Cold weather gear

[fintip]

I've decided to just do layers for pants--jeans with windbreakers, and maybe a third layer in between of sweatpants for really cold days (those three should also handle a fall pretty well if I ever have one, I imagine), and realized that jacket is on sale to get rid of stock and only XXXL is available. Still tempted to consider it, haha, but have a feeling that'd be a bit ridiculous. Maybe I could just cut some fabric out and sew it up, do a self-tailor job? It's a good deal for an otherwise great jacket, and almost merits it if it means I save $100. Reviews are fantastic, and it comes with controller and everything.

[ribbert]

I've decided to just do layers for pants--jeans with windbreakers, and maybe a third layer in between of sweatpants for really cold days (those three should also handle a fall pretty well if I ever have one, I imagine), and realized that jacket is on sale to get rid of stock and only XXXL is available. Still tempted to consider it, haha, but have a feeling that'd be a bit ridiculous. Maybe I could just cut some fabric out and sew it up, do a self-tailor job? It's a good deal for an otherwise great jacket, and almost merits it if it means I save $100. Reviews are fantastic, and it comes with controller and everything.

No they won't

[Dan Filetti]

Maybe I could just cut some fabric out and sew it up, do a self-tailor job?

I know I've read somewhere where some folks had made their own heated gear.  It's just the right wire, the proper battery lead connector, and a rheostat hemmed into clothing. It may have been on this list or over on the Yahoo list -it was years ago. Search around on-line, you may be able to make your own heated gear for far less than buying pre-made.

Anyone know what the max wattage consumption for the FJ is?  Seems I remember it being ~600 watts or some such, about as much as a set of gloves, pants and jacket and maybe a GPS or so? 

Dan   

[mst3kguy]

Maybe I could just cut some fabric out and sew it up, do a self-tailor job?

I know I've read somewhere where some folks had made their own heated gear.  It's just the right wire, the proper battery lead connector, and a rheostat hemmed into clothing. It may have been on this list or over on the Yahoo list -it was years ago. Search around on-line, you may be able to make your own heated gear for far less than buying pre-made.

Anyone know what the max wattage consumption for the FJ is?  Seems I remember it being ~600 watts or some such, about as much as a set of gloves, pants and jacket and maybe a GPS or so? 

Dan   

i made a heated vest about 10 years ago.  need some multi-strand teflon-coated wire, if memory serves.  i got it from a recipe on the net.  i think total cost was around $30.

[mst3kguy]

I've decided to just do layers for pants--jeans with windbreakers, and maybe a third layer in between of sweatpants for really cold days (those three should also handle a fall pretty well if I ever have one, I imagine),

not even close.  even department store and fashion-grade leather jackets/pants will fall apart upon impact.  i think the jeans have the advantage in the stitching, but the fashion leather has the marginal advantage in the abrasion-resistance of the material itself, but neither will save your skin in most typical get-offs.  price a typical hospital visit bill where everyone and their mother decides to dip their hand into your bank account, and dedicated gear all of a sudden gets real cheap.  i wear an aerostich, and have acquired a heated vest, heated jacket liner, and windblocker, and use a combination of the three depending on temps.  for the legs i just wear long johns.  turtle fur neck gaiter or balaclava, again depending.  electric gloves.  had grip wraps for a while, but got tired of toasty palms, but frozen knuckles.  and if you're dealing with cold weather (what i consider to be below 40 degrees), get a fog city shield insert.  being warm and toasty when it's 30 degrees ain't worth nothin' if you can't see 5 feet in front of you.

[fintip]

Call me a voice of ignorance, but while I understand that jeans alone (which is my normal attire) won't save your ass in a high speed crash, I have a hard time believing that 3 layers are going to just disappear in an instant... Even if it does go through all 3, I imagine by the time all 3 are worn through that they've taken the worst of the friction. But in any case, riding gear is just one of those things people can talk about, but should never start an argument about, so I'll just bow out now. (I volunteer to be the test dummy--if I *do* get laid down in such attire, god forbid, I'll let everyone know, haha.)

Definitely thinking that I'll be making my own electric jacket and gloves at this point. Thinking I'll just have some teflon wire shipped out to my friend's house in Washington and be sewing by night. Found several 'recipes' online, looks simple enough.

In any case, I think it should be warm enough, if I have an electric jacket? The fairing on the FJ has decent leg protection, right? If I find my legs are still cold, I'll probably wire up the windbreaker pants with the wire I'll have leftover at some point on the way, since I won't be using those pants for anything else. (I haven't owned that kind of pants since I was like 10 years old, and even then I never used them. Like I said, Texas. It doesn't really get cold here. Pretty much a jeans-year-round guy. And not the fashion-grade kind, either, fwiw.)

