BMW + Gerbing = Ultimate Touring Machine
Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:09 am
I was planning to ride down to Blacksburg from Haymarket on my Suzuki today to swap out for my Roadster. The Roadster has seen very little use since Dec 23rd - the day I rode it down to swap for my Harley whereby I wound up having my accident on the Dyna. Because the Roadster had seen only about 20 miles since that time, I wanted to put some miles on it and use up the gas that was in the tank.
Two days ago, I got a call from the Harley dealer saying that my Dyna was ready to be picked up. So... I decided to take care of all my motorcycle logistics today since a nasty ice storm was forecast for Sunday. I wound up riding a total of 550 miles on all three bikes and my truck for another 70 today. 620 miles on the road on top of the 310 miles I drove yesterday around NJ and back to VA made for a tiring two days.
I woke up this morning and drove my truck to the Harley dealer 35 miles away. Because I was going alone and I don't trust my compact Toyota's tailgate to hold a 650 lb. bike, I rode the Dyna back home, rode my SV over to the dealer, put it on the truck, and drove the truck back. By the time my Dyna, truck, and SV were back in my garage, I had already logged 70 miles on two wheels and 70 miles in my truck - which BTW flipped 200k miles during this little delivery trip.
I then hit the interstate at 3:30 to head to Blacksburg on my SV. Knowing that an ice storm was on its way Sunday morning lent a sense of adventure to my journey. Because of the wattage limitations of my SV's alternator, I can only hook up the Gerbing pant liner. I started to get a bit cold around Harrisonburg on I-81. My hands were starting to become uncomfortable despite winter gloves. I stopped twice to gas up/eat and used each stop to warm up a bit. The SV is a sporting little bike that is great fun, but it is not that great of a tourer. If you think the stock BMW saddle is uncomfortable, you should try the first-gen SV's stock seat! I got to Blacksburg at 7:20 and I was thankful this leg of my trip was done. I parked the SV at a storage shed I'm renting in Bburg and took the Roadster over to my apartment. I donned the Gerbing jacket liner and heated gloves in addition to the pant liner I was already wearing. I set the thermostat to full and took off.
The entire set of Gerbing apparel heated up fast!!! As soon as I hit the highway 3 minutes from my apartment, I was struck immediately by how comfortable and secure I was feeling on the Roadster. Between the heavier weight and warmth I was feeling, I started oohing and aahing. The thought that came to mind was that I felt like I was piloting a Klingon battlecruiser.
Within 30 minutes of highway riding, my torso was so hot from the Gerbing liner that I had to turn the thermostat down by about a third. My hands felt toasty in the heated gloves. So much so that I didn't have to turn on the heated grips. I felt warm and cozy as the night wore on and I motored through southwest and western Virginia. I didn't stop to gas up until I reached Woodstock 184 miles from Blacksburg. I realized how cold it was when I took my helmet and gloves off. Donning so many layers makes for complicated procedures to relieve yourself at a bathroom
Woodstock to Haymarket is approximately 60 miles, and I finished this final leg of my journey at a slightly higher speed. Having spent all day on the road, I was ready to go home and relax. As much as I enjoyed the day, it was good to finally park the Roadster in the garage and get out of my riding equipment. With so much gear, I felt like an astronaut taking off his flight suit. It literally took me 5 minutes to fully unhook everything and get everything off.
I tell you what. I regret having waited so long to buy the Gerbing heated attire. This stuff is the bomb! If you do any kind of cold weather riding, you owe it to yourself to get this stuff. I would have been miserable if I didn't have them on tonight and probably wouldn't have been able to focus and concentrate on what was in front of me. For safety and comfort, heated clothing is a must in winter.
Two days ago, I got a call from the Harley dealer saying that my Dyna was ready to be picked up. So... I decided to take care of all my motorcycle logistics today since a nasty ice storm was forecast for Sunday. I wound up riding a total of 550 miles on all three bikes and my truck for another 70 today. 620 miles on the road on top of the 310 miles I drove yesterday around NJ and back to VA made for a tiring two days.
I woke up this morning and drove my truck to the Harley dealer 35 miles away. Because I was going alone and I don't trust my compact Toyota's tailgate to hold a 650 lb. bike, I rode the Dyna back home, rode my SV over to the dealer, put it on the truck, and drove the truck back. By the time my Dyna, truck, and SV were back in my garage, I had already logged 70 miles on two wheels and 70 miles in my truck - which BTW flipped 200k miles during this little delivery trip.
I then hit the interstate at 3:30 to head to Blacksburg on my SV. Knowing that an ice storm was on its way Sunday morning lent a sense of adventure to my journey. Because of the wattage limitations of my SV's alternator, I can only hook up the Gerbing pant liner. I started to get a bit cold around Harrisonburg on I-81. My hands were starting to become uncomfortable despite winter gloves. I stopped twice to gas up/eat and used each stop to warm up a bit. The SV is a sporting little bike that is great fun, but it is not that great of a tourer. If you think the stock BMW saddle is uncomfortable, you should try the first-gen SV's stock seat! I got to Blacksburg at 7:20 and I was thankful this leg of my trip was done. I parked the SV at a storage shed I'm renting in Bburg and took the Roadster over to my apartment. I donned the Gerbing jacket liner and heated gloves in addition to the pant liner I was already wearing. I set the thermostat to full and took off.
The entire set of Gerbing apparel heated up fast!!! As soon as I hit the highway 3 minutes from my apartment, I was struck immediately by how comfortable and secure I was feeling on the Roadster. Between the heavier weight and warmth I was feeling, I started oohing and aahing. The thought that came to mind was that I felt like I was piloting a Klingon battlecruiser.
Within 30 minutes of highway riding, my torso was so hot from the Gerbing liner that I had to turn the thermostat down by about a third. My hands felt toasty in the heated gloves. So much so that I didn't have to turn on the heated grips. I felt warm and cozy as the night wore on and I motored through southwest and western Virginia. I didn't stop to gas up until I reached Woodstock 184 miles from Blacksburg. I realized how cold it was when I took my helmet and gloves off. Donning so many layers makes for complicated procedures to relieve yourself at a bathroom
Woodstock to Haymarket is approximately 60 miles, and I finished this final leg of my journey at a slightly higher speed. Having spent all day on the road, I was ready to go home and relax. As much as I enjoyed the day, it was good to finally park the Roadster in the garage and get out of my riding equipment. With so much gear, I felt like an astronaut taking off his flight suit. It literally took me 5 minutes to fully unhook everything and get everything off.
I tell you what. I regret having waited so long to buy the Gerbing heated attire. This stuff is the bomb! If you do any kind of cold weather riding, you owe it to yourself to get this stuff. I would have been miserable if I didn't have them on tonight and probably wouldn't have been able to focus and concentrate on what was in front of me. For safety and comfort, heated clothing is a must in winter.