Winter Shitters

[KungFooBob]

Do people still buy 'shitters' to ride in winter?

Or do you just commute all year round on the same bike, because build quality and protection products are far better than they used to be?

I did ten years winter commuting on a variety of shitters to save my summer Fireblade, then passed my car test and never looked back.

I don't need a shitter, but I can't help setting a low budget and seeing what's available on t'bay and market place.

My best winter shitter wasn't that shit, it was a DR250 (JDM) and was pretty much indestructible, just managed 80mph and was also quite fun in the snow.

[wull]

Years ago I would commute all year round no matter what, I had to, at the time we had just the one car and she needed the car. Because I’ve been there and done that with it I can’t think of anything worse especially when it’s proper cold, we actually still have just the one car but she doesn’t need it so I can use the car instead now.

[wheelnut]

Same bike all year - just acf50 about this time of year and top up with FS365 - worked ok for the last 15 years or so and the bikes don’t seem to suffer

[weeksy]

I'd like to in some ways, but then i look outside at the wet, the mud, the cold... and think 'nah'

But it'd be a 600 Bandit or a Firestorm.

[Horse]

Do people still buy 'shitters' to ride in winter?

Or do you just commute all year round on the same bike, because build quality and protection products are far better than they used to be?

Compromise

I used to commute all year on the same bike, eventually it would become a shitter

[DefTrap]

Never been an all year round biker. When I was commuting, this time of year was about the cut off for me. Travelling both ways in the dark, normally cold, often wet, sometimes dangerous with fog, ice, snow. Wasn't worth it for all the weather watching alone. Easier to sit back in the car, turn the heating up and listen to R4.

I do love a good shitter though!

[Taipan]

Indeed. It's how I got my love for scoots. Bought one as it had better winter protection for me and saved my bike from the ravages of salt and had a top box for times I needed one, something up to then I'd never even thought about and had used a backpack.

I instantly found out they (Scoots) are actually superb for whizzing through traffic, consume tyes once a decade and you get a picture of a sh300 when you look up frugal in the dictionary! I'm on the cusp of buying another at his very moment! I'm really really looking forward to riding the mighty MT again but its a bit cramped for my mechanical knee at the moment. So thinking a SH300 to get me through winter would help with rehab and preserve the MT? Seems like a no brainer, but Man I want to get back on the MT...

[Noggin]

I never had the money or space to have two bikes, before I did winter seasons. When I briefly could have had a winter shitter, I was living winters in a place that it wasn't possible to ride a bike for most of around 5 months!

Out here I've found that in the spring, it is possible to go out on a bike because it's usually really sunny and so once the road dries up and gets some sun, it's blooming aces (I did briefly have the 390 out here, but duffed up my ACL that season so didn't do much spring riding - but had to do a bit!!). I don't have space or cash to have a different bike for winter roads

TBF, the garage I use in the winter isn't accessible until the snow has melted on the access, which is almost permanently in the shade in the winter.

One day when I have a more accessible garage, I'll ride whatever bike I have!! But then I've spent all my biking life being an AWB

[Rockburner]

As you (probably) know, I always used to have a winter hack: for not terribly complex reasons* I ended up with a Kawasaki 550 Zephyr when I first realised that I needed one (winter commuting on a ZXR400L wasn't fun), and wound up buying another! (The Mirthcycles )

It was great for shitty weather, comfy, reliable (mostly) and enough power to make good progress, but not enough to get into trouble. Rode it in the snow a few times without issues.

Then I bought the Rockster and that was a genuine all-year-round capable bike (no chain, longer service intervals)





* It was my mum's bike and she'd bought something else and not sold the Zephyr on.

[G.P]

Always used the same bike all year round, don't need to use a bike all week all year round these days but if my Triumph Tiger wasn't already a shitter, I'd have a old shaftie as chain maintenance in the winter is a pain.
An old air head or an fj1100 with a giant top box

[tricol]

There's a guy I see a few times a week when I'm out walking the dog who has a brand new 22 plate MT09 that he is commuting on. It is absolutely filthy. I couldn't bring myself to commute on a bike like that. Or maybe he is quite happy too. If I had to commute I'd get something with a few miles on it, but not a sh1tter. Something like a few year old CB500X.

[G.P]

There's a guy I see a few times a week when I'm out walking the dog who has a brand new 22 plate MT09 that he is commuting on. It is absolutely filthy. I couldn't bring myself to commute on a bike like that. Or maybe he is quite happy too. If I had to commute I'd get something with a few miles on it, but not a sh1tter. Something like a few year old CB500X.

The MT09 may be completely covered in ACF50 . Many people won't worry about washing a bike once done as its got s protective coat on it.
It does offend some onlookers though!

My Triumph used to look like this within a couple of days of a clean in winter

[The Spin Doctor]

The MT09 may be completely covered in ACF50 . Many people won't worry about washing a bike once done as its got s protective coat on it.
It does offend some onlookers though!

In pre-ACF50 days, I just used to smear my bikes with 'underwater grease' - available in a big pot from Castrol for a couple of quid - before the salt arrived. The grease set hard after a few days, and then it was a case of leaving it till late spring when there was no chance of a frost and a bit of over-zealous road salting, when it finally got cleaned off again. The only bit that got a regular clean-up and regrease during the winter was the exposed fork slider area.

