Author Topic: Riding Temperatures  (Read 489 times)

Neil955i

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Riding Temperatures
« on: June 13, 2023, 09:30:36 AM »
Unusually for mid-June these last few days in the UK have been nudging 30C (or 86F) and humid.  I have needed to go out on my scooter (no, really) and found my usual adherence to ATGATT severely tested!

Question, how do you guys in hotter climes manage to keep cool whilst still achieving maximum protection for if the ride morphs into a slide?
Regards & ride safe,
Neil

Current garage:  Kymco DTX360 & Triumph Street Triple 675R
Past bikes: BSA C15. Honda S/wing (GL500). Kawasaki GPz750. BMW K100RS. Kawasaki GPZ900R. Yamaha FJ1200 x2. Sprint. Triumph Daytona 900. Kawasaki ZX-7R. T595 Daytona. Kawasaki ZX-9R x2. Triumph Daytona 955i. X-Town

lewtwo

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2023, 12:54:36 PM »
Unusually for mid-June these last few days in the UK have been nudging 30C (or 86F) and humid. 

LOL ... here (Houston, Texas US) that is considered a cool day in the summer.
... see my post: https://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=33454.0

You might try 'double sided tape' or 'super glue'  ;D

Actually a silicon baking sheet between the seat and the southern exposure of your torso might add a bit more friction. You can usually find them on Ebay or Amazon for a couple of bucks.
The more I learn the more obvious the immensity of my ignorance becomes.
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klaviator

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2023, 01:07:10 PM »
I wear mesh riding gear in hot weather.  If it's really hot I'll also wear a cooling vest.  Typical July and August temps here in Alabama are 90F ( 32C ) and above with high humidity.  The best technique for hot weather is to head for the mountains where the high elevations cool things down considerably.  I just spend 3 nights camping in North Carolina and it was 37 degrees the first night.  It warmed up to low 70s during the day which was perfect for riding. 
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rjs987

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2023, 01:10:53 PM »
I've been ATGATT up to 105F (40.5C) once, and very close to that (98-99F or 36-37C and humid at 95%) several times as well. Each time was on my ride home from work so I was Business Casual dress at work and did not remove any of my work clothes for the ride home other than leaving my work shoes in my cubical in favor of wearing my mc boots for the ride home.

My riding gear is multi season and has removable layers or liners. Both my armored riding jacket and overpants start as a mesh base. To the jacket I could add a solid layer over the mesh, then as it became cooler I could add a wind liner inside and then an insulation liner inside that. The pants were basically the same.

When I experienced the hottest rides home I would put on my riding gear at my cubical in mesh mode and as I walked to the front door of my building the cool air of the AC made it seem like I turned on my own personal AC inside my gear as I walked. Just from the air moving through the mesh. The design and materials of my gear made that possible. As soon as I exited the building the outside heat made me start to sweat. The cooling from the walk inside stayed with me just a little but then was replaced by the hot air. This was all before I got to my bike. Then as I started to ride through the streets evaporative cooling took over and I was comfortable. My ride home was at least 13 miles and more usually 26 miles (longer going home since I wasn't on a time restraint). I didn't care if my clothes got sweaty and stinky during the ride home since I always changed out of them anyway as soon as I got there and they would be put in the wash. Since evaporation dried out my clothes rather quickly with my jacket being full mesh instead of simply mesh vents I was in a constant cycle of sweat/evaporate/sweat/evaporate... which did end up keeping me cool enough to be tolerably comfortable enough to enjoy the ride anyway. (I can still tolerate some excess heat or cold at 68). I also wear a full face helmet that has good ventilation and I wear Tour Master Air type boots and summer gloves with a good knuckle protection (AlpineStars Copper gloves).

My current jacket does not have the full mesh base. The armored over pants still do though. My current jacket has very large mesh vents on the chest, biceps, and a very large vent that is more than half of the back. I can adjust these to be full open or partially open or closed. I also still have the inner liners to put in for cooler or colder weather. I have the Tour Master Pivot jacket.

With this gear I can still ride in temps that range from the above mentioned high temps down to around -10F or just under (-23C or just under) depending on vents open/closed or what layers I put in or add. At the colder end of the temp range I put on 2 pair of socks with the same boots (scooters have very good foot weather protection) and I have winter gloves that fit into my Kemimoto handlebar muffs on heated grips to keep those bits warm.

