The Cold Truth: Avoiding Winter Riding Mistakes
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2025
- Riding a motorcycle in cold weather comes with unique challenges, but with the right tips and gear, you can stay warm and ride safely all winter long. In this video, we’ll cover essential cold-weather riding strategies, from dressing in layers to choosing heated gear, and share advice on staying comfortable without sacrificing mobility. Learn how to protect your hands, prevent visor fog, and navigate winter road hazards like black ice and active wildlife. Whether you’re commuting or out for a joyride, these tips will help you handle cooler temperatures with confidence. Don’t forget to check the links in the description for recommended gear and join the MCrider community for more tips!
Base Layer: www.mcrider.co...
Mid Layer: www.mcrider.co...
Heated Gear: www.MCrider.co...
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If you are looking for the links to any of the cold weather gear...I have them right here.
Base Layer: www.mcrider.com/base
Mid Layer: www.mcrider.com/Mid
Heated Gear: www.MCrider.com/Gerbing
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I wear a mesh jacket as my mid-layer and a Milwaukee leather jacket WITHOUT THE LINER as my outer layer.
The mesh jacket provides an insulating layer of air between my base layer and my leather jacket, plus gives me my armored protection.
At 78 years old this year. I finally gave up my Police Motorcycle FLHTP and my job as a Motorcycle Traffic Control Officer in Washington State. We rode year round, and only stayed home on those rare days when we had deep snow on the ground or packed ice. Gerbing was our winter friend, with Gerbing heated gloves, heated jacket liner, waterproof heated riding pants, and heated boot liners. Escorting several dozen vehicles through city traffic or blocking intersections in driving rain at 35 degrees was not necessarily fun but was doable if you were dressed for it. .Watch out for the dark patches on the streets. Our group rarely had an accident due to the weather.
Thank you for your service. Riding in that line of work has to be nerve-racking sometimes with how people drive. I doubt I'd ever push myself to ride in cold weather. I'm planning to get a bike, but I'm not sure if I should get one now, or wait until early spring. I'm considering sport, dual sport, or adventure. I got my license back in October through MSP, so I've been excited to start riding.
I avoided winter riding mistakes. By leaving Michigan and moving to the Southeast.
Winter riding in Finland is on a skidoo.
Mustang jackets are good. If they're good enough for the US Coast Gaurd that's enough for me. Tire temp is vital.
I find merino wool to be the best base layer in addition to a down puffer as a mid layer. It will compress quite a bit and keep you warm.
I have battery powered heated gloves from Klim and I can't recommend them enough! They have allowed me to ride into temperatures at or below freezing without feeling cold hands at all. I am in Canada and was still riding this week!
GREETINGS FROM THE PPRC GREAT VIDEO TODAY. BRIDGES CAN BE A PROBLEM EVEN IF THE ROAD IS CLEAR A BRIDGE CAN BE ICY. RIDE SAFE.🇺🇸🏍️
It’s been in the 20s here in Chi town lately .. if someone is soft and only rides in “nice” weather you’re missing out.
If no snow/ice on the ground and it’s not like 15*f for the high for the day .. I’m gonna get a ride in even if just to the store or a little 30 min spin.
As a Canadian, we get winter & a shorter riding season. I have a Spyder with heated seats & grips. With great wind protection, I can be toasty for hours. I do not ride when temperatures can or have dropped below freezing. Black ice can reaĺly mess up your ride.
You are the Man to hear Kevin. You Rock this Website
I'm a big fan of separate jackets for summer/winter, and heated grips are oh so nice.
Most of us here in North Central Florida ride year-round. I rode for years back and forth to work. Some days, it's freezing. on other days, it's scalding hot. You just learn to adapt and layer when it's cold. I have a goose down vest 45 years that works perfectly under the leathers. You got to have good letters and good rain gear.
I frequently ride at 40°F. Hippo Hands and heated grips are a great combination. I prefer wool, just in case heated gear fails. Below 40 heated boot insoles and vest help. You quickly find where you more insulation. 😀
Seat heat (if you can get it) is very helpful. Like your scalp….. your bum is full of pumping blood. Keep the bum warm and the extremities stay a lot warmer. Great video…. Thank you!
When I ride in the winter it’s in the South Pacific. 😂 I’m done riding in fowl weather. My Yamaha Sniper 155 does real good in the heat. 😊
Heated jacket and gloves were some of the best investments I made. Got a newer bike need to get a adapter :P
I low sided my self in a tire track that was thawed when I left and froze on my return all lower speed mistake S thankfully. Self learning sometimes sucks😢😅✌🏻. It was early spring lol.
