[Moldy_Dog]

Today was the first day I chose not to ride because I was too uncomfortable in my current gear this cold, rainy morning. I had to turn back 2 minutes after I started riding because my hands were going numb. I am looking at buying some new gear for the winter, and to keep me dry. I need to be warm and dry for 90 minutes, at speeds at or below 55 mph, when the temps are at or above freezing.

What gear would you guys recommend for such conditions, and what tips can you give about staying warm in the winter? I plan to ride until the first sign of ice/snow. Then it will be the safe, warm but boring truck until the roads are safe.

 

[qlred]

I got the Icon patrol jacket and it is very warm on it's own, highly recommended. But I put the first gear heated jacket liner underneath and all I can say is wow, sublime, changes the whole experience. It's a lot of money but it keeps you riding and you get there warm, it's kinda weird.

I'm sold on the heated gear. I also got the glove liners and some Icon patrol gloves that were only $75. I haven't tried the glove liners yet, but wish I had put them on after about 40 minutes at night 54f, highway speeds. If they are not enough then the rainoff over gloves should add a bit more ability.
Rain Off Gloves: Farkle Masters

 

[TheMente]

Today I will try my gear! It's been rainy all day and I get off from job at midnight...
can't totally wait to see if my crappy overpants will work!

 

[Ibex250R]

I'd make sure that whatever jacket you get has a hood that goes under your helmet, so water won't drip down your back. Also, waterproof boots with GoreTex liners are a must, and a baclava that covers your neck to keep the cold draft out. Check your faceshield to see if the anti fog coating still works.

This all sounds like common sense until one gets out there and stuff starts to go down hill. I don't have heated grips on my bike yet so I picked up a set of firstgear heated/waterproof gloves. I have not tested them to the fullest since it's not cold enough, but the heating works well. They are a costly item, but for me numb hands are not an option.

 

[furious_blue]

Gore-Tex lined boots (as someone else mentioned)
Waterproof breathable gauntlet gloves.
Waterproof pants or overpants
Waterproof jacket or overjacket

If it's cold out: electric vest or jacket

 

[PolyOlefin]

I have a 3-season TourMaster Sonora with three layers (mesh, waterproof/windproof liner, quilted liner). I use this with Scorpion mesh pants with a removable waterproof liner. They kept me warm and dry in 60-degree rain today.

I have perforated boots but use waterproof boot covers for the rain; I'm hoping this is the best compromise for hot and cold use.

Some points: a neck gaiter or balaclava is important; you feel much colder with wind on your neck, going down your jacket. Get some silk undergloves, they help immensely I hear. RainOff gloves are pricey but will protect your gloves from water and wind.

 

[Moldy_Dog]

Grips or Gloves?

Thanks for the feedback. I have waterproof, over-the-ankle boots that work. My jacket has removable waterproof and insulating liners that have worked really well so far, though I'm not sure how well it will work when it really gets cold.

The hands are first to get cold, way before everything else. I took a look at some of the heated options. They are more affordable than I had imagined. What are the advantages of using heated gloves vs. heated grips? It doesn't seem like the grips would heat the cold side of the hand, though I guess it would permeate through to some extent.

 

[sendler]

gloves

I'm ordering new gloves this week. Will look at my daughters Kelvins when they come in and decide if I want those or the bulkier Freezers.
.
REV'IT! Kelvin H2O Gloves - RevZilla
.
Held Freezer Gloves - RevZilla
.
I will also be adding heated grips from twisted throttle and possibly play with some over lever muffs to use if I go out of town in the rain.

 

[furious_blue]

I have a couple of bikes. I didn't want the expense and hassle of installing heated grips on multiple bikes, so I've been using these temporary velcro-on heated grip covers. I just use them with the bike du jour in cold weather (usually below 40 degrees F or so):


Aerostich Warm Wrap Grips :: Aerostich/RiderWearHouse Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear

 

[Metalstorm]

For very cold & very wet riding I can't really suggest anything. It's been a while since I've had to buy gear. I will simply list what I use and maybe it will help and maybe it won't.

