[USMC aircrew]

Ladies and Gents,
I just bought a 2015 Indian Scout over the new years and living in Northern Virginia is getting quite cold. I have very little riding gear and looking to buy some good riding gear for the winter. Any recommendations on gear (jackets, gloves, pants) for riding in close to freezing weather?

 

[ScootNScout]

Freeze out brand for your base layer. Cheap and effective.

 

[Mack]

Freeze out brand for your base layer. Cheap and effective.

Agreed. Have the pants, shirt and glove liners. Very effective and price is fair. Cycle gear online.

 

[RBinTEX]

Pretty hard to beat Aerostitch products.

 

[Brian Meyers]

I still use some old Patagonia base layers from my Chicago running days almost 20 years ago, and believe it or not they still work great on the bike if layered. I also have two pairs of Lee Parks summer, and winter gloves. Summer gloves are great, but the winter gloves can't handle it here in So-Cal if temps dip below 45* for me (I'm 69 and blood circulation to SOME extremities ain't what it use to be, thankfully NOT that extremity)

Rode for the first time this morning with Gerbing's COREHEAT 7, latest greatest battery heated gloves (about $270) this morning, temps 40* wind chill 24*. Had to set gloves at medium, and for the two hour ride and they worked great. checking the batteries when home they showed some remaining power, but how much? Everything depends on temperature, wind chill, what you are comfortable with and how long you will be exposed. Some riders purchase two sets of batteries for road trips etc. If comfortable with the parameters, the gloves fit my US large hands as they should and are well constructed, abet pricey. I bought them thru Revzilla which I can also recommend.

My ultimate solution for enduring 57 years of Chicago weather; Southern Caliifornia

 

[USMC aircrew]

Thanks for the info. I think I will try the base layer first... Too broke for heated gloves.

 

[Brian Meyers]

I should have said start with a base layer (never cotton) and several layers thereafter till you find you're comfort level. You can always take something off as it warms up.
Have fun with the challenge.

 

[leadermotorcycle]

We don't have any cold weather clothing, but you do have some wind and rain deflectors.

Desert Dawgs - Indian Chief & Chieftain (Tan)

Cuts down on the wind and cold and helps a ton! Let me know if you have any questions. - Tracey

 

[Brian Meyers]

Just asking leadermotorcycle but, this is the Indian Scout section of the Forum, designed and dedicated to all things related to the Indian Scout motorcycle, on a thread entitled " Winter Riding on the Scout".

You posted "Desert Dawgs - Indian Chief & Chieftain (Tan)". You don't mention Scout here, or on your very well designed web page. Not one word on ether of the only two highway bars (OEM/Aeromach) that fit the 2015/6 Scout, so WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? Just asking.

 

[TNTXjones]

@USMC aircrew Get yourself some sort of neck protector too such as a balaclava or something similar if there's a gap between helmet and jacket for you. I use one and it makes a difference for me.

Make sure you get some glove liners or warm gloves, whatever works. My hands are the first thing to go super cold and since they're important you gotta account for them. Happy riding! I am about to run an errand in 37 degrees myself because...I gotta ride.

 

[webmost]

First snow finally arrived last night on my ride back from the YMCA. Just a couple flakes, is all. We've thankfully had a mild winter, this year, after a couple years of polar vortex and all. Low 20s when I set off for the office in the morning. 28 now. I generally ride on down to five degrees. After that, a bike gets hard to start. Other than the Scout, that is, which gets hard to start anywhere less than a mere 30. Sopowa has been completely useless to me for the last two weeks. I have been riding Biffy Bullfrog, the KLR650, which is a capable snowdog and an excellent cold weather starter.

Dull-Aware is not the coldest place. We make no pretense to Saskatchewan winters or anything like that. But we do stick with highs in the teens for weeks on end each winter. As a certifiable year round rider for 55 years now, I can tell you exactly how to do it... but you won't believe me. Why? Cause you don't have to buy anything. The secret is too simple for you. Here it is:

Stay chill.

