I was recently speaking with a former client who mentioned he went out for a ride on a really cold Sunday. He decided to take his bike to go see his mom. We talked about how cold it was and we even discussed why he chose to take his bike out. He said he hadn’t been on it and he needed to go for a ride. He dressed warm but admitted that it was extremely cold. We both ultimately concluded, beware of the cold on a long ride!
You may feel comfortable when you initially get on your motorcycle but without warning, your body (including your arms, hands, fingers and feet) may stiffen up during a long cold ride. When you decide to pull over, exit a highway or make a turn, your hands and fingers will not react the way you expect them to. Your movements may be slower and less decisive. Give yourself plenty of extra distance and time to make maneuvers you would not give a thought to if it were warm out. When riding with others, consider also giving yourself a little more distance between each other case one of your fellow riders has not adequately planned for the.