When riding a motorcycle in winter, regardless of the presence of the sun, one thing always remains the same: it will still be cold, very cold.
Driving a motorcycle all year round is not an easy task. Sometimes even impossible in some places. However, a lot can be learned about how to stay warm and what not to do for those who brave the cold and wet of winter on two wheels.
All it takes is a simple misjudgment to find yourself suffering from the bitter cold and this could have a negative impact on both your safety and enjoyment of driving.
For those who want to continue riding a motorcycle for pleasure, or simply to get around even in winter, here are our tips on how to best protect yourself and not suffer from the cold more than necessary.
The importance of winter motorcycle gloves
Gloves can really make a difference and even be the determining factor to have a good or bad day on your bike. As with the rest of your body, a waterproof membrane is essential to face the winter weather.
But sometimes wearing some really good waterproof gloves isn’t enough. One solution, in this case, is to wear i undergloves. They can be found in various materials (silk, lycra, windproof fabrics) and some are electrically heated. Their advantage is the low cost, but the disadvantage is that the sensitivity of the controls could be a bit complicated and they can only be worn if the glove size is slightly larger.
If you’re not on a budget, i’m worth a try heated gloves with built-in batteries. They release a pleasant warmth every time you turn them on with the light button and are available on the market at an affordable price
Another option is the heated grips. This option is offered on many models, so keep this in mind if you are thinking of buying a new bike in the future. However, you can still get them for quite a low price too.
Keep your legs warm
Having cold legs during a run can be dangerous for both your safety and your health, especially over longer periods of time. Fortunately there are several ways to keep your legs warm even during the coldest winter days.
The best way is to wear a pair of warm pants and wear a pair of over wind resistant and waterproof trousers. These will do a great job of keeping the wind off your legs. They’re also tighter around the ankles, so tucking them under your socks will come in very handy.
But if using wind-resistant pants doesn’t seem enough, you can always try using thermal tights instead. These work perfectly to keep the body temperature constant.
The importance of dressing in layers
Surely covering the bust area is the simplest one, but we always want to remember the best advice to not suffer from the cold: wear layered clothing. Exactly what our mothers told us not to catch a cold.
We must always prefer thermal shirts and technical clothing, because it provides the most effective protection from the wind and allows us to adjust our clothing more appropriately, depending on the temperature.
Increase your visibility
If you sometimes feel invisible to other drivers in the height of summer, expect this thing to ramp up in the winter for sure. One of the last things car and truck drivers expect to see in the winter is someone riding a motorcycle.
Wearing black or dark clothing will only blend you into the winter scenery. This season, wear clothing with fluorescent and reflective colors can help increase riding safetyboth for the two-wheeler and for other motorists on the road.
How to prevent the helmet visor from fogging up
Blurred vision due to fogging of the visor is unacceptable. It could be very dangerous indeed. Helmet manufacturers offer visors with anti-fog systems commercially available. They are models with a protective film inserted inside the visor to prevent fogging of the surface due to the contrast between external and internal temperatures.
But we want to give you what gods traditional “grandmother’s” advice in case you don’t have the proper equipment in case of an emergency.
Eg, pass some fabric softener for the laundry on the outside of the visor it will create a transparent film, making it water repellent, thus allowing water to slide off. A similar effect can also be obtained by lightly rubbing the visor with half a potato. And there too saliva always has its effectiveness as an anti-fog effect, when rubbed with a tissue.
However, we always recommend use specific technical accessories for bikers. This greatly improves security. It’s not worth saving money to survive the cold on a motorcycle.
