Anybody go for ride today? Got Pictures?

[roadscholar]

11 minutes ago, Rockosmith said:

You don’t often get a 75* day in December in W NC.  Had to take advantage of it.

 

it was 68* at 5300’ at the observation tower.

 

Wayah fire tower, one of the few places in the Smokies you can get an (almost) 360 degree view, especially when the leaves are gone, good job. 

[TEWKS]

3 hours ago, Rockosmith said:

You don’t often get a 75* day in December in W NC.  Had to take advantage of it.

 

it was 68* at 5300’ at the observation tower.

My bike knows that tower! 

[roadscholar]

 

I haven't been there in years Pat but it looks like there was a fire by your photo so I looked it up.

 

 

https://wlos.com/news/local/gallery/wayah-bald-fire-tower-nears-completion?photo=1

 

Took a group up there in 2009 after a day of dualsport riding.

 

 

 

[TEWKS]

Great bottom photo Bill!  You obviously took the longer route that day judging by the amount of “no” daylight left? 

[Dennis Andress]

Cedar Breaks. Not much snow yet.

 

 

 

[Redman]

As close as I have come to "go for ride" has been to move battery tender from one bike to another. Maybe same for lot of other folks.

 

[Dennis Andress]

2 hours ago, Redman said:

As close as I have come to "go for ride" has been to move battery tender from one bike to another. Maybe same for lot of other folks.

 

 

Be prepared!

 

[Michiganr80rt]

Mid December in west Michigan, sunny and the temperature is above 40F. Time for a 50 mile ride.

[Hosstage]

I'm jealous. We have decent temps, above 35°, but it snowed about 6" a couple days ago, so the roads are a bit sloppy. No riding until it melts more to dry the roads, or freezes more. Yes, I'll ride with a little salt on the roads and snow on the side, but it should be below 25° otherwise the roads are sloppy if the snow isn't gone.

[Redman]

4 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

............................., but it should be below 25° otherwise the roads are sloppy if the snow isn't gone.

I agreee with that logic. If snow on side of the road, then upper 20s better than low 40degF, because at low 40s will be melt runing across the road.

Although in recent years I am not tolerating the 20s for too long. 

[Redman]

Have had some days of ice and snow.

ANd salt trucks.

THen had a couple rains.

And today partly sunny, windy, but 45degF.

 

So went for about an hour ride.

Stopped for pic at this place you may have seen before.

 

Tommorow is a possibility too.

 

.

[Hosstage]

12 minutes ago, Redman said:

I agreee with that logic. If snow on side of the road, then upper 20s better than low 40degF, because at low 40s will be melt runing across the road.

Although in recent years I am not tolerating the 20s for too long. 

Are you wearing electric jacket liner? A game changer.

Still, riding in the 20s is COLD!

[Michiganr80rt]

Rain yesterday washed the salt away and melted the snow.

 

I bought electric gloves this year, that is the game changer for me. It is enough of a change that I am considering getting the jacket liner and electric socks also.

[Hosstage]

Once you get the liner you'll wonder what took you so long and you will be a little upset at yourself for waiting so long. You will try and talk any other riders you know into getting one. 

They will resist, and say they don't need one, they have good hoodies and long underwear and bulky clothes that work just fine. They will be wrong, and you will try to convince them, and they will fight back even more, and you will just smile and say fine, knowing that you have found the answer, and they have to find it on their own. And you will plug in, feel that heat, and smile again and ride longer than you planned. Again.

[Skywagon]

Electric heated liner is amazing.  The gloves are kind of bulky but work.  If you do decide to buy a vest, be sure to get a dual controller so you can use it for 2 devices.  There are a number of people who make them.  I've had my Gerbings for at least a dozen years and it still works great.  I may give it a shot tomorrow as the temperature in Houston is going to drop to a frigid 82...kidding on the jacket but it is in the 80's here for the foreseeable future.  

[Hosstage]

Go with the jacket liner with heated sleeves, rather than just the vest. As one who rides in weather in the teens, I know of which I speak.

Skywagon is right on the dual controller, one for jacket, one for gloves.

