Sometimes I ride my S2R1K in cold weather (32F and below) and the normal stock suspension sucks.  The bike feels like one solid piece which reduces my control on rough roads.

A couple of questions for any cold weather riders:

1) Can I be hurting the bike riding it in the freezing cold.  Will it mess up the front forks, etc?
2) Is there something I should be doing to winterize it for better handling in the cold?

Riding in the cold won't hurt, but as you mention, it makes the oils much thicker, thus the fronts/shock might respond a bit differently.  Not sure there's anything worth doing for that. 

cold roads = low traction BTW

JM

A good quality synthetic fork oil may help, depending on what is in it now.

Lower operating temperature = More power

Remember to take that little bit of extra time to warm up the bike before you scoot.

Quote from: erkishhorde on December 06, 2008, 10:13:35 AM
Remember to take that little bit of extra time to warm up the bike before you scoot.

whats a good amouont of time?

It takes over 20 mins to get the LO off sometimes.

you only really need to warm your girl up for about two minutes to get the oil circulating and parts warming...  Then take it easy for your first 5 minutes or so of riding and you'll be kosher.

Where I live now, I often leave my house at 30*.  Where I'm moving, the winters are much colder, so I'm thinking to combat that, I'll be getting a nice little SM with studded tyres...  After all, I love riding, but I love not fakking up my Blue.  She's too good a girl for that!

Quote from: Smokescreen on December 06, 2008, 12:12:10 PM
you only really need to warm your girl up for about two minutes to get the oil circulating and parts warming...  Then take it easy for your first 5 minutes or so of riding and you'll be kosher.

Yup, just don't start up and take off.

Good reason to move to FL or California

Come to California, it was 60 degrees outside today....  had to put a second t-shirt on under the jacket

[moto]

Quote from: uclabiker06 on December 05, 2008, 10:32:48 PM
Lower operating temperature = More power

No.
Lower ambient air temperature = Denser Air = More power.

Quote from: woppini on December 07, 2008, 02:09:33 PM
Good reason to move to FL or California

Good reason to have a heated garage too.

I don't think I'm hurting it... my stub pipes (the little header things) are turning a cool blue color from riding in the cold (30 degrees-ish for morning commute).  Yes, I fire it up while I am putting my helmet and gloves on and otherwise checking myself out.  then I have a 5-ish minute ride before I get up to speed.

Don't people wrap their oil coolers in tin foil or something like that if they ride in really cold weather?  To keep the oil from cooling off too much?

Yes, I take 1 piece of 2" aluminum foil tape and place a strip across one end of the oil cooler.  In temps sub 40, the oil temperature would not rise out of the 150s, with a strip I get into the 190s.  Oil being warm is a good thing, as the additive packages and whatnot are meant to function their best when at full operating temperatures.

I usually don't bother removing it until oil temps start getting up around the 230s as the weather warms up.

Removing the strip is easy, have never had any residue that a little zippo fluid could not rub right off.  I have also never had any problems with the adhesive melting, burning, etc... either.