Hello moped army, how many of you keep riding your peds through the winter? Besides the obvious (snow, icy streets, wind chill factor), what might the disadvantages of riding through the cold season? And if I do decide to put it away for the winter, is it bad to bring it out every couple of days and start it? You know, to keep the fluids circulating, keep the carb from clogging, etc.
riding it in the winter is a choice issue. there are many dangers, especially from the salt used to clean snow off the roads.
if you're going to store the moped, a good thing to do is drain all the fluids entirely and put it away someplace dry and safe. or you can run it for a short bit (or on really nice days even go for a ride) if you leave the fluids in.
i rode mine most of last winter. but then i broke down just as spring started ... so i probably won't ride much this winter.
In truth I have no idea how to store a moped for winter...cause I ain't never done so.
I don't care if it's 32 below, three feet of snow and more comin down, if I wanna ride...I'll ride, heh.
I ain't a great fan of a nice&neat appearance to my wheels, so I dun much care if salt eats the paint, neither...just sand and primer...and relube the chain and stuff, you know how that goes.
I also have a variant-style tire chains for mine...so I don't rightly care HOW much snow is out there, or slush or sleet...my lower ground pressure plus those chains...never bogged out even once, and they'll handle pack-ice too, if yer careful.
As fer cold ? I gotta snowmobile suit with an army field jacket liner underneath, ski mask and one of them lower face gizmos that makes ya look like hannibal lechter....so hell would have to freeze over afore I noticed.
You wanna find me out there this winter ? just follow that roostertail of snow flyin up....that'll be me.
-Ree
(FYI, Tomos and Puch mopeds, most of em, WILL operate at up to -20....save those models which cycle the ignition via the battery circuit, and some of those might start too.)
What I really worry about in the winter are cars and trucks that can't stop and aren't afraid of a little `ped up ahead.'So WATCH YOUR MIRRORS !! I think the biggest problem,besides traction,is what Miguel said,THE ROAD SALT.If this is used in your area you can do what I do:Get cans of rubberized undercoating spray and do the underside of fenders and unreachable areas that aren't meant to be seen.When you get back from a big `salty' run,let the bike sit for a while in a warm place,and then re-lube your cables with WD-40 so they'll work smoothly .You don't have to do this often,just when you think there,s a danger you got some water into the cables. Don't coat the cooling fins! As for the reachable part of the bike,you wash it with soapy water and wax what you can or use `Armor-all' protectant,before the first winter storm.
Well,Ree,my limit's been about 37 * or so with moderate covering and a ski-mask.I saw a bike trek deal in Alaska the other day and they had bike tire studs.I wonder....could a `ped use those?Anybody know anything about them?
I was riding all last winter and I
Draining the gas tank is a mistake that will cause rust inside the tank.
The best thing... proven by experienced motorcyclists over many years... is to FILL the gas tank with your normal gas and put a squirt of Stabil into it.. then ride it for 10 minutes to get the Stabil down into the carb... (or .. drain the float bowl)
The gas in the tank prevents rust from forming on the inside of the tank.. and the Stabil keeps the gas "good', so that all you have to next year... Is start it and RIDE.
Just be careful,Dave! Don't want to end up decorating a ditch!I'm not givin' up on findin' some way to stud tires.
Don,
Studs are like sheet metal screw which screw into the tread. I have not seen a ped tire with that much tread.
Ron
I don't think that they'd work on an inner-tube tire, because if they poke through to the inside of the tire, they're supposed to self-seal. I don't know how well that would work if they poked into the innertube.
Ok, I
My brother had a quad with titanium or magnesium (I don't remember which) ice spikes on it... in the summertime! It did some pretty awesome burnouts with a shower of white sparks!
HEY !!..... I am one of those guys.
You take a tire that will fit inside the your special ice race tire.. and you cut the sidewalls off and then you stick it inside the ice race tire... then you put the air in.. then you screw 4 of the 1 inch long special ice race screws into each knob... the screws penetrate the outer tire and go into the inner tire.
(this is done because the force is so great, that the regular knobs will rip right off otherwise)
Professionally done they cost $500 per pair.
The bad news? A $300 rear won't even last 8 hours.
Do them yourself and they cost $200 (not including your labor).
And traction?... LOTS of it... almost as good as these guys
<IMG src="http://www.amasuperbike.com/image/timmisano01g/p02.jpg">
..........almost
(I couldn't find any ice race pics)
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