Total Motorcycle Community Forums

What are your weather limits for riding?

I have not been riding long enough to find any weather limits, but I just bought some heated gear from Warm and Safe for this winter.

Safe Travels,
Richard

My weather riding limits are generally (if I don't get caught in it while riding already) are:

- Temperatures under -10°C
- Hail (yes, me and High_Side have been caught in a hail storm while riding)
- Snow on the roads (covered), I'll ride with lanes/alleys with snow in them as long as the roads are clear.
- Flooding or other severe rare weather.

But generally, like many bikes, sunny skies, warm weather and beautiful scenery is always preferred.
Mike

Back in the day, when I was young, foolish and believed myself indestructible, all required traits of a motorcycle courier even in Vancouver, I rode in all weathers. Didn't matter if there was 6 or more inches of snow on the ground, compact snow/ice on the roads and a raging blizzard with zero visibility at 20 below, I'd be out there riding as if the devil himself was after my cute little bumm and getting those packages and envelops from shipper to receiver.

Today, the first hint of frost on my cage windshield and its time to park the bike for the season....

I will ride in any weather but I try not to street ride once the salters come out.

I'm in the tropics, so we ride year-round here. Although I won't ride in typhoons, really strong rain (aside from the risk, big rain drops actually hurt to ride through), and really strong wind.

I've ridden year around here in NE Ohio for most of my 30 years of riding in temps down to about 20F when streets were mostly clear of snow and ice, have splashed thru a zillion gallons of salt water. But I began to keep it above 32F about 2-3 years ago and above about 40F this past winter. With the particularly nasty cold winter just past I didn't get out for 3 months (Jan-Mar), the longest period I haven't ridden in 30 years, even with broken bones I never missed more than a couple weeks at a time prior to now. But I managed to keep it up to about 80 yo, doubt I'll ride again now in winter months. Maybe not at all soon, rode on my 82nd birthday this past August but not sure I'll keep it up until the 83rd.

Below about 40 degrees...nope, too cold. Can ride and have ridden in rain, if not by choice. Will absolutely not ride on snow or ice under any circumstances...I'll call a wrecker first. On the highway...winds stronger than 35MPH (or really strong gusts) will get me to pull over.

40 or above and clean roads. Rain, I'd rather not but
not a problem if caught in it.

Well, since threads need photos, and it's Saturday night, I thought I'd post this other one of my riding in WAY too cold weather... I'm about 120km from home at this point in the middle of BFE*. There wasn't a car anywhere in sight and when I took the photo, it was deathly quiet; and I mean, not a sound (which was very weird).



Mike

* Apparently down south here they say "BFE" rather than "BFN", E = Egypt.