[Dennis Andress]

I grew tired of wiring yet another bike for Gerbings and bought a Warm and Safe heated shirt. The shirt works great, but the real gain is the remote controller which needs no wires! The only wiring runs to the shirt, the controller is velcroed to the tank bag.

 

[Bernie]

6 minutes ago, Dennis Andress said:

I grew tired of wiring yet another bike for Gerbings and bought a Warm and Safe heated shirt. The shirt works great, but the real gain is the remote controller which needs no wires! The only wiring runs to the shirt, the controller is velcroed to the tank bag.

 

And don’t forget to have spare batteries for the controller. I got caught out at 32F during FART 2022. It’s very disappointing when you turn the dial and it doesn’t get warm. 

[Hosstage]

Do you still have to run power to the battery to power the shirt? I have an adaptor that plugs into the battery tender plug, so no extra wiring needed, just the one tender plug (most bikes already have them installed, be sure to upgrade the fuse to 15 or 20 amp), plugs into the controller, then from the controller to the liner. Controller could be mounted on the bike, I clip it to my pocket.

[Bernie]

The battery is for the remote controller. The shirt, liner or gloves plug into a 12volt fused outlet, either SAE or Coxial. 

[Skywagon]

This is my setup.

 

Gerbing Heated Clothing: The leader in Heated Gear Technology since 1975. Gerbing 12V Heated Jacket Liner

 

Gerbing Heated Clothing: The leader in Heated Gear Technology since 1975. Gerbing 12V Men's Heated Vanguard Gloves

 

Gerbing Heated Clothing: The leader in Heated Gear Technology since 1975. Gerbing Temp Controller

 

Mine look slightly different as they are a bit older.  I rarely use the gloves as the heated grips mostly do the trick.  Instead of socks I just put a handwarmer in the bottom of my boot...no wires.  Sometimes it gets too hot.  I also painted one of the knobs on my controller red so I would at a glance know which one was for the jacket and which one is for the gloves.

 

If you go full gear there is a good chance at idle speeds if you have everythng on full blast it will trip the circuit.  I usually start up and get going before I turn it on.  I also start turning it off when I get off the freeway.

 

I'm not bragging on Gerbings...it's just what I have.  I am sure other brands are just as good.  I've used mine down to 19 degrees.  With the seat on, grips on, liner on, I was fine.

 

 

[Dennis Andress]

1 hour ago, Bernie said:

And don’t forget to have spare batteries for the controller. I got caught out at 32F during FART 2022. It’s very disappointing when you turn the dial and it doesn’t get warm. 

 

I believe, and I've seen mine do it, the controller in the shirt harness turns on at 20% when it can't find the remote.

[Dennis Andress]

1 hour ago, Hosstage said:

Do you still have to run power to the battery to power the shirt? I have an adaptor that plugs into the battery tender plug, so no extra wiring needed, just the one tender plug (most bikes already have them installed, be sure to upgrade the fuse to 15 or 20 amp), plugs into the controller, then from the controller to the liner. Controller could be mounted on the bike, I clip it to my pocket.

 

No wires on the remote.

 

 

The shirt side of things. The black chunky thing is the receiver. The gray/red end goes to the shirt. I connect this to my shirt and stuff the excess into a pants pocket.

[Bernie]

15 minutes ago, Dennis Andress said:

 

I believe, and I've seen mine do it, the controller in the shirt harness turns on at 20% when it can't find the remote.

I have read that in the instructions also, but the 20% didn’t feel very warm that morning. But since I work in boiler rooms in Florida, I am a little cold blooded or spoiled. Lol

I have a Warm&Safe dual controller and a Warm&Safe jacket liner with Gerbing gloves, if needed.

[Hosstage]

48 minutes ago, Dennis Andress said:

 

No wires on the remote.

 

 

The shirt side of things. The black chunky thing is the receiver. The gray/red end goes to the shirt. I connect this to my shirt and stuff the excess into a pants pocket.

 

So the wiring you're talking of eliminating is mounting the remote and getting wires to and from? Still have to plug the shirt in? I see the appeal. Like I said for me, it is about the same, as my controller is not mounted, but is just clipped to my pocket, doesn't get unplugged from the liner when I Ieave the bike, I just unplug the controller from the bike . If I take the liner off, I just put the wired controller into the pocket of the liner. No remote batteries to go dead.

