The Personal Blog Of
Boston Motorcycle Lawyer

Winter Weather Strategies That Can Extend Your Riding Season: Part 1
January 9, 2012

Motorcyclists that live in warm climate areas of the United States have no trouble riding all year-round. With a near-constant supply of sun and over 60-degree temperatures, those riders are not hindered by the different seasons. In the northeast of the U.S., however, winter weather strikes with a vengeance, bringing rain, snow, ice, and temperatures that people hope stick to the double-digits. For devout motorcycle riders in these areas, extending the riding season into winter is not so easy. Many end up storing their bike in the garage and count down the days until the weather warms up enough to take it out again. But there is an alternative.

In this 2-part blog series on not letting winter win over your passion to ride, we will be providing some helpful tips and advice from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) for staying healthy, safe, and ultimately alive while riding this winter.

Winter Riding Tips

A large number of motorcyclists keep their riding season going through the frost-bitten winter by following certain strategies. If you don’t want the weather to dictate when you can ride, these tips can help you have a year-round riding season:

• Add an air-temperature thermometer. Black ice is very dangerous and forms when the temperature has reached the near freezing point. If you know the temperature, you can be extra cautious.
• Watch out for bridges. Because bridges are completely disconnected from the actual ground, they cool faster, making them more susceptible to icing.
• Don’t make sudden moves on ice. Do not touch the brakes, do not accelerate, just pull the clutch and coast until you’re clear of the ice patch.
• When in doubt, pull over. Hypothermia is a reality when riding in winter weather. If you’re feeling cold, always pull over. A warm restaurant or café and a piping hot cup of coffee or tea will set you right to continue your ride. Uncontrolled teeth chattering and shivering is a real sign of danger. If you have gotten to that point, you have to pull over and get warm.

The Boston motorcycle attorneys and avid motorcycle enthusiasts at the Kiley Law Group are committed to helping fellow motorcyclists stay safe while riding this winter.

Please check back later this week for Part 2 of our winter riding blog series for more AMA cold weather riding tips and strategies.