Pilot equipment and motorcycle accessories essential for winter

Riding an enduro in winter is often synonymous with facing climatic elements such as rain, cold, wind and mud. To avoid suffering too much from these elements, there are a few solutions for the rider and his motorcycle that allow him to protect himself from these particular climatic conditions.

There are enduro riders who prefer to keep their bikes in the garage when the first cold weather arrives while waiting for the return of fine weather, and there are also those who continue to ride their bikes regardless of the rigors of the climate. Here are some tips and tricks for enduro riders who aren't afraid to face the cold and the rain.

Pilot equipment to protect against the cold

Neoprene Winter Gloves

One of the parts of the body most exposed to the cold on a motorcycle are the hands. Admittedly, in enduro, almost all of us use hand protectors, but in fact, against really sharp cold it does not protect and the only viable solution remains the use of neoprene gloves. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber which has the particularity of to be a thermoregulator. This type of neoprene motorcycle gloves therefore provides effective protection from the cold (and the rain at the same time). Not all manufacturers offer this type of glove in their catalogs, but if you do a little digging you will find the KENNY Winter glove or the cross storm, the 100% Brisker, the SHOT Trainer, the SCOTT Neoprene, etc. It's up to you what is the model of your choice by asking your favorite dealer or online, for example for the models mentioned above you can buy your motorcycle accessories on iCasque.

Thicker and less comfortable than classic all-terrain gloves, neoprene gloves effectively protect you against the cold and the rain

Thermal underwear

Another method to protect yourself from the cold is to use thermal underwear (to be worn under the jersey and/or under the pants). These underwear dedicated to motorcyclists are specially designed with very technical thermoregulatory and breathable materials (which allows perspiration to be evacuated and avoids retaining humidity inside the garment and the feeling of cold).

Alpinestar Ride Teck Winter base layers are available to protect the upper and lower body from the cold

Collar size

A part of the enduro rider's body which is exposed to the cold and which, paradoxically, is not protected, is the neck. It is a part of the body that is very exposed to wind and cold. So a very simple and inexpensive answer to cover your neck is to use a neck warmer (or neck warmer). Many brands offer this kind of accessory dedicated to bikers with for example: the ALPINESTAR Tech Neck Warmer, the DAINESE Cilindro Summer or the IXON airblock tube, etc.

Like Xavier de Soultrait, the motorcycle riders of the Dakar practically all wear a protective gear, which allows them to protect themselves from the cold and splashes.

Jacket and windbreaker

Obviously the enduro jacket remains a solution of choice to protect yourself from the cold and the rain. Afterwards, it is equipment due to its technical nature, generally a bit heavy. If we add the undershirt, the protective vest, the jersey and over a jacket, it starts to do a lot and sometimes you feel a little cramped by adding this enduro jacket. In addition, the price of this type of jacket is quite substantial, but usually, it is an investment for several years (see decades). An interesting and also less expensive alternative is to use a windbreaker (or rain jacket). Lighter than a jacket, the windbreaker as its name suggests will effectively protect you from wind and rain. After the problem, it's a bit like the pressure cooker effect of this kind of rain jacket which wicks away perspiration quite badly.

On a wet course, a light k-way type jacket will be perfect for protecting yourself from the mud.

Motorcycle accessories to protect your motorcycle from mud

Non-slip saddle

On the motorcycle side, an accessory that can be very useful for rolling in the mud is the use of a non-slip saddle cover. Very often this type of 'grip' saddle is only offered as standard on specific models (KTM 6days, Beta RR Racing, Sherco Factory, ...) so if your bike is not equipped with one and if you want to avoid slip on your saddle during winter outings in the mud, you will need to equip yourself with a non-slip saddle cover.The BLACKBIRD brand offers the Pyramid model which has excellent grip, the DALLA VALLE brand (mounted on KTM 6days and the Sherco Factory) it has many references such as the Wave or the Racing Super Grip.

Big on the small pimples of the pyramid saddle house from Blackbird racing

Anti-mud foam

A motorcycle accessory that is not very expensive, but which is very useful to avoid overloading your motorcycle's engine with mud. infiltrate between the crankcases and the shoe (this avoids weighing down your motorcycle). This type of foam can also protect your brake pedal, your air filter box, or your radiators from mud.

For information, the TWIN AIR and BLACKBIRD RACING brands offer this kind of anti-mud clog foam.

Handlebar grips in good condition

Other equipment to which you absolutely have to pay attention from the first rains are its handlebar grips. In wet weather it is difficult to keep these grips clean and especially without getting mud on the gloves. Also if you want to keep a minimum of grip in the hands, avoid riding with handlebar grips that are too worn or smooth. We for example, we particularly appreciate the Renthal Full diamon which have small pimples all around their circumference. Thanks to this diamon design, this model offers very good grip whatever the driving conditions.

Also remember to properly tie your handlebar grips with a locking wire, this prevents your grips from turning on the handlebars (a phenomenon accentuated with humidity).

Toe clips not too worn

Another piece of motorcycle equipment not to be overlooked in winter are the toe clips which wear out on contact with the boots and gradually lose their grip. So if your toe clips are worn, you can consider replacing them (best is to opt for wider toe clips which will be more effective in the mud). If there is no replacement, you can recover grip by "sharpening" the pins of your toe clips using a metal file (triangular) which will allow you to find slightly sharper points.

3 bonus tips

1: To prevent the mud from sticking too much under your fenders, you can spray (just before driving) multi-purpose WD-40 inside your front and rear fenders (be careful not to spray it on your brake discs). Thanks to the lubricating power of WD-40, mud will adhere less to the plastics of your motorcycle.

2: A simple and quick trick to protect your hands from the cold, you can "enlarge your hand guards with canvas type stock. This will have the effect of reducing the action of the wind on your hands and protecting your hands a little better splashes of mud

The US tape glued on the hand protectors to protect against the cold

3: Remember to take care of your goggles: In rainy weather, you can opt to mount a roll off system on your goggle, it is particularly effective for maintaining clear vision throughout the day. driving in cold weather, forget the double anti-fog screens whose real efficiency is close to zero (and in addition the 2 superimposed notches distort the field of vision) but opt ​​instead for systems such as the AIRSCREEN anti-fog screens or mask themR-FLOW

The anti-fog screen mounted on an FMF mask which, once opened, allows the fog to be evacuated in a few seconds

If you have any personal tips for riding in the mud or protecting yourself from the cold, feel free to comment below to share your tips.

Photos: Freenduro / M.Talayssat / ASO