First winter with a bike in a long time. I've been getting around on kitted Vespas for a while but now I have my Duc and 80 on the highway is a lot different.
So I've been digging thru Revzilla and can't decide on what to get. I want to keep the jacket under $400 if possible and $150 on gloves. I'll eventually put on grip warmers but in the mean time, I want to ride.
Thanks in advance.
I ride in the cold and have a glove winner....
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=4464 (http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=4464)
Surprisingly good feel, ok at 50F, add a silk liner at 40. Order one size up.
Lower than 40 - ELECTRICITY!! such as Gerbings.
(talking about long rides)
Jacket:
Two simple requirements - wind proof and must be adjusted to be air tight, waist, neck and wrists.
Wear wool and fleece under it.
Picked up a Tourmaster Epic jacket for $190. It's very warm and have a wind proof dickie to wear with it. It's also large enough for a sweater.
For gloves, I picked up some BMW winter gloves that a warm as well as waterproof.
Next on the list are some casual riding boots and grip warmers.
grip warmers dont work too well with thick gloves.... i had heated grips for a while and well, they just wernet outputting enough heat so i picked up heated gloves!
now with ehated gloves in the inside of your hand doesnt get warm, only the backside where it matters, but if you ride in the 20s and below, you cnat really feel the heat and when your in the 10s and below it just downright stops working on the highway, you NEED handguards at that point. no if ands or buts. unless you are only doing short jaunts.
then theres also 1 more thing to worry about, your engines oil cooler needs a shield otherwise your bike will never get pass 130degrees unless your riding for a long time. i have gotten away with just duct tape though.
I'll probably just be riding short jaunts. If it's in the 10s, Atlanta is pretty much shut down.
Heated grips with insulated (but not super thick) gloves work perfectly for me. Alpinestars has some great winter gloves that still have good protection. You can get heated grips for about $60 or heating elements to go under your grips for <$30. Check out denniskirk, twistedthrottle and rockymountainmc.
For a jacket all that really matters is that it be waterproof/windproof, form-fitting enough not to flap around a whole bunch (many adventure/touring jackets will flap all over the place and be really annoying) and of course well built/protective. My favorite winter jacket is surprisingly a joe rocket commet I got years ago for $69, but its proven to be 100% waterproof, windproof, great protection, great zippers, etc. If it had some trendy logo on it it'd easily pass for a $400 jacket [laugh]. I doubt its still in production.
For short jaunts I find heated gear more hassle than its worth. I have it and never use it for my 30 minute commute. I do use it on longer rides.
FWIW I've been riding year round in DC and/or Boston since 2000 (street bike) and 1992 (dirt bikes and bicycles).
FWIW #2, riding in the snow is hard, not recommended unless you are really comfortable sliding around a lot.
BMW has some winter gloves designed for heated grips. The insulation is thinner in the palm neat your forefinger and thumb.
there was a company that makes heated grip stick ons taht go under your rubber grip. if you order now you will get them, they tend to sell out during the first half of the winter from everyone who THINKS they are going to ride all winter but dont.
heated gloves are 100gram thinsulate lined so they can be used from 50 degrees without wires and then whenever you feel like you need to, you can just plug them in.
Denniskirk, rockymountainmc and twistedthrottle carry the stick-on heater elements and heated grips - I've never seen them sell out though it wouldn't surprise me if some small local shops sell out. rockymountainmc has the cheapest stick-on elements.
Alpinestars Arctic Drystar gloves. I use them anytime the weather drops below 55. I have ridden in temps down to 34 and they have kept my hands comfortable down to those temps.