A GUIDE TO DRESSING FOR COLD WEATHER MOTORCYCLE  RIDING

Riding your motorcycle during cold wet weather requires planning, foresight and the right gear. Clothing that seems fine when you are driving your car or walking down the street in the rain probably won’t cut it at 100 klm an hour on your motorcycle. It takes the right gear to keep you warm under these extreme conditions. Buy gear designed for motorcycling. There is a difference. Women riders have had a tough time finding gear made for them at an affordable price until fairly recently. Happily myself and other venders are offering affordable quality gear tailored for women.

DRESS IN LAYERS
COVER ALL SKIN
BLOCK THE WIND
STAY DRY      
KEEP YOUR HEAD WARM
  

Breathable Layer: This is the layer that comes in contact with the skin. It should allow body moisture to escape and evaporate more quickly, which keeps the skin dry and comfortable. Use thermal underwear made of synthetic fibers like polyester and polypropylene to wick moisture away from the skin. Avoid natural fibers such as cotton, they tend to hold moisture close to the skin and dry very slowly.

Insulating Layer: The insulating layer creates dead air space between the layers of clothing, trapping warm body air and keeping it around the body. Look for outerwear that is warm, water-resistant and well insulated with a synthetic fiber such as Thinsulate™Insulation.

Outer Shell: This layer protects against wind and rain. This is probably the most important layer.

Outerwear
Machine-washable jackets retain their waterproofing better than those that require dry-cleaning. Jackets with sealed seams also prevent water from getting in. If you wear a non-leather jacket get one designed for motorcycling. That stylish $300 jacket you bought at the department store probably won’t work as well as a $200 jacket you buy from me because it’s not designed for motorcycling.
Leather is a great wind stopper. A well made leather jacket designed for motorcycling will last for years, keep you comfortable and protect you in a skid.

Look for outerwear containing Thinsulate Insulation, it provides about 1 ½ times the warmth of down and nearly twice the warmth of other high-loft insulations when equal thicknesses are compared.
Look for features such as cuffs that close tightly to keep out cold air and snow, zippers with large nylon teeth, and storm flaps over the zippers and double breasted chest openings to block wind and water. Cuffs, pockets and  chest closures with multiple closure systems  such as zippers and snaps or zippers ,velcro and snaps  tend to stop more wind.

Zip out liners are very handy. You can remove your liner when it’s warm in the afternoon and put it back in when the temperature dips.

Add leather or string ties to zippers etc so you can open and close them with your gloves on.

Your neck
Nehru or Euro style collars on jackets tend to cover the neck better. A turtle neck sweater will help some. In really cold weather a balaclava or a leather riding mask will make a big difference. Remember to cover your neck! By the time you have traveled a half a mile in cold weather you will know if you forgot to cover that adam's apple!

Legs
Protect your legs from the wind. There are a variety of choices for protecting your legs. Chaps, Leather pants and Textile pants. I sell a variety of these items in various price ranges. All of my items are designed for motorcycling. Once again wear layers; thermal underwear and lined pants or chaps to block the wind. When it gets cold a pair of Levis and long johns won't do it!

Footwear
Wet feet become cold and numb quickly, keep your feet dry by wearing appropriate boots. When your feet become wet (through sweating or immersion) you need to put on dry, fresh socks.
Insulated boots help. Wear socks  made of synthetic fibres like polyester and polypropylene. Make sure your boots are loose enough to comfortably wear thick socks. Avoid steel toe boots. A pair of cold feet will ruin an otherwise great ride!

Headgear
You lose most of your heat through your head!
Wear a full face helmet with face shield for optimum comfort.
Leather masks cover the neck and lower face. Balaclavas cover the neck, face and insulate your head.

Gloves
Waterproof gloves  lined with synthetic insulation such as Thinsulate insulation are effective insulators, keep your hands covered at all times.
The savvy rider has several pairs of gloves designed for various riding conditions:
Fingerless gloves for warm summer riding. This cuts down on vibration, reduces calluses and offers some protection in a skid.
 Zip Cuff Gauntlet gloves The next choice is usually flexible gloves with thin lining that offer wind protection and  a gauntlet cuff to keep wind from blowing up the jacket sleeves. I carry a pair all the time in my saddlebag along with a pair of cotton liners to add when it gets cold. They are handy even on cool summer nights.
For really cold weather I wear a pair of thick gauntlet motorcycling / ski gloves with thick insulate lining.
Gauntlet cuff gloves are very important. They fit over the jacket sleeve and keep ice cold air from blowing up to your arm pits at 70 miles an hour!

Mittens keep hands warmer than gloves but offer less dexterity. They are a definite no-no for riders or passengers. You can’t feel the controls and the passenger can’t hold on!

Rain Gear

Keep a set of nylon rain gear in your saddlebag for each person on the bike. They don't weigh much but they are a real life saver when the rain or sleet starts coming down.

Just my opinion on heated clothes. They work great when they work! I used to wear a heated vest and heated socks. I stayed warm and toasty even in really cold weather. One day in January one of my heated socks quit working, I didn’t realize it. I froze a couple of toes and darn near lost them. That was enough for me!

A few general observations:

 Avoid real tight clothing. You loose that insulating warm air layer when you wear a jacket, pants or boots  that are  too tight.

Dress for comfort and protection. Wearing your beany and a demin jacket when the chill factor dips below 30 only impresses dummies. Surprisingly this occurs at about 45 degrees F at 70 mph!

Bring gear for the worst weather you may run into. You probably will. Those nice 30 degree October days sometimes turn into a rainy 5 degree ride home.

WIND CHILL

The cooling effect of wind at 70 mph is astounding. Plan carefully before you leave. At about 10 degrees farenheit you are entering very dangerous territory. Wind chill is not something to fool with:

HYPOTHERMIA

Keep these guidelines in mind the next time you venture out on that bike in cold weather.

You don’t have to park that bike when Autumn rolls around. Just dress right and enjoy!