://www.polarsoftice.com/bodycoolingsystems.html

[Motorcycle_Girl]

I need to find a job that lets me go south for the winter.. I have no problem riding in the cold..it is the snow and ice that I don't like. Last year I was able to ride a bit in February and March. So I am keeping my fingers crossed for a short and mild winter

[Rocket]

Well, here in the UK the start of winter is more like April thanks to everyone's generous Co2 contribution to the atmosphere, driving global warming and causing a shift in the weather patterns. We had mid-teens Centigrade temperatures in November instead of the usual cold winter blast (yippeee)..... but record -breaking amounts of rain (bugger) so no riding. What? no riding in the wet you may ask? Another woos? ....not when it pours 280mm of rain in the month. One town in the Lake District (aptly named) suffered 8' high floods down the main street. More boats than cars in the town centre that day.
..not sure what legacy we have left for our kids...

Celeste, if you get bored , you could always help me finish my overdue project , if you get desperate that is

[Seamus]

On my commute this morning it was -2c in my part of the world according to the OBC, and the car drivers at work verified this. Not exactly extreme compared to some places but nippy nonetheless.

Sean

[Mollygrubber]

It was a similar temperature here this morning Seamus, but it's not the cold that keeps me fom riding - it's the possibility of black ice. Zero celcius and a little fog, that scares me! Not worth the risk, even when I know it will be a beautiful afternoon ride home. And it's a beautiful sunny afternoon, and my bike's at home in the garage. Damn...

[Seamus]

I agree about the black ice Mollygrubber but my bike is my only transport, although my 'other half ' has a car. There were a couple of days last year when I had to rely on public transport because of heavy snow but those days are relatively rare here in Blighty and my commute is only a few miles. Even rarer than those snowy days are those 'beautiful sunny afternoons' at the moment though!

Hope you get some nice weather at the weekend to make up for today.

Sean

[Ashveratu]

This is why I hate living in South Florida, I am forced to ride my bike year round. Aside from the occasional hurricane, not much else to worry bout here. Well there is the rust factor too..Oh and sand, gotta watch out for that too.

[Motorcycle_Girl]

This is why I hate living in South Florida, I am forced to ride my bike year round. Aside from the occasional hurricane, not much else to worry bout here. Well there is the rust factor too..Oh and sand, gotta watch out for that too.

...all along I thought the people here were so nice...You guys are not helping much.

Celeste

[Rocket]

This is why I hate living in South Florida, I am forced to ride my bike year round. Aside from the occasional hurricane, not much else to worry bout here. Well there is the rust factor too..Oh and sand, gotta watch out for that too.

...all along I thought the people here were so nice...You guys are not helping much.

Celeste

Never mind Celeste. How about this...ever thought of buying an off-roader?

- Good way of enjoying 2 wheels over the winter, its great fun, go at your own pace and great escapism (especially good if you live close to some attractive scenery). Surprising how warm you keep (ihell of a work out).

Here's my KTM 400 (and my mates TS125!) parked up for quick chocolate break and photo of Barmouth in Wales.
Ah, Lovely!

[ka5ysy]

This is why I hate living in South Florida, I am forced to ride my bike year round. Aside from the occasional hurricane, not much else to worry bout here. Well there is the rust factor too..Oh and sand, gotta watch out for that too.

And Alligators. Gotta watch for those here in Louisiana too. Even out the back door.


Oh... they are good to eat too !. Along with crawfish, crab, redfish, mahi mahi, gumbo, jambalaya.....