"Well my Friend, What shall we call This one?"

[Lawn Dart]

Contrary to popular belief Aerostitch Roadcrafters are hardly windproof.  Fact is they sieve air at an amazing rate and even 45 degrees is downright frigid even with four layers under it.  

[Sport-Touring]

[hovmaven]

I'll have to disagree on that -- and I wear mine year round -- but I'll concede it can get drafty if the velcros aren't securely closed.  I was riding comfortably in 45 degrees the other morning, wearing a t-shirt underneath.    Now, I wouldn't ride 1000 miles with just a t-shirt, but it wasn't cold.  

[viffergyrl]

^See 'west coast cupcake' above...  

[hovmaven]

But then again, I don't ride a bike with negative wind protection, and then blast 1000 miles. . ..  

[Lawn Dart]

The Wrap-Up.

Bonding with a bike is a not only a good thing, it's a GREAT thing.  I'm not the tallest guy in the world at 5'8".  At 180#, I'm a tad overweight and at 42 I'm just starting the great downhill slope.

Young bucks come along, try to knock the old buck down but don't realize the old buck didn't get to be old by being stupid.   Old Bucks are smart.  Learned.  Been through a few winters of discontent, malcontent and just good old plain flatulence.  

I knew this ride was going to be cold.  Long.  And potentially ugly.  Miles commented that his biggest worry wasn't the cold but a headwind.  In the end I'd say he was right.  Although the real answer to a headwind is just to ride a bit slower.

But you see, I'm not an old buck yet.  I'm a rather middle-aged buck.  And that means we didn't bother to slow down for a headwind.  

Still, I planned right.  I packed in my saddlebags gear that I thought would carry me through mid-20's temps.  For the ride I wore the following:

Jockey micro-fiber underwear (duh.)  BMW wool-spandex, "silver-thread" socks.
Smartwool Mid-weight Thermal tops and bottoms.
BMW e-Vest (with e-Collar)
Thin-fleece
Medium weight fleece jacket
Aerostitch 2pc. Roadcrafter
BMW 2pc. Rainsuit

For gloves I used a set of heavy ski-gloves (150gr. Thinsulate) and a set of Aerostitch Three-Finger Sleestack rain gloves.

For my head/neck I used a Buff (long thin neck tube), an Aerostitch wind-stopper wind-triangle and a borrowed micro-beanie.  (I also had a spare buff and spare fleece neck tube in the bag).

Bundled to the max, I was that kid from "A Christmas Story".  But I didn't suffer too much.  Yeah, it was cold out but my biggest issues were to keep my glasses from fogging at 75 mph at 26 degrees.  

During the day (*where it was 45 degrees) we dressed much thinner.  45 just isn't that cold.  Medium fleece, e-vest, 'Stitch.  Rain jacket later in the day as I got a bit tired.

So that's the real deal.  45 degrees for 20 minutes isn't that big a deal.  Neither is 25 degrees for 20 minutes.  45 degrees for 12 hours followed by 6 more hours down to 26 degrees?  Yeah, that gets cold and MY body struggles to keep up with the BTU output.

Ok, clothing-wise, what would I have done differently?  

Gerbings full-sleeve e-Jacket and e-Gloves.  That's it.  A few more BTU's was all I needed to be truly comfortable at lower temps.

Truth of the matter is that I live in the land of Sun, where a brutal winter day is 50 degrees.  An e-Vest is all I really need and I'm not sure I'd spend $400 extra for something I'd use just once in a blue moon.

Onto the rest of the gear.  Pro's, Con's, Failures.


Sena SMH10:  9/10 stars.  LOVE them!  Other than miles having an issue getting the microphone just right these things flat out rocked.  Being able to communicate at speed was huge at staving off boredom (*so what if we repeated the same topic six times.  I still love Bewbies!) but the ability to say "good on fuel?  Let's take the last stop then." or "GPS says left at the ramp.  Good?".  Just fabulous kit.

Arai RX2 helmet:  They fit my head perfectly and don't buffet.  Plus they are light.  Cons, my glasses fog up.  Answer:  don't wear glasses?  9/10 stars.  I do love these helmets and would give them 10/10 except I want them to continuously improve their gear.

Aerostitch Roadcrafter:  The suit I love to hate.  7/10.  It's drafty, older blue armor gets HARD in the cold, the sleeves flap about, zippers don't stay up, the neck is whatever.  And yet, It's still great kit and still the suit everything else gets compared to.  I hate the damn thing and yet I still can't replace it for this kind of riding.  

