winter riding

[illcr250]

hey just wanted to see if anyone is going to ride threw the winter? if so where?

 

[Moose]

Even if I did want to winterize my bike, I wouldn't have time. I'm booked now for every weekend until March for sports. Although I imagine I will be riding through a bit of snow/slush during spring.

 

[Octane250F]

I will be riding all winter. I just put fatter jets in the carb and run 'er.
We dont get much snow here in southern Wisconsin anymore and in the rare instances that we do get snow, we just plow the jumps and keep on riding.
There are several indoor MX tracks that my friends and I hit up now and then in the winter months. Its kind of a long drive (theres one in Minnestoa, one in Illinois and one in Michigan), but we make a long weekend of it and its fun. While others are riding the couch all winter getting fat, my friends and I are on our bikes working to become better riders.

 

[illcr250]

octane i will also be on my bike as much as i can trying to excel, just got my studs in today

 

[Octane250F]

Rock on, brah. The only way you can become a better rider is by spending time on the bike.
Im going to be working on my tailwhips this winter. Next year Im plan to whip it over all the big jumps. Im looking foreward to passing people just before a big jump, whipping it and then looking back at them as a sort of "in your face" gesture. :boss:

 

[ChopperDave]

Wniter in Tenn. is cool for riding!!!

 

[Octane250F]

Yeah, down there you folks dont really have winter. Lucky!

 

[jim f.]

Rode today in 2 in. snow. Some parts of the trail were a rip but I also fell four times. Still had fun but all the falling in wet snow got me very wet and when it is cold out (30 to 40) you get cold so I only rode 20 miles. One of the big problems I had was the heavy wet snow had branches hanging down blocking the trail in spots.

 

[weimedog]

I ride right until there is too much snow..then wait for the snowmobiles to pack down the trails and go at it again.

Where? Our back 240.

 

[DirtyDrew]

I rode in a couple inches yesterday and on some fire trails, but the trails were pretty icy and there was no traction to stop or accelerate hard...

 

[Wrekt-1]

hey illcr250...I'm CT based and i'll be riding as long as i can keep my hands holdin the grips coldwise, and any traction at all snow wise. I mean, there is pack under the snow, just gotta spin through it to get traction =D :debil:

 

[BBking25]

well i'll be riding in a combination of Georgia and Tennessee... twice in Tennesse a day after christmas and the day after that (depending on weather, not lookin that good :( ) and georgia at the tracks many many times

 

[Oskar]

I usually don't ride in the snow. But we haven't had any, with the weather here in NJ this year I get to ride as much as I can. Hurray for Global Warming! :nod:

 

[KDXruss]

Man, I went and bought 1000 sheet metal screws for nuthin'!
I had a great ride yesterday. The trails were burned in real nice and no leaves! :cool:

 

[BSWIFT]

Best time in Oklahoma usually. Ice storms suck though!

 

[WoodsRider]

I ride year-round.

 

[bclark001]

live in MI. I'm going to ride the river this winter if it freezes, never rode in winter before sounds like fun. I usually snowmobile but a friend of mine talked me into studding up my tires and since i just got new ones the old ones will work I guess, just have to swap tires on the rims for awhile hope its worth it!! Anybody have any ice riding tips? :yikes:

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Why just ride the river? We ride all winter long. Last year we were riding single track until the end of January and then rode the snowmobile trails after that. You'll find that you'll get very good traction on the ice. Here's an article katoom125 wrote for the CCC years ago on winter riding:

There are a group of dirt riders who never consider putting their bikes away for Michigan’s winter. If others realized how much fun this group was having and how easy it is to prepare the bike and yourself, it would not be such a rarity to see others on dirt bikes while you are riding each winter.
What do you think? Are you up for some cold weather fun? What follows should give you a better idea of what’s involved if you have never tried it or maybe some helpful hints even if you have ridden some in the winter. Before we get too far along I should answer a couple of frequently asked questions; 1. Are you cold riding? Normally not at all, often you find yourself opening up zippers, collars and the like. 2. How slippery is it? Do you fall down a lot? Traction is not a problem, you will likely fall more in the summer. So how should you prepare?

