The Winter Road Warrior

pioneer press ^ | 1-14-09 | Joe Soucheray

[WOBBLY BOB]

Perhaps you've seen him — or them. Victor Wanchena explains why he rides his salt-encrusted Ural on an arctic January day.

[WOBBLY BOB]

hardcore biker

[Dixie Yooper]

During my last year of high school 1974-75, in Iron River, MI, there was a kid who just got his license and a new enduro motorcycle. He rode that bike 10 miles everyday back and forth to school. Once winter started, he kept riding it until one day when he slid under a car at an intersection in town, seriously injuring his leg. To this day, he still walks with a bad limp.

[ryan71]

It’s tough driving in the winter.

As I was driving home from Tampa last night I had to close my sunroof.

It was frigid. Brrrrrrr.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That’s why they make those spiked tires for dirt bike racing on ice.

[Dixie Yooper]

That’s why they make those spiked tires for dirt bike racing on ice.

Or you can do it yourself with sheet metal screws.

[BraveMan]

I feel like a poser now. Maybe if I got tire studs for the KLR . . .

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Ah...when I owned the Snortin Norton up north, the tires were thin already...

[arthurus]

I rode for 26 years, no 4 wheelers, just bikes from mopeds at age 16 up to anything that would get me down the road. I did not discriminate about weather. For 18 of those years I averaged between 20k and 30k miles per annum. If I meant to go somewhere, I went on my bike. That includes going from Laramie to Pocatello Wyoming at -10 and colder in snow (some of it, of course, at night) and riding on clear ice after a freezing rain in San Angelo, Texas. If that is how you go you learn to dress for it, and how to drive in it, whatever “it” is. The worst ride I ever had was going through an atmosphere that was 50% bugs in Louisiana at night. I had to stop occasionally and scrape the bugs off my goggles and off the headlight so I could see.

[zeugma]

Yup. He’s hardcore. I ride every day. The only thing that stops me is ice/snow. I put 11k on my sportster over the past year. It was cold riding in to work today. I hear it will be worse tomorrow or the day after. My car hasn’t been started in so long, the batter is completely dead.

[Just another Joe]

When I was younger, and invincible, I road a little 360 Honda for 3 years, year round, all season, all weather.
I rode it in the winter, through snow, through ice, through whatever.
Two tires and two feet make four points of contact.

Was it dangerous? Probably
Would I do it nowadays? Heck No!

I just couldn't afford insurance on a car back then.

[WOBBLY BOB]

it’s -7 here this morning. a rough spring day.

[WOBBLY BOB]

it’s -7 here this morning. a rough spring day here in MN

[zeugma]

it’s -7 here this morning. a rough spring day.

That's freaking cold! I live in Texas for a reason! :-)