in my teens and twentys i rode in the winter all the time - one winter i rode to school every single day - about 1976 in central iowa
in my 40's i rode in the winter when the roads were dry
now its just too cold
im also now in minnesota
Thanks. I guess I just needed to hear someone else say that. I was thinking along the lines of not replacing my four wheeler also. The first year I got my Harley Road King I rode all winter also on the dry days. The bike sat for about 5 years while I was driving over the road. I worked for Millis Transfer out of Black River Falls WI. I've never been to Belle Plaines but I've been to Bloomington, St. Paul, Coon Rapids, St. Cloud, Northfield, and Albert Lea. I live in CT. and the climate is about the same except we don't have that nasty prairie wind. The kind that finds the spaces in between your coat zipper links.
Do you do much sidecar riding in winter now?
So, now I'm thinking... Sidecar and chains or studded tires and I can ride all year.
Oh yea, do you have a reverse gear? How do you backup all that weight?
Now I gotta get the Barney goggles. I'm psyched.
i dont have reverse, i always park pointed uphill, if the street has lots of crown ill back in
no i dont ride much in the winter any more - i have heated gear but my feet still freeze
to
I loved to ride in snow and still am convinced that a rig is the most secure road vehicle in winter. Because of the direct back feed from the ground about lack of traction you instantly know when traction gets lost and still you have a lot of options to steer by just shifting your weight. Something where you are hopeless lost on all other vehile types I have tried over the years. (I lack to try a snow mobile though).
Sven
I really do love to ride and found that I hate not riding in winter. Besides, the car costs 4-5 times more to take to work than the bike. I would love to be rid of the car for good and only use the bike.
I know what you mean when you talk of the direct feel of traction. I feel it in the rain right away. Even the lessening of traction. I can tell right away when I need to apply the brake more slowly or maybe start with the rear brake first.
Thanks, some good points there. In situations when there is no alternative but to back in, is there enough clearance in the right foot area to walk it back or do you get off and push from the bars?
I have been having a blast just going through the threads here.
I strongly recommend against putting your foot down between the bike and the sidecar. If it rolls over your ankle, you can get hurt and/or trapped!(don't ask me how I know this 😉
Usually pushing off with your left foot will get you moving backwards while seated. Almost always you can park in such a manner that you don't need to push the bike in or out of your parking space.
Yes, I am showing my U.S. bias. If you live in the UK or Australia, hold this post up to the mirror....
Yes
Phelonius
nhpr,
You have multiple folks who can answer your question in your own back yard. NH has several Ural folks who ride all year. The northeast Ural folks are having a winter campout the weekend of Feb 19. Take trip over to sovietsteeds.com and revel in the madness.
Mike Lydon