The BIKE: can be whatever you ride in the summer. I have ridden both 2 strokes and 4 strokes and either will work just fine. Size doesn’t matter much either. With a 4-stroke you should change to lighter oil, say 10w30 or 40, turn the idle up, choke, no throttle, kick away she should fire right up. With a 2-stroke you will probably want one or two sizes larger on the main jet to prevent piston seizure from the leaner air/fuel mixture due to the colder temperatures. It is a good idea to spend a little extra time letting the engine warm up before taking off, regardless of the type of bike you ride.

Your front tire and the bike ahead of you will kick up “snow dust” which tends to “shock” cool the engine so I overlap duct tape around the front of the engine from one side frame tube to the other, blocking most cold air flow ( and ice/snow dust ) to the cylinder and engine front, this allows the engine to maintain more normal operating temperatures.

Large handguards are a big plus. MSR makes wind deflectors sometimes called wrap around hand guards that work very well, simple to install ( about $20.00 ) . If you want to be the envy of the other riders, install grip heaters which usually offer a high / low heat position switch and allow you to use lighter gloves ( about $22.00 ).

Like summer you will need an ORV ( not snowmobile ) sticker.

TIRES: most any knobby will work, for years I used whatever was already on the bike, I prefer wider spaced knobs but it is not absolutely necessary. You will, however need to stud up. This in most cases involves screwing #8 sized sheet metal screws into the knobs on those tires. Depending on the height of the knobs themselves your sheet metal screw lengths will probably be from 1/2 inch ( front tire ) to 3/4 inch ( rear ). Use the longest screw you can without puncturing through to the inside of the tire carcass. I have found that with most tires there is more rubber than you believe below the base of the knob so you can probably get away with a slightly longer screw than what it looks by holding the screw next to the knob.
If you are a glutton for punishment, do what the ice racers do, take a suitable street tire, cut the bead and sidewalls off, use what’s left as a liner inside your knobby. Screw lengths of 1 inch or 1 1/4 work great and they hold in the tire better too. I always felt that mounting a tire with a liner was more work than I wanted and instead replaced a few screws after each ride, that way I always have some sharper screws in the tire anyway.

To install the screws, don’t bother to remove the tire or let the air out, ( unless of course you want to do the liner trick ), just get out your drill - variable speed cordless preferred - a bucket or milk crate to sit on, put the threaded end of a 1/4inch hex head screw in the drill’s chuck, get a bunch ( hundreds )of #8 sheet metal screws in the sizes you need and have at it. You’ll learn shortly when to let off the trigger because you want the screw to still be “pulling” not spinning as you pull the drill away, they stay in better that way.

As for screw patterns, this becomes a science, just ask the ice racers - but for trail riding I like at least three screws in the center knob, two in the adjacent knobs, and one in each side knob of the rear tire. For the front I like two in the center knobs and one in every other knob. As I said earlier you should plan on replacing some after each ride because you will loose a few. Screws will also get dull and require replacement, especially if you can see dirt/rocks where you are riding. You’ll find crossing logs a piece of cake, after you have gone over the log, it looks like someone took a chain saw to it. Traction and possible lean angles are amazing, most of the time better than in summer.

CLOTHING : Fancy is not necessary, If you have a snowmobile suit it should work fine. I have also used Carhartts with no problem. Warmth is usually not as much of a problem as wind proof. If you can keep the wind from getting through, you will probably stay warm. Most recently I have been using Goretex Jacket and Pants ( wind and waterproof ) with thermal underwear, tops and bottoms, with a long sleeve turtleneck. If it’s really cold I’ll add a sweatshirt. As my friend, Larry often reminds me; “ if you aren’t a little cold as you get dressed and unload the bikes, you are going to be too warm riding.”
So whatever you use, plan on being able to open up zippers etc., and when you stop remember to close them before you cool down.
If I get cold anywhere it’s usually my hands. I like to use the lightest gloves I can but haven’t had grip heaters my last couple of bikes so I end up using “cold Pro” gloves or a light liner inside of heavier gloves, take an extra pair in case the first get wet and for bitter cold you might even consider snowmobile mittens.

