Visit my website for information regaurding my Coast to Coast and back Canadian Winter Ride and what is needed for staying warm and safe.
Ratty's Shack

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2 Lost Canadians on a World Walkabout

SAE Viscosity Chart

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TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

-65? Really?

Coldest I've been down to for an extended ride is about 10 degrees. I wouldn't want to be out if its much colder than that I don't think. 65w Heated jacket over a t-shirt under a fleece under a waterproof motorcycle jacket with its thermal liner in, overpants with fleece liners, jeans, and thermals. Heated socks in heavy dual sport boots, heated gloves behind BIG hand guards (not hippo hands). No fairings or windscreen beyond the hand guards. That ride almost made me buy a car lol.

Most of January and February this year had highs in the 20's and lows in the high teens to low 20's and it sucked. Fortunately I had a job that shut down if there was significant amounts of freezing or frozen precip, we're not allowed studded tires here and the roads never stay snow or ice covered long enough anyways.

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2008 Yamaha WR250R

I have done SS1000 ICE BUTT twice 2010 and 2011.
This year we start from Nordkapp 11 Feb temperature was all the time below -20°C and coldest -30°C.

For year 2012 we are planing DUSTY WOBBLS ICE BUTT 2012 for all riders who are willing to do that kind of event some ones has already done registrations.


FACTS

Bikes will need to built and must be tested with all the gears and clothing before the event etc..that will take some time. I can arrange ICE BUTT training camp just before event where all the riders, gears and equipments will be tested to be suitable for ICE BUTT

Also all other arrangements transportation, accommodating, safety car, training and testing must be done in proper way if you want to ride ICE BUTT and achieve the goal and finishing line....more than 1000 mile / less than 24 hour.

It's not so easy to ride ICE BUTT ?

There is only 8 persons in the world who has done't 7 of them is still alive and I'm the only one who has done't twice so I think I know what I'm talking about.

ICE BUTT isn't just a ride, you can easily kill your self or can be wounded by frostbites or other cold or frost injury rest of your life if your aren't properly prepared and trained of it.

That's why I don't want but your guys on the road just knowing that you aren't done things right or gears what you are using aren't in proper condition and it's more like you will be defiantly drop of before finish.

Most of all you can be in very bad condition afterwards or rest of your life.....and I can't live with that rest of my life "I put tees guy on the road and they aren't apply to ride motorbike any more".

You understand what I mean?

If we do something we will do it in the way we will achieve the goal....and will be apply to do it again and be happy afterwards what we did.
Feel free to contact for more details.

More of winter riding you can found here ICE BUTT

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...You know it's a bit windy when you get passed by your own dust...

Geez, I really don't know what to say about this idea of doing an intentional long trip in cold weather.

Some years back, as a result of unforeseen delays and tight deadlines, I rode my ST1100 about 1,000 miles or so from Kansas to Toronto in temperatures from 0° to -8° C (32 to 18F). Despite having a very expensive BMW cold temperature riding suit, Widder electric vest, electric chaps, electric gloves, heated handgrips, a larger than normal windscreen, etc., I found that the whole ride was very fatiguing.

I could ride for perhaps an hour at a time in reasonable comfort, but after an hour, I would notice that my overall awareness, reaction time, and judgement was starting to suffer. I would not want to make a trip like that again.

My biggest concern would not be frostbite or physical harm as a result of the exposure to the cold, it would be making a mental error (a judgement error) that would lead to an accident.

Michael

Well, maybe that´s what made you freeze....

CapoSakke is an expert on winter riding, and I ain´t, but I did some of that years ago, enough to know that thorough preparation (especially regarding your gear & the bike!) is everything.

Very challenging actually, to do 1600 kms within 24 hours in winter conditions. You´ll need to keep a decent average speed on snowy & icy roads. Surely ain´t for everybody.

Gear is everything and i don't condone the use of electrics however facts speak loud,Your body produces perspiration with electrics and as soon as you are at a stand still you produce even more but as soon as you start to move you will find that your perspiration cools at a much faster rate.I do not consider myself the expert on winter riding but i can say i have been in the most extreme conditions with wind chill factored in i have under my belt -63 over hundreds of kilometers,some days were 14 hours of endurance and the only cold part on my body was my feet due to improper fitting boots.
The helmet used was a BVS2 Skidoo helmet,It has a integral respirator with a filter to protect the lungs from freezing as well the stock visor worked perfectly until it got allot of snow in side from standing at the road side with it open in a blizzard,I had to replace it with an electric one that made a night and day difference.When the stock visor failed i was riding at night and i could not see a thing so when i opened it up to see where i was going i suffered frost bite within a minute on the only exposed skin, my cheek.
For the layering i wore the first layer of a polar tech followed by Fleese Hely Hanssen and the a ATV riding suit and that was all that was needed.My ride across Canada in the winter from the west Coast to the East Coast and back again is explained on my website,The story is still not completed yet but you can find out the troubles and mistakes that were learned along the way.

