What do bikers do in the winter?

Use the car more, and watch more telly :biggrin:
I don't do cold and wet anymore.

 

well I was going to put mine away for the winter , but the sun seems to keep coming out so I keep having to put petrol in it . I've heard we're in for a harsh winter , don't know how true that is , but I want to take the wheels out , check the bearings etc - put new fork oil in the forks & generally take it to bits and give it a good clean up, and I've got the other one to do a few bits to , so should hopefully be ok for a couple of months before withdrawal symptons start to kick in :frown:

 

Look out for warmer days then wrap up well and switch the oxford hot grips on and go out for a nice ride till I cant feel my fingers . Cant be off the bike all winter,it needs to be run often.

 

Ride the bike

A good clean, liberal application of wax and acf50 and I'm ready for winter.

Heated gloves, heated seat and hand guards on the TEX and away I go.

Only frost and snow stops me from riding, I regularly use it to commute to work and its only heavy rain when I get up that gets me into the car and then only because I do not want wet kit hung up in the office

 

Do all the DIY jobs I should have done in the summer.
Clean the bike and cover it with WD40 just incase we get some nice days.
Start planning our France trip for next year.

 

Keep on riding. I hate to put the machine away. Only the most atrocious weather will curtail my trips out.

 

Keep riding it's nice in the summer months ,but I do seem to enjoy it just as much when it's a bit chilly
But if i have enough time and money gonna send my forks off to K-TECH for a revalve

 

Best thing about having older bikes is that I can spend many happy hours in the garage working on them and getting them ready for next year.

I will be still riding the Sprint Sports until they Start putting salt on the road and then it's time for them to winter over as I haven't spent all the time and effort getting them up to a level that I'm almost happy with to turn round and get them covered in salt and ruin them when I have a car that is used for that sort of thing :smile:

List is as follows

Sprint Sport. Replace airbox as has cracks in the side, valve clearances and sort out engine covers which need repainting.

Daytona 1000. Valve clearances need doing, carburettors to be removed (again) and completely overhauled and sonically cleaned. tank and front faring panel to be repainted and replace brake fluids.

Honda CB 750 Bike to be mocked up for welding, Rear shocks to be ordered (2 inches longer than stock also to make the front rake a bit steeper as well) scrambler bars to be ordered. bike then welded up and powder coated and then tidy up the engine and paint it up and assemble put back in the frame then sort out exhaust, knobbly tyres and possible spoked wheels. sort out guards and electrics and then tank ect in for painting and she is done.

Should keep me busy :wink:

I am also spending a month in New Zealand over Christmas and will be doing some trial and off road riding in between visiting family as well.

I actually enjoying working on bikes as much as I do riding them so it's pretty much a year round thing for me now.
Have really got to get both the Triumphs up to scratch as they are meant to have articles done on them for Classic Motorcycle Mechanics next year.

Cheers

Steve

 

Get restarted on my 1963 Thunderbird restoration, change oil on front forks of Bonnie to 10 from 20, would you believe yer have to take forks off to do this as there are no drain screws in legs! Keep on top of all batteries (6). Front pads on Sportster, maybe new chrome rim on little 125 Harley, and plan next years trips. It were Belgium, Scotland and 50th Anniversary Rockers bash this year, talkin about doin 200th anniversary of Waterloo which is June 18th I think, plus some longer trips down South, and Scotland and Wales always tempt me. :biggrin: There was a plan to do Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland and drop into top of Italy, but might be a bit much for my ol' back.

 

Thoroughly cleaned the Bonnie and covered in ACF - 50. Going to ride it whenever I can through winter, obviously not if it's icy or totally peeing down. Don't want to miss a day it could be out - also have my new winter gloves to test!

 

I was doing 300 miles a week last winter but as I won't be doing that again I'll be back to 50-100 miles but will be riding through the winter unless there's ice or snow.

Other than that I'll watch more football, write some music, get out on the pushbike, walk the dog, a bit of DIY, go to the pub. Not so different to what I do in the summer (except for the football :wink

 

Keep riding. Cold and crisp. Getting out between gritting when the rain washes it away.

Ride to dealers for a chat and coffee. Always good to keep in touch with them even though I don't use my local as often as I should.

 

Keep Riding, there's no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong clothes.

 

As they say.... Fix it till it's broke!! Only joking but it sounds real enough for some. I've older bikes that I like stripping, cleaning and other service work on. It's still the best way of bonding with your loved one (the bike!). New bikes don't let me get as connected although I have a 2013 bonneville that I rip apart and grease bit by bit.
The good thing is I have a bike ramp, plenty of light, heating and a mini drinks cabinet in the carpeted garage and all the tools ever needed. Winter is as good as summer!! Eric

 

That sounds good to me Tigcraft.:upyeah:

 

They arrange their Spanish biking trip for June 2015, 10 days touring in the hot summer sun........ Oh wait that's just me

 

Dark nights in the garage.

Jobs on list...
Replace rear shock on 2000 Tbird Sport
Fit new exhaust gaskets, replace timing chain and check adjust tappers on 93 Tiger.
Fit replacement wiring loom on SuperIII
Fit new horns on Thunderbird 1600
Weld new rear subframe on project S111 Thunderbird
Nothing needs doing on my Speed III

That should keep me occupied until March, hope we have a warmish winter as there's no heating in the garage.

 

Sounds like you have far too much to do there Sean, I'd be more than happy to take the Super III of your hands :wink:

 

I'm fortunate enough to live in Central California where the ambient temperature usually gets to the high 40's and 50's F even during the Winter months. So I'm able to ride most of the year. I used to live in Arizona where it would get so hot that I was unable to ride in the Summer months. Imagine not being able to ride in the Summer time.
So, anyway I rode the Bonneville yesterday and will ride again tomorrow to a little town called Mariposa. Google the town and read the rich history of this old gold mining community.
Brent