Definitely take your leather. I have froze and baked within an hours time out there.
Be prepared.

 

Always with chaps, I have a mesh jacket with a zip out liner that works well in heat and cool. I'm still carrying my leather jacket though, and my schampa fleece lined mask. Like the Boy Scouts, "Be prepared".

 

You can get by without a leather jacket. I know mine is very big and heavy. It would take up a whole saddlebag. But the weather can drop by 50 degrees in a very short time. Even in the summer. My experience has been that it passes pretty fast. I deal with it by carrying a good synthetic MC jacket and a sweatshirt.

 

Under Armour underwear, neck gator, layer shirts, leathers, rain gear. You can always take it off but if you don't have it you probable will need it. I've done Sturgis, Bear Tooth etc. several times and sometimes shirt sleve but most of time with leathers, especially for the A.M.

 

Leather jacket & chaps, rain gear, (1) sweat shirt and (1) light weight baseball jacket with me always.

 

remember, sweatshirts at walmart are all of five bux, and there is a walmart in every little town. i pack light, and if i need something more it's easy to add if you see that the conditions require it. yes, i agree rain gear is great to have along. just don't wear a nylon windbreaker. they will melt into your skin if you end up sliding on the asphalt. and leather, no matter how expensive is far cheaper than skin grafts.

 

I wouldn't count on anything. Once it was hotter than he!!, once nice, and twice down right cold (cold at night, cool during day). Sometimes it's a crapshoot.

MarkR

 

I've ridden in the daily extremes (30's to 90's)...and this keeps me going - Top: T-shirt (long or short), UnderArmour slip-on cold weather shirt, textile jacket and rain gear.

Lower: Jeans, leathers and rain gear are all I need.

With this setup I doubt that I haven't needed a leather jacket (IMO, which are either cold or hot).

 

All great advise. Was thinking about bringing my leather lowers, and based on everyone's advise, that's going in a saddle bag. I like the idea about Under Armor wear Whiskers, or I have lots of hot chilis which are easy to roll up and keep me very warm when playing in the white stuff. But snow in the summer.....come on guys it's hard for a warm weather boy like me to ride my bike, let alone a sled in the snow. Two wheelers don't ride well in the white stuff....

I will bring lots of layers though, and a jacket with zip liner. Think I'll leave the leather jacket at home though.

Can't wait to get out there!!

 

You will be making a mistake leaving your leather jacket at home. I never go on any multi-day trip without a leather jacket and chaps. Don't always need the chaps but at least once on every trip (even to Florida) I have appreciated having the jacket. A leather jacket is the most versatile piece of clothing I have for riding a motorcycle (and they seem to just go together).