I'm going back to college this fall and that leaves me with a unique challenge. UWM campus is somewhere in the area of 1 square mile. That's not huge for a campus, but it's big enough to hate trudging from one side of it to the other in the snow. I live about 2 miles away from campus, on the other side of the river; parking in the area sucks, especially in winter, and there are bike/scooter racks everywhere...so if I could theoretically ride some kind of smaller bike to school in the snow life would be MUCH easier. I don't know if this is feasible though! Does anyone here have any winter riding experience? Are there cycle snow tires out there? Am I simply insane?
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May 25, 2011 7:26 p.m. SlickDizzy SuperDork
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May 25, 2011 7:39 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork
I see a few KLRs and DRZ running around in light snow and slush here in West Michigan. Knobbies are knobbies
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May 25, 2011 8:28 p.m. keethrax HalfDork
The thing that would worry me wouldn't me my tires, it would be those people that don't see motorcycles (or see them and drive like shiny happy people anyhow) now are also on snow/slush/ice.
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May 25, 2011 8:53 p.m. 44Dwarf Dork
rode my R5 350 2 stoke through a vermont winter. hey it was collage and i need to get to the super market....dam that was cold..
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May 25, 2011 9:04 p.m. skierd Dork
Though not as cold or snowy as I'm imagining Wisconsin winters, the last two winters here in the mid-atlantic have been damn cold and snowy. Riding in it sucks. Sucks a lot. It gets very cold very quickly at 20 degrees on a motorcycle. Slush isn't bad, treat it like sloppy mud. Snow is about as slick as wet clay. Ice is berkeleying scary. FWIW I still rode to campus most days and my ride is about the same distance. If it was straight snowing I usually took the bus, walked, or got a ride in with a friend.
Its pretty insane imo, unless the streets are mostly to always clear of snow and ice in your area. Learn to love the rear brake and sliding around a bit. If you're frequently going to be on snow covered roads, get studded tires or stud a set of knobs. If the roads are frequently clear, a good basic set of knobs and a lot of prayer will probably get you through the winter intact.
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May 25, 2011 9:31 p.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork
I used to ride year-round in the UK but I basically draw the line at riding in snow. A tad too insane for my liking.
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May 25, 2011 9:38 p.m. bastomatic Dork
I rode to school, about 5 miles each way, through two Mid-Michigan winters. Snow, ice, rain, you name it and I rode through it. Some days it was tough, but most of the time it was a blast, and you feel happy getting to school in that sort of mood. It was cheap, as I never had to pay for a parking pass, much less a ticket, and I never had to walk from the parking lot. Here's my chariot:
Yeah, I realize you were talking about a motorcycle/scooter, but to be honest a beater bicycle is better, and two miles ain't nothing. On a bicycle you'll be warm because you're working hard to keep the bike moving, but I'll bet you freeze quickly on a scooter. Plus, it's unlikely you'd go too fast on a bicycle for conditions. If you really worry they sell/ you can make studded tires, but I never needed them. Just a cheap bike, some knobbies, and fenders.
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May 25, 2011 9:40 p.m. ls1fiero New Reader
If you have to, I vote KLR. Rasslin my 76 Yam XS 650 around in sleet and snow was absolutely unpleasant. Deep down unpleasant. And scary.
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May 25, 2011 11:26 p.m. skierd Dork
KLR is a fat pig bastard. Get a true dirt bike with a plate or a lighter, lower powered dual sport if you insist on a motorcycle.
+1 on a bicycle. If I hadn't been nearly hit 2x each way in a week I'd probably still have my bike, but in my area riding a pedal bike everyday is a death wish. And by hit I mean someone swerving across lanes trying to clip me even with the road nearly empty and me either keeping up with traffic (on the long downhill towards campus) or as out of the way as I could be without riding on the sidewalk (uphill on the way home).
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May 26, 2011 12:49 a.m. alex SuperDork
If you have to ride a motorbike in the snow, pick up a used beater 250-ish dual sport with some knobbies, and get out in the dirt with it while it's still warm. That way sliding around won't feel so bad, and you can just focus on the frostbite in your extremities.
