Lamonster
12-05-2009, 06:07 PM
It figures that it had to pick today as the first snow we've had all year. I've been wanting to ride the RT to this for a couple of weeks now and no matter what I was going. I called the guys putting it on just to make sure I wasn't the only fool in the Walmart parking lot. They said we are good to go.
This was put on by the U.S Marine Corps Reserve and was sponsored by Clubhouse Custom Cycles. I figured seeing I had two boys in the Marines now and one in Air Force Boot Camp it was the least I could do to support the cause. The Marines Toys For Tots (http://www.toysfortots.org/) does a great work every year and bikers all over the country look forward to showing their support to the Marines and the kids.
A couple of days before I called my buddy Ron up to see if he wanted to go. Ron always wants to go but you'll never really know if he's going till the last minute. I've come to expect that from him and about half the time he does make it. I called last night to see if he was still going to go seeing it was going to snow. He said it's only going to snow in the mountains but that's not what my weather report said. Anyway he was still going at that point. Then I get a call this morning and he says "hey, it's snowing". Yea so what I said. I already had it in my head that this was going to be a snow ride so it was no big deal to me.
My first real ride on my Boss Hoss years ago was in the snow. I went to lunch with some buddies and when we got done it was snowing pretty good. I was about 40 miles from home and didn't really know the bike at all and it was the first time I had ever ridden in the snow on a motorcycle. If you want a real thrill ride try riding a 1200 lb motorcycle with 350+ horsepower in the snow. I'm talking two wheels here. It was great to be on three wheels today.
So anyway Ron called back later and just couldn't see where it would be a good idea riding in the snow toady. He's always been much smarter than me.
My wife decided to run to town with her dad just before I left and manged to get my 4-wheeldrive truck stuck on a hill. I had to jump on the tractor and hook a chain up to the truck and pull them out before I could leave. That went okay but my butt was wet from sitting on a cold wet tractor seat. As a matter of fact it's still a little wet now.
So I fire up the RT and let it warm up and turn on the heated grips. By this time it was snowing pretty good and was about 34 degrees out. I started by putting on an extra pair of socks. Then some snow pants over my wet jeans (I know I should have changed them). On top of that I put on my chaps. My lower body was all set. I just wore my Gerbing (http://www.gerbing.com/Products/Outerwear/armoredHeatedJacket.html) jacket but never plugged it in. By this time was getting hot and needed to get moving.
I stopped in my driveway and took this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7sWuoLrn6I
The roads were wet but not too slick yet.The Spyder did great on the wet roads and I never really had any concern about driving, I was more concerned about keeping warm. The RT has good wind protection. I did find that a windshield wiper would have been nice to keep the snow off.
I pulled into the parking lot and I wasn't the only fool there but there weren't too many of us. I figured it would be a little light because of the weather. I signed in and gave them my toy and waited to see who else was going to show.
This was the view when I got there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWuAPTzoUug
After a little while Santa showed up and he wants a RT for Christmas but wasn't sure who to ask. I told him Misses Clause would be a good place to start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1geV_k05kY
Folks keep trickling in and it was starting to look like a real Toy Run.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooHUtxZX5zw
I talked to one rider there that had dropped his bike twice before leaving his house. He was full of mud and I suspect he was cold too. That didn't stop him from showing up. You got to respect these guys for coming out in this weather.
Another good group of folks showed up and then our police escort showed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWI2DAyY3-w
We had a police escort the whole way into town and folks stopped in the middle of the road to watch all these crazy bikers riding in the snow. I was in the back of the pack just in case someone had a problem but all went well. When we pulled into the end of our route I split off and headed back home.
The RT did great even in the cold weather. The heated grips were fantastic and the wind protection helped keep me pretty warm without having to plug in my gear. I had one spot in the road were I slipped in a turn but it was no big deal. If I was on my bike that would have been another story.
I got to give my Bro's respect for riding on two wheels in this weather today but I got to tell you other than being in a truck I couldn't have been on a better vehicle.
This was put on by the U.S Marine Corps Reserve and was sponsored by Clubhouse Custom Cycles. I figured seeing I had two boys in the Marines now and one in Air Force Boot Camp it was the least I could do to support the cause. The Marines Toys For Tots (http://www.toysfortots.org/) does a great work every year and bikers all over the country look forward to showing their support to the Marines and the kids.
A couple of days before I called my buddy Ron up to see if he wanted to go. Ron always wants to go but you'll never really know if he's going till the last minute. I've come to expect that from him and about half the time he does make it. I called last night to see if he was still going to go seeing it was going to snow. He said it's only going to snow in the mountains but that's not what my weather report said. Anyway he was still going at that point. Then I get a call this morning and he says "hey, it's snowing". Yea so what I said. I already had it in my head that this was going to be a snow ride so it was no big deal to me.
My first real ride on my Boss Hoss years ago was in the snow. I went to lunch with some buddies and when we got done it was snowing pretty good. I was about 40 miles from home and didn't really know the bike at all and it was the first time I had ever ridden in the snow on a motorcycle. If you want a real thrill ride try riding a 1200 lb motorcycle with 350+ horsepower in the snow. I'm talking two wheels here. It was great to be on three wheels today.
So anyway Ron called back later and just couldn't see where it would be a good idea riding in the snow toady. He's always been much smarter than me.
My wife decided to run to town with her dad just before I left and manged to get my 4-wheeldrive truck stuck on a hill. I had to jump on the tractor and hook a chain up to the truck and pull them out before I could leave. That went okay but my butt was wet from sitting on a cold wet tractor seat. As a matter of fact it's still a little wet now.
So I fire up the RT and let it warm up and turn on the heated grips. By this time it was snowing pretty good and was about 34 degrees out. I started by putting on an extra pair of socks. Then some snow pants over my wet jeans (I know I should have changed them). On top of that I put on my chaps. My lower body was all set. I just wore my Gerbing (http://www.gerbing.com/Products/Outerwear/armoredHeatedJacket.html) jacket but never plugged it in. By this time was getting hot and needed to get moving.
I stopped in my driveway and took this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7sWuoLrn6I
The roads were wet but not too slick yet.The Spyder did great on the wet roads and I never really had any concern about driving, I was more concerned about keeping warm. The RT has good wind protection. I did find that a windshield wiper would have been nice to keep the snow off.
I pulled into the parking lot and I wasn't the only fool there but there weren't too many of us. I figured it would be a little light because of the weather. I signed in and gave them my toy and waited to see who else was going to show.
This was the view when I got there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWuAPTzoUug
After a little while Santa showed up and he wants a RT for Christmas but wasn't sure who to ask. I told him Misses Clause would be a good place to start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1geV_k05kY
Folks keep trickling in and it was starting to look like a real Toy Run.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooHUtxZX5zw
I talked to one rider there that had dropped his bike twice before leaving his house. He was full of mud and I suspect he was cold too. That didn't stop him from showing up. You got to respect these guys for coming out in this weather.
Another good group of folks showed up and then our police escort showed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWI2DAyY3-w
We had a police escort the whole way into town and folks stopped in the middle of the road to watch all these crazy bikers riding in the snow. I was in the back of the pack just in case someone had a problem but all went well. When we pulled into the end of our route I split off and headed back home.
The RT did great even in the cold weather. The heated grips were fantastic and the wind protection helped keep me pretty warm without having to plug in my gear. I had one spot in the road were I slipped in a turn but it was no big deal. If I was on my bike that would have been another story.
I got to give my Bro's respect for riding on two wheels in this weather today but I got to tell you other than being in a truck I couldn't have been on a better vehicle.