Ducati Monster 1100EVO:  I love this bike.    9/10.  Seriously.  Ok, so it's down on top end power but it's also simple to work on.  Most importantly, it FITS my body!  I had ZERO aches and pains.  I was ready to clear another 500 miles even when I got home.  I didn't miss the wind protection in a neutral wind and figuring out how to wrap my neck up also means I don't have to struggle in a headwind.  I averaged 42 mpg and the 3.6 gallon gas tank really wasn't an issue.  Knee position and forward lean are perfect for me.  Vibes at 4500 - 5000 rpm are nonexistent.  It just works for me.  With the exception of one rather nasty headwind I never really missed the bigger fairings I've used in the past.

The "Trina Seat":  2" of memory foam, 3/8" closed cell blue ensolyte pad.  I did NOT have any butt-burn at all.  At around 950 miles I started to feel just slightly stiff in the hips.  I'm good for 400 miles on the oem seat with no issues but for long runs this pad is gold.  I give it 10/10 stars.  It's a HUGE win for and it's just velcro'ed onto the seat!  

GPS:  Aged Garmin Nuvi whatever.  It works.  Tells me where I am.  Processor is getting a bit slow and I miss my Zumo's left side buttons.  6/10 but I won't bother to replace it until it gets stolen or falls off the bike.

Symtec In-Bar Heated Grips:  5/10.  They worked fine until 45 degrees and then just couldn't keep up the BTU's.  Still, I LOVE the install on them:  no wires works for me.  More heat would be nice though.  If they burn out I'd replace them with a more conventional under-grip style.  

Wolfman Enduro Saddlebags:  Ok, they might just be my favorite for their size.  Completely out of the way of the exhaust, no encouragement to overpack.  Slightly odd shape but workable.  8/10.  I'd like an outside pocket of some kind like a mesh sleeve or something.  Still, they worked great and never flopped around.



The Route:  Rocks.  Really, Highway 50 is awesome.  you should go.  Now.  While the weather isn't 120 in the shade.  


I have no regrets at all about torching a set of Pirelli's on this ride.  It was good times, a great memory, and nice to know what I am capable of in the cold.  More importantly this is about spending good time with good friends.


Would I do this ride again?  Hmmmmmm...  

[Rogue]

But then again, I don't ride a bike with negative wind protection, and then blast 1000 miles. . ..  

The wind out in the desert areas of California is brutal.  The warm air is pushed down by the cold air and you have a recipe for a major fight against headwinds, gusts, etc.  It seems to get worse during dark hours and Spring/Winter time.  I remember getting pushed left, right, and having to tuck behind the VFR's windscreen to get through the Cajone Pass that Robert mentioned.  This is where it's nice to have torque and horsepower on your side, and a barn door fairing!  I would rather ride through 100 degrees or 30 degrees than put up with massive winds and sudden gusts that feels like it will sweep your tires off from underneath you.

Great ride report Robert & Miles.  Enjoyed the read.  

[viffergyrl]

So Miles, how did you fare on the BMW and gear-wise?

[miles]

So Miles, how did you fare on the BMW and gear-wise?

OK.

[viffergyrl]

 

[miles]

In all seriousness, I did fine other than frozen fingers when the going got really cold.  If my heated grips had actually heated, I would have had no complaints at all.

Well, other than the fact that as Robert pointed out, it was very hard to turn one's head with so many layers...

At the ride's coldest point, I was wearing a wool base layer, then a wind-stop thick shirt, BMW-branded Widder E-vest, mid weight fleece pants, Smartwool socks, two-piece Aerostitch, cheap two-piece rain suit, Cortech Injector gloves and the Aerostitch sleestak rain over-gloves.  Most of the day I wore a Buff neck tube, but when it got really cold I went to a windstopper balaclava (and that was when I couldn't turn my head much at all).

The only part of me that really felt the cold were my fingers.  I'm pretty cold-resistant in general, but as Robert said, hours and hours of cold can eventually get to you.  If my heated grips had worked, or the throttle lock had been successfully installed my hands would have been fine.  As it was, my fingers were uncomfortable, but tolerable.