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2 Lost Canadians on a World Walkabout

Capo Sakke, looks like you have had some fun weekends winter riding on your ice butt race, I am kind of suprised to see the boys wearing reguler helmets with ski goggles on.On my ride i used self tapping carbide tipped studs what were you fellows using?

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2 Lost Canadians on a World Walkabout

4 years ago whilst returning across Norway, the Grotli pass was unseasonably cold, even by Scandanavian standards, my temp guage showed -38c, the news said -37c. either way it was cold.
everything made of flexible plastic broke, spare oil turned to rubber, I was hypothermic. Cold is dangerous, not because of freezing to death, but because it removes your inhibitions. You take more risks, because you don't really care. Your hands and feet are numb, but it doesn't matter, cos they don't hurt.
Fine if your heated kit works, but your stuffed if it fails. more complication= more failure. Batteries wont start cold engines easily, so preheating is essential, so the oil will pump. In the proper cold, simplicity rules. gloves stay on at all times, so fiddly stuff is no use.

On the positive side, ice is quite grippy at those temperatures.

It was one of the most spectacular and beautiful rides I have ever had.
(apart from the G/F)

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Harley Davidsons,
The most effective way of turning petrol into noise without the side-effect of horsepower

COOL RUN

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...You know it's a bit windy when you get passed by your own dust...

COOL RUN

That's the thing you must be prepared "mental error" in cold temp you brains are coming "slower" and you must be capable to recognised that before it's to late otherwise results could be very inexcusable....
What I have done it's based on decades practice of all kind of winter sports what include year after year mental and physical training.
I don't recommend to try any kind of challenge whit out thoughtful practice.
Hope you remember that before give a try. I'm willing to give advices how to do it if need it.
There is thousands of peoples who can run 100 meters in 10 seconds but only few can do it in 9,7......

Training is every thing

COOL Runnings

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...You know it's a bit windy when you get passed by your own dust...

Thank you for your kind offer, but I have long since determined that my preferred air temperature for riding is about +25°C. The long ride in freezing temperatures I made some years ago was a result of getting surprised by a totally unexpected polar high pressure area... for sure not something I would want to do again.

Michael

Total respect for being a freezing weather rider...

Not for me though.. I travel JUST to get away from the cold. I hate it !
We evolved out of Africa... Being cold is just not normal !

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Being hot is even less normal !, just cant understand wanting to be dripping sweat, getting dehydrated, everything is harder in the heat its uncomfortable, helmets are awful to wear, protective gear is a hinderance and uncomfortable give me a cold one any day. That said minus 35 is just silly. Joe c90 I know your mad so its ok for you.
Riding in the cold means lots of high calorie hot - small meals every hour or two (warm up from the inside) it stops the brain slowing and lets your body recover while you eat and move around off the bike, get good multiple layers of wool/silk/down and a wind waterproof outer layer - nylon based so wind and water runs off not Cordura based stuff which just gets damp and freezes, heated clothing opens up the surface blood vessels tricking your body its warmer and so draws heat from your core so you actually cool down quicker - not good and very bad when you stop - your body temp plummets, fine for short trips or an occasional boost over a cool period but not for extended cold trips. Heated gloves or hand grips are a good aid to hands and worth having if your bike can support them. Good quality 100% wool/mohair socks with a loose knit and fluffy finish trap lots of air and work better than any high tech modern stuff I have ever seen or even better wool mixed with fur socks (don't wear as well as wool) but they are so warm (yes - you can get them in Finland - super warm) also worn with a fine silk sock next to the skin. your feet will stay alive in the coldest weather.

very cold:
No midges/mosquito's/ flying teeth
No tourists/campervans
No need for campsites
No trying to find water
Food never goes off
Tyres last well.
Maximum giggle factor

Nah not mad at all!

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Harley Davidsons,
The most effective way of turning petrol into noise without the side-effect of horsepower