Riding In Hot Weather - How to Keep Cool on your Bike

[SilvrT]

Some good info here ...

 

http://www.fix.com/blog/motorcycle-riding-in-hot-weather/

[cowpuc]

:think:Take your clothes off, works for me:stickpoke:

[SilvrT]

:think:Take your clothes off, works for me:stickpoke:

 

:scared:

[Bert2006]

I wear full gear all the time. Mesh jacket in summer lets plenty of air through and actually provides some insulation from the sun. If hot, i keep a waterbottle and priodically dump some down my back and around my neck. Not pretty, but works.

[Drews]

:think:Take your clothes off, works for me:stickpoke:

HOW CAN I GET THAT OUT OF MY MIND

[Great White]

I also wear full gear.

 

Mesh Joe Rocket jacket with extra armor in the shoulders, back, elbows etc.

 

Gloves are leather gauntlets, but uninsulated other than double layers in contact points.

 

Still full face helmet, but lots of flow through vents that can be opened or closed. Tried an open face one day when it was super hot. Felt a little cooler, but I felt terribly exposed (if it lays down on me) and didn't like the feeling.

 

I'm typically OK riding covered until it hits around 30-35c, then I start thinking about air conditioning and the truck....

[Bummer]

Irene and I are big on full gear - Kevlar lined jeans, steel toe boots, bucket, gloves. (Which has a lot to do with why we ride less and travel in the Z Roadster more these days.) Rather than a riding jacket in the summer we wear kevlar mesh shirts from the Draggin' Jeans company. The mesh isn't very large, but you can still get a sun tan/burn through it. We wear a standard t-shirt under the kevlar shirt.

 

At each rest area, and pretty much any other stop, we get a bottle of tap water (not chilled water ) and pour it on to soak the shirts. One bottle each. We get on the bike and ride to the next rest area/stop and do it again. By the time we get to the next rest area the shirts are getting dry, but it's like riding in air conditioning.

 

The shirts aren't really cool in the fashion sense (natural kevlar kind of gold color - long sleeves with velcro at the wrists), but they are highly abrasion resistant and very cool when wet and in motion. People look at us funny when we're pouring the water on, but it keeps us cool for fifty or sixty highway miles. Well worth it.

[SilvrT]

I'll often times soak my du-rag with cool water. Just got a new one with my new helmet that's a mesh style so soaking it probably won't do a lot of good.

[cowpuc]

You know, if ya carry an empty Milk jug filled with water on the side of your bike rigged so your passenger can reach back and unhook it and dump it over your head while your riding it really really does cool you off very nicely!! Also, if you take your lip sunscreen (its like Chapstick that has sunblock in it) and write a message on your chest the next day you will have a sun tanned message for everyone to see (works best in the desert sun)..

[Barrycuda]

I always wear full gear in the blazing heat and humidity in Florida. I have. Motoport marathon Kevlar air mesh jacket. Same for over pants, although not a matched set. Technically you can wear T shirt and shorts with them. I wear a base layer and columbia makes the omni freeze which keeps ya cooler. I too, employ the wet doo rag. Also, LD rider makes sleeves that you wet and place on the arms. Another trick I use is place frozen water bottles inside the inner and or outer pockets of the jacket. It has worked. I have a cooling vest but once those pass get warm, it's just extra weight.. One Veteran iron butt rider showed me and it works if you can do it...stop for gas and place your bandana/doo rag and helmet inside the bags of ice container while you fill up. It'll cool down that helmet a bit, and let's face it every bit helps...

[djh3]

The new "weather wicker" type shirts are great. Got some drawers like that material also. We bought some of the long sleve shirts in a florecent green in the sports wear section a couple years back during fall. You can add water to it if you want along the way, plus it keeps sun off your arms too.

[SilvrT]

if you take your lip sunscreen (its like Chapstick that has sunblock in it) and write a message on your chest the next day you will have a sun tanned message for everyone to see (works best in the desert sun)..

 

Puc, you are nothing short of a walking book of great ideas ............

[djh3]

Puc, you are nothing short of a walking book of great ideas ............

You know your right. Maybe we should put him in his own "special" building with folks there to watch him so nobody can take him for thier own.

[cowpuc]

You know your right. Maybe we should put him in his own "special" building with folks there to watch him so nobody can take him for thier own.

 

Just make sure those padded walls inside there are decored with 1st Gens, Choppers and Z50 Honda's and ol Puc will be just fine!!

[Condor]

Around here heat can't be avoided, but I've ridden across Nevada twice in 100+ temps. The first time I wore a mesh jacket, and wasn't uncomfortable, but by the time I got back to the barn I was drier than a popcorn fart. Took three days to rehydrate. It could have been serious. The second time I wore a very well vented textile jacket that slowed the air flow but still allowed cooling. Still comfortable, but not dehydrated when I got back. The mesh was in the trailer that was stolen, and I don't miss it a bit. On both trips I drank plenty of liquids. The mesh just wicked way more sweat than was necessary. The idea is to stay cool...not dry. There's no cooling effect when the skin is dry, and when it is dry the body will try to sweat more. Hence dehydration... Keeping dry will feel more comfortable...who likes sweaty clothes??... but it causes more moisture loss. Another thing that should be covered is fluid intake. The first trip is was two large bottles of Desanti every 150 miles. The second was 8oz bottle of Gatorade when stopped to pee, or fuel up. On the first trip I covered 600 miles in 10 hours and didn't need to pee once. The second trip was about 500 miles and about 10 hours and pee'd a lot. Everybody has their own ideas on how to ride in heat. Mine doesn't include a mesh....

