Winter Riding

[springer98]

For those that have thoughts of hibernating their bikes over the winter months................

I choose to use my Springer as my only form of transport. Whatever the weather !!!

I have it sprayed in nicotine coroured gooey stuff to protect it from the weather and then in the pring, I wash it all off and underneth is a nice clean and sparkly bike.

Over the years i have found the most effective protectorant is a can of spray I buy from an independent bike shop in Didcot.(Oxon) The stuff is so effective that the only way to get it off in the spring is to use the same product's removal spray. I have previously tried WD40, S100 and a whole host of other stuff but (and I forget the name of it) but this stuff is good, as long as you don't put it on your pipes (burns in!) or on your brake discs.

Having the right protective clothing is mega important. There's nothing worse than putting on damp clothes after being in the dry for a number of hours.

If, like me, you use the bike as opposed to having it like an ornament, then you need to be continually aware of the road conditions. I have found that being in control is the most important thing. That means understanding that the conditions require you to be more vigilant, being prepared to use the rear brake instead of the front brake, knowing your own limitations and the bike's limitations. NOT being in control apart from other factors that are out of your control, also means not anticiapting that car drivers (jn their warm cucoons with the radio on) are likely not to see you and will (speed) do manoeuvers or actions that can jeapordise your safety and life. (And this is relevant to summer, or winter riding)

I speak from personal experience of 4 near fatal bike crashes and innumerable broken bones.

Yet, I still ride...am I mad ?

Anyway, with £60 a year road tax, 23 odd quid MOT and I am getting a better mpg than my wife does in her deisel car at £180 a year road tax.

So, there !!!

Wrap up warm, keep dry, cover your bike in sticky stuff, keep it regularly maintained and put your tesco's shopping in your saddle bags.......

Live to Ride and Ride to stay alive.

[Ming the Merciless]

Good info there for anyone who doesn't know.

My mate from the Army Air Corps gave me a buckshee jamjar of goo that the MOD use for protecting helicopters. It was like very sticky dark brown honey and after pasting it on with a brush it wouldn't wash off. Great protection for winter, though. Since he left the army I have lost my source.

Originally Posted by springer98

i have found the most effective protectorant is a can of spray I buy from an independent bike shop in Didcot.(Oxon)

What's the stuff called?

[springer98]

I'll look for the can when I get home

[springer98]

motoprep winterwax
http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=901602

[weedavie_j]

[quote=springer98;464256]For those that have thoughts of hibernating their bikes over the winter months................

I choose to use my Springer as my only form of transport. Whatever the weather !!!

I speak from personal experience of 4 near fatal bike crashes and innumerable broken bones.

Yet, I still ride...am I mad ?



Hi springer98 yae you sound mad to me

I admire anybody who like me trys to keep their bike on the road through the winter although I do have the option of using a car also but I dont use the bike daily in bad conditions i.e. ice an snow.

It scares me a wee bit to here you say that you've had some near-death experiences yet still insist that everythings hunkie-dorie
Like you say the cage drivers are sometimes oblivious to anything but their own little world.

[Oilslick]

I used S100 protector on the engine cause it stands the heat and that brown stuff on the rest cause it's cheap.

The brown stuff gives the chrome a kind of bronzed look. Kind of cool and matches my skin tone perfectly!

[kendo]

ACF50

[Leadbelly]

I found this interesting,

Do you spray all the metal parts, engine casings exhaust, underneath etc.

Is the stuff on the link from MPS the same stuff as you mention?