Been riding Goldwings the past 30 yrs. Moved from Central TX to Central AZ About 23 yrs ago and rode/ride daily in both states. I ride in the mountains of AZ during the winder with snow on the side of the clear roads. Temps all day in the mid and lower 30's. I have had an electric jacket liner and gloves for the past 20 years (FirstGear is the manufactory). The gloves plug into the jacket liner and I have a wireless dual controller that allows me to control each of the items separately. I hang the controller on my cup carrier for easy reach. The liner plugs into a connector that is wired to my bike's power hub under the seat. Like Kevin, I have electric socks but have never used them as good leather boots with thick wool socks are adequate. The jacket liner and gloves are the best investment I have made for riding in the winter. As a side note, the liner fits into a moderate sized Jacket that I also used in temps of 40 and 50 degrees, it's not anything close to a parka. Bottom line is I am warm but not "bulked" out in winter gear. You don't have to over dress to keep comfortable.
Merino wool has become my go to wear neck to toe
I like the wax cotton/cordura blend gear, excellent at blocking wind. Then it is just a matter of the correct layers for the actual temperature. I live at the base of the Rocky Mountains, it can be under 20 when I leave in the morning, and low 60’s on the way home. I ride to about 15 degrees, tires get a little hard at that point. Merino wool, base layer, PCM type liner in the jacket. Wool sweater mid layer (only if extended highway speeds). Leather glove with thinsulate . My BMW provides excellent wind protection for the grips, I installed a set of hand grip wind deflectors on my Moto Guzzi. Pinlock insert, good to go. On long hauls I may cycle the BMW heated grips on and off as needed, on the Guzzi, battery heated gloves on low is usually enough.
Remember, there is a difference between being aware it is cold outside and being cold.
Where I live in Canada we avoid winter riding mistakes by not riding in the winter. Snow, ice and sub zero temperatures don't play well with two wheeled vehicles.
Good afternoon from Indiana.
Aerostich one piece Roadcrafter, heated jacket over light merino wool base layer, heated gloves and heated grips.
Don’t forget to tell them about the Deer Crossing sign. 😂
Kevin, I'm imagining taking off both the base and mid layers, and riding with nothing on under my jacket. I might be mistaken for a member of the Village People. 😬😂
I don't plan to ride during winter since I live in a region that can sometimes get well below freezing during winter. Plus I only just got my license (through the MSP) at the end of October and I don't have a bike yet. Not sure if I should get one now, or wait until early spring.
I would add that wool socks help keep your feet warm.
When I turned 65, two years ago, I realized I hated being too cold riding in the winter and bought a Gerbing liner with the wire for gloves, etc. It was great for those two winters. This year the first Time I used it and the right glove would not heat up. I swapped gloves, it turned out to be the liner, not the glove. Since they claim a lifetime warranty, I bought it, but now I can't get through to anyone. Revzilla gave me the Gerbing number to get it repaired, but still, no answer or call back. As far as Pin Lock, I have one in my HJC helmet and it doesn't work very well, still have to crack the visor. Maybe they sent me the wrong insert?
I have a perfect solution don’t ride if the temps are under 55
With Deer it's not just the Rut, It's cold weather.. Pressure from Hunters and Pressure from Farmers harvesting crops .
Well, I ride and you know 0° weather so your layers MC rider are not enough not nearly so I rock a base layer on the top and bottom I rock regular pants two sets of rain gear on the top and bottom and then like three jackets on the top plus snow pants and then when it gets really cold, I have I don’t know if it’s Billy Klava or whatever it was. It goes over my head and has like a hole for my face and I wear that underneath the helmet and then I also have to have a scarf to stop wind from going up underneath the helmet And heated gloves are a necessity and winter boots and sometimes thick socks, preferably wall socks, oh and don’t forget the anti-fog thing on your visor for the pin lock sometimes that’s not enough so sometimes you still gotta leave your helmet cracked enough to make it so it doesn’t fog out much but not too much so you won’t freeze your face off and do not forget handlebar muffs to cut the wind on your hands in addition to the heated gloves
Gerbing jacket liner & gloves get me below 40°, shop the deal but make sure you get the lifetime warranty. Boot 🥾 liners, riding pants & neck gaiter covers the rest 🥶
Heta
I ride motorcycle for almost 50 year. Winter riding stays a pain because there is always a spot that get cold. 🤢🥶
Dot forget you need a bike fairing with great wind protection to actually “enjoy” riding in 30s tp 40s Fahrenheit with these other tips. It’s not a time for a naked bike.
46 degrees is my limit.
Two sleeve shirt leathers and a vest. Rain gear topper. Like the armoured gloves. Just saying that we all add up. ✌🏻💯🫵🏻🥁🥁🚂🙏👍🏻