So - bikers - laid up your bike for the winter?

manicguitarist

I managed to put about 10,000 fun filled playing out miles on my bikes since January - but I've now laid them up for the Winter.  I recall *way* back that I used to ride through the winter - but then I got dogs - and walking the dogs to the pub in the rain is more fun than riding in the slippery cold nastyness. Couple that with having 2 pretty rare / exotic bikes and I don't want to have to be scraping all the corrosion off as the salt disolves them! 

Here's the bikes with me on them...









But right now this is more like the truth...




The last one was drawn by a brilliant artist (called Liz!)...she's done a stack of cartoons for me and my son. I've got my winter beard there....winter beard....that's gotta be another thread!

Aaannd on the note of walking the dogs to the pub...let's cook some pig slice and pig tube for me & Jnr and then head out into the drizmle weather with the eager wuffs!

boogieman

My bike has had virtually no use this year, I’ve had no time to ride it. In fact I’ve decided it’s going after Xmas, I really can’t justify having it when it sits there just doing nothing. 

Koa

Same here, rode it to the garage to have it mot’d and back .....it’s in trickle charge but getting no use summer or winter. For me it’s a time issue and of course the roads are so busy there’s little pleasure in it . What time I do have Id rather cycle and play guitar. And yet I can’t bring myself to sell my Triumph....

Phil_aka_Pip

I'd like to ride again but I can afford only one vehicle and it has to be one I can chuck stuff in the back of. I'm also way too fat for my leathers

littlegreenman

Yep. Doubt I'll be back out again until March

p90fool

Still using mine for work, though my days out purely for fun are closer to home. 

It's still pretty mild atm though. 

hywelg

Koa said:

Same here, rode it to the garage to have it mot’d and back .....it’s in trickle charge but getting no use summer or winter. For me it’s a time issue and of course the roads are so busy there’s little pleasure in it . What time I do have Id rather cycle and play guitar. And yet I can’t bring myself to sell my Triumph....

Jeez, are you me?.. .... 5 miles to MOT it on the day of the royal wedding. Then it's been in the garage since. What little time I do have I've been windsurfing and playing guitar, and building a workshop extension. In my defence I've had skips on the drive for a considerable period and the bike can't get by them. And yes mines a Triumph too. 

Phil_aka_Pip

littlegreenman said:

Yep. Doubt I'll be back out again until March

A pushbike with lights on! You don't see many of those around here

PC_Dave

Wouldn’t dream of laying my bike up for winter. Bikes are for riding, not keeping warm in a garage!! 

BenSirAmos

I'll be out on the Bandit again tomorrow. As long as it is dry and not icy I'll be out every weekend. 

Phil_aka_Pip

PC_Dave said:

Wouldn’t dream of laying my bike up for winter. Bikes are for riding, not keeping warm in a garage!! 

but they are also not for throwing down the road on black ice

When I had a 750 Commando I used a Honda C70 in the winter. had a few spills on the C70 that I just got up from and restarted the bike, but I doubt if it would be that simple on a Commando. The footrests were designed to shear, to stop the hangers getting bent. I would have needed a good stock of them.

littlegreenman

Phil_aka_Pip said:

littlegreenman said:

Yep. Doubt I'll be back out again until March

A pushbike with lights on! You don't see many of those around here

Not only that @Phil_aka_Pip, but also a bell!!!

Oh, and the front one does this...

Phil_aka_Pip

@littlegreenman I bet you don't hear many of those around here either. Do you ever have cause to use it?

TheBigDipper

I'll be riding through the winter as long as the conditions are safe. Got to. My riding club signed up four new members at Poundbury Motorcycle Show today ( I know! ) and I'll be training one of them. 

Phil_aka_Pip

@littlegreenman lights pic: wise man Sir, you can see where you're going and anyone else ought to be able to see you. Unfortunately anyone inside a car with the stereo on isn't going to hear your bell ...

littlegreenman

Phil_aka_Pip said:

@littlegreenman I bet you don't hear many of those around here either. Do you ever have cause to use it?

All the time @Phil_aka_Pip ;. On the cyclepaths/ walkways of my local nature reserve where a lot of peeps walk their dogs, I slow down, give them a ping from a ways back to let them know I'm there. Usual response is they give me the room to get by and we both say Good Morning/ Afternoon and thanks.  Same on the country lanes around here with the horsey types.

Yes, I ride at close to the speed limit when the roads allow and do wear lycra but always share the roads and trails with courtesy. We're not all assholes you know?

roundthebend

I'm hoping to get out on mine for a ride tomorrow if it's dry. I didn't intend to have tucked it away for winter but it's been 5 weeks since I rode it.

MtB

My 1290 Adventure S is now in the garage. If we have a mild day or two in the winter then I'll tog up and go and do a few miles.

With the hot weather this year I rode it to work a lot, and at 33 miles each way it's worth it. I leave home at 6am and get on to the quieter roads before there's too many folks about. 

It's been the first year in a while that I haven't been on holiday on the motorbike, however that has been offset by going to the USA for 3 weeks holiday - including a day at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah during Speed Week. Absolutely awesome!


1000cc Norton that ran 154mph

https://i.imgur.com/C7P1PIK.jpg


H2 Kawasaki - ran 212mph

https://i.imgur.com/gxGm5He.jpg


750 Triumph ran 141mph

https://i.imgur.com/vMKXtXs.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/ecDeK7M.jpg

littlegreenman

Phil_aka_Pip said:

@littlegreenman lights pic: wise man Sir, you can see where you're going and anyone else ought to be able to see you. Unfortunately anyone inside a car with the stereo on isn't going to hear your bell ...

@Phil_aka_Pip As per previous, the bell is for walkers and horsey types on the cycle/canalpaths and walk ways. On the roads I rely on hearing other road users, and "assuming they are all trying to kill me"   I have definitely found since getting this particular light that cars and wagons give me a very wide berth when passing at night, far more than I ever get during the daytime. I'm still trying to figure out how to be equally "Christmas tree on wheels" during daylight hours.

Corvus

I've mostly stopped riding to work, with the A14 works there's a bridge permanently covered in clay slime, seen a pushbike slide and even in the Landy had a low speed four-wheel drift. I've done enough road bouncing and also made the mistake of having a bike that's tidy enough to warrant cleaning, so I'm mostly wussing out.

manicguitarist

boogieman said:

My bike has had virtually no use this year, I’ve had no time to ride it. In fact I’ve decided it’s going after Xmas, I really can’t justify having it when it sits there just doing nothing. 

But do you enjoy owning it? That is the question...if the answer is yes...it is like the question "do you have too many guitars?"