Helmet with full shield is normal fare, although I prefer goggles because they do not frost up from your breath like a shield sometimes will. Some riders also like a cold weather balaclava or neoprene face mask.

For footwear, I use motocross boots with 1 light and 1 heavier pair of socks. I treat the boots with the grease type waterproofing. It soaks into the leather better if your wife will let you use the oven to warm the boots ( Not too hot !! ). I also have seen riders use snowmobile boots, although I have never tried them.

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS: Perfect temperatures seem to be in the 20 to 27 degree range, warmer and the snow gets a little soft, above freezing is still fun but plan on getting wet and if you ride a 4-stroke ( ie; XR600 ) with a heavy front end, keep the power on in the corners otherwise you’ll be fighting the bars.
You can ride your normal single track trails until the snow depth reaches half a foot or so, any deeper yields a good workout but most riders switch to the snowmobile trails. Make sure the snowmobile trails you pick are legal for bikes too, some are not. On the West side, the Baldwin area has several that are open in addition to the Manton to Moorsetown cross connector. If the snow is really deep stay where the snowmobiles have already packed it down and keep that front wheel light.
You can also have a great time playing around on any lake surface as long as the snow isn’t terribly deep, setting up a course with some kind of markers will almost always bring every snowmobile and 4-wheeler that can see you out there.

There are pre-studded tires available, Trelleborg’s for example. I’ve been running a set for 6 years and have never lost a stud and they still look and act like new. They are expensive but they seem to outlast ( by far ) and out perform the less expensive ones I’ve seen. A knobby with sheet metal screws will generally outperform the trelleborgs on lake ice but in the woods or on the snowmobile trails they perform nearly the same.

I hope I have peaked your interest enough to get you out to the garage and get that bike studded up, I’ll introduce myself when we meet on the trail, we always stop for other bikers.


about the author:
Randy has been riding in the woods for over 40 years, is a MSF Instructor ( road bikes ), volunteers for the ORV safety Patrol, and currently owns a KTM250, XR600, and BMW K1000.

 

[olderndirtmom]

I will be riding all winter. I just put fatter jets in the carb and run 'er.
We dont get much snow here in southern Wisconsin anymore and in the rare instances that we do get snow, we just plow the jumps and keep on riding.
There are several indoor MX tracks that my friends and I hit up now and then in the winter months. Its kind of a long drive (theres one in Minnestoa, one in Illinois and one in Michigan), but we make a long weekend of it and its fun. While others are riding the couch all winter getting fat, my friends and I are on our bikes working to become better riders.

I bicycle all winter, and had my dr (recreationally) on the road all but 1 1/2 to 2 months last winter. If I had some land there'd be no keeping me off it in the snow and cold.

As to Indoor tracks:
I got an email from Sandbox Arena saying, yup today's the big day! Hoping to go take a look-see tomorrow or Friday! They have a winter race series every other weekend this winter. :ride:

 

[bclark001]

THANKS lookin forward to riding all winter long

 

[flyingfuzzball]

i store the bike and grab my snowboard and hit the slopes. i will ocasionally ride around the fields but nothing else.

 

[JasonJ]

The local pub gives you your first beer free if you come in when there is snow on the road on an ATV or 4X4 :laugh:

 

[sixds]

if you ride in the winter, watch out for ice.

 

[yamarider88]

we just got new snowmobiles so i will be on those pretty much all winter.

 

[White_Wolf]

I do not have a dirtbike but I am going to ride in the winder would be the best time I think. We have not got any snow in awhile... Last good one was 3 years ago. Plus it is so beatiful out here in the winter. When not deer hunting will be riding when I get my dirt bike for christmas.