The old standard chains - particularly on my CB250RS singles - used to knock themselves to bits very rapidly no matter how much chain lube was flung at them. Even the old 'boil in the tin' treatment didn't extend life significantly. It wasn't actually unknown for me to adjust the chain in the evening ready for the next day's despatching, then have to stop and do it again mid-afternoon on a wet day.

But O ring and X ring chains were a game changer. Once they appeared, the chain rarely needed much maintenance if kept oily - so that was dealt with by a home-made chain oiler based on a syringe and some spare pipe from a wine making kit. Even when I was doing 150 miles a day as a full-time trainer, I might have had to adjust it a couple of times over the winter - I just picked a dry, mild day, at the same time I was doing the oil / filter. Took seconds.

[dern]

I wouldn't commute over a winter on a bike again, done it before and it takes more dedication than I can be arsed with any more. Drivers are dicks and they can't see you very well even if they could be arsed to look. That said I've pretty much opted out of commuting all round now and am settled in to working from home.

I'll carry on riding a bike through winter though, have slapped acf50 on the 1190 and will wash it in the spring.

I've run nice bikes through the winter and they can get pretty crusty. acf50 will help but the electrics take a beating. I used a 929 fireblade for a few winters and it definitely took a toll on the bike but considering the use it stood up pretty well.

I would never buy a shitter bike again. Not only do you have to keep on top of the maintenance needed by dragging it through weather, you'll have to catch up on all the maintenance that the previous owner has been putting off. It just isn't worth it as you'll spend money on the bike even if it was cheap and winter is the worst time to break down.

My advice would be to buy the newest least desirable bike and use that... nothing chinese or italian but either a big scooter as mentioned or a deauville or something like that. I thought a blackbird would make an excellent winter bike... big, big comfy, fast enough to stay out of traffic, a honda, etc. Wrong... spent loads of money on parts, spent loads of time tracing wiring problems, rebuilding forks, sorting out brakes... and it was still shit. Another was a low price gs1150 that was just as shite... wiring and fuelling issues.

Don't do it, save yourselves!

[KungFooBob]

Dropping the 'shitter' bit, what's the perfect winter bike?

Less bodywork the better in case you drop it, or more the better to keep you out of the chilly air?

Cheap enough that you don't care if it dissolves, or something with a premium finish that will still look good after the salt has gone and retain some value?

Small and light with modest power so you don't get into trouble or a commanding position with plenty of power to 'get out of trouble'

[Taipan]

Dropping the 'shitter' bit, what's the perfect winter bike?

Less bodywork the better in case you drop it, or more the better to keep you out of the chilly air?

Cheap enough that you don't care if it dissolves, or something with a premium finish that will still look good after the salt has gone and retain some value?

Small and light with modest power so you don't get into trouble or a commanding position with plenty of power to 'get out of trouble'

I took an Sh300 to over 80k miles with the only breakdown being a starter relay, and it washed up just fine and the body work does protect the chassis too.

[Skub]

I always had shitters for the Winter months. Like most I learned that lesson the hard way. I took a Z1 and a GS thou through the salt and wrecked them in a matter of weeks. Never again. A mate and I used to buy one between us to cut the costs a bit.

I've had an assortment of step thrus, 125 Hondas,350 Honda,DT 175 Yam,Honda Innova and Honda SH300i.

Honda is my favourite bike to destroy.

I bought the Innova new specifically for that time of year and because ACF was around by then,it held up pretty well. The SH300 wasn't quite as robust,the quality was a bit random. The paint on the wheels was impregnable,but all around the forks and the cheap shit brackets holding the caliper shed it's paint and rusted like fook,despite ACF. I had to repaint it all every year.

I'm missing riding the bike at the moment,so a shitter has crossed my mind too......

[Gregor]

Dropping the 'shitter' bit, what's the perfect winter bike?

Less bodywork the better in case you drop it, or more the better to keep you out of the chilly air?

Cheap enough that you don't care if it dissolves, or something with a premium finish that will still look good after the salt has gone and retain some value?

Small and light with modest power so you don't get into trouble or a commanding position with plenty of power to 'get out of trouble'

The best I’ve found so far for keeping dry and warm.The only issue is the non folding mirrors make it a bit wide for filtering.

[Skub]

Dropping the 'shitter' bit, what's the perfect winter bike?

Less bodywork the better in case you drop it, or more the better to keep you out of the chilly air?

Cheap enough that you don't care if it dissolves, or something with a premium finish that will still look good after the salt has gone and retain some value?

Small and light with modest power so you don't get into trouble or a commanding position with plenty of power to 'get out of trouble'

Depending on your needs.If it's for commuting I'd recommend an SH300 if you have to do motorways,or the Innova if it's only a few miles up the road.

I've no commute to worry about now,so a bike would only be used on those crispy,sunny Winter days when the notion strikes. The sky's the limit on that one.

[v8-powered]

Dropping the 'shitter' bit, what's the perfect winter bike?

When I was doing reasonably serious all-year commuting, circa 180 miles per day, the best thing I used was a Divvy 900 - simple to maintain shaftie, minimal bodywork if I dropped it and comfy. Doubt many available these days but were great.
Tried also an NTV650 with a fairing of some description but was gutless and a ZZR1100 which was too big, heavy and uncomfortable. Never done big miles on a scoot but did have an Aprilia Atlantic 500 for a while which was like a motorised armchair but it had flaky Italian electrics meaning the dash was like a disco