Got some cold weather riding gear

[exalted512]

So last year I was freezing my ass off riding to school and back (about an hour each way) when it was in the 40s (its texas, it aint the coldest weather ever, but im on a motorcycle with no wind protective fairing)

Didnt have a whole lot of money last year because I just got the bike and I spent the brunt of it on a good helmet (Shoei RF-1000) and my leather jacket:
http://www.alpinestars.com/Interceptor/pd/np/121/p/310127.html

The jacket is pretty warm. I wanted something that didnt look crazy/outlandish as I wanted to wear it to class and not look like a 'tard. This one looks like your basic leather jacket, although it does have armor so it makes my scrawny ass look a little buffer:p

And I had these gloves:
http://www.alpinestars.com/Vega_Drystar_Gloves/pd/np/143/p/352577.html
They're not full leather, so after an hour in 40* weather you can barely feel your hands. They're also a small, which is the same size as my A* summer gloves, but these are wayyyy to small for me. Between the thumb and pointer finger it comes up about a half inch too short, so when I'm riding it puts all the pressure on my thumb because the handle bar is pulling the gloves back, after about 30 minutes it really starts to hurt. But that was another $100 that I didnt want to spend again.

If you know anyone with small hands, these are for sale :)

Now on to my new toys:
Was browsing the clearance section of kneedraggers when I should have been studying and came across these:
http://www.alpinestars.com/Ridge_Waterproof_Boot/pd/np/113/p/244207.html
They were in my size and they were $50 off retail (Which for A* gear is really hard to find!). So I got them. So I'm now out $88 and I didnt get my hw done...lol. I got these in today and put my new soles in them (see below) and they are EXTREMELY comfortable...i mean very, very comfortable...more so than any of my other shoes. Fairly light for a boot, and I'm not used to walking around in boots. They are a little tall so they do affect my walking a little bit as they dont allow much ankle movement (which you dont want ankle movement in a moto boot anyway). Best of all, like my jacket, they dont look outlandish as some of the other moto/space boots out there do. Not going to get mixed up with storm trooper boots.

I've been wanting some heated socks or something, read a few reviews and heard they all suck unless you're wanting to spend $100+...no thanks, not this year at least. Came across these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=190197460508
Cheap and interesting, got em in yesterday, wore em around the house for about 30 minutes and they got pretty warm. Not hot, but def. better than nothing. Only bad thing about them is they are THICK! But theyre really soft and comfortable to walk around in. I wore them all day today (not plugged in) and they seemed to get more comfortable. Theyre really not bad at all walking, actually really nice, its the sitting down part that i started to feel the thickness pressing the top of my foot into my boot. But nothing unbearable, just slightly uncomfortable. Unfortunately, my carburated bike decided it didnt want to start with morning (First time thats ever happened...kept trying to the battery was dead) so I couldnt test them out.

They do use 8 C batteries and they say they last about 12 hours. It looks like the batteries are all wired in series which would make 12V, so im going to test that with my meter and if it is, Im going to see what happens leaving them hooked up to a 12V power supply for an hour. Im hoping I can just wire them to my battery on my bike, no need to buy batteries and maybe make em a little warmer as well.

Also ordered these universal heated grips:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200263284265&sspagename=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&viewitem=

Got them in today, seem interesting enough. Hopefully I can get them hooked up tomorrow. Look EXCELLENT quality and come with a very nice switch as well. I'm excited.

Last but not least, my new replacement gloves!
http://www.alpinestars.com/Storm_Rider_GoreTex_Gloves/pd/np/143/p/352308.html

I went from a small to a large (decided to skip medium). Ordered them from a shop and they are there, have to pick them up tomorrow am. Full leather construction so they should be warmer, and hopefully big enough to fit a thin liner if i need it.

Last thing I want to get is something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HALF-FACE-MASK-Black-NEOPRENE-COLD-WEATHER-SHIELD-NEW_W0QQitemZ290271667136QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item2 90271667136&_trkparms=72:1205|39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

But I'd rather have something a little bit more windproof than neoprene.
I have an under armour thing that covers my whole head, but my helmet fits too snug to wear that thing for more than 30 minutes without getting a huge headache and its THIN. So I'm just looking for something for the bottom half of my face.

Hopefully I'll be able to take my bike to school tuesday and ill let everyone know how good this stuff actually works!
-Cody

[BIZILL]

be safe, brotherman. i've seen far more accidents involving motorcycles of late. i'm sure it has everything to do with the sheer number of new motorcylists on the roads these days due to leaving their daily driver at home because of gas prices.

[bobman1235]

40 is pretty freakin' cold on a bike; I rarely go out when it's under 50, let alone 40. Glad you found some good gear to help out.

