Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Winter Motorcycle Riding

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BMW K75 motorcycle on rural road on a winter day.
Winter motorcycle riding brings many challenges.

Cold Weather Concerns

With the thermometer hovering at 40F and the roads mostly dry, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to ride the motorcycle to drive the moisture from the oil, exercise the battery, and make room for some fresh gasoline. And like so often is the case when I decide to “take a quick ride” to keep the motorcycle in good riding condition, I neglect to weigh all the conditions related to winter motorcycle riding.

For me, what I usually neglect to consider is my physical readiness to ride a motorcycle in cold weather. And for most riders, 40F qualifies as cold.

The first ride of the season is always problematic for me. I get cold easily and regardless of how well I gear up, it’s a shock to my system. And on this day, I made a few estimations of necessary gear that were just wrong. Maybe 5 years ago they would have been right. But not now. Time is taking its toll.

Part of the attraction of winter motorcycle riding for me is the competition that’s created between me and the elements. That competition has pushed me to ride in extremely cold weather, snow, ice, and places I probably should have made other plans.

So that’s often how it starts; a quick ride to accomplish some imagined task, a look at the weather with a self-confident “I’ve got this,” and a hurried donning of gear with little serious evaluation of what’s to come.

Regardless, it was a fine winter day to be out in the world on a motorcycle.

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Warm Hands and the BMW K75 Motorcycle

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Dash of the BMW K75C motorcycle
The simple dashboard of the BMW K75 has a power outlet.

Cold Weather Assessments for the BMW K75

I’ve always tried to maintain a fiscal sensibility regarding my Vespa and now the motorcycle. It’s so easy to get lost in the quicksand of add-ons and extras that promise comfort, efficiency or safety but on close examination offer more to my ego than anything else.

So I’ve approached the BMW K75 with the issues I faced with the Vespa when riding in the cold — traction, hand warmth, feet, and, well, that’s it.

Traction issues is an easy call. I won’t ride the BMW K75 if there’s snow on the road, in the forecast, or there’s a good chance I’ll find lingering ice.

That leaves the hands, my Achilles Heel of riding, and feet. For this post, I’ll focus on the hands.

Since I already have a pair of Gerbing Electric Gloves and the motorcycle has a handy outlet on the dash, I felt testing that combination was a good place to start.

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Cold Weather Riding is a State of Mind

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Vespa GTS scooter parked between two cars on a snowy driveway
Warming up the Vespa scooter, warming up my mind.

The Ten Thousand Pound Vespa


Just last week…

Snow, a slap in the face and reminder that summer, autumn, and warm weather are finished. Nature proclaims its power and I’m faced with the sad reality that I’ve forgotten how to enjoy winter. Age and infirmity have stimulated a host of excuses and rationalizations for turning off one of the most joyful parts of my life and retiring to the sheltered warmth of home and hearth. My mastery of rationalization, denial, and delusion is exceptional, especially when faced with uncomfortable actions and decisions.

So it’s no surprise that it takes great mental effort to push the Vespa outside on a cold morning.

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Invigorated by Cold

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Belgian Sheepdog covered in frost

Frosty Dog, Cold Weather State of Mind

The dogs seem invigorated by the cold; running, prancing, tearing through the garden more excitedly than they do in warmer weather. Lily plays so hard that her breath freezes on her thick coat. Maybe they’re just trying to stay warm. But I see the phenomenon in myself.

Eventually.

Acclimating to the cold always took time. As a youth, just the time it took to pull on hat, boots and gloves. Now it takes months of slow mental bargaining and physical adaptation. But it does happen.

This morning it was -1F as I briskly moved through the garden with the dogs. A good thing. Especially for someone suffering from anklyosing spondylitis — psoriatic arthritis in my case — where movement helps. Unlike those with rheumatoid arthritis who generally wake feeling better after a good night’s sleep, spondylitis gets worse.

Morning is a chorus of screaming joints and muscle aches. Choosing to get up and move, exercise, is a tough conversation. When it’s cold — even worse.

But, it does happen. And this morning I felt I’ve fully acclimated to the cold. I was like the dogs. Walking, running in places, unfazed by the cold, excited to be outside.

It’s in this frame of mind that taking the Vespa out for a ride in cold weather is a joy.Continue Reading

Riding a Vespa Scooter in Winter

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Vespa GTS scooter on a snowy roadVespa Scooter in the Snow

This photograph is from a snow storm ride last March.  Strangely, I enjoyed the challenge of it.  And importantly, I wasn’t cold.  But things change.

And it’s affecting my winter riding.

The scooter is willing but the rider is weak. Riding a Vespa scooter in winter isn’t rocket science. It’s just a matter of configuring the machine in a way to help accommodate the cold. Could mean a windscreen, Termoscud apron, winter tires, heated grips or any of a wide range to tricks and solutions to address the special circumstances encountered when you ride a Vespa scooter in winter.

Or a motorcycle or any other device or machine that exposes you to the elements.

That’s the easy part. I know how to do those things. And I have a pretty good handle on the mental stuff as well. All the subtle and not so subtle adjustments you have to make to your riding style. Or techniques you develop to deal with unexpected or sudden encounters with snow or ice.

Check. I’m good with that stuff.

But there’s one last thing that’s just killing me. I can’t get warm.Continue Reading