[Airsafari87]

I know this will be a very short list but ....

Is there any one in the UK who has used or will be using their Scrambler right through the winter? And I don't mean any of your poncy southern `It's a little bit frosty' winters. I mean the full on, hard as nails northern winters that us double hard b******s get up here? :anonymous:

This will be my first winter with my Scrambler and I am planning on using it daily, right throughout. I'm lucky in that my daily commute is currently only about 10 miles each way, albeit on some dicey and remote back roads that see a lot of snow, mud and little grit.

Couple of questions.

Any considerations or modifications that I should make to the bike beforehand?
It's Italian, will it last a winter?
What kit do you currently ride on, or can recommend?

 

[TC3]

your gonna use it right through a northern winter? Your basically ferked mate

 

[Airsafari87]

your gonna use it right through a northern winter? Your basically ferked mate

I am? Or the bike is?

 

[TC3]

I am? Or the bike is?

Both .... Give the bike the ACF50 treatment as it will help against corrosion. Heated grips are a good idea, love mine which are the Ducati ones. Maybe some handguards would be a good idea too. Goretex gear is the way to go if you commute all winter as far as I am concerned but could be pricey

 

[LadyBishop]

I am, as you suggest, a weak southern ponce as I live on the south coast of Cornwall. However, I lived among the north lakes in Cumbria for a number of years and am suitably aware of what the weather does up that end of the world. You'll have to take my word for it here when I say that albeit there is less snow and ice down Kernow way, it is just as wet down here as oop north. To cut to the chase, as I've mentioned on another thread, I've done 13000 miles since new last october which was mainly throughout winter (I've done very little since June due to a shoulder operation). This included a commute of 120 miles round trip (Truro to Plymouth) twice a week and a few trips to london (350 miles door to door) which were full on wet. The bike has behaved well throughout but keeping the corrosion at bay is hard work. ACF50 is a must and regular cleaning is tedious. I would suggest a small screen (Dart?) and handguards (as mentioned). The rest of the stuff you need is the same for any bike. The bike itself wont let you down but it wont protect itself from the elements! Different pegs maybe too as the stockk ones have no grip. Spray will be your worst enemy so prepare to put your northern hard-as-nails to the test! Michelin Pilots are superb in the wet and last forever. Stock tyres last about a weekend.
Ride safe.
Regards from the south....

 

[TC3]

LadyBishop made a good point about a small screen. I have the Dart screen and helps keep wind off your chest at speed. Also as mentioned the stock pegs are quite slippery, I ended up getting some grippy after market pegs that are much better. With the stock pegs my foot slipped off several times and at one point it was a lil dangerous too.

 

[stavely]

In the 70's I lived in Darlington and commuted to Aycliffe/Newcastle all winter on a 750 bonneville. Come rain shine or glacier. Man up FFS! Just rinse the bike off every evening they salt the roads, with a hose, and drink 8 pints of Newcy Brown before bed.
Mind you I now live in southern spain so my memory might be a little jaded. In fact, just jack it all in and move to a country with a proper climate! Winter? ...what Winter?....Hmm ,, I have been drinking..................

 

[tractorboy]

I am, as you suggest, a weak southern ponce as I live on the south coast of Cornwall. However, I lived among the north lakes in Cumbria for a number of years and am suitably aware of what the weather does up that end of the world. You'll have to take my word for it here when I say that albeit there is less snow and ice down Kernow way, it is just as wet down here as oop north. To cut to the chase, as I've mentioned on another thread, I've done 13000 miles since new last october which was mainly throughout winter (I've done very little since June due to a shoulder operation). This included a commute of 120 miles round trip (Truro to Plymouth) twice a week and a few trips to london (350 miles door to door) which were full on wet. The bike has behaved well throughout but keeping the corrosion at bay is hard work. ACF50 is a must and regular cleaning is tedious. I would suggest a small screen (Dart?) and handguards (as mentioned). The rest of the stuff you need is the same for any bike. The bike itself wont let you down but it wont protect itself from the elements! Different pegs maybe too as the stockk ones have no grip. Spray will be your worst enemy so prepare to put your northern hard-as-nails to the test! Michelin Pilots are superb in the wet and last forever. Stock tyres last about a weekend.
Ride safe.
Regards from the south....