50° Wednesday, going to try to get out if not too sloppy.

[Michiganr80rt]

I have the Warm and Safe gloves. A bit bulky but nice and warm. I am powering them from an unused channel on my ezCAN controller. The controller thinks the gloves are a set of lights and I use the magic wheel on the left bar to set the brightness (glove voltage). I am interested in the Warm and Safe shirt. Then I would want to get a two channel controller to separate glove and shirt voltage. I can see the total adding up...  shirt, controller, pant liner, socks... each at $150-200. But extending the Michigan riding year would be worth it. 

[Hosstage]

The cost is always a concern, at first. It's what stops so many from crossing over to the warm side. But once you do, you will not miss that money, but the warmth will last for years.

I'm sure you hesitated on buying a nice jacket, good gear, good helmet, when you started out riding, but you've had it now for years, and you would never think to not have it. Same goes for heated gear. You will say to yourself, why did I wait? Start with the shirt and controller, you may find pants and socks aren't as much a concern right away.

I look at good gear, gloves, jacket, glasses, as safety equipment that is as important as a good helmet and tires. Electric clothes fall in the same category for me, important safety gear.

Remember when I said you'd try and talk others into electric clothes? Here I am, again, doing it. Because I think it is that much of a game changer.

If my jacket were to quit working tomorrow, I would have a new one the following day, no hesitation.

 

[Hosstage]

I've gotten this thread way off base, I apologize, get out and ride! And show some pictures, which I'm terrible at doing.

[Dennis Andress]

5 hours ago, Michiganr80rt said:

I have the Warm and Safe gloves. A bit bulky but nice and warm. I am powering them from an unused channel on my ezCAN controller. The controller thinks the gloves are a set of lights and I use the magic wheel on the left bar to set the brightness (glove voltage). I am interested in the Warm and Safe shirt. Then I would want to get a two channel controller to separate glove and shirt voltage. I can see the total adding up...  shirt, controller, pant liner, socks... each at $150-200. But extending the Michigan riding year would be worth it. 

 

Pony up! I bought a Gerbings jacket liner and a controller in maybe... 2004. And I'm just now retiring them. 

[Dennis Andress]

5 hours ago, Hosstage said:

So the wiring you're talking of eliminating is mounting the remote and getting wires to and from? Still have to plug the shirt in? I see the appeal. Like I said for me, it is about the same, as my controller is not mounted, but is just clipped to my pocket, doesn't get unplugged from the liner when I Ieave the bike, I just unplug the controller from the bike . If I take the liner off, I just put the wired controller into the pocket of the liner. No remote batteries to go dead.

50° Wednesday, going to try to get out if not too sloppy.

 

But I am cussing at least two fewer corroded "coaxial" connectors. Maybe an old picture will put us back on track.

 

[Dennis Andress]

Oh, about Gerbings. The original company sold and drifted away years ago. A couple of the founder's adult kids started a new company in Union, Washington and later moved to Port Orchard. They're not doing all that well.

[Hosstage]

1 hour ago, Dennis Andress said:

Oh, about Gerbings. The original company sold and drifted away years ago. A couple of the founder's adult kids started a new company in Union, Washington and later moved to Port Orchard. They're not doing all that well.

That is sad to hear. I knew about Gordon's, they are to be my replacement when my Gerbings finally craps out. Hopefully they will be able to recover soon.

I had some contact with Warm and Safe and they are also on their game, a quality product.

 

[Scott9999]

Hmm, I've thought about buying heated gear, especially for my wife when (if?) she rides along, too.   However, my BMW is the "California" model, i.e. if it's too cold for me, then it's too cold for my bike, too.   Seriously, I don't worry about the cold, but anywhere there's "cold" in my area, there's also "moisture", and then "ice".  I hit a patch of black ice (two weeks ago, while in my car) on an overpass that had me gliding along on a wonderful "E" ticket ride for about 100 feet, all toboggan, little or no control.  It had not even snowed in this area yet.  Not surprised, but what I was riding had four wheels and over 2500 lbs of weight under me.

