1
Also an excellent point. You will NEVER get the salt and winter road crap off the engine and frame crevices. And worst-case you may prematurely rot out things like the wiring harness.
Pack a tarp or cover and some extra straps to secure the cover if using an open trailer.
If you insist, I'd recommend full snowmobile gear with long underwear, a fleece balaclava with breathbox (Klim Arctic or equivalent) and heated gloves at minimum. I myself would skip all the armored stuff to keep from getting frostbite. I'd also buy a set of cheap bark busters/handguards and figure out a way to secure them to the clipons.
In all my sled gear, I was able to ride comfortably for hours in 20* weather on my Freeride (which had no windshield). It would definitely get a bit nippy blasting down trails at 60MPH for long stretches, but not unbearably so.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
I use these in the winter time, they make a huge difference. With these and my heated grips, I'm fine with my regular leather gloves to low 40s.
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p...usk-Hand-Mitts
You do need some way of keeping the wind from pushing them back onto the levers. My DR has real handguards, my FZ6 I use some clamp-on powermadd Star handguards for the wintertime, then put the mitts over them.
Got this used Olympia suit with insulating liner off Advrider for $250. I use snowmobile gloves and a Gerbing jacket, run the controller in through the pocket.
Twisted Throttle sells an SAE to heated gear coax cable for $13. It connects to the pigtail from a Battery Tender.
there is no motorcycle gear that will work for that long of a ride out in the cold
look at snowmobile gear or extreme arctic Carhartts, Sorel or similar boots
RandyO
IBA#9560
A man with a gun is a citizen
A man without a gun is a subject LETS GO BRANDON
Listen to everybody advising you to rent a UHaul/trailer.
I do plenty of winter riding. I have a rusty XR650L as a result (even though I make a point of rinsing it off after rides when the roads are salty). Heated gear and heated grips keep me warm, but I still wouldn't even consider doing a multistate slab ride at this time of year.
First of all, heated/insulated gear only works so well. Eventually something will get cold.
Second, the bike will get filthy with extremely corrosive road grime, and you won't be able to get rid of it all after.
Third, you'll be taking a big gamble on weather. That's a long distance to have to hope for dry, clean roads. And if there's a chance of snow, you do not want to risk riding. Especially a sportbike.
Fourth, bear in mind the obstacles that this type of bike presents on top of everything else. If it were an ADV bike, cruiser, etc, it wouldn't be quite as bad, but a Ducati 998 is very likely going to be equipped with tires that only work well when properly warm. In freezing weather they'll likely be slick as hell. Add to that potentially slick road conditions and you're asking for disaster.
Look, I get the desire to go pick up the bike and just ride it home. That's what I would want to do. But it's just not realistic in the middle of January. Do yourself a huge favor and put the money you would spend on winter gear into renting a van instead.
--mark
'20 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro / '19 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE / '11 Triumph Tiger 800 XC / '01 Triumph Bonneville cafe
My ride reports: Missile silos, Labrador, twisties, and more
Bennington Triumph Bash, Oct 1-3, 2021
Here's a V-Strom used for year-round commuting into Boston. 38,000 miles at the time.
Bikes have lots of dissimilar metals and minimal, if any, anti-corrosion treatment. But if you are committed, I've used BoeShield T-9 with some success to minimize corrosion to metal surfaces. Pretty amazing stuff.
Last edited by Garandman; 01-06-16 at 02:53 PM.
Pete... If your bicycle is in the ocean you're probably doing it wrong... :-)
Hypothermia can kill you like having 5 beers
Electrics at cyclegear ?
Call around and see if you can rent a van or pickup
Even a minivan with the passenger seat out might hold a 998
The calculus of hate
It is not that I should win it is that you should lose
It is not that I succeed it is that you fail
It is not that I should live it is that you should die
Passed a guy on my way to work this morning on a big shiny ADV/nerd bike all decked out in one of those yellow suits. It was 6 fucking degrees. Why???
Just reading your post has me feeling frozen. I'm on board with the "tow it" crowd.
Do you have a way to tow a trailer? If so, I'll gladly let you borrow mine.
If not, I may be willing to work with you to borrow my trailer AND car...
08 Triumph Daytona 675, Jet Black w/ Gold
dirty bike: 2015 KTM 250 XC-F
you can rent a pick up from enterprise
or find a friend with snowmobile gear and get some of the hand/feet warmer baggies things
one of my techs wears this
Walls Blizzard-Pruf® Insulated Coverall | Walls
my brother wore one when he worked the flight deck at pease. said he could wear a tshirt and shorts under it in the winter if he wanted to. usually a shirt and jeans though.
hit a ski shop and pick up some base layers like hot chilis and the like. keep you warm without adding bulk
no matter what its gonna suck in one way or another. SOMETHING is gonna get cold and youll hate every agonizing minute of it. or nothing will be cold but youll be so bundled up that youre uncomfortable and then you hate every agonizing minute of it.
i say you go down there and ride it as far as you can then find a storage unit and leave it until spring.
When I start my KTM in the morning, rules are broken. Its inevitable...
01 SV650S (RC51 eater)/07 690SM /03 300EXC/14 XTZ1200
TRACKS:Firebird/NHMS/VIR/Calabogie/California Speedway/NJMP/MMC/NYST/Palmer/Thompson/Club Motorsports
08 Triumph Daytona 675, Jet Black w/ Gold
dirty bike: 2015 KTM 250 XC-F
RandyO
IBA#9560
A man with a gun is a citizen
A man without a gun is a subject LETS GO BRANDON
Ha! It's my vag that's showing old timer. I know that it CAN be done, and I know some people might be stuck with a bike as their only transport. What I don't understand, or just don't have the properly sized cajones for, is why anyone would CHOOSE to do so.
6 fucking degrees.
RandyO
IBA#9560
A man with a gun is a citizen
A man without a gun is a subject LETS GO BRANDON
In this specific case while the rider may be able to gear up, he won't have much of an opportunity to prep the bike for the task. No new cold weather tolerant tires, no chance to do something with the low output stator for working heated gear, etc. This is why everyone is saying trailer it.