Winter Riding in Missouri

So far this winter I have mostly just ridden the Nun on weekends.

I only rode to work once so far this winter because morning or evening conditions are potentially hazardous on most days. I don't ride in the dark when temps are below freezing because icy patches are possible. Even when there has been no recent precipitation there can be moisture from other sources.

When temps drop toward the lower 40s F all the hogs disappear. The last of the rice rockets vanish a few degrees later. Then it's just me and some guy on a BMW out here in the Jefferson County hills. I haven't met him yet. We always seem to be going in opposite directions so our interaction has been limited to nods and waves.

Anywhere I stop, people ask me, "Isn't it a little cool for riding a motorcycle?" I list all the layers of thermal protection I'm wearing and explain that I ride mostly in the JeffCo twisties, which means I'm not usually going very fast. Still, a few people think I'm nuts.

I enjoy riding when it's cold. It's a different experience and a different challenge from riding in warmer weather.
The scenery is different, too. All summer my favorite woodland roads are lined with walls of greenery. Only in winter can I see all the way up the hills and down the valleys. And when there's snow on the ground those hills and valleys are breathtaking.

So what do I do to winterize my Triumph? Nothing. I ride that sucker.