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What do you wear for winter riding ?

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whitesands

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Just wandering what you folks are wearing or plan wear in your efforts to fight off the cold when riding...A brand of riding gear, layer of clothing, particular type of fabric, or whatever you think that does a really good job of keeping you warm even if it's not marketed in particular for motorcyclists...

I have no real winter riding gear except for a sieriuss fleece balaclava for keeping the head and neck warm...I bought it at sun and ski sports...It is my first experince with fleece and was surprised by how warm it keeps your head and neck even in really cold weather....
 
Aerostitch and Gerbing for really cold mild only a fleece under the stitch.
 
I bought a Scorpion XDR Commander Jacket two weeks ago and so far I am very impressed.

Handguards (newly installed) lined gloves, an old army neck gator, and riding pants - I'm toasty down to 30 degrees. I won't ride if it's icy or wet though.
 
I came in from a Canada trip a month or so ago and get hit by some 30F weather up there. My old Widder vest and gloves over a long sleeve t-shirt and under my First Gear Transition Jacket with liner did good at the top level. Jeans with First Gear over pants did good on the legs but would of loved some electric chaps I'm sure. The boots were old BMW Savannas with heavy cotton socks. Knowing there are better setups in that department but it wasn't that bad even after 2 long days before getting to some 40 degree temps. Oh yes, a bandanna over the face and tucked into the top of the jacket helped the HJC helmet keep my face and head warm enough. Even though I felt like the Michelin Man I didn't get too cold. This coming from a dude who do not like it when the temp gets below 50/60 F degrees. I'm a South Louisiana Cajun and like it hot. Weather/Coffee/Women.
 
A Firstgear Kilimanjaro, and Firstgear HT overpants. That gets me down to around 30 degrees. For my hands I use the Tourmaster Winter Elite gloves, and they are toasty.
 
Define winter - less than 40 degrees? It's nice to be able to ride in the 50's occasionally during our Texas winters.

If the air temp is in the 40's or lower I wear a Shampa balaclava and a Shampa warm skin. Both are exceptional at blocking the wind. I didn't worry about much else when riding the Gold Wing due to the great wind protection, but when I ride the Sprint I always wear my Gerbings heated jacket liner - it feels so good to have heat. It makes the ride much more enjoyable. On my legs I just put the winter liner in my riding pants and I'm nice and toasty. Oh, and of course winter gloves.
 
You do know there is a saying about Cajuns. Start malfunctioning at 60F degrees and have been know to start seizing up at 40F Degrees. ;-)
 
Upper Body
Patagonia Capilene long sleeve shirt as the base layer.
Long sleeve cotton tee shirt.
200 or 300 level fleece jacket.
Vanson Ventilator armored jacket with the windproof liner.

Legs
Patagonia Capilene long underwear as the base layer.
Jeans.
Leather chaps (heavy).
Wool socks.
AeroStar boots

Hands
Windstopper insulated liner gloves
Held Steve gloves
Rain-Off windproof/waterproof overglove.

Head
Shoei Multitec Full Face helmet

I'm getting Gerbing T5 gloves for Christmas!:mrgreen:
 
2*C with 20 km/h wind from the north:
long sleeve t-shirt
Warm 'n Safe heated liner
Marmot wind shirt
Joe Rocket ballistic jacket
jeans
Joe Rocket Alter Ego overpants
Smart Wool ski socks in A-Star boots
Warm 'n Safe Ultimate Heated Sport Touring Gloves
Shoei RF-1000 helmet with chin curtain and fog guard in place
By the end of a 2.5 hour ride, my legs and toes were starting to get a bit cool. Unusual for me, I didn't get off the bike once during that time.

Wife has ridden in similar conditions (without the wind) with similar gear but added her rainsuit as it was foggy that day.
 
Can't say what's best for riding a Bandit (as this thread is in the Bandit forum),
but basic guidelines are the same as for most any outdoor activity.

Start with a performance wicking baselayer; silk, polypro, Underarmour, microfiber, whatever you prefer.
Next is the insulating layer. polarfleece, wool, Thinsulate, active heated clothing if you want.
Finally is the exterior shell, wind and rain blocking and for m/c also abrasion resistant; Leather, Cordura, ballistic nylon. Gore-tex lining in a garment helps make it very windproof. Windproof is very important when riding in the cold as you are making your own windchill factor. Rule of thumb is subtract 15-20degF from the ambient temp to estimate what to expect.

A one-piece suit can be warmer since it traps more body heat and eliminates drafts up the back of the jacket.

I do have a question of my own. Anyone tried the chemical toe warmers when riding? too hot? not warm enough?
 
