Anyone else kinda suck at riding in the cold?

[Rusty the Scoob]

I don't know what it is, but the cold weather has turned me into a n00b..... normally I'm a competent rider with over 20k incident-free, mostly urban miles on my SV in the past 4 years.... but the past week or two I sometimes find myself lacking confidence in turns, target-fixating, etc.

[Doc]

Doc does...

[Manik]

Add me to the list. i also for some reason feel like im blowing all over the road (even without feeling wind) Maybe it is part wind?

[Kenn157]

Cold tires, all bundled up with layers, suspensions are a little more stiffer in the cold (I think)

[fastfreddy333]

Cold tires, all bundled up with layers, suspensions are a little more stiffer in the cold (I think)

The above is all true and yes the oil in the forks/shock are cold = thicker.

Cold pavement + cold tires + thick oil in the suspension componets = Low traction.

Take a couple pounds of pressure out of the tires and reduce your inputs a bit, similer to riding in the wet though not as extreme is my advice.

[e30addict]

I definitely go into more of a tour / cruise mode now. Paranoid about committing to really jamming through corners. Too many things can drastically alter the available traction IMO.

[stoinkythepig]

Good advice given. Also, run one gear up from what you'd normally use for cruising to aid in traction.

Cold saps energy and makes it harder to concentrate. Not that different than being impaired by fatigue or alcohol. Be careful and stay warm.

[tsorfas]

its much better to go in with less confidence rather than overconfident..
i think everyone rides a lot more careful in the cold weather

[Lucas]

Also you may find you ride with your shoulders hunched in the cold. This throws my riding way off as I fight the bars around turns instead of smooth inputs.

[k_cotter]

What Freddie said

[Rossco]

Doc does...

You don't say......


I love riding in the cold weather. I do take corners a bit slower though.

My cortech jacket sucks though. Cold air flows right through the zipper area. I think this may have to do with the way the bike is set up though, since I don't remember it being this bad when I rode the shadow.

[Pigman]

Just not as fun...

[Falko]

Riding in the cold really doesn't slow me down. Then again, riding in the warm really doesn't speed me up either...

[RandyO]

hypothermia is worse than drunk driving

you make stupid decisions, slow reflexes with no euphoria

it only takes a drop in core temp of a couple degrees, you don't even know

[nhbubba]

See, this just shows how slow I am; I don't really slow down in the cold at all.
Now sand in the road, that just scares the living crap out of me.

[Garandman]

//Take a couple pounds of pressure out of the tires //

YMMV depending on temp: in cold temps they could be under inflated and feeling greasy.

In the morning the road can be considerably colder than the air and doesn't warm up as fast, so the tires may not warm up much even after riding a while.

[bonbon76]

Everyone mentions to be careful when your tires are so cold... How much lean can they take???? Considering this is my first cold weather season with the toy, with all the talk, I get a little nervouse taking the corners like I normally do, especially on/off ramps when I like to speed up

[RandyO]

even with cold tires, if you keep to legal speeds/flow of traffic, you won't have a problem

[Paul_E_D]

I had a moment the other day on cold, supersoft race compound rubber. Shifting to second leaned over in a big intersection, I let the clutch out a little fast and it just spun up. I wasn't expecting it cause I wasn't going fast or anything. It was a reminder to be smooooth when it's coooold.

[njsrikar]

This is my 3rd season riding in the US ...I ride till the first day of snowfall....which usually falls around Christmas.

anyways, something which I have not observed in my old CBR600 is that my SF is giving much lesser mileage in the cold. Usually I get around 90mpg till reserve, but these days I am getting only 65-70mpg ...is it because the FI uses more fuel in cold temps?

[OreoGaborio]

Everyone mentions to be careful when your tires are so cold... How much lean can they take???? Considering this is my first cold weather season with the toy, with all the talk, I get a little nervouse taking the corners like I normally do, especially on/off ramps when I like to speed up

Cold tires can still can provide a good amount of traction, IF... you take Paul's advice below....

I had a moment the other day on cold, supersoft race compound rubber. Shifting to second leaned over in a big intersection, I let the clutch out a little fast and it just spun up. I wasn't expecting it cause I wasn't going fast or anything. It was a reminder to be smooooth when it's coooold.

As someone else pointed out, it's kinda like riding in the rain... be smooth.

I also highly recommend using positive steering inputs at corner ENTRY. That's the key right there... Get the bike pointed through the corner as early as possible so you can start standing it back up as you roll on the throttle. You don't want to find yourself having to add a steering input while mid corner. I have a strong feeling that's what leads to most low-sides in the cold and/or rain.

[nhbubba]

This is my 3rd season riding in the US ...I ride till the first day of snowfall....which usually falls around Christmas.

anyways, something which I have not observed in my old CBR600 is that my SF is giving much lesser mileage in the cold. Usually I get around 90mpg till reserve, but these days I am getting only 65-70mpg ...is it because the FI uses more fuel in cold temps?

It's already snowed here. (But I get your meaning, hats off to you man. Below 40-F I loose interest, just not worth it, to me.)

Mileage drop may be related to 'winter' gas formulation. Every fall I see a sizable drop in MPGs very suddenly. I've always attributed it to the the gas.

[aldend123]

This is my 3rd season riding in the US ...I ride till the first day of snowfall....which usually falls around Christmas.

anyways, something which I have not observed in my old CBR600 is that my SF is giving much lesser mileage in the cold. Usually I get around 90mpg till reserve, but these days I am getting only 65-70mpg ...is it because the FI uses more fuel in cold temps?

As mentioned, "winter gas" is what we get at the pumps and that takes a gas mileage hit. But also, the colder it is, the more dense the air is. On most carb'ed bikes I'd expect this to just lean things out. Out an FI car (and probably most FI bikes with set ups similar to cars), it will detect the change in density through a mass air flow sensor, absolute pressure sensor, O2 sensor in the exhaust, or some device like that. So it will richen the mixture up to compensate. Winter gas + dense air is where you're losing your mileage.

Side note, I have little to no understanding about what is typical about FI set ups on bikes, so my assessment might be off base because of that.

[RandyO]

On most carb'ed bikes I'd expect this to just lean things out.

why, if a carb sucks in more (denser) air, it also sucks in more fuel

carbs do not run leaner in winter, if they did, we'd see a lot more burnt spark plugs and holes in pistons

winter fuel is more volital and has more energy, if it weren't for the denser air and heat loss, you'd get better milage in winter

cold air = free horsepower

[aldend123]

why, if a carb sucks in more (denser) air, it also sucks in more fuel

carbs do not run leaner in winter, if they did, we'd see a lot more burnt spark plugs and holes in pistons

winter fuel is more volital and has more energy, if it weren't for the denser air and heat loss, you'd get better milage in winter

cold air = free horsepower

I did not mean lean enough to cause significant problems, I meant slightly leaner than normal. Sorry for not being detailed enough, though I recognize my lack of actual numbers probably doesn't help the case. Just because the vehicle is running a bit lean doesn't mean you're going to melt a piston.

cold air does not equal free horsepower. it costs you more fuel... Well, if the system increases fuel to match the air. Otherwise yes it's free horsepower and it leans out a bit. Pick one.