who has ever riden a 1st gen on snow covered roads

[saddlebum]

I have ridden both my 1975 CanAm 250 tnt and my cow-a-socki 400 in the winter time on snow covered roads, years ago. The TNT was ok the 400 not quite as good. The key difference, I believe was that the TNT had mild knobby's (enduro tires). Also both bikes are pretty light. So now I am curious to know about riding a 1st gen through the snow and what it was like in the way of handling etc.

Yeh I know Tom ....You ..HATE SNOW!

[Yammer Dan]

I've rode a 650 Yammy in the white stuff. I think I'll leave the Venture parked. I'm chicken!!

[BoomerCPO]

I got caught in a snowstorm when returning to Ct. from New Jersey on I-95 North after completing a Patriot Guard Mission....the Venture handled it very well but it was still a white-knuckle ride....and it felt like my pucker factor was off the scale too.

Boomer....who sez the pygmies stayed home for that long ride.

[Pam]

Left home one morning on a beauty day, got cought in a snow storm on the last 15 miles home only saving grace was the temp had dropped and the road was cold so no snow sticking to it. Still not a fun ride. Those farings on the 1st gen split the snow really nice.

[MasterGuns]

Back in the early 90's, my wife and I rode the Hutchins Motor Sport (Yucca Valley Ca) sponsored "California 1000", a tour of SoCal and that year, parts of Nevada and Utah. We stayed that Saturday night at Panquitch (sp) Utah and when we got up the next morning to ride the second half of the "tour" it was snowing fairly hard. Not knowing, which way the run was going to take out of there, we all got our maps and headed out, five in my group; all 1st Editions. The route took us another 2000' in elevation and for the next several hours we was riding is a couple inches of soft snow. The temp was in the teens. We all took it slow and countered steered through turns trying to keep the bike as erect as possible. Although I was a complete wreck, nerves wise, when we finally descended back to just a light rain, my ole lady has yet to get back on a m/c. My 86 handled surprisingly well in that condition but I'll never ride in snow if there was any way possible to avoid it. Good luck. One of the other jarheads that rode with us on that ride, lost a couple fingers on his throttle hand from the extreme cold. He ended up being medically discharged.

[Condor]

Ummmm.... What's snow??

[Snaggletooth]

Got caught in a couple situations last year where snow had started up before I left work. By the time I left for home there some buildup on the streets but more slush than hard pack in most places. With the weight of the bike and my sandbag butt on it traction was not an issue, but more like keeping it pointed in the right direction.

 

I do love my Venoms, but I would prefer a tire with a lot more tread on it if I had to take to the snowy streets on a regular basis. Not really in my plans.

[friesman]

Ive gotten caught a couple of times on snow on my 85. Went to work and didnt notice the snow starting, all was fine on the way home, but a bit slow moving and tentative. I didnt find that fresh snow was too bad to ride on, but ive been on roads that have had some ice on them, and have had those really thow a scare into me.

Actually took mine out for a quick spin last weekend, roads were kinda dry but ice on the shoulders, I needed my fix and got a short ride in so I felt better for a while...lol We had a 4 inch snowfall over the last couple of days but I didnt go riding in that, too much ice underneath.

 

I think my ride time will officially be over now, though, our first cold spell is hitting tonight, -20c isnt going to melt any snow anytime soon.

 

Brian

[camos]

I know of a guy who rode 500 miles or more through the eastern middle of the US during the winter snows. Can't remember what states exactly. He made it without incident, saw the pix to prove it. On the other hand last year I left for work one morning in December on the Virago, the roads were dry but after about 15 km there was a dramatic change to real winter with 2-3 inches of snow and icy snow covered roads. I should have pulled over and caught the bus but I didn't. Continued on slowly for about a km, seemed OK with no slipping or sliding but hit some rough ice and without any indication of a problem the bike went down. Was moving about 15 kph at the time and somehow did no damage to the bike or to me. I managed to leap off the bike somehow and get to the side of the road, can't remember exactly how that happened. and get to the side of the road The vehicle behind me was fortunately moving slow enough that they were able to almost come to a stop before they hit my bike which just scooted ahead a foot or so. Hitched the rest of the way to work and did the same at the end of the day to pick up my bike. The roads were dry by then. The bike was covered in a thick layer of really ugly icy snowy crud. Scraped it off and drove it home.

 

I was lucky on two counts with neither me or my bike getting damaged by this incident. This happened so fast there was no chance to stabilize us by putting my feet out. It's too unpredictable so there is no way I will ever chance riding in snowy conditions again. The Venture weighs about twice as much as the Virago so the crash would likely have been much worse.

[Ozlander]

Two times coming back from Mexico, it was snowing as we came over the bridge into the U.S. 84 Venture at that time.

 

Another time we were camping out at Monarch Pass July 5th, woke up to about a inch of snow. Ran out of it as we got lower.

 

No problems either time.

[OB-1]

I rode an original Venture, (1981 XS-Eleven Venture), over Monarch Pass during a snow storm in mid May of 81. It wasn't much fun, but the bike and I survived.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I have never ridden in snow, Camos I don't know where you were living but it NEVER snows in Victoria!

 

I do have a friend that has ridden his BMWs across Canada in the winter a few times.. his site: http://www.paulmondor.com/. The "iceman" loves the snow and ice touring. Paul owned a Venture a number of years ago as well and happened to be the sales rep at the dealership I purchased my 86 used from.

[camos]

I have never ridden in snow, Camos I don't know where you were living but it NEVER snows in Victoria!

You forgot the smiley.

[tcoop]

Rode to work this morning, everything was dry and about 45*. By 4:00 pm It started to snow, by 5:00 pm slush started to build up on the roads. I didn't take the Highway home stuck to the back streets to keep away from trafic. The bike handled it with out slipping at all.

