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02-17-2010, 7:28 PM Montana Clifford Joined on 01-01-2010 Missoula, Montana USA Posts 140 Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Took the CX500C out for a 45-mile ride this evening. Sunny days have dried the roads, but it's still winter. A balmy 28 with light breeze. Speed limit is 75 around here. What's the wind-chill index at 75MPH? Its off the chart. Probably about +7F. In-spite of several layers, my face cheeks and fingers were tingling upon return home. Fun. Need a new battery though. Bought last one at Wal-mart on 2-27-2006. Well, that old battery is going to fall days short of it's 4th birthday. Windchill chart at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml 1980 Honda CX500 Custom "Blackie" 1979 Honda CX500 Deluxe "Whitie" rebuild project 1978 VW Camper ASI/Riviera Plan 1 MP (Money-Pit) 1974 VW Super Beetle FUGLY 1915cc Screamer 2000 Chevy Express Van "Great White" Tow Vehicle    Report

02-17-2010, 7:38 PM Montana Clifford Joined on 01-01-2010 Missoula, Montana USA Posts 140 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies +28F at 75MPH, with windchill factored-in, was +6F / -15C. No wonder I was cold. 1980 Honda CX500 Custom "Blackie" 1979 Honda CX500 Deluxe "Whitie" rebuild project 1978 VW Camper ASI/Riviera Plan 1 MP (Money-Pit) 1974 VW Super Beetle FUGLY 1915cc Screamer 2000 Chevy Express Van "Great White" Tow Vehicle    Report

02-18-2010, 4:51 AM Silverado 6x6 Joined on 08-13-2009 Wasilla, Alaska Posts 440 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Maybe your battery was freezing up?  I have relatively clear roads on the main highways up here in Alaska, the secondary streets and shaded areas are still heavily iced over. Buddy of mine took his Shadow out last Sunday on a bright sunny day in the low 40's and was hit by a car, yes he went down hard, has a broken collarbone and a broken leg. From what I hear the driver thought that bikes on the streets in winter in Alaska was illegal. Funny thing is there is a law about that but its only enforced if the roads are deemed unsafe, anyway so the driver thinking that there are basically no motorcycles on the streets during winter mentally ignored actually seeing one. Just something to keep in mind when hitting the road early, these dumbnuts don't expect us. 1980 CX 500 Deluxe with Vetter Vindicator Electric Fan conversion LED lamp conversion Bridgestone Spitfires New Ricks Motorsports stator H4 HID headlamp 2009 Yamaha V-Star 1300 Tourer New stuff being added every day.    Report

02-18-2010, 9:17 AM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies + 28f & you think it's cold? Do I have to tell you guys my -40 story again? Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-18-2010, 9:46 AM Blindstitch Joined on 03-14-2009 Greenfield Wisconsin Posts 9,863 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Is that -40 canadian or american? 1979 CX500 Supertanker ATGATT makes riding a bike like a sled easier. Quick Reference    Report

02-18-2010, 10:19 AM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies -40 is the same on both scales..... And it's not American or Canadian. It's American or what the rest of the world uses. Man, I wish you guys would move into the 20th century ;-) Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-18-2010, 10:25 AM Gene McCall Joined on 03-02-2006 Murfreesboro Posts 1,147 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Bob, I am sorry but I must insist you guys move back into the 18th century with us! Gene My pictures are Here I didn't get this old by being timid, just not being stupid! 2000 ST1100 Hack 1983 GL650    Report

02-18-2010, 10:53 AM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Sorry Gene. We're too used to using out fingers AND our thumbs when we count now to go back to just using our fingers. Besides - you guys already have metric money, don't you? ;-) Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-18-2010, 11:12 AM gopher Joined on 11-06-2008 Sk.Ca. Age 56 Posts 608 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies  Sidecar Bob wrote: ... it's not American or Canadian. It's American or what the rest of the world uses. Man, I wish you guys would move into the 20th century ;-) Don't forget Burma and Liberia who also use the American system. 1981 GL500I    Report

