Heated Motorcycle Clothes for Winter Riding

Winter motorcycle gear and heated motorcycle clothes are two ways to extend the riding season. Any rider contemplating motorcycling all winter should first have a strong understanding of the issues facing him in the cold. The next step is to wrap up warmly and maybe install heated motorcycle gear.

Covering the Extremities Goes a Long Way Towards Making a Winter Motorcyclist Comfortable

The places where a motorcyclist is likely to feel coldest are her feet, her hands, and her head. These are good places to start when buying winter motorcycle gear. Many riders like to have a pair of thick, waterproof gloves for cold weather, keeping a lighter pair for summer. For extra warmth, motorcycle gloves can usually be worn over a pair of wool, fleece or silk gloves.

A second pair of thick socks helps takes care of the feet. For the head, there are balaclavas, caps and helmet liners. A scarf keeps the exposed neck and torso covered. Any helmet vents should be kept firmly closed.

Improve Winter Riding Gear With Warm Layers

Effective winter motorcycle gear is all about layers. The advantage of layers is that they can be switched in and out if conditions change. The winter motorcyclist may start with a t-shirt (a silk one is particularly warm). On top of this can be worn a sweatshirt, then a sweater. Some jackets come with fleece liners.

Motorcycle pants can fit over panty hose (tights) or silk long-johns. Waterproof pants can be worn on top of leathers. Such pants also help keep off the wind. Some riders also wear gaiters, a layer that goes over the boot and keeps the bottom of the pants dry.

Admittedly, such extreme layering generally results in the rider looking and feeling much like Michelin Man; on the other hand, it enables him to keep riding where less hardy souls give up. Slightly restricted movement is a small price to pay for warmth, and usually only comes into play when mounting the motorcycle.

Heated Motorcycle Clothes Extend the Riding Season

The simplest way to heat up a rider is to slip hand warmers inside gloves and boots. Some glove liners have in-built pockets for such hand-warmers, which are found in outdoors and department stores.

For the ultimate in cold-weather comfort, there is a wide range of heated motorcycle clothing. The rider can buy heated hand grips, seats, vests, gloves, pants – even insoles. Gerbing is leading provider of such heated clothing, but any motorcycle gear store will have several options.

Most heated motorcycle clothing hooks into the bike's battery, but some run off rechargeable battery packs. The simplest versions have no temperature controls and are thus either on, or off. Their advantage is simple ease of installation and low cost.

Suitably equipped with winter motorcycle gear and alert to cold weather dangers, a rider may not need to winterize her bike after all. She can continue to enjoy her sport year-round, protected from chills with layers of clothing.