The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Melena on November 30, 2006, 11:23:46 AM
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Well, maybe not like the cold some of you guys have, but it is freezing here. We've got some of the lowest temperatures around here that we've ever had. It has been very clear and the temperatures are dropping down to maybe 28 F during the night. Fortunately for us it warms up during the day.
I know, I'm a wuss. ::) You guys would probably be happy to have it get up to 28 F at night and 58 F tops during the day -maybe even go riding because the sun is out. But not me! Brrrrrrrrrrrr. I'm not used to this. I might be able to bundle up enough to keep my body warm, but the cold air goes right up my helmet no matter what I do which makes my eyes tear and then the tears freeze and my eyes get frozen shut. (Oh, no, that's my fear fantasy.) Actually, my eyes do tear up and I keep having to open the shield to wipe my eyes with my glove.
Happy riding everyone, wherever you are. Even if it's in your dreams until the spring thaw! [smiley=engel017.gif]
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Poor Melena! Luckily for me I'm up here north of you! Snow, slush, threatened freezing rain for today which didn't materialize so I could have ridden....
I think I better ride tomorrow or it will be the first week all year that I don't ride to work at least one day. I'll go running after work today and get that out of the way.
Try tucking a scarf or something around your neck, to block the air from getting in your helmet. My collar on my jackets does a pretty good job of that, so good that I had to buy a Fog City so that I could ride with the face shield all the way down. I thought you had a Kilimanjaro, that should be a pretty warm jacket. Of course, you don't have the advantage of the much maligned Windjammer! ::)
Good luck,
Ed
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Here in North Texas, we're having our biannual ice storm; 28 with snow/sleet/freezing zizz. So far only the bridges are icing. And, for the record, I drove the cage today. {hmmm, where can I get a sidecar?}
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But here in Holland we had the hottest fall in 300 years! (probably the start of the measuring- something to do with Napoleon too?)
16 instead of 10 degs average, centigrade.
Tonight I had a quick drive, with the bike of course, to buy a laptop for son.
6000 RPM+, and still those minivans keeping up!
The first time in my LIFE I go to skiing holidays with the family, (christmas week), and the papers have those stories about lack of snow and high temperatures in the Alps >:( >:(
wiemer, holland
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Well, I just live down the street from Bill (literally) and our high for the day was at midnight in the mid 30s and it just went downhill from there. When I pulled up in front of the hous, the thermometer in the cage read 29 degrees and it's supposed to get colder over night. :-\ I did at least get one day's ride in this week, though and yesterday was 50 degrees warmer!
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Well, I rode into work today, 31 F. at 5 am, 55F. at 3pm. I've kept track, and since March first 2005, I have taken my cage to work one time. That was on March 11th of this year ( the high that day was 44 F. 2.5 inches of rain and 40 mph winds).
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Meanwhile, it's been sunny and around 70 here for the last 2 weeks, but my bike's been broken!
Dammit.....
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Boy, the weather gets everyone talking! We had a beautiful day here in NC with temps in the 70s. ;D However... the rain just settled in and I think that cold front is about to hit us here. :(
I don't take the bike to work. I HATE the city traffic and I have to go all the way to the other side of town. It'd be a nice 25 mile drive if only it was a different direction. I try to stick to the rural backroads. I should do some research and figure out a LONG way around Raleigh to make it to work without going through town... :-? Hmmmm....something to think about!
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We been having great warm weather here just like Wiemer reported for Holland. Breaking some records for temperatures in the mid to high 50's. Normally, we would have had our first big snow and cold temps. It snowed quite a while ago but it went away and on came a bonus 2 weeks riding weather.
Melena, get one of those fleece neck warmers. Make it big enough that it doesn't stifle turning your head. That is one of the bummers about winter riding...you're so bundled up that turning the head is a chore. I feel like the little kid in the movie "A Christmas Story".
The snow is coming very soon and the bikes are under cover and one winterized. I have hopes for one more run at least to get the gas tank filled right up.
I would love to move to NC!
