Sunday, November 28, 2010

Winter Wonderland my arse

Had a good ride yesterday despite low temperatures. It was only in the 40s (F) so I was bundled up like a little kid going sledding. I wore a T-shirt, long sleeved work shirt, two sweatshirts, jeans, thermal overalls and perfecto-style jacket.
I stayed around town because it's colder and more windy out in the country. It was Saturday but I stuck mostly to back streets and avoided most traffic.

I noticed that my new tires (Pirelli Sport Demon) feel different when they are cold. The bike felt a little awkward until I'd ridden for about half an hour. I already knew that tires behave differently at different temps but I've never noticed such a dramatic difference. I take it easy for the first half hour anyway, to let the engine warm up properly. Even then I ease into higher revs for awhile. I don't tend to really push the bike until it's been running for about an hour.

(In super-hot weather it's different. I'm reluctant to really crank it when I know the bike is running high on the hot side. All my Hondas ran less well when it was around 100 degrees out, so I took it easy. The Triumph only felt a little different on high 90s days last summer, but I took it easy anyway.)

I'll continue to ride in above freezing temps (32+) as long as there's no snow or ice on the street. There was a little bit on the ground yesterday, but not in the streets.

I'm hoping and praying for a mild winter with lots of "Indian Summer" days.

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