For a general review of my gear, here goes:

Wolfman tank bag- good, but not perfect.  The triangulation on the straps is not really wide enough to prevent a certain amount of side to side movement.   Nothing major, but still a bit irritating.  The size was right, and it was comfy to lie down on when I needed to stretch, so I can't complain too much.  It was big enough, though, to force me out into the wind when we did our top speed checks, which wasn't helpful.
Running a USB port into the bag was great.  It was possible to keep my phone juiced up, and recharge my SENA headset when it needed it.  Seeing how useful the power port was (and it was a quick and dirty job to install it) I'm strongly tempted to get a little more elaborate with the idea, but that's for later.

Kriega 20 tailbag- I have mixed feelings about this bag.  It's solid, perfectly waterproof, and a good size, which are all pluses.  The mounting system is dead simple and universal, which is both a positive and a negative.  Positive in that it's quick and easy, negative in that it allows some amount of side to side flop, especially on the S1000RR which has a peaked pillion seat.  I should really figure out a better way to mount the bag on this bike.  If I can, I'll have no negatives to report.

SENA SMH-10 headset- I wasn't sure I'd really like the thing, but it turned into a hugely beneficial piece of equipment.  As Robert said, keeping the doldrums at bay with idle chat help a lot later in the ride.  It was also nice to be able to call home and give updates as the ride progressed, and to have music without having to run earbuds.  All in all, well worth the money.

BMW S1000RR- The bike worked flawlessly, and was comfortable enough for the 20 hours saddle time that I really have no complaints.  The stock saddle is good, and generally I was a happy camper on the bike.


Things I wish I'd had (besides the heated grips and throttle lock I've already mentioned)-  A good point-and-shoot camera with a spring-loaded lanyard like Robert's would have been nice.  I've got a camera, but didn't bring it (or rig up a good way to access it while riding).  That's about it.  
I wish I'd notified my credit card companies beforehand, because I got three cards shut off and couldn't contact them to tell them it really was me racking up all these low-dollar charges in BFE, but that's a lesson learned.


Overall, the ride was easier, more scenic, and colder than I expected it would be.  Riding with Robert is always a good time, so that part didn't surprise me at all.

As Robert is indicating, "It's all good."

[steve.ski]

The Wrap-Up.

The "Trina Seat":  2" of memory foam, 3/8" closed cell blue ensolyte pad.  I did NOT have any butt-burn at all.  At around 950 miles I started to feel just slightly stiff in the hips.  I'm good for 400 miles on the oem seat with no issues but for long runs this pad is gold.  I give it 10/10 stars.  It's a HUGE win for and it's just velcro'ed onto the seat!  

Hey, I remember that seat pad!

 

[viffergyrl]

What was the range of the Sena or did you really have opportunity to test that? How is the cell reception on the receiving end? Thanks.

[miles]

What was the range of the Sena or did you really have opportunity to test that? How is the cell reception on the receiving end? Thanks.

The range was maybe almost half a mile out in the middle of nowhere.  You can tell when you're near the limit because the reception gets crackly.  As to phone conversations, when I had the mic in the right spot the people on the other end couldn't tell that I was on a motorcycle.  In fact, one friend commented was that the sound quality was better than the hands-free setup in his wife's car.

[stromgal]

Robert, I was looking at those Symtec in-bar heaters. Do you not have bar-ends on the EVO?

A small-packing wind-stopper shirt is worth its weight in gold.  

[Rogue]

Regarding the cold....would it have helped if either of you had a full sleeve heated jacket liner, heated gloves, and heated leggings?  

[miles]

Regarding the cold....would it have helped if either of you had a full sleeve heated jacket liner, heated gloves, and heated leggings?  

Not for me.  The only part of me that suffered at all was my fingers.  My core was perfectly fine.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

What was the range of the Sena...

Forget the range of the Sena, what was the range of your bikes? My god, I think I would go nuts if I had to stop that often for fuel!  

[miles]

We'd informally dubbed it "The Short Tank Range SS1K".  Robert's low fuel light came on at around 120 miles, and mine ten miles later.
This was the motivation for the fuel bottles.

[cbsnbiker]

Not for me.  The only part of me that suffered at all was my fingers.  My core was perfectly fine.

If you had good enough gloves and good enough hand protection for the conditions, then your core probably wasn't entirely fine.

[miles]

If you had good enough gloves and good enough hand protection for the conditions, then your core probably wasn't entirely fine.

I didn't.