02-18-2010, 7:16 PM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies I just had to look that up, and it turns out you are wrong. In fact, I learned that a bunch of stuff I thought I knew was wrong. To start with, the US does not use the Imperial System. They actually do use the American system (AKA United States Customary Units) which is based on the Imperial system as it stood before American independence with a couple of American twists and persists in spite of the official adoption of the metric system over 100 years ago.  I found a number of references to "Liberia, Burma and the United States" being the only countries that have not converted to metric, but that turns out to be false too. To start with, Burma no longer exists - it is now called Myanmar.And in addition to them, "As of 2005 the U.S. liquid gallon continued to be used as a unit of measure for fuel in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and the United States. The Imperial gallon is used colloquially (and in advertising) in the United Kingdom and Canada for the fuel economy figures, in miles per gallon (elsewhere in Europe, the effective fuel consumption is often advertised in litres per 100 km, or km per litre). It continues to be used as a unit of measure for fuel  in Antigua and Barbuda,  Belize,  Burma (Myanmar),  Cayman Islands, Grenada,  Guyana, Sierra Leone, and the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is switching its pumps to litres between 2010-01-01 and 2010-04-01" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallon) So it would appear that, while you were right that Liberia uses the American System, Myanmar (Burma) uses the Imperial. Or at least they still used parts of those systems 5 years ago. But we were talking about temperature. From what I can find, everyone in the world uses Celsius except for the U.S, Belize & Burma, which still cling to Fahrenheit. In Fahrenheit, water freezes at 32 deg. and boils at 212 deg. It begs the question "What was Fahrenheit on when he came up with that?" Personally, I don't think there could be much argument about the superior logic of a system where water (the most common material in the world) freezes at 0 deg. and boils at 100 deg. And it's easier to understand too once you get the hang of it. But (back to the original topic) -2c is not bitter cold. It is just a bit cool. at -2, if the sun is shining and I'm not going more than 20 Km or so, I sometimes wear my open helmet and don't bother with the pants of my snowmobile suit. Now, -20c is cold. At -20 I always wear my full helmet with the electric anti-fog shield and turn the handlebar heaters on high for at least the first 5 minutes or so (longer if I don't have the muffs on yet) and I always wear the full snowmobile suit. And the mitts and the insulated rubber boots (waterproof=windproof). -40? I don't care what anyone says - that's DAMN cold. You want the story again? Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-18-2010, 8:03 PM Montana Clifford Joined on 01-01-2010 Missoula, Montana USA Posts 140 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies +28F is not cold at all. Like I said, a balmy +28F. But at 75MPH, it got cold fast. So move this ride to a colder climate, and at 75MPH would become frostbite in short order. But with temperatures aside, I enjoyed myself. The ride felt good. 1980 Honda CX500 Custom "Blackie" 1979 Honda CX500 Deluxe "Whitie" rebuild project 1978 VW Camper ASI/Riviera Plan 1 MP (Money-Pit) 1974 VW Super Beetle FUGLY 1915cc Screamer 2000 Chevy Express Van "Great White" Tow Vehicle    Report

02-18-2010, 9:09 PM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies That's only 120 Km/h. I often hit speeds like that and commonly cruise at 100+. It all comes down to being prepared for the weather. If you are going to go out on a bike when it isn't warm you need to wear a snowmobile suit. Anyway, you asked for it so here goes: I used to travel to a club meeting about 100 Km away every 2nd Monday night and return after midnight..I was about half way home one night on my first 'Wing/Dnepr outfit when I started to wonder just how cold it was. It hadn't seemed that cold when I left the city but it sure was now. I was past the point of no return so I wasn't about to turn back. It was well after midnight so there wasn't even a coffee shop open to warm up in. The handlebar heaters were on high and my fingers were so cold I started folding them up between my palm & the grip (with the thumb in between) to thaw out (one hand at a time). So cold I started thinking bout whether I should slow down to reduce the windchill or speed up to get home faster, but I decided I didn't like either choice so I kept it at 100 and hunched down behind the fairing a bit more. When I got home it took me a couple of minutes to pry myself off of the bike to open the garage door. After plugging in the block heater and battery charger (to make sure the battery would be warm enough in the morning) I went in the kitchen and looked at the outside temperature. That's when I learned that -40 is the same in both Fahrenheit & Celsius............................ Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-18-2010, 9:37 PM gopher Joined on 11-06-2008 Sk.Ca. Age 56 Posts 608 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Yer nuts SCB    : ) 1981 GL500I    Report