Jacket/pants: Aeorstich one piece roadcrafter suit. Quick & easy, comforfable and as protective as any textile jacket & pants.

Gloves: Tourmaster Winter elite gloves. Soft, warm, flexible and comfortable right off the rack. No break-in. The built in rain covers also provide extra protection from the wind. It doesn't have to be raining, if it's really cold I deploy those covers and I get an extra few degrees of warmth from the gloves.

Helmet: Nolan 102 modular. I like Shoei more fit wise but their shield fogs up more than any others'. The Nolan has a large pinlock inner visor that gives a good field of view and is completely fog free. Shoei also has a pinlock shield but it is small. Quite small compared to Nolan.

Boots: currently Sidi waterproof (can't remember the exact model. They're mostly black but still a little 'racy' for my tastes). I used to be able to get Tourmaster waterproof boots for under $100 but now I can't find them for under $150 so I spend a couple $$ more on Sidi for the extra protection.

Silk baraclava or whatever those ninja looking things are called.
A windproof bandana from Aerostich that keeps the wind from entering the neck area of my suit & helmet. (this thing has become invaluable to me)
Aerostich three digit rain covers. I keep these with me when using my normal riding gloves. If it starts raining or starts to get really cold I slip these on over the gloves.

Electrics:
Aerostich airvantage vest. The cool thing about this item is an internal bladder that you fill with air via a tube. Not only does it make the vest fit snugg & tight like it needs to be to conduct heat to your body, the air itself acts as an extra layer of insulation and wind proofing. Zip on non-heated sleeves are available. Also they have a full liner version with heated sleeves. My arms rarely get cold so long as my core stays warm so the vest is all I usually need. I got the zip on/off non heated sleeves for when temps drop down into the low 30's, high 20's.

Heated gloves: Oxford heated grips (Sportz model) works great on the 250.

I realize this is a pretty expensive list of stuff and in all honesty, it took me over 8 years to acquire all this stuff. One piece at a time as I could afford it.
But it is all very worth it. I am a year round rider because of it. Through sun and rain and ice. No snow. Thankfully there is no snow within 100 miles of my corner of the world.

 

[live_to_ride]

Heated grips, gloves, vest and lined pants. Layering of course. I love my heated vest for sure! Extends the riding season here in Canada. Our season is too short to not invest in plug-in riding gear.

 

[Brian]

Just so you all know, the roadcrafter is a great suit but the older ones are not water proof. They recently changed zippers, and I am not sure if the new ones are water proof. maybe water resistant. And I dont believe they claim water proofness. I found mine by itself was really not warm, but when you layer under it , or add an electric liner it is great. I am pretty much a big fan of Aerostich, I have always thought the quality is high.

 

[Moldy_Dog]

I have a couple of bikes. I didn't want the expense and hassle of installing heated grips on multiple bikes, so I've been using these temporary velcro-on heated grip covers. I just use them with the bike du jour in cold weather (usually below 40 degrees F or so):


Aerostich Warm Wrap Grips :: Aerostich/RiderWearHouse Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear

Have you ever had any issues with the grips wanting to come off with the heat? I read some articles that said that was an issue with some heated grips. They also said that it would be a good idea to glue the grips on, but that's not something I want to do.

 

[furious_blue]

Have you ever had any issues with the grips wanting to come off with the heat? I read some articles that said that was an issue with some heated grips. They also said that it would be a good idea to glue the grips on, but that's not something I want to do.

The wrap on heaters that I use are not grips. They are an electrically heated wrap that goes on over the grips. They velcro on. That way if I take a different bike, I just take off the heated wrap from one bike and put it on another...

