Lee & I have the same weather since we live about 70 miles apart. On my commute this morning I saw "--" on the air display which is less than 15F. So assuming that it was 14F and me being the (IMG:style_emoticons/default/squid.gif) I am with a speed of 102 the time I looked down, that's a wind chill of -18F. I should have put on my baklava before I left work, as that was the only thing that was cold, my neck. Of course I was singing along with my XM radio and my Fog City kept my shield clear as a glass. Life is good!
Lee 2002, Nov 21 2008, 08:41 PMthis is just for making fun of people in warm climates (or for them making fun of us.)
I don't think the warm climates need any help making fun of us/you! This pic was pulled from Lee's own gallery. (IMG:http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1197512921/gallery_7423_1964_657883.jpg)
On my trip to Minnesota, there were stretches where I went deep into the negatives (granted these were short stretches, but......well, it counts, right?)
You guys are hard core riding in those temps. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
If it's 50 out, that's freezing for SoCal. I don't care about that 32F thing. Been there and much lower, don't want to go back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
50F, and I'm putting on my warmest gear. I don't have, nor do I want, anything electric. Just don't need it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
OTOH, you can laugh at us about housing prices. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/goofy.gif)
sckego, Nov 22 2008, 01:31 AMI've definitely seen 14F on the VFR's temp gauge. It stayed there from all of my 28-mile, all-freeway commute. That was a fun morning.
Did you just tip over on the bike when you arrived at your destination? Frozen stiff unable to pry your frozen foot from the peg? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
i rode until tuesday this week (every day since march, rain or shine) in the ohio valley/pittsburgh area. even in the snow and ice on my ninja 250. (little wind protection and no engine heat) been driving the cage to work the last 3 days cause it was only going to be in the mid to high 20's at night on the way home with the chance of ice.
as soon as it dries up this week i will be back on the bike.
Alien TLR, Nov 22 2008, 03:54 AMFor me, it's never too cold, only too icy.
My bike never sees "winter storage".
And my coworkers call me a crazy hardcore? For my 30 mile commute to work, I drive the cage when the temp dips below 20 deg F or frozen moisture on the road. I have seen 16 deg F on the gauge. Thinking I might need some supplemental electric heat if the trip is much longer than a hour. I just laugh when asked if I have put the bike away for the winter. And my favorite question.....Isn't it cold riding that motorcylce? I just usually smile or laugh, and once in awhile respond with a "Nope". Hell yes it is cold.........by why? Because I CAN!!!!!
I know it isnt a contest, but I was late to work this morning so 26 degrees and 120MPH. the calculator doesnt do speeds above 100, so, we will say........brisk, chilly even.
Lat time i didnt ride because of weather i couldnt get the snow off my visor quick enough to continue.
Once you overcome the mental hurdle of the cold and get the proper gear, it really is nothing.
Thank God for short commutes.... 30-35 in the morning and I ride a old standard bike..... no wind protection at all, and what the hell are heated grips, I guess that is something you need a real battery for. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
WTF ever happened to global warming?It was 16 degrees in charlotte nc this morning.I guess we are headed to another ice age,this time we will not be able to get a loan with the banks going belly up.
timmythecop, Nov 22 2008, 08:40 AMI know it isnt a contest, but I was late to work this morning so 26 degrees and 120MPH. the calculator doesnt do speeds above 100, so, we will say........brisk, chilly even.
Lat time i didnt ride because of weather i couldnt get the snow off my visor quick enough to continue.
Once you overcome the mental hurdle of the cold and get the proper gear, it really is nothing.
According to the formula provided on the website, 26 @ 120 gives you a -1 wind chill. So.... strangely enough, your first entry achieves a lower wind chill due to the colder temp.... increased speed has a subdued effect on the windchill due to the wind speed being raised to a fractional power.
Here is the formula you can put into Excel where B1 is temp and B2 is wind speed:
Honestly, though I am a new rider, I am enjoying winter riding. I rode the other day with temperatures of about 35, at around 45 mph, and it was more refreshing than uncomfortable. Everything felt more pure and clean.
hondalover, Nov 21 2008, 11:09 PMI don't think the warm climates need any help making fun of us/you!
Obviously, you have met me.... don't spoil the fun for the rest of them... they don't know I'm an idiot.... yet.
panamawing, Nov 22 2008, 07:09 AMAnd my coworkers call me a crazy hardcore? For my 30 mile commute to work, ...
Tis the season!
In the interest of full disclosure... my commute is only six miles. I do pride myself on riding the bike to work every day... and like others have said freezing precip stops me.
One time I did get caught by a storm that arrived several hours earlier than predicted.. I rode home in 2 inches of snow... The tire tracks were clear but changing lanes was dicey. I had a co-worker follow me in his truck... our plan was... If I dumped it just to leave her where she lay and I would jump in his truck to take me home. I made it home without a scratch, the looks from car drivers alone was worth every second of the trip. I am now considered the "resident idiot" at work... with all the honors and privileges that come with the title.