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Melena,
I use a Buff for all year riding. It is very versatile and I pull in down over my neck and tuck it in when it gets cold. Makes a world of difference! Check them out here... ( http://www.buffusa.com/ ). Be sure to watch the slideshow on how to wear a Buff! I found mine back in 1996 when we were touring Europe on motorcycles in a little town in Switzerland. Now they are best known for their use on the show "Survivor". But I LOVE mine and don't ride without it. I know you can find them at REI now.
Sue, COME ON DOWN! The weather's fine!
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Wow! Everyone has something to say about the weather. It seems like it is extreme everywhere, either over or under the norm, but not normal anywhere.
I hadn't realized that it was so warm in Holland this year. I'm sorry about your "skiing" trip Wiemer. Maybe the weather will turn around and you'll get some snow after all.
Ed, I was wondering how you are getting along up there. I've heard some stories about the freezing rain in Oregon, no one going out and the towns looking like ghost towns. My niece is going to school in Portland and reports a bit of snow but none of it sticking.
And yes, I do have a Kilimanjaro jacket. It does a good job of keeping me warm enough. Just the wind up the helmet. I think I actually used a scarf once. Like Sue said, it is hard enough to do a good head turn with everything else on and try to include a scarf too (urk). As far as the Windjammer goes, all I need to do is find the mounting brackets for the R65 and I'll get mine on the bike. I haven't had time to do a search for one though - life is just too full lately (this is a good thing, right?).
I do have a Buff, Aïda. I use it all the time. It really helps in the summer time to keep the sweat out of my helmet and keeps my hair from getting too tangled up. I should get another one to wear around my neck. Or I guess they can be used like a balaclava (sp?). I'll take a look at that website for more ideas on how to wear it. I think I did get my last one at REI. I lost my favorite one (blue flames) [smiley=sad.gif] . It fell off at a rally when I took my helmet off and I never could find it when I retraced my steps. Ah well.
Sounds like you guys in Texas are really getting hit by the cold now. Ice and freezing rain makes for a not fun drive no matter how far you have to go. Although in a side car.........hmmmmm.
Well, it is supposed to be nicer this weekend. Maybe the same as what Sue is having now. ;)
Everyone take care out there.
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My God ...... You're all turning British with this preoccupation with the weather. Over here it's always unusual! ;D
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Watching the weather in England over the course of a year helps me reconcile myself to living in Western Oregon.
Whee, I made it to work on the R65 today! There was frost on my Driveway of Death, but everything was fine, though wet, the rest of the way to work. I sort of used my feet like outboard skis since there was still some snow on my bridge. I love my new fog lights too. I hope I don't get a ticket for them....
Ed
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C'mon, you weenies..... Just get out there and ride (and grin to stop your teeth from chattering)! ::)
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:) I guess it falls to me to defend the honour of Texas. Smile when you talk about bad weather in Texas. Dallas and the northern part of the state may be getting the anger of Mother Nature, but here, just south of Houston, serenity prevails. Night time it got to the mid-30s, but now, sunny and 50. Beautiful weather but, alas and alack...I'm still recovering from surgery, so the LS is in my daughters garage (she put a cable-lock on it to prevent me from sneaking it out).
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C'mon, you weenies..... Just get out there and ride (and grin to stop your teeth from chattering)! ::)
Lessee, that's John in, what, South Carolina? ;) I don't know about the others but the cold (down into the high teens, anyway) doesn't bother me for my 1 hour commute. If I was going farther it would probably become an issue. Ice, on the other hand, tends to make it difficult for me to keep the bike vertical.
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I'm surprised Trolle has not chimed in. 45'f tonight and who knows by tomorrow. Will be riding to Dawsonville GA Sunday AM come rain or shine for the BMWMOGA club meeting with at least one other club member (Jackie Flood). It's good to have Gerbings and an Omega Alternator with heated grips - and a Luftmeister! Ah what luxury!!!!!
BTW _ I'm helping a fellow R65 driver who lives about 2 miles from my house tomorrow. We are going to try and tune his R65 into running better. Wish me luck please. The bike has not run for about six years.
