Comments on: Winter Riding Story: First Drop

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 04:36:29 +0000

I’ve looked at the crash bars but they seem more decorative than functional. Probably won’t invest in them myself.

My icy, frozen adventures are probably at an end. I’ve proved I can do it. Now I might just focus on keeping myself intact…

By: Gary Bowen

Gary Bowen — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 07:01:31 +0000

I see Vespa dealerships demonstrate scooter protection bars so as to prevent damage to the steel body surrounding the engine. I have to wonder if such an acessaries would be a worthwhile upgrade.

I too have much experience traversing the icy frozen, only, that was in my youth, an experience at age 60 I never wish to repeat.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 02:03:37 +0000

In reply to Paul Ruby.

I didn’t even see you Paul. Didn’t realize you were in the picture. I didn’t have a lot of time and you know how I feel about gatherings. The MP3 won’t solve traction issues but may not fall over as quickly. But man, can’t imagine getting salt and muck inside that complex front end…

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 02:01:04 +0000

In reply to Dar. There's a fine line between traction and none when the weather is bad. Easy to have a drop especially if fatigued. Always bad to do it in front of other riders -- especially a group of riding instructors! They don't forget.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 01:55:51 +0000

In reply to David Eakin. Charpentier pushed the envelop with winter riding. I saw lessons and followed along in some of my own riding but nothing like him. And as time goes no I think less and less about riding in the snow. Cold is ok but snow, well, it's another matter entirely.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 01:47:01 +0000

In reply to charlie6.

I’ve found the only way to effectively deal with sub-optimal traction is to slow down. Often to a crawl, sometimes even slower. It’s tedious work at times and well outside some rider’s idea of fun. It’s like a slow climb up a technically challenging rock face.

I’m getting more and more comfortable being trapped by snow!

By: Paul Ruby

Paul Ruby — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 03:34:16 +0000

I saw you tonight at the Triumph opening at Rothrock Cafe. You were going out the door I think you didn’t stay long. You may have been the only motorcycle rider. I chewed the fat with Craig and K and Ken and the gang. I sat on the MP3 today. I was thinking it would be good for you and your snow patrol scooter adventures per our conversation at Saints.
Paul

By: Dar

Dar — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 22:02:45 +0000

Thank you for posting your First drop story. It seems snow, rain and oil are the scooter/motorcycle nemesis’. My first scooter drop was on a test drive and it involved rain, and naiveté on my part. I remember all to well that jumping up looking around feeling embarrassed and hoping no one was looking. I have had a quick learning curve with learning to ride in 5 years and have had more drops than I like to admit to, it usually involved inattention, fatigue or most recently the newness of the machine. The last time I had an oops it was particularly embarrassing because it was in front of my motorcycle instructor colleagues. Ugh that was a day I was not a happy camper, but on the bright side neither the bike or myself were any worse for wear and that is the icing on that proverbial cake – anytime you walk away from a drop or fall unscathed is a good day.

By: Kitty

Kitty — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 21:14:36 +0000

I vividly remember my very first ride in the snow ever. It was the mid-70’s, winter, cold and totally dry and snow-free. I had ridden about 40 miles from my home to visit a friend overnight. When I woke up the next morning for my return trip back to my home, I awoke to about 6 inches of freshly fallen snow. Back then PennDOT didn’t seem to clear the roads as rapidly as they do now. I had to get home, and I remember following the path of some tractor-trailer who had passed the way I was going, earlier that morning. All I had to do was go slow, keep my feet down most of the time, and keep that motorcycle in the rut in the snow from that truck’s tires. I was about 10 miles from home when a PA State Cruiser came up on me, got in front of me going the same way, turned on his emergency lights, and gave me an escort all the way back to my home, him leading the way. When I got home we both stopped and I thanked him for his consideration and generosity. He told me that he had received a call from some trucker going the other way about some “crazy motorcyclist” that that caller had seen plodding along in the snow!

By: RichardM

RichardM — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 18:47:32 +0000

I only ended up riding on snow a handful of times while on two wheels. Once about 120 miles from home. But after reading the weather forecast, continued on and hit the predicted warming 60 miles further. No drops but I sought out the gravel near the shoulders. I still seek out gravel even with a third wheel. It makes stopping so much more predictable.

Great story. I hadn’t read back that far on your blog.