 

Last year during the winter all my cages were in the shop and my wife had to get to work. The rodes in the near my house were covered with 3 in of packed snow. We took her XJ750 and it only slid around one corner but I managed to keep it upright. The roads were clear by the time we made it to the main roads. Riding on snow is something that I avoid when possible.

[Sailor]

I rode my yammy 400 through about of 6" of snow. It was only about 10 miles but it was all up and down hills. I never want to do that again, in fact I didn't want to do it then.

[CaptainJoe]

Right before I turned 16, my dad told me if I wanted to drive, I needed to buy a vehicle and pay for the insurance.

 

Yup he was a hard ass... I can tell you this, it made me respect my vehicles and not tear them up... and I really appreciated that.

 

So, when i turned 16 I bought a Suzuki T250... a real screamer for its time +110 mph at right around 400 lbs?

 

At about 17 years of age, I bought a Yamaha 175 enduro. Worked at a gas astation about 2 miles away and rode it EVERYDAY... Rain, snow(was fun!) sleet and hail...(well at least one attempt on the sleet. Ended up walking beside the bike more than riding it).

 

Didn't even have a car license until i took the drive around town test at 19.

 

Would I ride on the snow on a 900lb bike?

 

NO WAY!!!

 

I'm smaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarter than that! I like my parts just where they are...

[TDunc]

This is obviously for those of you with kahunas the size of watermelons. (needed to balance the bike and act as outriggers in the snow)

 

Not me in the snow.

 

No Sireeeeee!

[Sylvester]

I got caught in an early storm in October of 71. I was heading north on hwy 75 and hit flakes north of Topeka, KS. By the time I got to Auburn, NE it was really bad. I had no choice because I was out of money and I knew that my mother would have hot food for me if I made it to Omaha. I looked pretty weird riding my Triumph Bonneville with both feet on the ground for skis, but I made it home. Never again!

 

[Rocket]

I have never ridden in snow, Camos I don't know where you were living but it NEVER snows in Victoria!

 

 

Normally it is not much at all, maybe a week or two, for the winter.

 

But Kevin, you must be still in denial about that 3 FOOT DUMP of SNOW, that we got overnight about the 27/28 Dec 1996. I was working it, as part of the military support for Emergency services. That dump of snow covered lower Vancouver Island & the lower mainland as well (BIG AREA). As the military was active on the mainland as well.

 

But more recently, Grump & I rode over to Pacidaho's during the big trip, in late May of this year. I called them from Henderson (after speaking with the sheriff), to check on the pass & Terrie told me to get over the pass quick, before the snow starts sticking. So we did make a quick trip to & over the pass, as I pushed it for the first time in the curves & twisties with a loaded down trailer in tow, behind the 86 VR. This was not a cruising run, but a race to get over before it started sticking to the road. I made another call from Salmon to Terrie & got directions to their place, apparently we made real good time from Henderson & across the pass. The end result, Pacidaho managed to keep us there for 5 days (longer than my planned 2 day visit).

 

I am typing this as, I look outside & see a dusting of this white S**t on the road & my deck. This is supposed to be the wet coast, not the white coast.........

[dogman]

I had (still have) an 1982, 920 Virago.

 

I worked at the Mohawk race track in 85 and 86. I rode home many nights along the 401 through snow storms. I used my feets like stabilizing skies, and as others had said. White knuckle all the way home.

 

I went to bed with my knees cold and woke up in the morning still cold.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

Normally it is not much at all, maybe a week or two, for the winter.

 

But Kevin, you must be still in denial about that 3 FOOT DUMP of SNOW, that we got overnight about the 27/28 Dec 1996. I was working it, as part of the military support for Emergency services. That dump of snow covered lower Vancouver Island & the lower mainland as well (BIG AREA). As the military was active on the mainland as well.

 

I am typing this as, I look outside & see a dusting of this white S**t on the road & my deck. This is supposed to be the wet coast, not the white coast.........

 

Ok so it snowed once here. I was still working for the heating contractor and it was the first time in 40 years their trucks were off the road.

As for your white deck and road... well that is what you get for living up north like that. Taking the bus to work yesterday I could see snow everywhere around us on the hills and not a flake with in the Capital area. It was like we lived in a bowl of green.

[1rooster]

I hate snow but can hardly wait for it to take out the Venture.Snowed 12 inches one day last winter and I fired up the bike and had a blast going down the hill where I live where the snow hadn't been scraped yet.Went to a parking lot and did donuts for about an hour.What a blast that was running about 20 mph and sliding the rear around and heading the other direction.I put on a show for a bunch of bystanders.Looked like a monster truck freestyling.Only problem I had was getting the bike back up the steep hill where I live.The car tire did great.

[saddlebum]

The 250 canam tnt I had, I rode from Oakville to Mississuaga through a snowstorm in 1977 about 12 - 16 inches of snow. The ride was not bad and the canam just seemed to eat right through it. It was at the end of the day when I was coming home after they plowed the roads that the ride became some what hairy.

But right now there have been some nice days to ride to work, but always the chance that it could snow and I would have to ride home in it. So this why I was asking about the handling characteristics of a 1st gen on snow covered roads. P/S it is only 3 KM (2 mi ) ride one way.

Edited November 20, 2011 by saddlebum

[barend]

had to cross a patch of frozen snow (more like ice) with tire tracks all down the length. NO FUN AT ALL!!

 

I'll ride the in the cold or rain, but I'll take the truck if they're calling for snow.

[Brake Pad]

used to do polar bear runs in Jersey, years back, I bought a Yamaha 250, and converted just for the winter months. would freak all the wing trike riders out, when I'd pull up on that. 1 point for every 100 miles. rode it every weekend for 6 years (during the winter)