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May 26, 2011 4:55 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork
Rode my old Magna through slush and snow for years. It's not that hard to do. I would not recommend knobbies myself.
Refrozen melted water in the morning was the most difficult. Frozen hardpack under slush would be the 2nd.
Scratch that, other drivers would actually be the most difficult. Mostly because they had turned off all motorcycle awareness, and were frequently incapable of seeing you. Really. If you think summer time riding is difficult with people not seeing you, wait until winter.
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May 26, 2011 5:26 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork
Local guy puts on a snowmobile suit and runs a 2WD Ural with a sidecar all year.
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May 26, 2011 7:27 a.m. alex SuperDork
Three wheels is cheatin'. May as well drive at that point.
But I have given that very serious consideration, don't get me wrong.
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May 26, 2011 7:29 a.m. Maroon92 SuperDork
I rode all winter, but threat of snow and ice (two days a year) keeps me in a car.
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May 26, 2011 7:46 a.m. stuart in mn SuperDork
There are a LOT of people in Minneapolis who ride bicycles year round. I'd go that way, particularly for a two mile commute.
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May 26, 2011 9:37 a.m. Rad_Capz Reader
Dirt bikes are a lot easier than street bikes on snow. I rode in snow often off road as a kid.
I rode a Honda 350 street bike for a couple mile commute through the winter months in western MA when my car was stolen at college. Work boots with flat bottom and low heel allow you to use your feet as stabilizers (lift your toes). 2nd gear starts on snow work well. When it snows and the roads aren't completely clear it's safer on the snow sometimes than pavement that appears wet but might be black ice in sections of shade or during early morn /after dusk. Keep the bike much straighter up cornering.
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May 29, 2011 8:10 a.m. SlickDizzy SuperDork
Sorry guys, I've done the bicycle thing before. It is terrifying in Milwaukee traffic, though once you get to campus it is not that bad. Also, I think there would be something fun about being "that crazy guy who always rides to class." Looking at something like this MT250.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/2408165944.html
I see a lot of different tires out there; "trials," "dirt," "dual sport," what should I be looking at? There's some decommissioned railroad tracks behind my shop I can zip up and down for practice.
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May 29, 2011 10:20 p.m. skierd Dork
Kick starting a frozen motorcycle will surely get the blood flowing when you go to class in the morning, that's for sure.
Its a cool little bike for sure, I'd like one to mess around with.
'Dual Sport' tires are typically less aggressive than full dirt tires. Dirt tires are usually knobby and don't last long on pavement. Trials tires have extremely soft sidewalls and tread and aren't really suited for high pressures (over 10psi) or riding pavement except for the Pirelli MT43 and IRC TR-1 (NOT the TR-011 trials winner) which are DOT legal and have harder tread.
I ran Shinko 244's all last winter, cheap at ~$70/set and decent enough traction in slush and light snow, lasted forever too. Considered a 50/50 tire. I'd probably run those again or maybe the DOT trials for wintry use for as far as you're looking to go.
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May 29, 2011 11:13 p.m. Zomby woof SuperDork
I rode my CB 350 through a winter once. It was a dry, but cold winter, so the riding part was pretty easy-but cold. I have a friend who rode his Piaggio scooter through winter a few years ago. He found snow tires for it, and said traction was better than expected. For that kind of commute, I'd look for a Sachs Madass 125.
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May 30, 2011 12:42 a.m. problemaddict Reader
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May 30, 2011 4:35 a.m. Woody SuperDork
When I was in sixth grade, my teacher rode an old Honda CB750 year round. He had these huge, fleece lined vinyl gloves that mounted to the handlebars and went up to his elbows.
He was a cool guy, but he only has one leg now.
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May 30, 2011 1:54 p.m. 93gsxturbo HalfDork
My friend has a street legal KE125 he would sell for $600. Clean, runs great, new rubber.
Pick it up in sunny Helenville, WI.