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Yeah, tell Jonesey not to let it sit so long next time! ;) I apparently have some more tuning to do on the '82 LS as well. Tried to start it after cold-soaking last night at 32 degrees (just curious) and not a pop - even with a Dyna coil. :(
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It's 37F here now and I'm fixin' to go put on the new Dyna, plugs and wires.
Expected high of 58 and sunny.
Wish me luck.....
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OK, I know, I know... It doesn't get as cold around these parts as it does up north ::).
I think the coldest I rode in this year was in January and the temp gauge outside was 19 deg. F. at 7:00 am when I took off for school. Those Gerbings heated gloves were appreciated that morning, for sure!
It's supposed to be a "balmy" 54 degrees tomorrow afternoon, and I'll be on Britta, tooling around the upstate, enjoying the sunny weather! [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]
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Bastard... ;) I'll be out in the shop paintin' stuff... ::)
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Well Justin, if it's warm enough to paint, you can't be too bad off. People ask my why I don't heat my shop. I just have a pair of insulated coveralls and they keep me comfortable to below freezing. The only time I really need the shop warm is when I want to paint. All the heat sources that come to my mind go
BOOM! when I paint.
So. I paint when it's warm.
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I got a couple of electric "Oil filled" heaters that look like old timey radiators.
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Actually its only 42'F this morning - almost not a challenge for the ride to the club meeting after a Latte at the neighborhood Starbucks.
Woo Hoo time to Ride (WHTTR)! :D
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Well, at 11:45 am on Sunday morning here in sunny SC, it's 52 degrees outside. My riding buddy (who rides a '99 Triumph Trophy 1200) and I are going to take a ride over to Greenville and pay a visit to a chain store based out of California called Cycle Gear and look at the stuff we'd be purchasing if we were using someone else's credit card. We may make a side trip back through Caesar's Head State Park (ele. 3208 ft.) on the SC/NC border, just to get a nice view from the top (you are supposed to be able to see TN and GA on a clear day). Should be a great day for a ride! ;)
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Seems like when it's nice to ride this time of year it is some of the greatest riding. Like today here. It's still being cold at night, but it did warm up to maybe 58 - 60 today. But of course that means it's not even close to that in the morning. So we didn't get going until about 11:30.
I was feeling a bit off this morning so I decided to be a passenger today (I can get away with that and completely enjoy it. [smiley=happy.gif]) I put the liner in my Kilimanjaro jacket and I'm glad I did. The temps were nice in the sunshine, but with the high wind velocities of a fast moving motorcycle it gets mighty chilly.
I will be awaiting everyone's ride reports in the ride report section. [smiley=wink.gif]
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NIce ride yesterday. End up at TWO in Suches GA. Only one LEO on GA9 and a rider coming the opposite way warned us. Did not see Dr. J. but rode with three other club riders - R850R, R1200RT, Honda 600cc scooter (I can't remember the name). Beautiful day. Time to work now.
TWO = http://www.twowheelsonly.com/
Some Pics on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82748313@N00/313957735/in/set-72157594405088274/
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I'm done riding now for sure :( Got 6 inches of snow over the weekend and it's staying around as it is below freezing now.
Oh, John SC :P How's SC and Easley doing??
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Hey, Sue!
Here in "Sunny SC" 8-), it's typical December weather, temps in the mid 50s during the day and dropping to around freezing overnight. (Makes for a "brisk" ride to school in the mornings, but nothing too painful to put up with!)
Sorry to hear the "riding season" is over and done with up there! Bummer... :( I think I'd go nuts if I couldn't get out on Britta at least once a week or so! Since I went "car-less" in April of 2003, I've gotten so used to being on two wheels daily that I don't think I can picture myself going back to driving a cage on a daily basis any more!
Hope "Cary" is doing OK for you, and LRB hasn't gotten too jealous! ;)
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It's 14 degrees this morning, with a wind chill of -1.
Dayum!!
