About three days after we bought the Gold Wing, I equipped myself with "leathers": my fringed coat, chaps, and gloves. Cliff bought gloves, and said he'd get by with a rather dressy leather coat he's had for a few years.
On our cooler rides, he had a problem with wind blowing up his pant-legs, and he admitted his legs got pretty chilly. I told him my chaps protected me quite well.
Last Saturday I finally pursuaded him to buy chaps, and a real motorcycle jacket. Being the miserable weekend that it was, we hadn't had a chance for him to try them out.
This morning around ten when it was 42 degrees, I said, "Are we going riding?"
"If we are, we'd better get cracking," answered Cliff. "We'll need to be back by one o'clock for me to get ready for work."
Away we went. We hadn't gone three miles before I realized I should have worn the helmet with the full face shield; do you know what sort of wind chill you get at 42 degrees and 60 miles per hour? Cliff offered to go back and get the other helmet, but I used the scarf wrapped around my neck to cover the lower part of my face. That worked.
There's a Honda Dealer twenty-five miles from here, and that was our first stop. Cliff had them order an owner's manual for our bike, since none came with it. I rather gloatingly mentioned that I hadn't seen any other motorcycles on the road. "Must be a bunch of pansies," I said, shivering.
We rode on to Independence, to the Hub Cycle Shop, and bought a piece for the intercom so Cliff and I can converse better as we ride, or listen to the radio through speakers in our helmets. By this time a few brave souls were out and about on their motorcycles, so I stopped gloating. Of course it had warmed up a couple of degrees by then.
When we got back home at 12:45 P.M., it was forty-seven degrees.
Honestly, I wasn't all that cold for the amount of riding we did. If I were going to be riding all day in those temperatures, I think I'd add some layers under the leather, but for a short ride I was fine.
Cliff admits he's glad he spent the money to buy chaps and a real motorcycle jacket. He was much warmer.
We're having fun.
7 comments:
Mosie and Cliff....you make it sound so exciting....just like a kid at Christmas...and I am happy that you are having such a good time...and that you are getting all the "proper" equipment....will make the rides so much nice and funner (is that a word?)....God Bless and Hugs.....Ora
I am loving the bike. I always wear face shield. I wear contacts so I also wear goggles.
LOL We went to the Smoky Mountains this past weekend and we were in a knife shop (huge place) that sells all sorts of knifes and swords etc. anyway there was a couple that I swear were you and Cliff's twins. I told Phil that I swear that is Mosie except the woman didn't have purple fringe on her biker jacket so I wouldn't go up to them and ask lol. It wasn't you was it????
I had an Indian 94 one time for a week and a day. Wow, what a ride the first couple days. Only there was two faults with the machine. One, it wasn't a great image maker for a young business man. Two, I had some difficulty trying to figure out whether I should build a five passenger wide or five passenegr long sidecar for that motor. The idea was seeking a solution as to how I could take them all along at the same time. My eight day of ownership I sold it, never looking back.
Fernan
So glad you're enjoying your new motorcycle.
"Must be a bunch of Pansies" LMHO oh that's classic. HEHEHEH
Let's see how ya do in the middle of winter. ;-) I think I'd just stay in with a hot cup of cocoa and THINK about riding in the Spring. LOL
-Raven
Brrrrrr! Just the thought of riding a motorcycle terrifies me, but riding one and being cold at the same time, is just unthinkable on my part! lol
I'm so glad that you're enjoying it though, Mosie. Maybe you should get yourself some of them there chaps too! Help keep you from getting so cold!!
Stay safe my friend!
Jackie
When we lived in PA, my brother's only means of transportation for a while was a motorcycle. I don't think he wore leather either, he was a poor high school student. I think he wore overalls or a snowmobile outfit to stay warm and rode it all winter long which was pretty dangerous in the snow and ice.
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