Jeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzz !!

[KuzzinKenny]

Scotland got its first snow of the winter !! 1 in !! yes 25mm and everything came to a stop !! it took me an extra 1 hr to go 10ml on the city by-pass !!  :x  

did my good deed for the day tho !! rode rear gunner ( in my cage ) for a guy on a BMW who was findin it a bit tricky with the conditions and the wagons goin by, coverin everythin with slush !!

KK

[Colonel Nikolai]

:shock: It's more than half-past christmas and you're just getting your first snow?  :?

I don't feel sorry anymore for you blokes up in northern Blighty anymore. I've got more than 15" here in the Minnesota Tundra! Riding here has been a lost cause for weeks.  :D

[vdlcinc]

Sorry to hear all yer challenges guys...

I'm still riding pretty much everyday here in DFW...

 :D

[Sin_Tiger]

I'm sitting here with my online checkin in one hand, a head full of Tiger riding dreams and watching the weather report.

 :(  where's that box of Kleenex  :x on the bright side, being Scotland it will either be howling gales, flooding or bright sunshine within 24 hrs  :lol:

[chairhead]

:shock: It's more than half-past christmas and you're just getting your first snow?  :?

Tell me about it :( ,here in the west we hardly get anything,if
it does snow its not for long and it turns to slush pretty damn quick :x
which is why i head south east to Bavaria and Austria,there you can pretty much guarantee snow and lots of it  
Winter riding is my favorite,as well as being a great phyiscal and mental challange its such a hoot riding in the snow when its snowing and blowing a gale,camping too,i just love it,bring on the snow :D

[tett]

You're sick! We have been snowed in for a few weeks now and it looks like my bikes are in bed until April.  Bring on the SUN

Winter riding is my favorite,as well as being a great phyiscal and mental challange its such a hoot riding in the snow when its snowing and blowing a gale,camping too,i just love it,bring on the snow :D

[Rocinante]

 
Winter riding is my favorite,as well as being a great phyiscal and mental challange its such a hoot riding in the snow when its snowing and blowing a gale,camping too,i just love it,bring on the snow :D

I'm a relatively new fan of winter riding. The last few days has been way beyond freezing and I've done more than 300 km on snow. With studs it's a blast, sometimes a bit nerve cracking, but for most a hell of a lot of fun.

[Colonel Nikolai]

Tire studs are illegal in most US states, which makes most winter riding (unless you trailer your bike offroad) kinda hard. I tried commuting before in winter: wiped out on black ice. I won't try that again. It seems as though this is a problem even with studs: how do you overcome it?[/quote]

[Rocinante]

Tire studs are illegal in most US states, which makes most winter riding (unless you trailer your bike offroad) kinda hard. I tried commuting before in winter: wiped out on black ice. I won't try that again. It seems as though this is a problem even with studs: how do you overcome it?

These tyres, Trelleborg Army Special with studs, are packed with about 150-200 studs per tyre, regular car size I think, about 2 mm long.

They grip quite good on black ice as well and when they let go it's predictable and not like a wipe out.

It's definately not like riding in summer time, but after two winters I'm getting more and more confident even on ice.

There are a lot of different challenges on snow that I find more difficult than black ice. Black ice is predictable. Back roads with little traffic covered in a fresh layer of snow on the other hand. Sometimes there are surprises below...

[Colonel Nikolai]

envy!

[KuzzinKenny]

Tiger  :D  Snow ridin with studs  :shock:  you are havin a larf !! if not, there must be different types of snow as i can hardly walk on our stuff !!

and no, i aint drunk    i just wish i was !!

KK

[armadillo76]

Tire studs are illegal in most US states, which makes most winter riding (unless you trailer your bike offroad) kinda hard. I tried commuting before in winter: wiped out on black ice. I won't try that again. It seems as though this is a problem even with studs: how do you overcome it?

[/quote]

What states are they illegal in that you know of? Certainly not NH (used them on a number of cars). The bike studs I have seen (Aerostich had some screw in carbide ones) were like car studs, NOT like the spikes or screwheads you might see on bikes riding on frozen lakes. I've never used them but was tempted. Then I went down on the highway on my Steamer in early snow (but I made it nearly to home so that must count for something?). I'll take a Ural Patrol 2WD sidecar rig for Winter riding (don't have it but I'd like to try one out).
I would also b tempted to try Winter riding out on a smaller lower bike. Something with little or less expensive body parts. A Scrambler with TKC80s, carbide studs, some engine guards, metal panniers (My Givi bags kept the bike off my leg), bark busters. Oh, and a winning Powerball ticket too! Hehe.
I am jealous and must commend anyone brave enough to ride in Winter.
AndyB, Nh.

[Colonel Nikolai]

Studded tires seem to be illegal in many states, but not all. Ironically it seems like most of the states that allow it are below the mason-dixon line.

Here is where I looked that up: http://www.longhauler-usa.com/bttire.htm

In Minnesota:

"Studded tires are not allowed at all times, except for nonresidents, who are subject to certain restrictions and rural mail carriers with a permit. This does not include full time nonresident students and nonresidents employed within the state."

[armadillo76]

Wow, that is messed up. NH is clear. I realize snow tire technology has improved but if my 1976 BMW 2002 were still on the road (it's in storage, waiting for me to spend time and money I don't have on it) I would run studded Nokian Hakkepelittas (or Heckufagood snowtire) again. I ran unstudded also but the studs made a huge difference!
I don't understand MN and studs. I wonder how many people (regular cagers, not truckers) pay attention to that. Then again I new a guy who ran the biggest studs he could get in his BMW M5 just so he could be fast on the lake.
I imagine the states that rarely have conditions that call for studs figure they don't need to have strict laws. I mean, what is the advantage of studs in Florida. Unless they are like the James Bond studs that go in and out (I believe that is a real technology now but I've never seen a commercially available application).
I'm lazy, my truck will work in the winter even if it's not as fun. Stay warm! AndyB, NH.

[Colonel Nikolai]

armadillo76, yeah I did notice that New Hampshire does allow studs. Which explains why you're gobsmacked that states like Georgia and Minnesota do not allow it (as am I). I once put some chains on my car when we got 10" of snow in a couple of hours back in the 90's. Got a ticket for it: learned my lesson.

Be thankful that the govt in NH let people have a little more technology to deal with the winter. Kinda crazy that we have so many states making studs illegal but gun ownership is pretty much wide open. I guess that's proof the NRA is a lot more powerful than the MSF.