That's it. Two words. Let your body adjust. It will, I assure you, if you give it a chance. Ask old Bud Grant. But your body will not adjust, I also assure you, unless you stay chill. Don't worry... it's good exercise... heat is calories. At 50 degrees, wear your leather jacket with no liner. At 40 degrees, pull a cotton Henley over before you don your jacket with no liner. At 30, discard the Henley, grab lined gloves, and now insert the jacket liner. At 20, don your rain pants over your jeans, and your jacket liner. Don't even think about heated grips before the teens. Anyone I know who starts firing heated this and goretex that in the fifties and forties will park their bike by the time it hits the twenties. I am a tropical guy brought up in SoCal, yet I never ever feel the need for heated clothing. I let my body adjust. Step by step. It's refreshing. A helluva lot easier than adjusting to heat.

Here is Acela, my R1100R, parked at the office several years back:

Life is too short to ride in a cage peeking out at the world so wistfully thru a wee window.

 

[ScootNScout]

REI carries great barcalavas at a reasonable price. I've had mine since 2010 and still use it even when not riding. 3 way adjustable.

 

[cameramanx]

It's mid January and I'm still riding in southern New England. If you can figure out how to make the jump into heated gear it's pretty awesome. I have the whole nine yards. Socks pants jacket and gloves with a 2 zone wireless temperature controller that I velcro to the top of the speedometer for easy access and control. Total comfort, I'm warm and happy at temperatures down into the low 20s. At that point I became more worried about snow, ice, sand and salt than the cold. I'm sure that those 3 things will drive me off the roads for a couple of months very soon. But I have absolutely no issues with being cold. Good luck with whatever way you decide to go.

 

[Bigwaves]

I still riding my scout. I use my skiing base layers under by shoulder season leathers and no problem. (other than starting the bike). I ride the BMW right through a new england winter as long as the salt is off the road.

 

[floyd]

It's mid January and I'm still riding in southern New England. If you can figure out how to make the jump into heated gear it's pretty awesome. I have the whole nine yards. Socks pants jacket and gloves with a 2 zone wireless temperature controller that I velcro to the top of the speedometer for easy access and control. Total comfort, I'm warm and happy at temperatures down into the low 20s. At that point I became more worried about snow, ice, sand and salt than the cold. I'm sure that those 3 things will drive me off the roads for a couple of months very soon. But I have absolutely no issues with being cold. Good luck with whatever way you decide to go.

I've thought about getting one of those battery heated hoodies! I've heard a lot of good things about them. But like you said, patches of ice and snow are a big concern. Winter started out pretty mild here in the mid-west, so I was able to ride until mid-December!

 

[PakRat]

Ladies and Gents,
I just bought a 2015 Indian Scout over the new years and living in Northern Virginia is getting quite cold. I have very little riding gear and looking to buy some good riding gear for the winter. Any recommendations on gear (jackets, gloves, pants) for riding in close to freezing weather?

Get a windshield. Look for snowmobile gear. Leather jacket with liner, though I use a hoodie instead of a liner. I also use Gerbing heated gloves, pants, and jacket which help a lot. I recently found this fleece lined leather headgear which I ordered, yes it's a bit Darth Vaderish (or whatever the new bad guy in Star Wars is) but looks warm too:

 

[Moto doc]

When I ride in temps as low as 25F, some items I see as necessities. Full face helmet, heated grips, electric vest, neck gator, well insulated boots, fully wind proof outer layers, and lots of layers. Oh yeah, as big of a windshield as you can put on. Wind chill is your enemy. The heated vest is a big deal. If you keep your core temps up, more warm blood can circulate to your extremities.

 

[webmost]

You wimps stay warm.
Me, I'll just chill.

Tell ya, this KLR is a darn good starter at 14 degrees.
Hoping for heaps of snow this weekend.

Love this pic from RMVic

He ain't ascared o nuttin

 

[webmost]

keepin cozy

 

[JimmyZ]

I have ridden in the cold for many years. Most difficulty I had was keeping my feet warm. I never tried the battery operated socks. The best winter boots I had still left my feet colder than any where else. On the D.C. roads, interestingly enough, I had more problems with sliding on the underpasses than I did on the overpasses. Ride safe. Curious what other cold weather riders use for their feet.