It's even 'orribler out there now

Simple tip - don't do it unless you're totally relaxed about falling
off. Even the camber in the road can have you on your arse on
hard-packed snow/ice unless you've got studded tyres.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

Work in progress wrote

Try really, really, really hard not to do it.

If you must ride then ride on virgin snow wherever possible, there seems
to be better grip on it and be prepared to fall off.

Falling off will occur about 5 seconds after you decide you are getting
the hang of it just nicely and is caused by the most minute amounts of
confidence imaginable. Think butterfly wings and hurricanes.

 

Quite so. I rode first my SL125 then an XT500 from Liverpool to Derby
every weekend over the winter of 1978-79 and had many interesting
experiences on snow and ice. Possibly the hairiest moment was one time
on the 125, riding over the Leek-Macclesfield stretch of the A52, high
on the moors on a hard-packed surface. A sudden gust of wind came up
from nowhere and simply moved me bodily about three feet across the
road while I continued moving forward at ~30mph.

Another top tip - when its so bad you're only moving slowly, just keep
your feet down and use them as sleds.

Greatest respect for a Harley owner ever: when I was skiing in Soldeu
a couple of seasons ago there was a Harley of some description,
massively chopped about in a vaguely XR75 stylee, but not in the least
bit neat and tidy. This was equipped with studded tyres F&R and a
clearly non-standard front end and sat outside the apartment block
where I was staying.

OK, no big deal, but the thing is, I was there for three weeks during
which time we had at least two periods of 4-5 days of constant
snowfall, settling a good foot or more on the roads and causing no end
of problems for many poorly equipped or driven cars, but this fucker
was used _every day_, snow or shine, ice or water. And the roads were
even worse when it was starting to melt a little bit, as it was packed
down solid to about a 6" depth with potholes full of slush going right
down to the tarmac.

I never did get to see the owner, nor, to my eternal regret, did I
remember to get a photo, but I'd love to have shaken him by the hand
and told him what a fucking mental twat he was.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

I've ridden to Switzerland from London and up to Grindelwald on a
K100RT, luggage and pillion, in the Ski season with snow on lots of the
roads. The Swiss very kindly grit their roads with gravel, run the
tyres soft and it's manageable.
No I wouldn't do it again now....

 

I had a bit of fishtailing from the front end this morning.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative.”

 

Just a little flutter.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative."

 

It was fooking cold on the way back from Gatwick last night. Cold, dry,
no ice. No problem, except for getting peppered by the gritter ....

Saved me a few quid in car parking fees anyway ..

P.

 

Bear banged the rocks together and said:

I remember having to ride to work (GP100U, decades ago) in snow with a
nice layer of sheet ice underneath it.

10mph max. Come up to a junction where I had to stop, it was low gear,
both feet out on road holding me upright, slowly let clutch out,
gentlest touch on brake, and stop in about 20 x the normal stopping
distance.

I could have probably skated to work quicker in my shoes.