So:

Homeade heated jacket (liner?)
Homeade heated gloves
Tri-layer pant setup
Balaclava
Wool scarf
Boots
Wool socks

[rktmanfj]

Call me a voice of ignorance, but while I understand that jeans alone (which is my normal attire) won't save your ass in a high speed crash, I have a hard time believing that 3 layers are going to just disappear in an instant... Even if it does go through all 3, I imagine by the time all 3 are worn through that they've taken the worst of the friction. But in any case, riding gear is just one of those things people can talk about, but should never start an argument about, so I'll just bow out now. (I volunteer to be the test dummy--if I *do* get laid down in such attire, god forbid, I'll let everyone know, haha.)

Definitely thinking that I'll be making my own electric jacket and gloves at this point. Thinking I'll just have some teflon wire shipped out to my friend's house in Washington and be sewing by night. Found several 'recipes' online, looks simple enough.

In any case, I think it should be warm enough, if I have an electric jacket? The fairing on the FJ has decent leg protection, right? If I find my legs are still cold, I'll probably wire up the windbreaker pants with the wire I'll have leftover at some point on the way, since I won't be using those pants for anything else. (I haven't owned that kind of pants since I was like 10 years old, and even then I never used them. Like I said, Texas. It doesn't really get cold here. Pretty much a jeans-year-round guy. And not the fashion-grade kind, either, fwiw.)

So:

Homeade heated jacket (liner?)
Homeade heated gloves
Tri-layer pant setup
Balaclava
Wool scarf
Boots
Wool socks

Try this.

Dress in the garb you plan to wear, sit down and have a friend (or to be more realistic, someone who doesn't especially care for you, because the pavement surely doesn't) take a big-ass belt sander loaded with 60-grit paper to you, because that's about what it's going to be like if you fall.

[FJ Flyer]

Pinlocks are the shizzle to prevent fogging. 

You should check out the story on Hell for Leather.  Dudes jeans ripped apart and his bare ass was kissing pavement for a 30-40 mph get off.  I went down at about 55-60 on the highway and my HT Air protected my leg, Phoenix my arms, and Violator gloves and Defender boots my hands and feet.  Not one bit of road rash.  Had a huge black and blue bruise on my upper leg, and soreness overall, but that was it.

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/10/why-wearing-jeans-on-a-motorcycle-is-a-really-bad-idea/

That's why my tag is "wear your gear". 

[markmartin]

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/10/why-wearing-jeans-on-a-motorcycle-is-a-really-bad-idea/

That's why my tag is "wear your gear". 

Good article Chris.  BTW, your tag "wear your gear" has become my mantra, or at least an ever present reminder.  Full gear is not the coolest thing to wear on days over 75 degrees, figuratively and literally, but some day it may just save my ass so I wear it.  'To each his own', so others can do what ever they want, but it's good to hear from those in the same camp, especially with so many cruising around in shorts and sneakers. 

[andyb]

Doesn't matter how much you wear if it's not designed for the task of sliding along the road.  The material may end up okay, but the seams will open, and that's a layer gone immediately.

A set of proper leather riding pants at the low end are $100... I'm assuming the ones of questionable origin, good for one crash and no more, but one crash is all you need to worry about at a time.  Layer under them, job done.  Pretty much the same at the other end of the scale, too.  Or you could just buy a cheap suit and layer under it.

Purpose built stuff, even the low end stuff, is better than faking it.  The first ride in a cheap rainsuit means that suddenly you realize how much better it is than doing it the way you were doing it before, and then you start wondering just how much better the good ones are.  Same goes with every piece of gear, from helmets, gloves, boots... and things like seats, anti-vibe-bar ends, headlights, etc.  


Honestly?  Okay, if you accept that you'll be a bit cold, go in knowing what you're doing.  Take your time, have multiple backup strategies, don't expect to cover much distance per day, and call it an adventure.  Take pictures at your frequent "I can't feel my fucking fingers anymore and it's starting to hurt really bad now" stops as you go, y`know?  I'd much rather have poor protection from the pavement and great protection from the temperature if I have to make the choice.  You'll be exposed to the temperature certainly, the pavement only maybe, and being comfortable helps prevent fatigue and mistakes, so arguably it helps keep you off the pavement.

(Insert big rant here about cars having to have active stability management and ABS and stupid crap instead of simply being enjoyable enough to drive that you're paying attention to the act of driving....)



Slightly aside, do you guys all really have that much trouble with visor fogging?  I'm just using a normal shoei visor, and it'll steam up a little at stops in town, cracking it open a notch solves that.  Once at speed and closed, no problems at all....

edit:

ull gear is not the coolest thing to wear on days over 75 degrees, figuratively and literally, but some day it may just save my ass so I wear it.

You're wearing the wrong gear then.  A mesh jacket isn't as much protection as a leather one, but being comfortable and hydrated can keep your skin off the pavement as well.  Gear has two forms of protection imo, one is as a physical barrier vs the pavement, and the other is as a barrier to the environment... and the latter is more important than many think.  You lose an awful lot of fluid, very quickly indeed, if you're wearing a full leather 1piece while in slow/stopped traffic on a hot & humid day. 