Hello Lady Bishop , you Southern Jessy .
How refreshing to be able to use proper speak without having the 'You can't say THAT brigade ' on your case .
I am from West Yorksshire ( Wakefield) and when I was fit enough I rode to work in ALL weathers , quite charector building and VERY riding improving .
Yes , thermals , wellingtons , bread bags ( over your gloves / boots , anything to keep the water out . Re the bike , we'll all I can say is preventative / regular maintenance .
Now then my Kernow Queen , where are the biker haunts in Plymouth and area .
My son lives in Plympton and is finding places to ' go to' very thin .
Tractor boy

 

[Airsafari87]

I am, as you suggest, a weak southern ponce as I live on the south coast of Cornwall. However, I lived among the north lakes in Cumbria for a number of years and am suitably aware of what the weather does up that end of the world. You'll have to take my word for it here when I say that albeit there is less snow and ice down Kernow way, it is just as wet down here as oop north. To cut to the chase, as I've mentioned on another thread, I've done 13000 miles since new last october which was mainly throughout winter (I've done very little since June due to a shoulder operation). This included a commute of 120 miles round trip (Truro to Plymouth) twice a week and a few trips to london (350 miles door to door) which were full on wet. The bike has behaved well throughout but keeping the corrosion at bay is hard work. ACF50 is a must and regular cleaning is tedious. I would suggest a small screen (Dart?) and handguards (as mentioned). The rest of the stuff you need is the same for any bike. The bike itself wont let you down but it wont protect itself from the elements! Different pegs maybe too as the stockk ones have no grip. Spray will be your worst enemy so prepare to put your northern hard-as-nails to the test! Michelin Pilots are superb in the wet and last forever. Stock tyres last about a weekend.
Ride safe.
Regards from the south....

My southern ponce dig was very tongue in cheek, But I am sure you had worked that out already hadn't you? :encouragement:

Thanks for the advice, and ACF50 treatment is on the agenda for this weekend.
I already have the Ducati fly screen fitted, so that part is covered too.

My main concern was with how the bike itself would stand up to the rigours of daily winter use, but as you have covered 13000 on yours, It looks as though I don't have too much to worry about.

I'll likely stick with MT60's as thus far they have done nothing but impress me, and I only fitted a new rear a short while ago. The front tyre is looking very worn now though after 3500 miles, So I'll get a new front fitted asap too.

I've been looking at the Dainese Sandstorm Goretex jackets and trousers too (any excuse to buy even more riding kit!!)

 

[LadyBishop]

Tractorboy, The nature of 'biker' haunts in Plymouth is up for debate. There are swathes of Diavel, GS, Tiger, Multistrada and Deauville(?) riders around there with VERY clean bikes. I dont have issue with clean bikes but I fear that a bike meet for them requires reservations and a knowledge of the difference tween a desert spoon and an oyster shuck. There are some good guys in the Devon Ducati club (meet at GTMotorcycles) and they do a lot of rides, but its a long way for me so I stick to my motley crew on the Roseland Peninsula.
I'll have a think as I'm probably forgetting some good'uns.
I shall now go and see if I can change my name to Kernow Queen.

 

[LadyBishop]

Airsafari87
Its all good. I'm always up for some banter.
Bike hasn't complained once until the chain started to seize at around 12000. The Pilots I have on there at the moment are awesome. Front tyre still has 2 mm after 9000 miles and rear was changed a month ago. My MTs lasted 3,500..........and cost the same. Worth a thought

 

[Airsafari87]

In the 70's I lived in Darlington and commuted to Aycliffe/Newcastle all winter on a 750 bonneville. Come rain shine or glacier. Man up FFS! Just rinse the bike off every evening they salt the roads, with a hose, and drink 8 pints of Newcy Brown before bed.
Mind you I now live in southern spain so my memory might be a little jaded. In fact, just jack it all in and move to a country with a proper climate! Winter? ...what Winter?....Hmm ,, I have been drinking..................