I am used to winter being a bit cooler than we get here in Tx, but....
IMHO the best fabric in the world for winter is Merino wool.
Light, super comfy, wicks moisture, refuses odor, packs small and hard wearing too! Socks, gloves, underwear, shirts, under- shirts, and top layers with about 1/3 of the bulk of other stuff. If merino doesn't keep you warm, then nothing will.
Love it.
 
Buy a Concours 14, it puts out enough heat that you don't need winter gear or electric clothing. :lol2:
 
Wes said:
Buy a Concours 14, it puts out enough heat that you don't need winter gear or electric clothing. :lol2:
Click to expand...

LOL! My answer was going to be: buy a Gen1 Concours.
 
I do not have 'lectric gear, thought of it may times but just can't justify it for the few times each winter. I have ridden several times in 24° with no problems with layering clothes I bought at either Academy or Cabela's. The only problem is keeping my finger tips warm even with heated grips but even then I can switch hands (with the cruise on) using the engine as a hand warmer. My winter riding attire (tested to 24°) is:
Full face helmet with chin curtain and breath guard
Sliks Satin-Lined Helmet Liner (all year long)
Schampa Double Layer Neckgaiter
Olympia Snowmobile gloves
TourMaster Epic 3/4 Jacket
TourMaster Flex Pant
Cabela's Full-Grain GORE-TEX® Insulated Wellington boots
Cabela's MTP Polartec® crew top & pant (long underwear)
Wolverine wool socks
Silk socks
Silk glove liners
Cotton slacks or jeans
Casual Shirt

The TourMaster jacket and pants, boots, gloves are breathable & water proof. (I'm always wearing my rain gear)
 
I got up the other morning at 5:00 for a two hour ride in 40*. I don't have warm clothing, I don't have electrics, I can't buy "off the rack".... so I make do with what I've got, that is to say I RIDE COLD.

40* was gonna drop to 37*- at sun break as I pass over the hill, later in the ride it would warm to 55*, then as much as 67*, standing in the sun would feel like 72*.

I wore some BMW thermal stuff under my mesh pants filled with all sorts of hip, knee, and shin armor. I didn't bother with putting some REI wool socks on because that would be too much as the day warmed. Up top I wore a poly-blend loose fitting long sleeve, recycled plastic bottle fleece, neck covering, and an old school black leather biker jacket. After an hour in the leather, it was about as functional as thick cardboard, but I LOVE that leather jacket. When my fleece was a bit too warm, I changed it out with a thick cotton t-shirt manderin collar. Later in the day I could hang in my poly-blend shirt in the sun, and put a short sleeve t-shirt over it for the ride home.

I have some old leather gloves with gauntlets, thinned with age and linings only as functional as the leather it lines. I have small hands, so GorTech gloves make it difficult to wrap my hands around the grips, I hate 'em. They're wrapped in with my Frog Togs rain gear in the event I'm caught in the rain.
So I started off he day with the leather gloves, trusting my hand guards to provide protection from the cold wind when I switeched to perf' leather summer gloves. I really need to buy some more silk glove liners before I take off in the 30* weather we're headed for (we ride year 'round out here in Cali').

Someday when I grow up, I want some heated stuff. I understand they've got really GOOD stuff nowadays, complete with heated collars, heated sleeves, and maybe a heated leopard-print thong.

So when I ride in the cold stuff, it's all about wool socks, BMW thermals, layering with poly-blends & fleece, silk glove liners, and a really really cold chin. The ONLY time I've been warm in recent history, was when I put my two layers of liner & water-proof liner in my Cortech Air mesh a couple hours after I started out in 45* morning.

I don't know the comfort of "warm" on a bike in the winter, I simply gut it out until the day warms to thaw me from the hours prior.....
 
I have a habit of expanding my horizons to cold country through out the year. At 12,000 feet, they don't know what summer is too much. Was averaging 42F when I was playing about that height last August. Then put up with 100+F stuff getting meself and mebike back to south Louisiana. ;-)
 
I wear the Tourmaster Air Intake Jacket during the hot season and simply zip in the winter liner when its cold. Same goes for the Tourmaster Air Venture Pants and zipping in the winter liner there too. I a looking for a good pair of gloves for winter riding though as the Cortech Adrenaline gloves are great armored protection, but a bit cool and frost-bitelike in the 40 and under temps.

Anyone got a good glove solution that protects the knuckles and joints and is a longer gauntlet type as well?
 
If it gets reaaaaaalllly cold, I'll wear my Chevy Colorado with the heater on.

Otherwise, underarmour cold gear is pretty good.
 
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