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Yeah, cage for me this morning, 22 degrees... :o I rode yesterday at 32.4 - was kind "cool" by the time I got to work. :P
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Wind is howling and last night the blizzards were on full tilt. Managed to get the Brrrm Closet door open which is no mean feat as it is a close fit and all snow must be shoveled away to real ground level. Puff, Puff. Anyway, I think I will be in there quite a bit just to sit on my stool and look at the bikes. When it warms a bit I want to do a bit more "fluid film" protection on all parts of the two "lovelies" I see I need front brake pads for Cary already...I didn't do it..it was the PO!!!!
I have plans forming for LRB, John. There will be a 40th anniversary this summer for our Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group (CVMG)...you know..the one that I am now a Pres. of our section here in Grey-Bruce Counties. Hee, Hee. Well, they are organizing a cross country relay for bikes 20 years or older. It will be done in stages carrying the banner. Some people may want to do the whole cross country ride but I am thinking that LRB may want to take part. It all starts in July and the MOA rally is in Wisconsin July 12th so with any luck I can join the relay and ride up and over to Sault Ste. marie and cross over into the States and down into Wisconsin for the rally. LRB would be so happy to be at another MOA. and he wants to see his PO,"Mum", who now rides an F650GS!!
I envy John SC so much!! :'(
Plans for Cary the F650GS include meeting my brother from Cape Breton and friends somewhere in Penn. or West Virginia and going south again on the Blue Ridge to Deals Gap and beyond. One friend wants to go to New orleans. She's from NY. and sounds like an ideal riding bud! Gee, could I ever ride that far??
So this year I rode 11,695 miles or 18, 913 km. Every year it gets better. David my other good riding buddy did over 25,000 km. 22,000 km all on one set of Metzler Z6 tires!!!! He certainly doesn't accelerate like me, obviously! Of course we are nothing like Voni Graves or some others in the BMW MOA with 50,000 miles etc. :o
Sometimes I dream about that single trailer or any trailer and just loading up one bike..which one...and driving south. This dream will really come on strong about January 31st!! I will be so much a winter shut-in by then that I will be going starkers.!
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Out riding this AM to Church and back on the CBR600 Hurricaine - 34'F or 1'C but no blizzards please. Sue - I don't know what I'm going to do this coming year. I put ~15000 on the R65 this last year including the little jaunt from Jaxsonville to SanDiego to Montana (where I did ride in blowing snow!)and back. I'm looking for excuses to go riding. Just have't figured it out yet what it is I want to do. Thinks.... :-?
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A co-worker did a four corners tour late spring this year. Alot more riding than I would care to do, 12,000 miles in 4 weeks on his '06 Gold Wing. I think he is planning a 48 state tour next year.
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I just go to and from work, blah blah blah. But I like the ride, though in the dark and rain it's much less inspiring. Especially this time of year, when the dark is BOTH WAYS! And it is a hundred miles every time I ride. :)
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So Ed, you must have chalked up some big miles too???
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Hmmmmm...four corners tour.... ::)
I'll consider it when the IBA certifies my September 2006 50cc [50 hours Atlantic coast to Pacific coast] - or turns me down.
Did the valves Sunday. The LH exhaust closed up .002 to .003" over 8000 miles. All the others were unchanged. Also the timing was a bit off. Bike runs so much better on just those two tweeks.
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I wonder how many others have found that it is the LEFT side exhaust valve that is the one that closes up the fastest. Seems to me that I have heard this before and it was the case on my LRB too :-?
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It was the left side for me, also.
But my heads were from two separate engines (the left from the original '79 engine, the right from the replacement '80 engine). I still cannot figure out how I did that...
For those that have not heard before, my original engine took it's last breath when the left side connecting rod broke in half (in a twisting manner) while running down the highway at about 85 mph indicated (i.e. not very fast at all...).
The repairs took place before I discovered the internet community back in 1997, hence, no photos. I even threw away the trashed parts without taking photos. I should have at least saved the piston w/half a rod attached. Oh well.
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So Ed, you must have chalked up some big miles too???
I haven't added it up yet. I still have 3 weeks to ride.