 

I've seen video's of European riders riding with 6' of snow packed up along icy roads, and it wasn't just one rider, there were scores of them, riding like it was a sunny day.  (Well, actually, the sun was out, but then, so was the ice.)  I worry enough about traction in fair weather, that winter riding would be on my "no" bucket list.   I've ridden in temps down to 35F in California, but I was slab riding, and wasn't much concerned about ice there.   With decent gear behind a good windscreen, the temps were never a problem.

 

Kudo's to you hearty guys who can do it.

[Bernie]

1 hour ago, Dennis Andress said:

Oh, about Gerbings. The original company sold and drifted away years ago. A couple of the founder's adult kids started a new company in Union, Washington and later moved to Port Orchard. They're not doing all that well.

I have been very happy with my Warm&Safe Stuff, they even give you a trade in for your old heated gear and controllers.

[Rockosmith]

21 hours ago, Bernie said:

And don’t forget to have spare batteries for the controller. I got caught out at 32F during FART 2022. It’s very disappointing when you turn the dial and it doesn’t get warm. 

Fresh batteries in the controller every year when the time reverts to Standard from Daylight Saving works well.  

[Redman]

About 10-12years ago I got 'lectric gloves (wired was what was mostly available then). I figured gloves was the best use of 24 watts on my 80s bikes (Zuki, Honda) with marginal charging systems.

But now that  have bike with heated grips and better charging sytem, maybe I can reconsider.

 

.

[Redman]

Got out for a ride MOnday too. Another 45degF day.

 

 

Went for about an hour.

 

Stopped for my typical roadside selfie.

 

 

 

[M Novack]

Temps in the mid 40's to 50 here in Chicago last 4 days, mid December !!!  2 hour ride on Sunday and commuted to and from work Mon/Tue. Almost 50 on way home from work last night...

[Michiganr80rt]

Temp in the 50s, a little wet, but good for a ride.

 

If you look closely at the last photo the temp indicator on the bike says 59.9F!

[taylor1]

 Beautiful day here in Eastern Carolina  Got out for about a 3 hour ride. Always nice when you meet a new friend.

[wbw6cos]

Maybe he wanted a ride on a motorcycle that isn't called a hog.  Just sayin'

[taylor1]

Funny thing William , the owner came out and we chatted a bit. I noticed that the pig had a rear wooden leg , and when I asked him about it he said it was the most intelligent sow he ever owned . Told me it had a masters degree in agriculture . I said that's truly amazing , but what about his wooden leg ? He said that something that smart , you need to eat slowly

[Traveler1]

Nice sunny day and few tourists, so I decided to check a Golden Gate viewpoint.

 

[RandyShields]

Another warm, 72 degree mid-December day in the Carolinas.  What a great part of the country!  Some of our local holiday decorating included for your viewing enjoyment.

[Dennis Andress]

 It's been awhile. The clock is still an hour ahead from summer.

 

[Redman]

I really do like all the bike-ride-road-scenryy pics and the participation on this thread.
 

Can y’all tolerated other bikes??

 

now that salt trucks have been out, am more likely to take out this bike…. here is Saturday evening (30 degF). out on a photo expedition for bike-n-ChristmasLight photo (something wierd I do some Christmas time).....

 

Tree at city hall was only about 15feet from parking lot.

 

 

and …. this bike has the power connection that is compatable for my ‘lectric gear. And this old (crash) jacket has harness for the ‘lectric gloves .

(opps, maybe should not mention 'lectric gear again.)

 

Shadow 500, not at all “sport touring”. Got it 15 years ago for wife to learn on (and drop a few times). And we all know that a bike for the wife is just an excuse for ANOTHER bike.

 

 

And stopped downtown.

 

And stopped bye the beach/pier.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Redman
Add pic

[wbw6cos]

We can handle any bike on this thread, so keep 'em comin'!

[lawnchairboy]

65 degrees…rode both bikes.  Merry Christmas 

 

 

 

[Dennis Andress]

1 hour ago, lawnchairboy said:

65 degrees…rode both bikes.  Merry Christmas 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

[Rockosmith]

70 degrees on Christmas Day. Must ride!