[Mike Ramos]

Gentlemen,

I agree with FJFlyer, Mr. Martin and Not a Lib and that protection philosophy.

Andyb, one never knows when the inevitable will happen. To be less than prepared is foolish. Two very competent riders fell at the ECFR without warning. One had on jeans (ouch!) the other proper gear (with much better results) as in no injury.

However, why are comfort and protection are deemed mutually exclusive?

I wear full leathers with wind/water proof zippers. In hot weather the vents are open, in cold weather the vents are closed. In uncomfortably cold weather I use the zip in jacket liner and heated gloves (the cord for the gloves are in the mesh lining of the jacket and plug into the dash - simple & no hassle with the cord).

That is all that is needed and I have been in all types of extreme weather and remained comfortable and dry. However, protection is the key...

Ride carefully,

Mike Ramos.

[andyb]

Comfort and protection are not exclusive, but getting both is frequently expensive, and that can prevent people from bothering at all--as above, layering with jeans.  Mostly, I'm saying that great gear is better than cheap gear is better than halfassed gear is better than no gear.  Gotta start someplace, y`know?

Ideally, we'd all have a good all-rounder suit, and various other outfits as necessary for the type of riding we do.  In this instance, it's possible that a really great pair of pants may be a bit expensive, but I'd bet that a much cheaper set would still provide more protection than jeans would, layered or not. 

I wear the most situationally appropriate gear that I can afford, every time I ride, and that's what I'm suggesting.  Even the best gear isn't a guarantee that you're going to walk away from a wreck, and you're accepting risk every time you ride.  Minimize that risk by doing the best you can with equipment, but understand that the biggest piece of staying intact is your own judgement.

[Mark Olson]

Call me a voice of ignorance, but while I understand that jeans alone (which is my normal attire) won't save your ass in a high speed crash, I have a hard time believing that 3 layers are going to just disappear in an instant... Even if it does go through all 3, I imagine by the time all 3 are worn through that they've taken the worst of the friction. But in any case, riding gear is just one of those things people can talk about, but should never start an argument about, so I'll just bow out now. (I volunteer to be the test dummy--if I *do* get laid down in such attire, god forbid, I'll let everyone know, haha.)

Definitely thinking that I'll be making my own electric jacket and gloves at this point. Thinking I'll just have some teflon wire shipped out to my friend's house in Washington and be sewing by night. Found several 'recipes' online, looks simple enough.

In any case, I think it should be warm enough, if I have an electric jacket? The fairing on the FJ has decent leg protection, right? If I find my legs are still cold, I'll probably wire up the windbreaker pants with the wire I'll have leftover at some point on the way, since I won't be using those pants for anything else. (I haven't owned that kind of pants since I was like 10 years old, and even then I never used them. Like I said, Texas. It doesn't really get cold here. Pretty much a jeans-year-round guy. And not the fashion-grade kind, either, fwiw.)

So:

Homeade heated jacket (liner?)
Homeade heated gloves
Tri-layer pant setup
Balaclava
Wool scarf
Boots
Wool socks

ok so you don't like leather pants . here ya go http://dragginjeans.com/ 

a way old school cold weather trick is wear women's nylons . probably queen size for you.

not a joke this is for real.

[FJ Flyer]

I was wearing mesh pants and jacket with leather gloves and boots when I went down  and I didn't have a scratch. Get good stuff and WEAR IT.   Doesn't do you any good hanging in the closet. Oh, didn't mention my RF1000, which sacrificed itself.   

[pdxfj]

The biggest thing to keeping warm is to stop the wind from getting in.  Rain gear over your riding gear does wonders, but only for a time.  The cold will penetrate through the layers and reach you.

Personally, my arms and chest get cold.  My legs and feet not too much.  The biggest help for my head was using the neck warmer to cover my neck and chin, plus it reduces the amount of air getting into my helmet.

I'm down in Portland and our temps are into the low 40's for night and mid 50's during the day.  They say snow in the Cascade Mountain as soon as this weekend.  You've got a couple of passes to go through on I-5.  The worst being the Siskiyou's in Southern Oregon.

The cold sneaks up on you.  I rode to one west coast rally and dealt with mid 40's temps from Portland to Grants Pass.  It was foggy the entire time, so no sun to help keep me warm.  My reflexes and judgement was seriously impaired even though I was wearing multiple layers.  After that rally I bought a electric jacket liner.

I'm sure you're tired of us beating the table about gear.  The weather here can change in a matter of minutes and usually not for the better this time of year.  Klavdy and Marsh know first hand what it like not to be prepared.  They rode through blizzard conditions on I-80 West from Reno wearing summer gear.

You're taking one hell of a trip and we want to make sure you make it to your destination unharmed.  Conditions should get better once you're through Northern California.