You're lucky you had a bike to ride.
In the 90's when travelled from Spennymoor to Aycliffe I had to walk right through the winter....

..... In Dunlop Green Flash ....
.... And a parker jacket that had no lining in it because we were so poor I had to share it with my brother and he wore the lining.

Now who needs to man up you Chorizo munching deserter??? :very_drunk:

 

[LadyBishop]

Ahhh, Green Flash. Luxury compared to my monkey boots, one of which missing a complete sole.

 

[Airsafari87]

Ahhh, Green Flash. Luxury compared to my monkey boots, one of which missing a complete sole.

Ohhhh you thought I meant that I had actual Green Flash shoes?

No no no.

I only had the Green Flash logo stuck to my bare foot, with laces drawn on to the top of my foot with charcoal (aka lunch leftovers) to make it look like I had actual shoes on!!

Monkey Boots? you exotic, extravagant princess!!

 

[LadyBishop]

The boots were shared tween me and my 5 brothers. I was youngest so only got them once a year till I left home (which was a bin) at 11 years old. They were size 10. Well one of them was.
Weird having to go to school naked with one soleless boot on.
Isn't Durham full of posh kids from Surbiton studying Trust Fund Management?

 

[Airsafari87]

Isn't Durham full of posh kids from Surbiton living off daddies Trust Fund?

I've edited your post for accuracy.

But you're right.
It is!!!

I'm just a common pit yakker though.

 

[stavely]

You're lucky you had a bike to ride.
In the 90's when travelled from Spennymoor to Aycliffe I had to walk right through the winter....

..... In Dunlop Green Flash ....
.... And a parker jacket that had no lining in it because we were so poor I had to share it with my brother and he wore the lining.

Now who needs to man up you Chorizo munching deserter??? :very_drunk:

Oh no, you misunderstand. I couldn't afford petrol, I had to push the bonneville to newcastle and back. Well, until the wheels wore out, then i would carry it....or sometimes throw it ahead and skate up to it.
Is calling someone a "chorizo muncher" still politically correct these days?

 

[Joooooooosh]

I rode mine all last winter. Commuted every day, except during snowfall or when there was lots of ice. I then either called in favors or a taxi. I'm from the north and did my time commuting on a XR125 but the midlands don't seem a whole lot warmer... In fact it's worse. The East coast is so much dryer!

The Scrambler seemed to come out the other side ok. It got cleaned once a week, ACF-50'd in all the vulnerable metal bits and kept in a wooden shed when not in use. Had to sit outside in the work carpark day and night during my shifts though.

The exhausts oxidised a lot and a lot of grime accumulated but a summer of love and attention had it looking pretty fresh again. It won't look as clean as a garage queen with 2000 miles when I eventually come to sell it but at 9000 miles, it's done a winter, toured around Europe and was my only vehicle until this February. (had it since June 2015)

Now that it's had some fancy bits added, like the exhaust, chain and mirrors, I'm less inclined to subject it to the crap conditions but I really miss commuting on two wheels when I take the car. So I need to get a second bike sorted. Maybe something Japanese that will laugh off the abuse...

 

[littleowl]

The Pilots I have on there at the moment are awesome. Front tyre still has 2 mm after 9000 miles and rear was changed a month ago. My MTs lasted 3,500..........and cost the same. Worth a thought

How would you compare the Pilots with grip on off-roady type surfaces? I don't ride 'off road' as such but a lot of the places I go aren't much more than very gravelly/stoney/rocky/potholey/sandy tracks.

I love the stock tyres but they wear out quick.

 

[LadyBishop]

They're fine on the lumpy stuff but haven't tried them anywhere else. Mainly road use but the single track pot-holey cornish "roads' are fine at slower speed. I'd say they would be fine until there was any incline. Then it might get a bit slippy, but fun?