I mentioned on another forum that when I was working I was either riding my bike to work or taking the bus (our bus system is free for military vets... me, and picked up on block from my home and dropped off across the street from my work). The only time I really took the bus was if it was snowing or if there was still snow/ice on the road. Otherwise it was riding the bike to work. Rain was/is not a deterrent. I wear Frogg Toggs rain gear over everything for that. I like keeping my riding gear dry. Much more comfortable that way than relying on inner rain liners that soak the primary gear before they stop the rain from passing through. BTDT and didn't like the clammy feeling I got with that.

I got really good at watching and interpreting the weather reports. Notice how the weather forecasters didn't get it right all the time?

So far I am able to "stick" with ATGATT every time I ride... The only exception might be the one tenth of a mile around the cul-de-sac on my street while testing some maintenance performed, which is very rare.
/bob
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randyo

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2023, 01:16:23 PM »
I wear what makes me comfortable, my risk, nobody elses, on my scooter, Vibram five fingers, bike shorts and a high vis t shirt

I reduce my risk by riding on the lesser traveled roads
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NorWeWa

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2023, 02:48:00 PM »
Very rare to get hot here on the Northwest Coast. Luck to get to remove the liners from my riding gear.

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Stig / Major Tom

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2023, 03:49:06 PM »
Hot rides (at sunrise??! - not often, but....

From the waist down - always the same: Armored riding boots, armored pants.
100% mesh FirstGear armored jacket.

Drop the jacket when I get there. In my "friendly" coffee village - maybe the pants, too. Few would complain.

Mesh baby~! Like riding nekkid!

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Iahawk

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2023, 05:06:55 PM »
I'm guilty of riding my scoot in hot weather while wearing helmet, mesh jacket, gloves and riding shoes....plus shorts. Never wear shorts on the motorcycle...only on the scoot around town
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NorWeWa

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2023, 06:03:43 PM »
10 square inches of skin graft, probably more than $10,000. 

Art 

Neil955i

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2023, 07:37:49 PM »
Thanks for all the responses guys. (And it is all guys have you noticed? We get precious few women scooter riders on here.  Just a thought.)

Anyway today’s 30 mile ride (28c) was leather boots, armoured Bull-it jeans, fabric Dainese jacket without the liner, DXR armoured gloves and full face HJC with open vents.  Result? Tolerable until stuck at roadworks when I heated up like a good ‘un.

Ride back was unobstructed and so much more enjoyable. I may see what mesh jackets are available over here.
Regards & ride safe,
Neil

Current garage:  Kymco DTX360 & Triumph Street Triple 675R
Past bikes: BSA C15. Honda S/wing (GL500). Kawasaki GPz750. BMW K100RS. Kawasaki GPZ900R. Yamaha FJ1200 x2. Sprint. Triumph Daytona 900. Kawasaki ZX-7R. T595 Daytona. Kawasaki ZX-9R x2. Triumph Daytona 955i. X-Town

Iahawk

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2023, 08:33:52 PM »
Neil, mesh is definitely the way to go for a hot weather jacket!  I have 2 mesh, 1 textile (with heavy liner, for winter) and one perforated leather. My Alpinestars mesh is my jacket of choice in the summer 99 out of 100 times.

My shorty Alpinestars gloves are also perforated for airflow...as are my boots, come to think of it...

I do find that different bikes allow for much different airflows..my Ninja gives me the most air, followed by my S200 with my Helix in last place for airflow. The Helix is great for cooler weather as there is zero wind blast from the front while riding. So the weather helps dictate which bike I choose to ride.
2010 People S200 - sold after 8 wonderful years!
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1984 Honda Nighthawk 650

klaviator

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2023, 09:53:29 PM »
Mesh pants are MUCH cooler than jeans.  How protective is mesh gear?  I crash tested my Joe Rocket mesh pants and jacket at 65 MPH years ago and it worked just fine.
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rjs987

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #12 on: June 14, 2023, 12:34:02 AM »
It's really not the mesh that protects... from impacts when you hit the ground, or the curb, or some sign post or rock. That's what the armor is for. But modern mesh material is much more abrasion resistant than long ago so it should be good for sliding. So if you go down first you HIT, then you slide.
/bob
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randyo

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Re: Riding Temperatures
« Reply #13 on: June 14, 2023, 01:30:08 AM »
10 square inches of skin graft, probably more than $10,000. 

Art

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