I love all the seasons and consider myself fortunate to live somewhere where we get to experience each one.
timmythecop, Nov 22 2008, 08:40 AM120MPH
I forgot to say (IMG:style_emoticons/default/squid.gif)
vfr_steve, Nov 22 2008, 09:53 AM.. I just wish we could get a heated helmet system, somehow...
This really caught me off guard... my head would be the last thing to get cold... we are basically wearing a styrofoam cooler on our heads... Are you sure that your vents and visor are sealing up?
camcclellan, Nov 22 2008, 01:33 PMHonestly, though I am a new rider, I am enjoying winter riding. I rode the other day with temperatures of about 35, at around 45 mph, and it was more refreshing than uncomfortable. Everything felt more pure and clean.
Ohhh, you've got it. Possibly you've got it bad. Nothing that the doctors can do for it. Welcome to the club.
vfrjim2002, Nov 22 2008, 02:17 PMIt gets below 40F??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
Actually, timmy, you should have been disqualified from the get-go.
Your flat black paint scheme gives you an unfair advantage over other participants. We all know that the flat black paint allows your motorcycle to abosorb latent heat from the surrounding air and re-radiate it back to you. Clearly a blatant attempt to skirt the un-written rules that live in my head.
Lowest I will ride is 34 indicated on the bike. 34 at 80 MPH is a wind chill of 14. With my commute (at that time) of 64 miles, I think that is cold enough. I did not even have any winter gear at the time. I used to take my left hand off of the bars and stick it on the radiator on the left side of the bike. The right hand was just flat out of luck though.
VFR4Lee, Nov 21 2008, 11:42 PMYou guys are hard core riding in those temps. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
If it's 50 out, that's freezing for SoCal. I don't care about that 32F thing. Been there and much lower, don't want to go back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
50F, and I'm putting on my warmest gear. I don't have, nor do I want, anything electric. Just don't need it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
OTOH, you can laugh at us about housing prices. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/goofy.gif)
Here, here, Florida checking in. 50F is about the edge between marginally gearing up and REALLY gearing up. I know you Canadians and riders of the northern climes scoff at this but we Southern weenies get chilly at this level. Just a fact o' riding in the South. Party on Garth...
Crash1973, Nov 22 2008, 11:16 PMLowest I will ride is 34 indicated on the bike. 34 at 80 MPH is a wind chill of 14. With my commute (at that time) of 64 miles, I think that is cold enough. I did not even have any winter gear at the time. I used to take my left hand off of the bars and stick it on the radiator on the left side of the bike. The right hand was just flat out of luck though.
Really nice hard bags there, Crash!
Thanks. I really wish I still had the bike. I sold it so I could buy my dream car. After owning that car for about 3 months, I wished I had not sold my pride and joy. I like the car, but I LOVED the bike. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) The Car (IMG:http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/crash1973/04-28-07_1810.jpg)
Went out today. Rode for a little over an hour and a half, all back roads, maximum speed about 70 mph. Temp varied from 36F to 38F. Some icy spots here and there in shady spots (always in the curves, of course). No deer, though, for once!
It was a nice ride. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) My right toes and left pinky started to get a little bit cold, but otherwise I was comfortable. Never had to turn on my heated jacket, pants, or gloves. Only saw one other bike out, a CBR.
22 is my limit, but have done 12, for a friend. No heated nothing. D-oh! 1-3 inches of snow, tomorrow. Too early for this crap. Febuary is gonna be harsh.
32F @ 90MPH. 10F wind chill. It was a little nippy coming over the pass!! Funny though, if you have the right gear, the cold doesn't really bother you. I waited a long time before I bought my gear.....got a Fieldsheer Moto Morph jacket and Fieldsheer Mercury pants (both silver to match my bike!!!). I'll have to write a review here in a little....great product and price!!! The only thing that really got cold was my adam's apple and my nether regions. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) I have found out that a neck gator will keep my adam's apple warm....still working on the nether regions!! Heated grips are NICE! The only problem I have is that I turn them on, they heat up, and then I have to shut them off because it is just to hot (and that's on low). My head never got cold, which is suprising since I am follically challenged. Ususally, my head is the first thing that gets cold. Riding in the cold is better then coffee!!!!
motogpfan, Nov 22 2008, 05:45 PMTo make it real interesting riding gear should be the following;Helmet,tee shirt,shorts,and flip flops.
im out
You might be out, but all the Floridian squids are in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Anyway, one night in January after schol around 10pm I saw 32�F on the bike in the parking lot. That 32 quickly become 28 on the highway. Man, I did not need law enforcement to keep my speed legal on the highway. That was cold in leathers without the sun. Not only the air was crispy but also my leathers... So, 28�F at 70mph is 6 �F Wind Chill Temperature.
