again with the snow! & Xmas present finally used

[Stig / Major Tom]

Yeah - not much - but forecast caught out streets dept - wind - freezing slick and feels like 12°F this morning.
Snowed the other day, too.
A night rider is having a tough time right now - but I'm patient.



Finally got out my Xmas present from daughter - ( she says I'm "wicked hard" to buy for - "Keep the receipt!" is my reply at gift giving time

Now I can keep them both topped up on these cold nights. Specially that miserable little 6Ah in the Liberty. (box is too small for anything bigger) (replaced the stock 8 in the LIKE w/a 14Ah - only 5mm taller)


Stig

Stig

[NorWeWa]

Cold here also. 30 F this morning but roads dry, and go in some around town errands at noon, and 46 F.  OK around town but to cold for me to adventure out. I'm a woose.

Art 

[randyo]

ten inches and still snowing here in southern NH, not sure where I'm gonna put it, maybe have to hire a loader again

[rjs987]

Mid 30sF here and the 8 inches of snow we had on Saturday is melting. We expect mid 50sF tomorrow and Thursday, though rain all day Thursday. That'll be the end of the snow until next time.
Will try to send some of those temps over your way.

[Neil955i]

Snow all gone in my bit of the UK, but temperatures barely above freezing yesterday.  Been too long, so I went out for a spin and really enjoyed the first 10 miles before my hands began to feel the chill.  Must remember to get the heated grips fitted when it's in for the first service! 

In the end I did just over 20 miles and the poor DTX looked like a tractor when I got it home.  Glad I'd doused it with ACF50 before subjecting it to these conditions.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Snow all gone in my bit of the UK, but temperatures barely above freezing yesterday.  Been too long, so I went out for a spin and really enjoyed the first 10 miles before my hands began to feel the chill.  Must remember to get the heated grips fitted when it's in for the first service! 

In the end I did just over 20 miles and the poor DTX looked like a tractor when I got it home.  Glad I'd doused it with ACF50 before subjecting it to these conditions.

Yeah - they use 'grit' or something over there? I guess it makes a mess on bikes and cars?
Heated grips - nevber tempted on my small scoots with limited electrical systems - but always wondered, do they keep your hands warm when just heating the underside of your hand? Probably just the thing if you add muffs on the bars.

Tried muffs years ago - but I'm in and out of them too much to feel that I'm riding safely with them. They're in a box somewhere....

Pics of the dirty scoot?
Heck - pictures of anything! The pheasants?

I mean ...no wonder my daughter won't be seen with me on this....(screenshot capture from police video. Put you in mind of  OJ's slow speed run out there in LA?)


Stig

[rjs987]

Absolutely right about difficulty keeping the back side of your hands warm with heated grips. I suspected as much when I first started riding in below freezing temps regularly so ended up with heated gloves. I sold the heated gloves (after 16 yrs) when I bought my AK 550, which has the heated grips. First time out with them I remembered my fear of warm to hot palms but cold back side when that's exactly what I experienced. The next month I researched handlebar muffs. I even tried one pair that turned out to be way too floppy. They were warm when my hands were in them but an extra hand was needed to get my hands into them... not so much an issue for the first hand but then I needed a third hand for the next one.

Then I had a recommendation for the Kemimoto muffs (they call them "winter gloves") and those are stiff enough at the opening to enable me to slide my hands right in easily, even while riding. The combination of the muffs over heated grips works really well. Like putting my hands into a warm cave.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fYmJ9vybyDTfEubs7

But you do need to have a certain amount of electrical power available to run heated grips or heated anything, but not as much as you'd think.

[Neil955i]

Yeah - they use 'grit' or something over there? I guess it makes a mess on bikes and cars?
Heated grips - nevber tempted on my small scoots with limited electrical systems - but always wondered, do they keep your hands warm when just heating the underside of your hand? Probably just the thing if you add muffs on the bars.

Tried muffs years ago - but I'm in and out of them too much to feel that I'm riding safely with them. They're in a box somewhere....

Pics of the dirty scoot?
Heck - pictures of anything! The pheasants?

I mean ...no wonder my daughter won't be seen with me on this....(screenshot capture from police video. Put you in mind of  OJ's slow speed run out there in LA?)


Stig

Yeah the roads here get salted with a brown grit which certainly contains salt as when it's dry I can taste it on my lips when riding!  As for photos, will do next time I roll her out as it won't get washed this side of 12C...

As for the power drain with heated grips, Bob's right, it doesn't take as much as you might think and I certainly never had a problem in my three winters with the X-Town.  Muffs certainly help to retain and even out the heat, but look particularly naff.  If I was couriering like Viper used to then I'd use them; for occasional riding, call me a fashion victim, but no thanks.

[Stig / Major Tom]

......call me a fashion victim, but no thanks.

After 10 yrs of riding and making certain to never again look in a store window as I passed.....my daughter snuck up on me , then presented me with these horrid photos of self.
I'm thinking my entertainment value to those following me has to be a safety feature of some kind....
Stig

[swoter]

I can identify with this!

[Neil955i]

After 10 yrs of riding and making certain to never again look in a store window as I passed.....my daughter snuck up on me , then presented me with these horrid photos of self.
I'm thinking my entertainment value to those following me has to be a safety feature of some kind....
Stig

We don't ride scooters to be up with the fashion Gods - at least not here or in the US!  We have all learned however, the hidden charms and practicalities of the humble scooter and if that best kept secret of biking stays out of the mainstream, the only regret I'll have is the danger of it dying out completely at our generation shuffles off this mortal coil.

Mind you the average age of motorcyclists in my household has just dropped dramatically as the 34 year-old eldest lad has just bought himself a BMW F850 GS...  Correction.  Having tried it again he decided it was way too top heavy (he's only 75 kgs wringing wet) and so has switched his allegiance to a KTM 890 Adventure with Kriega Top case and side bags.

[randyo]

I bought myself a new pair of snowshoes for Xmas a few years ago, to replace an old broken pair, and haven't used em yet, now we got deep enuf snow, I thought of going for a walk, but my snowshoes are in the barn, and the snows so deep, I need em to get to the barn

[Stig / Major Tom]

I bought myself a new pair of snowshoes for Xmas a few years ago, to replace an old broken pair, and haven't used em yet, now we got deep enuf snow, I thought of going for a walk, but my snowshoes are in the barn, and the snows so deep, I need em to get to the barn

Phone a teenager....they love doing crazy stuff.
Stig

[Neil955i]

Pics of the dirty scoot?
Heck - pictures of anything! The pheasants?

Stig

Your wish is my command oh mighty Stig

[randyo]

Phone a teenager....they love doing crazy stuff.
Stig

that has proven to be unreliable, I've even offered $$ that would be $50/hr or more if they bust their ass. Last summer, I needed a couple cords of wood moved and stacked, offered $150, finally a young (in her late 20s) single parent took me up on the offer, did it in 3hrs. My teenage neighbor had first dibs, but he never got out of bed till noon, then had to text his gf for a couple hours.