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What To Do During The Winter?


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I was at the Vegas boot camp a couple of weeks ago and had a great experience there with the coaches and the other students, on and off the track. But now it's the end of the season, and I'm left with little riding options. So what's a new rider meant to do to go through the long North-East winter? I thought I would leaf some books, maybe Keith TOTW. I got this one too: http://www.amazon.com/English-Italian-Spanish-language-PlayStation-3/dp/B00DYSEVQE/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1383178449&sr=1-1&keywords=motogp

 

What does your winter looks like above the equator?

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I have the same problem up here in Seattle! But, my Dad and I are thinking of taking our bikes down to Arizona for the winter and storing with a friend so we can make a few weekend trips down there to ride....it's a big "if" though, we might not get organized enough to do it. I already miss it!!

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Not in the video game world, but lots have enjoyed these! There are some movies to see, maybe we can get a list of them started up here?

 

It for sure is one reason I live in SoCal! Don't care for the politics, but love the riding weather.

 

Cobie

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Not in the video game world, but lots have enjoyed these! There are some movies to see, maybe we can get a list of them started up here?

 

 

There is this new movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2960470/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Is it ok to ride in SoCal during the winter? How come there are no SSC sessions scheduled Dec-Feb?

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It will be riding season pretty much all winter for me (even in the mid to lower 20's F), when I'm home. Then again I will spend a fair amount of time working outside in the lovely (North-East, Mid-West, North-West, anywhere in Canada or not anywhere that it is warm) winter weather, so....

Did I mention that I really don't like cold weather?

Slowly breaking out the cold weather gear and getting reacquainted with it. Darn bulky stuff, especially the cold weather "boxing gloves!"

Short days and long cold nights gives Bambi the excuse to terrorize anything on the road. This is a good enough reason for me to stay home find something good to read along with good music to enjoy.

Winter is also Single Malt season :) but only after the day is done.

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In SoCal you can ride pretty much all winter--Meaning we get pretty spoiled with weather here.

 

Dec-Feb can be iffy on weather, (can also be nice) and make it hard for the tires to warm up. The recent days at the Streets course that were below 60F showed this. If one was on slicks, pretty tough to warm them up, not impossible but had to work them. The street/track combo tires (like the Q-3 were a good option).

 

Also gives us a chance to get ready for the next season. This year a few coaches will go to Taiwan and Oz, in December to do some training, shortening the "off-season" even more.

 

We also have a fleet issue: we have to change the bike fleet out, and it takes time to prep 30 bikes and break them in.

 

Not saying it couldn't ever happen if we had enough interest, but that's a summary.

 

Best,

CF

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Here in Atlanta we have halfway decent weather during most of the winter. It does get a bit cold but with a bit of cold weather riding gear and an air cooled Vtwin it's not too bad. I'm not a fan of the cold either especially cruising on the interstates with the wind chill. I do enough riding so I don't really need to "store" any of the bikes.

 

I usually take on big bike projects in the winter. This year I'll be going through my R6 track bike and figuring out what I broke at Barber on my FZR400.

 

This year I also plan on taking some time to reflect on areas I improved and areas that require further refinement in my riding. It's always amusing to review photos and videos when you have had the time to distance yourself from the memories of the day and make more objective comparisons of where you can improve and what you did right. After my review I plan to make a list of strengths and weaknesses to bring with me when I take Level 4 again at Barber this summer. Having a list of my personal goals as well as my strengths and weaknesses will make the time I have with the coaches much more focused and productive.

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We plan to just keep riding anything, anywhere we can even if all the tracks are done for the season. We can`t attend the various track days over the winter in Florida due to age restictions but we plan to race some endurance events and super moto on kart tracks.This weekend we practiced rear wheel sliding on the throttle and cornering in the dirt on CRF100`s. knobbie tire on the front and a street tire on the rear. The goal is to feel just as comfortable with a motorcycle under you as your own two legs under as many conditions as possible.

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Partly stripping, cleaning, rebuilding and improving my 1977 Kawa 650 (well on its way) and then repeat the process with my son's 1993 Honda 400. I also began reading old magazines this summer and am currently on 1978 in my CW collection, having started with 1973. So lots still to come. Then repeat with Cycle magazine. It will take a couple of years at least :D And when those are done, I have my MOTORRAD collection dating back to 1970 :P

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Books and videos, and likely to squeeze in another trip to Texas Hill Country sometime in January, to atleast get in some riding in the off season. I have managed for many years to find a few days each winter where it is around 40* and sunny and hasn't snowed in several days for the roads to be clear, but that is not real quality riding not to mention the time committment involved once back home having to clean all the sand and salt off the bike.

 

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We can also have snow during the summer :(

 

 

I have a picture somewhere with my (then) YZF600R ThunderCat alongside a 2m (6'7") edge of snow, halfway up Dalsnibba from around 1998 :blink: . Oh, and the road up there is gravel :huh:

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In the early summer of 1994 (mid-June) the road over Vikafjellet was only open for passenger cars and trucks running in convois; caravans and bikes were not considered safe in the snow storm. So instead of going north, we headed east to 27C and bright sunshine :)

 

The following year, going over the same mountain, we shot a video that show us riding through 5 meter tall snow banks at the end of May. That year, we followed the melting snow from Voss to Bergen - people told us the snow had just melted about an hour before we arrived along the whole route.

 

The only thing certain about the weather in Norway is that nothing is certain :D

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well folks I just broke a 20 year absence from the movie theaters today and watched Why We Ride. http://whyweridefilm.com/

If you have the chance to watch it, it is well worth the time. The only spoilers I will give are that you may see some familiar faces.

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+1 on the Movie.

 

Can't compare with head deep snow, but I have ridden in snow. Keep in mind an inch shuts us down. The temps aren't cold enough here. As soon as cars get on it it packs to a 1/4 of ice. The cities are not ready for it because it only happens once every year or 3.

 

I do ride down into the Middle to low 20's F though. Heated Grips are a great thing.

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