A few days ago, I took a nice crisp ride for about 3 hours in 50 degree weather using a Fieldsheer Aqua Tour jacket w/liner and was quite comfortable with only a T-shirt underneath. Yet, there was a draft in the chest area that I was able to absolve with a scarf. I know, hardly extreme temperatures, but I was experimenting with different levels of gear in the "cold." Yeah, this is Florida, what else can I say? It does actually get colder than that in the northern part of the state at times.
motogpfan, Nov 23 2008, 07:31 PMThe Subie STI is hard to pass by,that would depend on your circumstances?Love that car so for me the car would win,then buy a older bike for fun.
Dont get me wrong, the STI is my dream car. I just did not realize just how much I would miss the VFR. Hell, I had a WRX at the time, the only difference between it and the STI is the WRX did 0-60 in 5.7, the STI in 4.7. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) As far as buying an old bike, it just is not in the budget. I took a $30k a year pay cut when my job transferred me ($8k for me $22k for the wife).
If it's not wet when I leave, I ride... no matter what the temp. Here in GA, the coldest I have seen is about 6 degrees (bought a thermometer when the dash guage when to --), but I would ride colder if I saw it. I have an hour ride each way. It's gonna feel like 28 tomorrow and I shoudl be nice and toasty in my heated gear (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
36 degrees a few weeks ago after work, spent a few minutes making the commute as short as possible on the interstate (no heated gear) so I rolled it up to 85, 17F windchill.
Got a question...you guys are going by the air temp on your bike. Mine always reads high, I'm pretty sure the sensor is more or less right next to the radiator. Saw it hit as high as 120 one day back in July. It gets hot here, but was in the mid-90s that day. Does the computer use that sensor for anything, or is it for informative use only? I'd like to move it somewhere out of the hot-air stream inside the bike to get more accurate readings....
Trinith, Nov 25 2008, 02:51 AM36 degrees a few weeks ago after work, spent a few minutes making the commute as short as possible on the interstate (no heated gear) so I rolled it up to 85, 17F windchill.
Got a question...you guys are going by the air temp on your bike. Mine always reads high, I'm pretty sure the sensor is more or less right next to the radiator. Saw it hit as high as 120 one day back in July. It gets hot here, but was in the mid-90s that day. Does the computer use that sensor for anything, or is it for informative use only? I'd like to move it somewhere out of the hot-air stream inside the bike to get more accurate readings....
The sensor is for air temp display only. On 6th gens the sensor sticks out right underneath the headlights screwed to the upper cowling. I would think that is where a good place would be, out of the sun and picks up un-distrubed air.
Will be leaving for work in a few minutes, and the current temp is 25.9 F with a wind chill of 22 F. With a 4.9 mile commute, I can usually get there fast enough that I don't notice the cold. As I've told my cow-irkers, as long as it isn't too windy or wet, I'll ride. What is "heated gear," though? When I'm done layering up, I could probably fall over sideways and not feel a thing - be my own crash bars...
Just saw the calculator thing... so if I rode at 6 degrees for an hour at about 60 (which is slow for my trip,) the wind chill would be about -24... which is how my hands felt at the end of an hour... even with heated grips (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Calculate your own windchill and post up. Let's see who can get the lowest this winter.
Find the calculator at the BOTTOM OF THIS LINK Copy and paste your results in. This was supposed to be for this winter.... but, hey, we are on a roll now.
The standings as of now for wind chill if skin were exposed.
I hate the cold, but here in Nashville we can usually ride year round as we hardly every get snow which is a big plus. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I do NOT commute on the bike, but I run my 400 mile loop year round too, but will never usually start out if it's below the mid 20's and it's not going to warm up at least 10-15 deg more throughout the day. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) 6-8 hrs in those temps is hard on this old man! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)
Yes, I know that isn't all that "cold" overall, but when its a) Texas and b) it was 80 yesterday, it's kinda chilly.
I realized something else, cold tires suck. I hadn't felt the front slip before, but it did this morning and I'm happy I rode dirt bikes a lot... boot went down, steered a tad straight and it was all fixed, then I laughed my ass off the rest of the way in. I don't know why, it was just funny.
I have to go off the thermometer at home and work which read 4.3 and 4.5 respectively. My speed was 75mph which puts me -29F wind chill. I'm glad the hospital I work in doesn't have a mental ward, because I think my co-workers would have me admitted.
I don't know what the windchill was but two or three years ago I did a spring track day when it was snowing. Never got my knee down at all that day! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Actually it was kinda fun but it was only twenty minutes at a time. I couldn't imagine my 45 mile drive to work in that weather. You guys are nuts! LOL
Calculate your own windchill and post up. Let's see who can get the lowest this winter.
Find the calculator at the BOTTOM OF THIS LINK Copy and paste your results in. This was supposed to be for this winter.... but, hey, we are on a roll now.
The standings as of now for wind chill if skin were exposed.
