Down around and even below zero over the next couple days.
What are you doing to protect your machine from the cold?
Created on: 01/04/14 12:03 PM
Replies: 18
ZX14MAN64
Joined: 08/17/12
Posts: 1237
streetracer
Joined: 12/10/12
Posts: 256
ZX14MAN64
Joined: 08/17/12
Posts: 1237
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/04/14 1:08 PM
Nice.
I feel for the guys who don't have a garage to put their bikes in.
I have an extra room built into the back of my garage. I don't heat it but it stays somewhat warmer than the outside temps and keeps the bikes from the extreme temps. Just put em in there today.
carabuser
Joined: 09/05/12
Posts: 1731
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/04/14 2:04 PM
Sorry guys ....
* Last updated by: carabuser on 1/4/2014 @ 2:06 PM *
Danno
Location:
Joined: 12/18/11
Posts: 2142
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/04/14 2:13 PM
Last year I tore the partial storage out of my garage, spanned the ceiling with 20' 2x12s, insulated and drywalled. Then, I insulated the walls and covered them with osboard. Still need to finish upgrading the windows, but I have a small electric heater that keeps it bearable enough to work out there. Spent the last two days mounting some junction blocks on the far side of the battery and wiring all my electrical stuff to them. Two leads for the heated gear, one for the accessory plug and an SAE connector for charging the battery without removing any plastic. Now there's just two connectors at each battery post instead of the three extras I had with no place to connect the SAE lead.
06blackpearl
Location: South Jersey
Joined: 07/27/12
Posts: 605
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/04/14 2:59 PM
She hibernates during these times... I'll go check (start) on here once a week other than that I do nothing special...
wfozx14
Location:
Joined: 12/16/12
Posts: 891
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/04/14 4:08 PM
8 below 0 in upstate NY this a.m. when I woke up. I'm sure it was colder than that during the night. This weather takes the fun out of everything. I'm fortunate enough to have a heated garage. Tinkering on the bike throughout the winter keeps me from going nuts.
Cornelius
Location:
Joined: 10/29/13
Posts: 535
KoflaOlivieri
Location:
Joined: 02/17/12
Posts: 1805
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/05/14 2:50 AM
Hercules hit Philadelphia Thursday night, we are still shoveling snow!! It was so bad, my employer shut down the clinic all day Friday. A low of 10 below zero and single digits expected for the next couple of days!
Kofla
smatlock42
Location:
Joined: 07/10/13
Posts: 819
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/05/14 7:24 AM
Not much at all actually. I filled the tank with 93 octane that is treated also. Fresh oil change. I keep her in my uninsulated garage/shed in the back yard. She is exposed to all the temps out there. Just keep a battery tender on and all should be good. Gave a good bath, plugged the muffs too. Should be fine till spring breaks. Sooooon hopefully!
Dam temps here in the north east are brutal. Yesterday and Friday were below zero. Record temps for us up here.
* Last updated by: smatlock42 on 1/5/2014 @ 7:26 AM *
Grn14
Location: Montana
Joined: 02/25/09
Posts: 15511
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/05/14 10:55 AM
As tempted as I get to start my bike in the freezing temps...nope...I don't do it.Not so sure it's a good idea to get the internals moving with virtually frozen rubber parts.Not to mention the state of the oil at those temps.... I sometimes think about the Challenger loss...IF those engineers had only waited for a decent temp situation...but they had to do it their way...God Bless all of em....
You guys be careful in those temps now...seriously cold.
* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/5/2014 @ 10:58 AM *
Bobby914
Location: Chester, VA
Joined: 04/19/13
Posts: 1859
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/05/14 11:06 AM
I wouldnt start it in too cold of weather unless your gonna ride for awhile which I'm sure your not, I would heat the garage or storage area to a decent temp (above freezing) and point the heat at the engine block to warm the oil before starting. I start mine in the winter but i have a good heater and I also let them run till the fan kicks on or the temp hand comes up pretty good them I leave the heater on for a bit after I shut them down so no quick cool off to create condensation anywhere. I 'm not getting those up North temps either.
PaulAB
Location:
Joined: 02/12/09
Posts: 405
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/05/14 2:44 PM
High tomorrow: -12 deg F! Low tomorrow: -20 deg F! We won't even talk about possible windchill equivalents.
Picture is not this winter; this winter so far over 2 feet of snow and most of it in last few days! Can't be sure the ground is still there buried under the snow banks.
Could this be the end of the train? Heh,heh. Well, young fellahs, I 'member X-country skiing here a couple three decades ago in even colder weather. Ah, yup! We got thru that; should be able to get thru this cold snap too.
This Global warming is killing me in the mean time.
smatlock42
Location:
Joined: 07/10/13
Posts: 819
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/05/14 4:26 PM
Ya. Def not trying to start my baby when is that cold. 40° or higher to throw a leg over. She won't see any daylight til March now. Just keep that battery tender hooked up. I occasionally go out just to see her and say hi. Lol. Give her tank a lil pat.
smatlock42
Location:
Joined: 07/10/13
Posts: 819
OpenRoad
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Joined: 10/04/13
Posts: 146
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/05/14 11:21 PM
I protect my bike from the winter by riding it all winter....
I did a 140 mile round trip up the coast hwy yesterday on the 14R from Santa Cruz to San Francisco and back. A warm wind coming off the ocean near Pacifica. Temps around 66, which is what Pacifica gets in July. Lots of other bikers out of course.
On the down side, I had some idiot in a small SUV passing a group of cars opposite direction, on the 2 lane Hwy 1, and he ended up between me and the other cars, with me riding the shoulder at 75 mph.
I need to get a camera.
* Last updated by: OpenRoad on 1/5/2014 @ 11:24 PM *
jwh20
Location: Indiana
Joined: 10/31/13
Posts: 203
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/06/14 10:58 AM
IMHO the biggest danger from cold is having inadequate COOLANT in the system. Here in Central Indiana they're predicting -15F tonight (Monday) and that is REALLY cold. Of course my bikes are in the garage and typically it won't get anywhere near that cold since it's insulated (somewhat). This afternoon it's showing -10F outside but the garage is a balmy 34F. The water in the cat's bowl is not frozen yet. It probably won't get below +10F in the garage so even a crappy anti-freeze mix should be good.
But if you did something silly like use plain water or even 100% anti-freeze, not the premix you should use caution and keep the thing warm. Nothing worse than a cracked block to make for a sad day.
BUSAKILLER1987
Location:
Joined: 10/12/13
Posts: 292
RE: Super cold coming in my area
01/06/14 11:04 AM
Well it's extremely rare to have this cold of weather here in La. it's 35 right now and thats freezing for over here but i think it's supposed to get in the teens tonight. Anyway, I'm not use to having cold weather so unfortunately I wasn't prepared to do something with my bike. I mean it's in the garage but my garage isn't insulated by any means other than tin siding lol. I guess it'll be ok in the teens. :/
runnerhiker
Location: Niwot CO
Joined: 08/18/10
Posts: 156
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