:P
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I hope this post doesn't get lost this far down the thread, but I have a question about Melena's (and anybody elses) Kilamanjaro jacket. My cold weather (but not waterproof) jacket is a black leather First Gear Lebaron or Baron, or something like that. It has, built into the liner, an thing that you pull out and wrap around your neck. It works really well to keep your neck warm and seems to muffle wind from going up under your helmet neck.
Does the Kilo... can't spell it... jacket have that? If not, it should.
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Some of them do, some don't. My wife's First Gear "Sterling" leather does but my First Gear "Chief III" leather does not. Go figure...
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Ed,
No, the Kilamanjaro doesn't have anything like that. It has a high collar that wraps around the neck and has a velcro closure. But it's too tight and sometimes I can't even get the velcro to match up. I don't usually close it up because it is not very comfortable and tends to choke me. But then I have this part that flaps in the wind if I don't get it tucked into the jacket very well. Maybe I just haven't figured out how to wear the jacke yet. ::)
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Ed,
My Marsee winter jacket does but it is kind of rough on the neck. The heated collar of my Gerbing liner smooths this out for me.
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The forecast for the next 3 days here is highs of 63, 68 & 72, with plenty of sunshine :)
Now, if I only didn't still have to Christmas shop... :-/
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It hardly feels like Christmas with this weather! Hope it doesn't mean extra cold come January & February!
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I know! I can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit this year, and don't know if it's the weather, craziness at work, or what: most everyone I know says the same thing!
And I'm trying to force myself to shop, which I hate anyway, for family and friends that don't really need anything and won't give me any hints!
Maybe this year I'll just give everyone cards with cash inside, and go riding on these beautiful December days instead.
Sure would be a lot less complicated and lots more fun.... ;D
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I wonder how many others have found that it is the LEFT side exhaust valve that is the one that closes up the fastest. Seems to me that I have heard this before and it was the case on my LRB too :-?
Hi Sue,
I've been quite busy with work 12 hour days, etc for the past while, but back to idling now.
The left closing up has been my experience as well, and when it's cold and she only starts firing on one cylinder, it's the right side that catches first, then the left after a while of sounding like a 325 single.
Below freezing here yesterday and today, but I was out running errands on Monday - about 6 degrees C.
regards,
Jim Rillie
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Glad to hear from you Jim. Interesting conjecture. I know I will try to keep and eye on the valve clearances as next summer progresses and LRB gets some miles on him.
Sure hope that original red baron is warm and cozy at your place Jim. Our bonus riding season is pretty well toast now. Too much trouble to get bikes out after the effort to put them away.
Cold but clear here....just a nice +4-5 deg.C here which is quite a bit above normal...we're heading for a green Christmas and the ski hills are panicking!! :o
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Here it is at about zero at daytime; with the bicycle one falls quite easy. (I go to my job with the bicycle) :P
Tomorrow we are heading for Austria; it is the first time for the kids ski-ing in the Alps.
There is about 2 feet of snow now. ::)
And we stay one night in Munich, in a youth hostel :exclamation
The trip to and fro (1100 kms with heavy holiday traffic) is an adventure of its own. I hope I am forced to quit the highway in Austria, so I can enjoy winter countryside even more!
Wiemer.
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Have a great time Wiemer and play safe.
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All I know about skiing is to say "be careful!" :exclamation
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Looks like winter has finally hit. Wiemer, I'm glad you're getting snow for your skiing holiday! You and your family will have a great time, I'm sure.
It's been cold at night here lately. Hard frosts in the early morning (down into the 20's (F) ) and into the 50's (F) during the day. But the rain came in today and now it's just wet and cold, but not freezing.
Are any of you getting socked by the big snowstorm that has hit Colorado? It sounds like it's headed east now, so you guys watch out! Maybe you all will get a white Christmas after all.
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Sydney - 82.4 F ie 28 Celcius.
I'm cheating though, it is summer, and its been cold this week..........stop laughing I'm serious.
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Aaarrrrgggghhhh! 82 F and cold? ;D Oh, sorry. Just wait until June 21. [smiley=evil.gif]