[cowpuc]

Around here heat can't be avoided, but I've ridden across Nevada twice in 100+ temps. The first time I wore a mesh jacket, and wasn't uncomfortable, but by the time I got back to the barn I was drier than a popcorn fart. Took three days to rehydrate. It could have been serious. The second time I wore a very well vented textile jacket that slowed the air flow but still allowed cooling. Still comfortable, but not dehydrated when I got back. The mesh was in the trailer that was stolen, and I don't miss it a bit. On both trips I drank plenty of liquids. The mesh just wicked way more sweat than was necessary. The idea is to stay cool...not dry. There's no cooling effect when the skin is dry, and when it is dry the body will try to sweat more. Hence dehydration... Keeping dry will feel more comfortable...who likes sweaty clothes??... but it causes more moisture loss. Another thing that should be covered is fluid intake. The first trip is was two large bottles of Desanti every 150 miles. The second was 8oz bottle of Gatorade when stopped to pee, or fuel up. On the first trip I covered 600 miles in 10 hours and didn't need to pee once. The second trip was about 500 miles and about 10 hours and pee'd a lot. Everybody has their own ideas on how to ride in heat. Mine doesn't include a mesh....

 

OH MY GOSH Jack, I miss that DRY, never ending Nevada - Arizona - California - Utah heat sooooooo much!!

Hey, you ever ride along with no shirt on, hold your hand flat on your belly - count to ten and remove your hand and notice how wet it is under there:big-grin-emoticon:!! I LOVE doing that!! I cant tell you how many folks I have had giggle at my side jug full of water.. Until they ask about it and I simply ask them if they have ever ridden in the desert before.. Wellll, no - is usually the answer.. Then I tell em stories that are similar to what you are saying my friend.. Its always a pleasure hanging around with folks like you who have been there - done that!!

[Condor]

Nope, but I do remember cupping my hand just so on the left side of the tank on a 1stGen and creating a venturi effect that actually made the air cooler..... I think????

Edited June 7, 2015 by Condor

[midnightrider1300]

I live in the deep south , there is hot and then there is SOUTH HOT... temperature will be in the upper 90's and humidity will be the same... this is what we use http://www.ebay.com/itm/TECHNICHE-6529-BLUEL-Cooling-Vest-L-Blue-Nylon-/381015486235 and a mesh jacket will last up to 4hrs + just re soak and it's good to go again....drink plenty of WATER ..avoid towns lol ...

[cowpuc]

Puc, you are nothing short of a walking book of great ideas ............

 

:rotfl:You bet I am Silv, problem is that Book title "Everything Men Know About Women" (you know the one, its the one that is about 2 inches thick - then you open it up and all the pages are empty:crackup:) is an exactly copy (only retitled) of the book of which you speak:fnd_(16):

[djh3]

Our medical folks at work told us basically 2 for 1. For every 2 bottles of water 1 sports drink. another thing they told us was if you don't have to pee regularly, say a couple times or more on a day long ride, you are not hydrating enough. Sweet tea and pop is not good for the hydration, has to be water (or vitamin water) and rehydration sports drinks. although an good cold sweet tea tastes mighty fine after about 4 hours in the hot saddle. And no beer don't count either, so you cant play catch up after your parked. But you can sure have a cold one or 2.

[tankerman]

All good idea's .the most important one is to stay hydrated at all times. I routinely work in very high temps doing physical labor and there is no way of directly combating the heat and discomfort but as long as I drink plenty of water I'm fine.

[cowpuc]

All good idea's .the most important one is to stay hydrated at all times. I routinely work in very high temps doing physical labor and there is no way of directly combating the heat and discomfort but as long as I drink plenty of water I'm fine.

 

Oh wow, hey @tankerman, gotta ask you - you arent by any chance a "Tankie" are ya? You know, the kind that build water towers and the like? Reason I asked is I spent a fair amount of time in the trades tig welding and rigging for the Boilermakers (power house work) and, on big jobs worked with a number of "Tankies" (at least thats what the trade name for em was back then) - some out of Canada.. Be wayyyy cool if by chance we had worked together!!

Never hurts to ask!!

 

Regardless, THANKS for the post!!

[tankerman]

No I am actually a marine tankerman, that is I load and discharge oil and gasoline products off ships and barges. Lately I've been doing a lot of work for the Navy in some of their more remote outposts near the equator in the Pacific and Persian gulf and it is hot down there. That being said thanks for the reply and hope to run into you one of these days. Regards........Peter

[SilvrT]

:rotfl:You bet I am Silv, problem is that Book title "Everything Men Know About Women" (you know the one, its the one that is about 2 inches thick - then you open it up and all the pages are empty:crackup:) is an exactly copy (only retitled) of the book of which you speak:fnd_(16):

 

You need to read this book then ... it's volume one and I believe there's several more ....

 

[Condor]

I live in the deep south , there is hot and then there is SOUTH HOT... temperature will be in the upper 90's and humidity will be the same... this is what we use http://www.ebay.com/itm/TECHNICHE-6529-BLUEL-Cooling-Vest-L-Blue-Nylon-/381015486235 and a mesh jacket will last up to 4hrs + just re soak and it's good to go again....drink plenty of WATER ..avoid towns lol ...

 

Yep, for those of us located in the 'land of dry rain', I do sympathies. Humidity is a killer. A mesh jacket adds moisture.....