Winter Riding
By Ric Remz
It wasn’t so very long ago that by the time Thanksgiving arrived, the majority of motorcyclists had put their bikes to bed for a long winter’s sleep. And, if you are like me, by early March I had a world class case of cabin fever. Today, thanks to vast improvements in many varied technologies, such as synthetic clothing and insulation materials, motorcycle engineering, development of synthetic blends of oils and lubricants and improved tire compounds and tread designs, it is possible to safely and enjoyably extend our riding season beyond the usual eight months.
Today, in many cold weather riding areas across the country, there are “Polar Bear” rides and events scheduled through the winter. Not forgetting the many “Toy Runs” that are held each winter. Or, maybe you just enjoy an occasional short day ride when the sun is shining and the roads are free of snow. For whatever the reason, let’s take a look at some tips to make that cold weather ride as safe and enjoyable as possible.
Tire Issues:
Before we begin our winter ride, there are several factors we need to understand about how the cold will affect specific components of our motorcycles. Modern tires are designed to tolerate the heat created by today’s high speed roadways. Due to the decrease in temperature in general and especially the surface of the road where our tires live, it will take longer for the tires to warm up so that the compounds will function as designed, some may never reach optimum operating temperatures. This means your tires will not have the traction that you are used to and expect as quickly as when you ride in warmer weather. So ride more cautiously and allow more time for the tires to reach ideal operating temperatures.
Oil Considerations:
In colder weather, we need to use lower viscosity oils. In warm weather, I generally use a synthetic blend of 20W50, and in colder weather 10W40. If you’re not really sure, check with your dealer or mechanic and use what they recommend. The colder the temperature, the longer it takes oil to reach proper operating temperature; which then affects the engine’s oil pressure. Your engine may also require more choke to enrich the fuel mix for a longer time until it warms up. Even if you have fuel injection, allow extra time for your engine to warm up before taking off. Clutches may also be sticky and/or sluggish too. A trick I learned regarding sticky or sluggish clutches is to squeeze the clutch in and out a few times before attempting that first shift into gear.
Road Conditions:
There are many factors that will affect the roads that we will travel upon. The effects of overnight freezing and daytime thawing repeatedly will cause cracks that eventually will lead to broken pavement and potholes. This is usually seen in the later part of winter after the ground has frozen and causes heaving of the pavement
Early morning rides can be hazardous due to the frost left by overnight freezing that may not melt off immediately. Once frost sets in, it can take a long time for the ground to defrost. Riding in late afternoon when the sun begins to set can be just as perilous, because the temperature tends to drop along with the setting sun. This will cause any moisture that accumulated during the day on the road surface to freeze. Another winter road hazard is a condition known as “Black Ice." Usually found at night, this condition may also be found in the early morning on road surfaces that are shaded. You may also find this on bridges and overpasses, where winds cause the exposed surfaces to have lower temperatures than the rest of the road. This condition occurs when there is high humidity in the air and it comes in contact with a road surface that has a temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This causes the moisture to freeze and leave a thin layer of ice on the road. Unfortunately, this is usually unnoticeable until you are on it and it’s too late. Watch out for residual sand that has been spread during snow or icy conditions, this too reduces your tires' traction
So how do we handle these road hazards? First and foremost, be ever vigilant in scanning the road for signs of potential hazards. Surface cracks and potholes can usually be steered around, but if you are unable to avoid it, rising off the seat and using your knees like shock absorbers will reduce the jarring that would be transmitted through your spine. Gently rolling on the throttle to slightly increase your speed will shift the weight of the bike to the rear wheel, causing the front to rise slightly, also reducing the jolting.
If you find yourself in a situation where there is reduced traction, such as a slippery road surface, make no sudden changes in speed or direction. Reduce lean angles in turns and increase following distances to give yourself more time and space to react to traffic situations. If the rear wheel begins to spin, from the loss of traction, squeeze in the clutch to reduce the power to the rear wheel and coast through. Remember to GENTLY apply the brakes when necessary and to allow more stopping distance when braking.
Riding Gear:
Let’s now prepare ourselves for cold weather riding. Dressing in layers (no, this is not a fashion thing), is generally the best method for protecting against cold temperatures. Dressing in layers means wearing multiple layers of clothing rather than wearing just one heavy shirt and one heavy coat. The air trapped between the layers helps to insulate against heat loss. Start with undergarments, silk undershorts and shirts next to our skin helps to retain heat in winter and stays cool in summer. If silk is too extravagant, cotton is also good, but will retain moisture from perspiration. Remember that nylon material is of no value for retaining body heat or absorbing moisture. Next, some type of thermal long sleeve undershirt or turtleneck and “long johns”. Two pairs of socks on your feet will also help to keep your toes nice and comfy. Use wool or a cotton/wool blend followed by heavier thermal socks. It may be a good idea to have winter riding boots one half size larger than your usual size to allow for the thicker, extra socks.
