Preparing for Winter Riding – Part 2

In the previous post, I talked about getting my gear ready. The main task now is getting the Ural ready for the snow, salt, and cold.

This is my Ural in summer form. I like the naked look of it, but it doesn’t do much like this to help with the cold wind.

One of the most important things to staying warm on a motorcycle in winter is to stay out of the wind. The lower leg fairings and large windshield do a great job of bending the wind around me. When installed, they leave a nice pocket of clean air. No buffeting, roaring, or negative pressure. It’s nice just listening to the sound of the engine.

Before I mounted the main windshield, I needed to fix it. Earlier this year, St. Croix HD cracked it when they put it back on after “cleaning” the bike. They tightened the bolts too much and broke the plastic. The hairline crack has been growing and is now almost three inches long.

I took the smallest drill bit I could find and put a tiny hole at the end of it to stop it from getting any longer. then I filled in the crack and hole with superglue on both sides. It isn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but it will be strong again.

The lower leg fairings installed:

 

and the main fairing:

One thing I learned the hard way this year: make sure the windshield is installed squarely and evenly. If not, since it is attached to the handlebars, the wind will cause a pulling sensation on the bars. Not fun!

I decided not to install the the sidecar windshield this year for two reasons. The first is it’s extra drag/wind resistance and I get better mpg without it. The second, and more important reason, is the sidecar windshield pushes air at the side of the motorcycle and me. Without it, I am riding in a calm pocket of air, but with it, I get a continuous cold blast from the right. Not fun. When I have a passenger in the winter, I’ll put it on. Otherwise it’s better without it.

The last step is to coat the bike in anti-corrosion spray. Last year, I used Boeshield T9. It worked pretty well, but formed into a waxy surface that wasn’t very nice to look at or remove. I wanted ACF-50, but couldn’t find it. I found some for this year. ACF-50 is what they use on seaplanes to keep them from rusting. Like the T9 it is safe for electrical connections and comes in an easy to use spray can. It isn’t cheap at $1 an oz either.

I covered the bike with it. It sure looks shiny! It also doesn’t really dry, so it will collect dust and gunk. It removes easily with warm soap and water, so that is a plus. It smells a lot like WD-40 and I wonder if they aren’t chemically related.

In my next Winter Riding post I’ll talk about my trip to Scrambler Cycle last week.

 

Related Posts:

• Preparing for Winter Riding – Part 1 – The Gear
• First Snow Ride of the Season

Super 9 Parts

I stopped being lazy today and finally ordered the missing parts for my Super 9 moped. One of the previous owners had removed the center stand and rear fender. The duct colling below was also ripped in half. It provides cool air to the transmission, and in the current state would provide cool air and water. No good. I need the rear fender to ride in the rain and the snow without getting myself and the scooter covered in grime, and a center stand is just handy.

I looked around on the internet and locally. I sent some e-mails and never heard back from the local guys, so I decided to just order online. The Super9 group claims that Stadium Yamaha is the place to order parts. I called them with a question about a specific part number after browsing their online parts list. I was not impressed with VJ as I had to tell him three times I have a red 2005 Kymco Super 9.

I still placed the order with them because their prices are reasonable and they came recommended. For the record, I ordered the following which should be here the day before Thanksgiving:

SKU		Item		Price		Qty		Ext
19410-KEB7-9000		DUCT COLLING		$6.42		1		$6.42
80108-KEB7-9000		PLATE SPLASH GUARD		$5.80		1		$5.80
80107-KEB7-900-N1R		(N1R) BLACK, NON GLOSS PLASTIC FENDER B REAR		$12.29		1		$12.29
80109-KEB7-9000		RUBBER RR FENDER B		$4.28		1		$4.28
80100-KEB7-9000		COLLAR RUBBER		$1.76		1		$1.76
95701-06020-07		BOLT WASHER 6*20		$0.97		1		$0.97
93404-06016-07		BOLT WASHER 6*16		$2.12		2		$4.24
50503-KEB7-9000		SHAFT MAIN STAND		$13.53		1		$13.53
50527-KED5-9000		BUSH OILES		$5.92		2		$11.84
5050A-KGB5-9000		STAND ASSY MAIN		$40.89		1		$40.89
94101-08700		WASHER PLAIN 8MM		$1.64		1		$1.64
94251-08400		PIN LOCK 8MM		$1.64		1		$1.64
95014-71402		SPG D MAIN STAND		$3.20		1		$3.20
50505-KBE-9000		STOPPER RUBBER		$2.24		1		$2.24

I also received a status update today on my ACF-50 Anti-Corrosion spray order from last month, they are on back order and will likely ship on November 12 which also means I should receive the spray about Thanksgiving. I hope we have a mild November in Minnesota this year.

Riding Around - October 15th

I took the SV650 out on some errands today. It was a moist 44F, so I left the heated gear at home. I didn't trust the Phantom to be waterproof, so I wore my Tourmaster rain suit over it. It kept me dry and it also added an extra wind barrier to keep me warm. It was pretty time consuming to put it all on and take it off, and I'm pretty sure I resembled the Michelin Man.

I also wore my Tourmaster winter gloves. I was surprised I only needed the heated grips for part of the ride. I ended up riding around sixty miles. It was pretty nice to get out and ride the SV again; It is such a different experience from the Super9. I also lubed the chain up after I got home since I'd been riding in the rain for so long.

I purchased a can of ACF-50 anti-corrosion spray today for my bikes, mainly the Super9. It was designed for the aerospace industry and is primarily used on planes to prevent and halt corrosion. I plan on coating my bikes in it to keep the Minnesota salt and winter grime off of them.