Using My Helmet

[stevegrab]

To which I normally respond that "It can, but the pavement doesn't get any less abrasive just because it's hot."

I agree that is the reasonable response, but too many people don't get it or just want to start some sort of debate or argument. So instead I occassionally say "nope, I've got air conditioning inside my suit". Then their jaw drops and they don't know what to say.

[jtpedersen]

Oddly enough, the air doesn't get any cooler when you're going fast. Non-riders seem to think that, magically, doing 60 on a motorcycle means you've got air conditioning somehow.

Reminds me of when I'm chasing a friend's hot air balloon. Invariably, at least a couple times a season, there're passengers that want to know how he steers the thing.

There is a rudimentary steerage of a sort. At different altitudes the wind frequently goes in different directions. Changing altitude can let the pilot attempt to 'influence' direction, but there's no 'direct' steering input of course.

[stevegrab]

Good venting, some melting ice, a T-shirt soaked in water, one of those cool vests, etc. They all perform some sort of air conditioning to help cool you down. (Even a bandana soaked in water wrapped around your neck will make a big difference for 30-60 minutes.)

But yeah, no real A/C, and going faster doesn't always help. But sometimes I just like to counter with something off the wall to catch the non MC rider off guard.

[HawkGTRider]

Good venting, some melting ice, a T-shirt soaked in water, one of those cool vests, etc. They all perform some sort of air conditioning to help cool you down. (Even a bandana soaked in water wrapped around your neck will make a big difference for 30-60 minutes.)

But yeah, no real A/C, and going faster doesn't always help. But sometimes I just like to counter with something off the wall to catch the non MC rider off guard.

Along those same lines, I think many non-riders think it' would be better to ride in hot weather than in cool temperatures. They are almost universally surprised when I say I'd rather ride in 60 degrees than 80 and that I'm more likely to not ride at 90 degrees than I am at freezing.

[stevegrab]

Along those same lines, I think many non-riders think it' would be better to ride in hot weather than in cool temperatures. They are almost universally surprised when I say I'd rather ride in 60 degrees than 80 and that I'm more likely to not ride at 90 degrees than I am at freezing.

Well a lot of that depends on the individual, and their ability to ride in cold weather. After the cold and rain coming home from Fall Colors last year, I have to say that currently I'd much rather ride in 90 degree (even with high humidity) than in 40s or less, especially with the rain thrown in. No heated gear or heated stuff on the bike. I can usually deal with heat better (less uncomfortable) than the cold. I'll wear mesh gear, pour some water on me, and drain the camel back regularly during the ride.

[GSRider2Up]

Some riders, especially the "cruiser crowd" feel that in hot weather, the less clothing the better, including helmet. My sister almost ended up in the hospital from dehydration during a "cruiser" ride to Strugis. The group's common knowledge indicated they keep removing clothing, while the opposite seems to be true. Here is a snippet of an article from Motorcycle Intelligence.

Insulate your skin from the heat. It may seem counter-intuitive to wear protective clothing on a hot day, but you NEED to cover your exposed skin. Think of the desert nomads that spend their whole lives traveling in the desert with their camels: They ALL wear garments that cover their entire body and head. In real simple terms, exposed skin on a hot day is not only subject to sunburn, but bare skin soaks up MORE heat from the sun. If the outside temperature is higher than your normal body temperature (36.8°C or 98.2°F), and if your bare skin is exposed to the heat, your body temperature has no where to go but up. On the other hand, if your skin is covered, you are insulating yourself from the heat. It may “feel” good (particularly on shorter rides) to take your jacket off on hot days, but it is pushing your body into the range of dehydration symptoms even faster. (Of course, riding without proper motorcycle gear on a hot day could also result in considerably more severe circumstances should you take a tumble on searing asphalt with bare skin or without a helmet).

[HawkGTRider]

<snip> If the outside temperature is higher than your normal body temperature (36.8°C or 98.2°F), and if your bare skin is exposed to the heat, your body temperature has no where to go but up. <snip>

I read somewhere that the temperature threshold is even lower than that. What I read, and I wish I could find it, was that your skin temperature was closer to 90 degrees. So with any ambient temperature of ~90 degrees or above and it's likely that your body temperature will actually increase.
Being uncovered speeds up the heat transfer. Covering up will certain slow it down, but probably won't stop the heat transfer.

I'm not a fan (no pun intended) of hot weather.

[Rain rider]

Steve, I'm one of those twisted souls that actually enjoyed the weather at Fall Colors last October. I was the only guy from Michigan that rode there and back (2 up for 3/4 of the trip). The threat of snow did move us out of Snowshoe early, but I was still having fun. Looking forward to this year's Fall Color's

[stevegrab]

Steve, I'm one of those twisted souls that actually enjoyed the weather at Fall Colors last October. I was the only guy from Michigan that rode there and back (2 up for 3/4 of the trip). The threat of snow did move us out of Snowshoe early, but I was still having fun. Looking forward to this year's Fall Color's

Twisted is right. The ride down wasn't bad, the day there we should have followed others advice and left the Snowshoe area (instead we went sightseeing in Cass, Greenbank). The ride home on Sunday was cold and wet all the way. Even guys on BMW GS with heated grips and vests were cold and not enjoying it.

I look forward to this year too, hoping for better weather. Or may just make a run down there some other weekend earlier in Sept to enjoy it.

[BlueRidgeKat]

[QUOTE=GSRider2Up;7177]Some riders, especially the "cruiser crowd" feel that in hot weather, the less clothing the better, including helmet. My sister almost ended up in the hospital from dehydration during a "cruiser" ride to Strugis. The group's common knowledge indicated they keep removing clothing, while the opposite seems to be true. Here is a snippet of an article from Motorcycle Intelligence.QUOTE]

I worked with a guy that bought a HD. He came in one Monday morning with his shoulders neck and arms burnt to a crisp. He could hardly turn his neck or move his arms and said he had been wearing a tank top which probably wasn't a good idea.... well duh. He then looked at me all puzzled and said that they probably had not gone over 50 mph all day during their ride. I just nodded and walked away but I'm still wondering what the hell he thought that had to do with it. There are a great number of people out there with some weird beliefs when it comes to motorcycles.