Wilsons Sandbox

I got hit with an unexpected snow storm back in December 2003 up in the Portland area. I only had a month of motorcycling under my belt at that point and a completely stock bike including tires. I just went super slow (40 mph on the 5 freeway) not wanting to drop it. I did fine but would have been better with the proper gear. I have an Aerostich now, warmer "waterproof" gloves, better tires (more off- road oriented), and more importantly much more experience. I found the biggest problem was visibility. The snow sticks to your face shield and the snow actually hurts your eyes at speed, so not having eye protection is out of the question. Fogging is a big problem too. Which list member is going to rig a helmet with automatic wipersblades? I've heard of some riders put studs in their tires. I'm not sure how much the studs help. I am going to seek out some winter conditions (I live in SoCal) this winter and would also like to get tips from the more experienced riders on the list too. Mike Costa Mesa, CA A18 --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, custom softwareo wrote:

> Hi does anyone ride their KLR in winter (snow, etc?) > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yes, quite a bit. http://xd8ad0695.ip.e-nt.net/klr/costco_run2.jpg I ride to work all winter. The studded tires go on around the end of November, and come off the middle of March. These work well on black ice, or the hardpacked snow that the plows leave. Anything soft, you need sand knobbies and low air pressure. I use an electric vest, and snowmobile handmuffs. Sometimes I use heated grip wraps also. Devon customsoftware2003@... wrote:

>Hi does anyone ride their KLR in winter (snow, etc?) > > >--------------------------------- >Do you Yahoo!? >New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html >Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: >DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >

Devon, lots of questions... Where are you located? (More to the point, how many snow days do you get?) How do the studded knobbies do @speed? Do you stud your own knobbies or buy them that way? What kind of mileage do you get out of them? Do you ever have to replace the studs? So you keep 2sets of tires - summer and winter? tia... Greg Guithues (thinking of using my bike all winter) (no klr. I ride a BMW R1100GS) Dayton,Ohio,USA From: Devon:

> Yes, quite a bit. > > http://xd8ad0695.ip.e-nt.net/klr/costco_run2.jpg > > I ride to work all winter. The studded tires go on around the end of > November, and come off the middle of March. These work well on black > ice, or the hardpacked snow that the plows leave. > > Anything soft, you need sand knobbies and low air pressure. > > I use an electric vest, and snowmobile handmuffs. Sometimes I use heated > grip wraps also. > > Devon > > customsoftware2003@... wrote: > > >Hi does anyone ride their KLR in winter (snow, etc?) > > > > >

ESR was a hoot, rode up Friday w/ Naked and Stu. Logged ~500 in about 12 hours, including lotsa twisties and gravel, and a brief detour in/out of Death Valley. Rode around fixing bikes on Sat with Stu, Mike T, Michael J (Sparky), and Naked. Then jammed back down via some serious twisties through Sonora Pass and then the 49 down below Mariposa to the 152/140 - OMG what a lot of lovely curves! 1000 miles in three days, and just Fandamntastic! Saturday was in doubt for a spell, as I saw a tiny cloud on the horizon. But it just faded away into nothingness, like the cares and worries about the jobs and responsibilities waiting back home. Bridgeport is a pretty friendly little hamlet. Fair to good accommodations, and great scenery. Amazing area, even if you only ride street, come to ESR and just see the beautiful canyons, lakes, and wildlife. The resort is nice and not too pricey, so camping/hotelling are both optional. The fishing looked to be good. The weather was just fantastic. There's lotsa paved passes to see in the area, like Tioga Sonora, and Ebbetts (see Clement's rides in Rider for yourself on your own bike). But the coolest thing was the camaraderie of the KLR_Listas. Lurch was a real hero, with beer, seating for 20, and a few stories of his own to share. As was Barry who saved a campsite for me, Naked, and Stu. Having arrived after dark, we were made to feel right at home, and he covered the costs and shared all his kit. Thanks guys! Real bikers in general have proven to be stand up people. KLR types in particular have always impressed me as decent salt of the earth kinda folk. Very refreshing in this day of too many assholes, and too many folks looking to take issue with anything at the drop of a hat. It was a welcome refuge indeed! Finally, a hearty thanks to Pat for pulling this shindig together, and for being a decent chap to share his bike lore knowledge and his backyard with us kids from out of town. Salute! MarkB Yeah, yeah, me too, posted on smugmug, captions to follow. http://markb.smugmug.com/gallery/234257