Winter Riding Tips | Cold and Tyres

This winter riding tip is brought to you by Protecta Insurance. They have your back even in the worst conditions. See Protectainsurance.co.nz for a quote today.

Cold weather means colder tires. And as everyone should know, cold tires equate to limited traction. Riding helps increase heat in the tire, but even the briefest stop can quickly cool the tires down, reducing traction.

While on this subject, let’s also discuss how you get heat in your tires. Many riders sway back and forth like a racing driver but simply put, this is a waste of time.

To truly get heat in the tires, accelerate and decelerate quickly in a straight line for a bit, obviously being aware of how much traction is available. Hard on brakes, to hard on the throttle puts heat in tires more quickly than riding like some redneck.

Also, make sure you have adequate tread on your tires and they aren’t too old for winter riding. Penny pinching on tires is about as stupid as penny-pinching on the quality of a motorcycle helmet, and this is truer than ever in winter-motorcycling scenarios. It will rain, and it may even snow. You’ll need to channel water/snow more than ever.

Check your tire pressure; This is more crucial during the winter months when optimal traction is needed.

And finally, consider a Ride Forever course in the winter months. There is a lot to learn, and you don't know what you don't know.