Tight fitting boots are not only uncomfortable but do not allow for proper circulation in your feet and will compress the thermal material of your socks, defeating its purpose. A long-sleeved shirt of either flannel, wool, denim or chamois goes over the upper body and heavy pants made of wool or flannel lined denim are good for the lower half. While leather chaps may be effective in reducing wind chill on your legs, they do not offer much in the way of insulation. Sturdy insulated boots or work shoes should do the trick for your feet. Remember to go at least one half size larger (try them for size with 2 pair of socks to ensure proper fit) to accommodate the extra thick socks.
There are several alternatives to wearing many layers of clothing under your riding jacket. Some of these other options are insulated riding suits and/or electrically heated vests, jackets, chaps gloves and socks. There are numerous manufacturers of these items and they all work to some degree or another. Snowmobile suits also make excellent riding suits. Whatever you choose to wear, remember to make sure the wrists and ankles close properly. While a cooling gentle air flow up your arms and across your shoulders may be welcome in hot weather, that constant blast of heat robbing cold air is not the least bit pleasant in cold weather. Personally, I like a jacket and over pants made with a Gortex type material in the liner. It helps to wick away moisture that builds from perspiration.
Besides our feet, there are three other areas of our body that are very susceptible to heat loss; our hands, our head and our neck To help prevent heat loss from our heads (most heat loss is from the head, it acts like a chimney), I usually wear a Balaklava. This mask like garment covers the whole head with an opening for the eyes, protecting your face, nose ears and neck from the cold. Even if you wear a full face helmet, your neck and the area under your chin will still need protection. If you wear an open face helmet a faceshield will help reduce heat loss and windchill from convection (moving air). Even with a windshield or full fairing it can get very cold. To protect our hands, winter weight thermal/insulated gloves are necessary. Some riders find the reflective liners under their gloves work well too. Personally, I am not too keen on the mitten style of glove, I find them cumbersome and clumsy…but this is a matter of personal choice. There are also electrically heated hand grips available either as original equipment on some models of a certain European brand or as aftermarket for the rest of us. How well do they work? I’ve never used them, but if you’re wearing heavy gloves how well can the heat penetrate to warm your hands. I guess it’s like deer whistles, some people swear by them, others swear at them. You should experiment with what interests you before you make a decision.
Hypothermia:
One of the major concerns about cold weather riding is heat loss and as we just discussed the best defense is being properly dressed. But, you can lose heat even with proper gear.
Getting wet or having the temperature drop below what you had planned for are two of the more common reasons. What is Hypothermia, how serious is it and what can be done to treat it once we or one of our companions get it?
Hypothermia is when your body temperature falls below the normal range. Remember, you do not have to be riding a motorcycle to experience heat loss. It is not necessary to be riding in 40 degree weather either. You can become hypothermic in 60 degree weather. Get wet while riding in the spring or fall and wind-chill factors will come into play. For those of you out there who do not understand or have never heard of wind-chill, I will take a moment to briefly explain it.
Wind-chill is the cooling effect that moving air (wind) has on our skin. By combining the windspeed with the ambient temperature via a (convoluted) formula, you arrive at a specific wind-chill factor. Example: If you were traveling at 40 mph and the temperature was 40 degrees Fahrenheit it would feel as if it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature fell to 35 degrees Fahrenheit it would feel as if it was 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind speeds over 40 mph have little additional effect. So add the evaporative cooling effect that being wet has on the human body and it is not hard to see how someone can experience serious heat loss in 60 degree weather. Listed below is a description of the three basic levels of hypothermia.
Mild Hypothermia is a temperature of 95 to 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the earliest stage of hypothermia and can be noted by cool skin, shivering, difficulty in speech and movement. The patient in later stages may also become disoriented or have short term memory loss.
Moderate Hypothermia is a body temperature below 91 degrees Fahrenheit to approximately 80 degrees. Shivering stops and muscles may become rigid, pupils dilate, there is loss of voluntary motion, the victim becomes stuporous with the possibility of loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest is possible.
Severe Hypothermia is body temperature below 80 degrees, victim is unresponsive to pain and cardiac arrest is likely
So, how do we treat hypothermia? In this article we will only need to discuss mild hypothermia. First and foremost, get off the bike, find shelter and get some warmth. Pull off at a diner or rest stop and get something warm to drink, like hot chocolate, coffee/tea or soup. Do not drink any alcohol like brandy. Alcohol will dilate your blood vessels, causing further heat loss. If you are wet, get into something dry or at least remove what is wet, like shoes, socks, gloves, etc. Once you have gotten indoors where it is warm, remove your outer garments so that the heat can now reach you. The garments meant to keep the heat in, will now work to keep the heat out. In extreme cases of exposure, frostbite or frostnip can set into fingers, toes, ears and noses. These effected areas need to be rewarmed slowly. Avoid rubbing them, as this may cause additional damage to the tissue. Running them under lukewarm water is fine. Victims of frostbite need to be seen by a doctor.
If we use our heads and plan properly, we can enjoy winter riding and extend our riding season
The author (recently retired) was a Paramedic Lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Service Command, A Motorcycle Safety Foundation Certified Instructor/Rider Coach on faculty with the Motorcycle Association of New York State and a National Safety Council Certified 1st Aid/CPR Instructor.