Preparing for winter when you ride on two wheels – Points Permit Course

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December 9, 2016

Winter is approaching and on a motorcycle even more than by car it is important to be well prepared for the winter season.

What types of tires are adopted? What conduct should you have?

Take all the necessary precautions so that you can safely navigate the roads, even when the weather conditions are difficult.

Preparing for winter when riding on two wheels - Points Permit Course

What problems do motorcycle tires have in winter? ?

In winter the the main problem encountered when two people ride, apart from the cold, is the grip.

The safety of bikers can be called into question. Indeed, the contact surface with the tire being colder, the grip is only partial.

In addition, the friction surface more slowly reaches the heating surface (tread). This is why we recommend that you run on the hottest part of the tires, which is the tread, hence the benefit of keep the bike straight in the bends.

In order to drive safely, it is necessary to equip yourself with tires capable of offering good grip at low temperatures and who benefits from a structure with wide grooves to allow better evacuation of water or snow and to limit the risk of slipping.

Are there winter tires for two wheels ?

Motorcycle tires are efficient from the moment they are at temperature, that is, once the tire has rolled enough to reach its optimum temperature, between 80 ° C and 120 ° C.

With a so-called "sporty" tire, on a 0 ° C road it is more complicated to heat your tire. Their structure does not allow optimal adhesion to guarantee your safety.

Manufacturers offer “road” tires that are much more suited to extreme conditions..

  • There are no winter motorcycle tires like there are for cars, however there are some specialty tires like the K60 from Heidenau or the FeelFree from Metzeler, which are tires that adapt very well to difficult weather conditions..

Warning : The behavior of your two-wheeler will depend on the use you make of it.

Be sure to follow all precautionary measures when conditions are difficult.

Be careful and decrease your speed in order to anticipate all situations.

Some tips for my motorcycle tires in winter

Driving in winter requires taking a few precautions before setting off to ensure safe driving in any situation.

  • You might think that it is better to lower the tire pressure to make them more flexible and therefore gain grip on snowy roads. Well beware! Decreasing the tire pressure would dramatically change the behavior of your tires and make it more difficult to handle. However, it is necessary tosoften the suspensions of your two wheels to relieve the shock absorber rebound and make your motorcycle easier to ride.
  • It’s better to favor road tires see GT (Grand Tourisme) which will be much safer. These tires heat up more quickly and keep the temperature distributed evenly throughout the tire. Unlike a lambda tire which will not heat up or not heat much, will remain hard and therefore will become slippery and less grip.
  • For heat your tire it suffices to practice several accelerations (in order to heat the rear tire) and several braking operations (in order to heat the front tire) in straight lines. After repeating this manipulation several times, your tires will be ready to roll on snowy or icy roads..

 

What behavior to adopt in winter when riding on two wheels ?

As in the car, you must adapt your motorbike driving during the winter season.

At first, try to move and not remain inactive on your motorcycle, easy to say you will say …

With the cold, you will certainly be more tense and contracted. In order to warm up it is important to move regularly : one leg, then the other, the arm etc. this allows you to stay more attentive to the road and warm you up as best you can.

Obviously, even more on a motorcycle, we favors breaks in order to rest and warm up. Even more on the last kilometers since that is when you are less attentive and less focused. Of course before getting back on the road we remember what we said to heat the tires which will have had time to cool down !

When it comes to your ride, be flexible and gentle with the controls. It is essential to increase the safety distances in order to be able to anticipate a slowdown or a turn, to slow down beforehand so as not to risk braking suddenly and slipping on icy roads.

Beware of alternating areas of shade and sun, shady areas are likely to still be frozen or icy, particularly in the mountains.

Finally it is important that your motorcycle stays straight when cornering, to do this tilt your body but keep your motorcycle upright. This will prevent you from slipping when the road is icy or snowy.

Maintain your motorcycle

When you drive in winter, your vehicle is quickly dirty due to snow, mud or salt. Here are some useful tips to keep your motorcycle / scooter like new !

  • Salt: in winter the roads are often covered with salt, convenient for snow, but hell for your vehicle. Nothing could be simpler than a splash of water. Be careful, this one can remove the grease present on your chain, remember to use a special spray to lubricate the technical parts of your vehicle.
  • The fog lights: For you and for others, it will be much more valuable to have headlights in good condition. Remember to adjust and clean them regularly.
  • Battery: this discharges naturally and even more quickly with the cold. To avoid getting lost, remember to regularly check the condition of the battery and the spark plugs. These two elements will allow you to start straight away !

Some recommendations …

It is essential to ride with motorcycle tires in good condition when we take the winter roads. Pay attention and regularly check the condition of your tires to make sure they are in good health. If this is not the case, it is important to equip yourself with new motorcycle tires which will allow you to be more relaxed when the weather conditions are threatening. However, just like in a car, the good performance of your motorcycle tires will depend on how you use them. We can’t repeat it enough, be careful especially on two wheels !

Here are some motorcycle tire profiles suitable for winter conditions:

  • HEIDENAU K60
  • METZELER FeelFree Wintec
  • MICHELIN Pilot Power
  • DUNLOP Qualify II
  • PIRELLI Angel ST

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