[exalted512]

40 is pretty freakin' cold on a bike; I rarely go out when it's under 50, let alone 40. Glad you found some good gear to help out.
If my thermometer said 45* I'll head out, if it says 44*, I wont:p

Unless its just to work which is like 10 minutes away and I dont ever get above 40mph, then I'll take the bike out even in the 30s. Its fun to get those people who look at you like your %*$&in crazy:cool: But in reality, I'm barely cold, its mostly just my legs through my jeans, which dont get that cold anyway, and by the time I do get cold, I'm at work and warming up.
-Cody

[bobman1235]

Yeah my work is 40 highway miles away. Even when it's in the 50's, I'll get into work and it'll take me a good hour before I can really type at full speed. And my legs get that "so cold they itch" feeling. Awful :)

[exalted512]

Yea, I have some Underarmour ColdGear long-sleeve underthing as well as leggings that i wear under my clothes for the cold days.

It got cold one night when I was coming home from school and i wasnt expecting it and i wasnt prepared for it at all. My legs had never been that cold in my life. When I got home, every step i took i get this feeling like my knees instantly fell asleep. Took me a while to warm back up.

I wish someone would make a tank warmer so when your legs are against it it'd warm them up...or if someone does i wish i could find it!
-Cody

[nadams]

I wish someone would make a tank warmer so when your legs are against it it'd warm them up...or if someone does i wish i could find it!
-Cody

It's called an "engine". Air-cooled bikes are good for this :). On the old YDS3, the engine is aligned in such a way that you can get your feet on the engine casings and have the warm air get to your shins, anyway. My dad rode home many a cold night like that :p. The Maxim I have doesn't have a good place to put your feet other than the pegs (probably a good thing), and so I don't get the full warming effect. More modern air-cooled bikes are built more for rider comfort in hot weather than cold, I guess :P

[shadowofnight]

Ahhhh....the days of numb knees...fingers and nose :D

For the longest time ( By choice ) all I had were sport bikes for transportation ( None or very little protection from the elements...but being here in CA helped :) ...but we do get our share of winter 40 degree days/nights and rain .) ...and have always commuted at LEAST 45 miles one way to work.

For protection, one piece leathers did the job except when it was really raining hard...then had a custom made rain suit to go over street clothes.

Keep the bike rubber side down.

[exalted512]

I dont ride in the rain. Well, if the forecast calls for rain in the afternoon and I'm at work, I dont mind, 10 minutes isnt going to kill me. But I will not go to work or school if its supposed to rain. Not that hardcore:)
-Cody

[exalted512]

Well, the insoles are 12V so I hooked them and the hand grips to the battery today. Tuesday will be my first test run. It will take some getting used to between the thick gloves and the thick hand grips. I feel kind of unsafe riding in traffic as i dont know how fast ill be able to lay on the front brake or maneuver. But I'm sure its still much more than a big cruiser bike, so I'm sure ill be alright. Especially once I get a few hundred miles on it, ill get used to it.
-Cody

[shadowofnight]

I always put up with the frozen fingers and used thin leather gloves that matched my leathers and gave great feedback from the controls....winter gloves were just too thick for me for the very same reason you mentioned.

[WilliamM2]

I picked up a pair of these a couple of years ago:

http://www.joerocket.com/catalog/index.cfm/115/141/Gloves/Nitrogen_Glove

Not too thick, and keep my hands nice and warm down to at least 40F, without bulky grip heaters.

If you like Alpinestars, you should check out some of their textile jackets for cold weather. Some of the warmest jackets I have tried. I got the "Skyline" which has a longer cut, really makes a difference.

[nadams]

I always put up with the frozen fingers and used thin leather gloves that matched my leathers and gave great feedback from the controls....winter gloves were just too thick for me for the very same reason you mentioned.

Having frozen fingers is a big danger for the same reasons. You haven't noticed that your fingers slow down when they're frozen? I think getting used to thicker gloves would be much safer than not having the option and just freezing.

[exalted512]

Well, when I first started riding, I didnt have gloves for the first 2 weeks. Then I got some regular riding gloves:
http://www.alpinestars.com/SMX2_A_C_Glove/pd/np/142/p/356775.html

It took a few days for me to feel comfortable in them. I wear them all the time, unless I'm driving around the block from my work (taking it from the front to the back) or dropping it off a block away at when i have company over and need to free up space, and i feel like i have less control without the gloves than when i do with them on. I tried another pair of full leather, vented, short cuff A* and I loved the way they fit...might get them when summer rolls around again.

Point being, hopefully after a few weeks of riding with them, I will start to get used to it. I think a lot of it is more the heated hand grips than it is the gloves themselves, but they certainly dont help. When I get my next bike I will try and find ones that dont slip on, but rather replace the original ones, and hopefully theyre made so i can leave them on year-round...dunno if there is such a thing. Just didnt want to spend a whole lot of money on a bike that i wont have in 2 years and for something i will only use 3 months out of the year.
-Cody

[shadowofnight]

Having frozen fingers is a big danger for the same reasons. You haven't noticed that your fingers slow down when they're frozen? I think getting used to thicker gloves would be much safer than not having the option and just freezing.

Frozen might have been a bad word usage on my part....just cold would have been better. Being in CA and the way I ride only sport bikes, the fingers are always in use and ready ;)

[exalted512]

Well, after looking at the 10-day forecast, its not going to get below 47 for the next 10 days...lol. But I'll be prepared for when it does!

I'm certainly not complaining that I cant use my cold weather gear. I'm breaking out my Joe Rocket textile again this week.
-Cody