03-19-2012, 08:41 AM
What Kaan said. I commuted every day, rain, shine, frigid, or searing hot for about 5 years. What I took away from it was that it thoroughly removed the enjoyment of motorcycling for me, and taught me that motorcycles aren't designed to be used every day. Now, I commute when the weather isn't going to suck - if rain's in the forecast I'm taking the car... that's why I own it - and when I feel like it.
Like mentioned, you need to be able to work on your bike and there are steps you can take to mitigate trouble, but you'll start to get things wearing out very quickly that you'd never have expected. Nothing sucks more than coming out of your office and finding out that the bike won't start.
Buy nice gear for every riding situation. It pays huge dividends and the more time you spend on the bike, the more you'll appreciate it. If your helmet liner feels like sandpaper now, imagine how it's going to feel when you're putting it on to spend the 13th hour in it for the week. Corollary: take good care of your gear. Poor care will shoten the lifespan and it will start to do things like smell. And your coworkers are going to notice if you smell.
Jackets: I own 4. I hate fucking with liners and vents and zippers and technical membranes . One jacket can't do it all very well.
Helmet: something that's comfortable and fits. I wear a skullcap in the summer and a balaclava in the winter. In the winter, it helps stay warm. In the summer, it helps keep my hair and sweat from funking up the liner.
Gloves: lots. All kinds of conditions and styles.
Pants: I wear Dickies. They're thicker than normal slacks, so they don't flap around as much on the bike and feel sturdier. My Dickies khakis look just like any other pair. Oh, and they don't wrinkle much. I don't really need overpants in anything but rain, but in those instances, I own a pair of Aerostich Darien overpants, which are the only things I've found to be ACTUALLY waterproof. If you think those PVC things are waterproof, wait until you show up at work looking like you wet yourself.
Boots: lucky enough to be able to wear standard pull-on boots at the office. But when it's wet, I have a pair of waterproof Sidis I wear. Lots of folks keep dress shoes as their desk.
Something Kaan didn't mention that I'm a huge fan of: heated gear. I I have a heated jacket and love it. Get the jacket over the vest because cold arms are lame AND...
... because they've got outlet ports for heated gloves. Heated gloves beat heated grips hands down. Just make sure your bike can handle the electrical load.
Have fun. If you start to get tired of it, you should probably get back in your car, though. In addition to taking the enjoyment out of the activity, a rider on autopilot is a dangerous rider.
Like mentioned, you need to be able to work on your bike and there are steps you can take to mitigate trouble, but you'll start to get things wearing out very quickly that you'd never have expected. Nothing sucks more than coming out of your office and finding out that the bike won't start.
Buy nice gear for every riding situation. It pays huge dividends and the more time you spend on the bike, the more you'll appreciate it. If your helmet liner feels like sandpaper now, imagine how it's going to feel when you're putting it on to spend the 13th hour in it for the week. Corollary: take good care of your gear. Poor care will shoten the lifespan and it will start to do things like smell. And your coworkers are going to notice if you smell.
Jackets: I own 4. I hate fucking with liners and vents and zippers and technical membranes . One jacket can't do it all very well.
Helmet: something that's comfortable and fits. I wear a skullcap in the summer and a balaclava in the winter. In the winter, it helps stay warm. In the summer, it helps keep my hair and sweat from funking up the liner.
Gloves: lots. All kinds of conditions and styles.
Pants: I wear Dickies. They're thicker than normal slacks, so they don't flap around as much on the bike and feel sturdier. My Dickies khakis look just like any other pair. Oh, and they don't wrinkle much. I don't really need overpants in anything but rain, but in those instances, I own a pair of Aerostich Darien overpants, which are the only things I've found to be ACTUALLY waterproof. If you think those PVC things are waterproof, wait until you show up at work looking like you wet yourself.
Boots: lucky enough to be able to wear standard pull-on boots at the office. But when it's wet, I have a pair of waterproof Sidis I wear. Lots of folks keep dress shoes as their desk.
Something Kaan didn't mention that I'm a huge fan of: heated gear. I I have a heated jacket and love it. Get the jacket over the vest because cold arms are lame AND...
... because they've got outlet ports for heated gloves. Heated gloves beat heated grips hands down. Just make sure your bike can handle the electrical load.
Have fun. If you start to get tired of it, you should probably get back in your car, though. In addition to taking the enjoyment out of the activity, a rider on autopilot is a dangerous rider.
When it comes to Ryan Jenkins, the story ends with me putting him in the wall.
2009 Speed Triple | 2006 DR-Z400SM | 1999 CBR600F4 | 1998 Jeep Cherokee
-Ginger
2009 Speed Triple | 2006 DR-Z400SM | 1999 CBR600F4 | 1998 Jeep Cherokee
-Ginger