Does the thought of riding your motorcycle during the winter months fill you with dread? How can you make a bad situation better if you have no choice?
If riding your motorcycle is uncomfortable, or there is ice on the road, it increases the risk of an accident. You can still ride when winter sets in, but you will need proper cold-weather riding gear, including heated gloves and socks.
What temp is too cold for a motorcycle?
Any temperature that you are not comfortable with! Even with the best gloves, your hands can get cold, slowing your reaction times to pull the brake lever.
Don’t get confused with riding on a snowy trail or a winter road with ice. Your motorcycle will have enough grip to pull you through snow if you are on a trail.
On the road, snow and ice are different. The snow will have been compacted by other traffic, and once frozen, you are riding on compacted ice.
You know how damn slippery a wet manhole cover is. Well, ice is worse in every aspect.
Ice forms in the mid 30 F’s 32 F being the freezing point, but ice can form above this temperature with other factors like air temperature.
Is 60 degrees too cold to ride a motorcycle?
Most riders will draw the line at 60 degrees as the point where they stop riding their motorcycles. Don’t forget to experience a wind fill factor that further drops the temperature.
Despite the frigid temperatures and the ever-increasing possibilities of coming across an ice patch on the road, you have to contend with salt grit and sand on the road surface.
The loss of tyre grip combined with being cold is not where most motorcyclists want to be.
60 degrees on a motorcycle with a wind chill is a cold place to be.
Is it bad to ride your motorcycle in the cold?
Your engine oil will run thicker, your chain and sprocket will take a hammering from the salt and grit spread on the road surface.
The post-ride washdown is an extra chore. Is it bad to ride in the cold? Not necessarily, just more of a hassle and not so pleasant an experience.
Is 40 degrees too cold to ride a bike?
Unless you are into extreme sports, 40 degrees is way too cold to ride your bike, and the chances of coming across an ice patch are quite high.
Even with the best gear, it will not be an enjoyable experience riding in temperatures as low as 40 degrees, and careful consideration should be given before venturing out on your motorcycle in frigid conditions.