 

[Metalstorm]

I used the glue that came with my grips. Strong stuff. My grips aren't going anywhere.
If I need to replace them, a heat gun and a gasket scraper will make quick work of removing the glue from the bars.

My stand is it's better to have to scrape glue off your bars every 4-5 years than to have your grips twisting on you.

 

[Metalstorm]

Just so you all know, the roadcrafter is a great suit but the older ones are not water proof. They recently changed zippers, and I am not sure if the new ones are water proof. maybe water resistant. And I dont believe they claim water proofness. I found mine by itself was really not warm, but when you layer under it , or add an electric liner it is great. I am pretty much a big fan of Aerostich, I have always thought the quality is high.

This is true.
If you follow Aerostich's advice and remove the pads and throw the suit in a front loading washing machine with some Techwash cleaner then run it again with their water repellent treatment, it makes a huge improvement.

On my old naked Buell with zero rain & wind protection I could go 2-3 hours in a severe downpour before I got the dreaded "Aeostich crotch".
In a light rain I could go all day and stay dry. With the protection from the fairing on the 250, I think I should stay very dry all day in a downpour.

I got to see the new improved zippers on the current suits. I think I want to upgrade when I can afford it. They are much better. The zipper runner is molded rather than the old fabric one. One of these will probably stay dry on a naked bike in a downpour for much longer than the old style ones like mine.

On Edit: I don't think many of the members here are nutters like me who actually likes riding in the rain. I don't know why but I absolutely love it
And it'll probably be less dangerous on the 250 due to it's meager 22 hp. Me thinks it might be a perfect wet weather bike.

 

[Brian]

On Edit: I don't think many of the members here are nutters like me who actually likes riding in the rain. I don't know why but I absolutely love it
And it'll probably be less dangerous on the 250 due to it's meager 22 hp. Me thinks it might be a perfect wet weather bike.

I think the torque and power impulse (four stroke) will help, I had an 83 venture royale 700+ lbs, and an RZ 350 at the same time, and rode them both in the rain. The yamaha venture was like driving a car, and the RZ was plain squirrely, kid of fun, but all over the place.

 

[Ibex250R]

On Edit: I don't think many of the members here are nutters like me who actually likes riding in the rain. I don't know why but I absolutely love it
And it'll probably be less dangerous on the 250 due to it's meager 22 hp. Me thinks it might be a perfect wet weather bike.

I used to dread riding in the rain in the city, then while touring I got rained on 3 out 4 days on the interstate. Now I feel more comfortable on my bike, since I know how it handles when little traction is available. I won't freak out next time I get caught in the rain, I'll just slow down and oddly enough try to Enjoy the Ride.
I call it Tarmac Surfing!

 

[Moldy_Dog]

I love the rain!

I can now say I love riding in the rain! I decided to hold off on heated gear for now. I can always get some later, but I would rather not have to deal with the wires (call me lazy). Instead, I went to cyclegear and I treated myself to the Alpinestars WR-2 Goretex gloves. A bit pricey to be sure, but I think they are totally worth it. It rained the entire ride home from work (90 minutes) yesterday, and my hands were completely dry and warm .

My only complaint was due to my own error. I put the gloves outside the jacket so water wouldn't be funneled into my sleeve. Instead, when I stopped, it ran into my glove. I fixed that this morning by putting the glove over the waterproof liner, and keeping the mesh shell outside the glove.

Now I just need waterproof pants.

PS: My new Cortech Sport Tailbag is awesome for letting me take all of my gear so I can change out the different layers and gloves as needed.

 

[sendler]

Rain Ride

I don't think many of the members here are nutters like me who actually likes riding in the rain. I don't know why but I absolutely love it
And it'll probably be less dangerous on the 250 due to it's meager 22 hp. Me thinks it might be a perfect wet weather bike.

I like riding the CBR250R in the rain. There is something mystical and rare about it. The stock tires stick like glue. I have never felt it slip even when horsing on the front brake, purposely exploring the limit.