02-18-2010, 10:04 PM Cobram Joined on 06-23-2007 Boston, MA Posts 1,548 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Naw, this guy is nuts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59ey2MwJ_aQ Wonder what the wind chill at 238 km per hour at -10 is....damn cold is what it is! 1978 CX500 - I live on a one-way street that's also a dead end. I'm not sure how I got here, or how I'm going to get out. Four wheels move the body; Two wheels move the Soul.    Report

02-19-2010, 6:57 AM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies It's all in the gear. I wear snowmobile gear because if it will keep you warm on a sled it will work on a bike too. My insulated suit has warm air from the house inside it when I put it on and is kept warm by my body heat. I am wearing a foam lined hat with an electrically heated shield in front of my face. When I sit on the bike's block-of-ice seat, my insulated pants keep me from feeling it until it has thawed. You get into a car and shiver until the heater warms up the interior and then roast because you have your coat on. You sit on the car's block-of-ice seat in your jeans and you shiver until it thaws. You have a cold steering wheel. I have heated handlebars with muffs made to deflect the wind and reflect lost heat back to my hands. At -20c I start to realize that it's cold out about 20 minutes into my 25 minute commute. I your car (unless you waste a lot of fuel warming it up first) you are just starting to feel comfortable by then. All there is between the bike's handlebars and the front wheel is suspension so I can tell immediately when I drive onto ice and slow down before I get into trouble. Your car has linkages, gearbox, power assist &c so you don't know it's slippery until you try to steer or brake and then it's too late. I arrive at work grinning. So whose nuts? Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-19-2010, 7:31 AM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies  Cobram wrote: Naw, this guy is nuts: His run is relatively short and he is wearing full race leathers. I would bet the only parts of him that had much chance to get cold were his fingers & the space between his collar & his helmet. BTW: In case you didn't notice, that bike was prepared for the ice with studded racing tires. Ice racing is a big deal in a lot of places where there's not much else to do in the winter. With those studded tires they have incredible traction so they have amazing lean angles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLL___Ux0GE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwXaVxEahxY Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-19-2010, 7:56 AM gopher Joined on 11-06-2008 Sk.Ca. Age 56 Posts 608 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies   The world is full of Vanilla People SCB. In that context,  those who have convictions and the courage to step outside the norm and do it their way have my respect. So I think you're nuts, but in a good way.   If you ever wander out this way, there is a wood stove to pull a recliner up to and a  hot rum toddy for your cold hands.. 1981 GL500I    Report

02-19-2010, 6:08 PM Montana Clifford Joined on 01-01-2010 Missoula, Montana USA Posts 140 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies Like your Avatar. Thank you for the offer. And if you find yourself in Montana, Hollar. Say hello. Save yourself Motel costs and stay a couple of days. 1980 Honda CX500 Custom "Blackie" 1979 Honda CX500 Deluxe "Whitie" rebuild project 1978 VW Camper ASI/Riviera Plan 1 MP (Money-Pit) 1974 VW Super Beetle FUGLY 1915cc Screamer 2000 Chevy Express Van "Great White" Tow Vehicle    Report

02-19-2010, 6:44 PM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies The same goes for you guys if you ever find yourself near THOTU Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

02-20-2010, 6:24 AM WayneDW Joined on 07-28-2006 Minneapolis Posts 1,655 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies OK, I'll bite.... "THOTU" ??? Wayne 1983 GL650 Silverwing Interstate WWW.fossilapostles.com    Report

02-20-2010, 6:39 AM Sidecar Bob Joined on 03-02-2006 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario Posts 1,901 Re: Bitter Cold Bike Ride this evening through the Rockies The Hub Of The Universe ;-) Mr. Honda ('83 GL1000/Dnepr) summer The Famous Eccles ('84 GX650EI/Velorex700) winter WHY I HAVEN"T BEEN AROUND MUCH LATELY    Report

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