Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Faark me!!! 8 degrees C overnight down here in Melbourne!!! The puppies had there Pyjamas on last night for the first time this year!!! (they just had a clip, so they looked a little chilly when I put them out last night!! ) The top temp forecast for today is a balmy 18 degrees and showers!!!! Brrrrr!

So it looks as though we are nearing the end of that fantastic riding weather we have been enjoying of late!!! Next is to drag out all the winter gear again! I havn't yet fitted the heated grips to the Rex, but I reckon that might have to be a priority job now the weather is cooling rapidly.

Gloves are also something I need to upgrade, with the last pair I bought being two years ago now and also having survived a crash on the Hornet, being in need of replacement. On that note, does anyone have any good reviews on winter weight waterproof gloves with "Goretex" in them. Not Di-tec or Hypora or any other waterproof insert, but just plain common garden variety "Goretex" in them???

I'll ask this question then run and duck for cover.......Anyone ever used heated clothing???

Heated Clothing... No...

But i'm still not used to this shit arse cold Sydney weather so i'm interested.

I've got a pair of Teknic semi winter gloves which I think have Goretex. They're a good glove, comfortable, warmish (OK for Sydney Winters), not too bulky, with little fabric bits on the thumb to wipe your visor if you desperately need to, carbon bits for protection, double leather on the palms etc . Shite in the wet though . I still go the big washing up gloves over them if I need to.

Don't know about the heated gear, but I'm gonna buy some decent textile pants this year...anything you can recommend?

As you know I ride all year round and sometimes don't get much of a choice as to the type of weather I ride in. If it's really, really cold, I wear, starting from the top down:

Cotton balaklava
Neck sock
Thermal top
Long sleeve shirt
Leather jacket
Fluro yellow jacket over the top.... Mine is XXL so it fits comfortably over the top of the leather jacket. It's one of the PVC kind. Stops the wind and rain getting through.
Thermal pants
Leather pants
Fluro yellow PVC pants
And the most important thing of all.... A really good pair of thermal socks. Mine cost me $30 and are fantastic in winter.

Thinking about investing in a kidney belt this year, just in case.

Strika wrote:Faark me!!! 8 degrees C overnight down here in Melbourne!!! .......Anyone ever used heated clothing???

We had 3 degrees C last night and the forecast for light frosts the next few days....might have to break out the neck sock or sumfin


A mate of mine got a whole bunch of the heated clothing brought over from England by his mother-in-law over a year ago, but it was summer here when it arrived and he hasn't ridden much since then, so I don't know how well it works

Mick C wrote:

Strika wrote:Faark me!!! 8 degrees C overnight down here in Melbourne!!! .......Anyone ever used heated clothing???

We had 3 degrees C last night and the forecast for light frosts the next few days....might have to break out the neck sock or sumfin


A mate of mine got a whole bunch of the heated clothing brought over from England by his mother-in-law over a year ago, but it was summer here when it arrived and he hasn't ridden much since then, so I don't know how well it works

If you can get it posted, now is the time to buy winter clothing in England - they are selling it all cheap as they are coming into summer (if you can call that summer )

Some internet/mail order companies over there are expensive on postage, but try http://www.mandp.co.uk or http://www.busters-accessories.co.uk

the neck sock is probably by far the best invention ever!
lately ive been freezing my tits off going to work in the morning, so im improvising with a scarf, but going to invest in a neck sock.
Thermal pants will definately be on the shopping list this winter, while the horney jeans do a good job of keeping most of the air out, it still gets cold...

i'll need to buy winter gear too, i have nuthing only summer gear time for a shop

Glen wrote:I've got a pair of Teknic semi winter gloves which I think have Goretex. They're a good glove, comfortable, warmish (OK for Sydney Winters), not too bulky, with little fabric bits on the thumb to wipe your visor if you desperately need to, carbon bits for protection, double leather on the palms etc . Shite in the wet though . I still go the big washing up gloves over them if I need to.

Don't know about the heated gear, but I'm gonna buy some decent textile pants this year...anything you can recommend?

I have a pair of Joe rocket Textile dacks. They have the usual removable thermal liner. Which I honestly only ever use when it's below about 15c! They unzip all the way down the outside of the legs, so you can get into them with your boots and jeans or leathers still on no problems. It makes for a quick by the side of the road change when needed. They come with a bib and brace set-up, which looks a bit grandpa ish...but is actually a really good feature, as it allows the waist to sit looser around you making it really comfy as an all day proposition. Whatever you buy, make sure it's easy to get into in a hurry!!!

I can't remember what my winter gloves are offhand (heh, off-hand, ha... uh.... *ahem*) but they're fantastic. I wear my good leather 'race' type gloves 90% of the time, even if it looks like rain, I really only have the proper winter gloves for when it's clearly bucketing, absolutely freezing, or if I'm touring they are packed just in case

Strika wrote: They come with a bib and brace set-up, which looks a bit grandpa ish...

If the shoe fits old son........

Glen wrote:

Strika wrote: They come with a bib and brace set-up, which looks a bit grandpa ish...

If the shoe fits old son........

People in rickety old houses...shouldn't jump on the floor boards Glen!!!!!

yep was bloody freezing at 6:30 this morning when I came into work... had to pull the neck warmer out!

And of course, just in time for the cold snap, my heated grips would give out on me LOL... the control thingy fell off but had them under 12months so hopefully will be replaced under warranty *fingers crossed* really shoulda worn the winter gloves rather than the summer ones!

I ride all year round too and for super cold I wear a combination of the following:

polar fleece neck warmer
long sleeved thermal top
jumper or two or a flanno
Ixon textile jacket (very warm liner and also very waterproof)

thermal pants
leather pants
maybe plastic pants over the top if I'm really cold
Explorer thermal socks

I've got some fairly poxy Rivet cheapo winterish gloves, they aren't all that thick and they are getting quite old now but they work really well with the heated grips at least they work well until they get wet, then it takes them three days to dry out

I bought a pair of ixon textile pants, but they suck at being waterproof and didn't come with the winter liner (gotta buy separately just never got round to it) and aren't particularly comfortable... shame seeing as the jacket is so good.

Know a girl here in Canberra who had a heated vest and heated gloves and she swore by them!

With heated grips you won't need heated clothing. It's weird but the warm palms seem to trick the body into thinking that it's warm... I rode all winter with summer jacket no problems..

Shouldn't this thread be in the riding gear section!