Keeping warm on a 919

domingo3 · 10-01-2009, 11:24 PM

I just got my 06 919 in August, and I don't want to stop riding. Any suggestions that work particularly well for keeping warm and riding year round? I only have a 30 min commute, so it's not too bad.
I'm thinking about getting Hippo Hands - seem to have good reviews. Has anyone used them on a 919, and if so, did you have any issues with them pressing the brake/clutch levers?

Thanks,

d3

Destructo · 10-02-2009, 7:00 AM

I used my bike one winter a few years ago for about the same commute. I fitted heated grips. They were pretty good but when it got really cold they were not enough on their own - I could have done with some bar muffs as well.

Decent kit is most important - winter gloves, boots, Gore-tex (or equivalent) jacket and trousers which are waterproof. I also used a wind stopper balaclava to help keep my head warm - important in cold weather (although you look like a right knob). I also wore a body warmer with a fleece liner.

It is amazing how quickly you get cold in winter when you start riding, the wind chill gets to you really quick - 5 mins or so. My hands started to go numb this quickly, even with winter gloves and heated grips (the bar muffs will help out massively here). Your feet also get cold quickly - I wore multiple pairs of socks on the coldest days, but you can buy proper winter weather socks if you prefer.

Out of interest, what do they use to de-ice roads over there? They throw rock salt on the roads here, which absolutely kills bikes - this is why I have only ridden through winter once!

Destructo · 10-02-2009, 7:03 AM

Forgot to add - a fly screen might be worth fitting too (if you've not got one) just to keep a bit more wind blast at bay.

domingo3 · 10-02-2009, 2:43 PM

I just moved here, so I don't know what they use. Where are the problem spots on a bike?

I lived in MA for a couple of years and they used some sand and some salt. I didn't have any issues, but it was only for two seasons and then I sold the bike. I ride in all weather, so I guess the rainy spring rinsed everything out.

I plan on having my 919 for a while, so any tips you have on preserving it would be good. I hadn't considered the effects of salt that much.

Destructo · 10-02-2009, 6:52 PM

Well I'm pretty much after the same thing there! Any winter care advice would be good!

From what I know, there is a product called ACF50 which you spray all over your bike (apart from the brake discs of course!) which forms a barrier against the salt and crap. I hear it's pretty good. You leave it on all winter and wash it off in the spring when the salt is finally washed away by the rain. I have no idea how long it lasts or whether it needs re-application. I would be tempted to wash the bike down at the weekend and then re-apply the coating.

Some people advise washing your bike down after every ride, no doubt this would work but it is pretty impractical. When you do wash it, you need to wash the bike thoroughly to get rid of all traces of salt that get blasted in to every corner of the bike as you ride along.