I ride all winter roads permitting. Wear a 200.00 leather jacket with a heated liner and heated gloves. chaps below 40 or Carhart overalls. Real cold I wear heated pants liner as well for a long day. Usually the jacket liner and gloves get me to and from work no problem. On the concrete slab no issue. Gerbing or HD heated **** works fine.

 

Exactly. I'm on my second set of leathers. The ones I bought 2 years ago have mysteriously shrunk quite a bit?


They still fit but are snug so no room for layers. My new leathers are a couple sizes bigger, so now I have more room to layer stuff underneath.

Tuesday night I did 2 hours on the Interstate, 80 MPH in 48 to 50 degree weather. Under my leather jacket I had my T shirt and a fleece jacket. I wore a Turtle Fur neck gator pulled up to my nose. On my head had a leather skullcap, my bandanna and a knit cap pulled down to my ears. Deerskin gauntlet gloves with Thinsulate, leather chaps over my jeans and extra thick work socks on my feet.

No problems. And for colder weather, I'll just change the undergarments for the conditions.

 

Looking at first bit of cold weather... I am such a wus! Below 50 in the AM and I'm not riding.
Maybe if I resort to longjohns and yet another layer. Not that hard core (yet) to try plug-in liners and such. It's October and I'm going back to the cage... Sugar Honey Iced Tea!
I blinked and my first season went quick.

 

Others have said it all. For the low temps you're talking about probably the only thing that works is heated gear. However, give layering up a good try. I start with the UnderArmor cold gear, then regular thermal long underwear, then a sweatshirt. You can add even more, but that's been good for my SoCal temps (never ridden in the 30's or low 40's).

 

I bought Harley heated gear. I mostly use the heated jacket liner, $220. It's about 5 years old now. If it fails tomorrow I'll just buy another one, it's the best $220 I've spent on winter riding apparel. Seeing how it can turn a miserable damp cold ride home into a fun ride home, it's worth the money.

Along with the jacket liner, I've worn the pant liners and heated gloves in 20 degree temps and actually had to turn down the thermostat control, It was TOO hot. I'm sure Gerbings stuff is good also, I have no experience with that brand. I can't say anything bad about the Harley gear, it's worked flawlessly for 5 years now. About 2 years ago I was riding home on a cold night probably about 40 degrees, light rain. I thought my liner had failed because It just wasn't warming up. Then i noticed the Thermostat LED lights weren't lit. I forgot to plug it into the bike, Doh!!!!!

If you like your new jacket for other times of the year, heated liners will make that jacket a 4 season jacket.

 

Invest in some good thermal underwear. I wear it everyday throughout winter.

 

You might also try wearing your vest over the jacket. It really helps when temps are in the 30's.

 

That about sums up my thoughts also.

 

i went riding last january (0-10deg.)wearing carhardt bibs and coat.. couldnt have been warmer.. keep your harley stuff for the fall and spring, and wear clothes made for winter when its cold.. if any one is judging your fasion style when its that cold out,tell them to crank the heat and roll there window back up before they get sick

 

So you looked at the stuff and you ahd to ask the woman at the dealership if it would be warm enough? Are you new to motorcycle riding, or did she just think you were tougher than you are?