I’m guessing motorcycle sales were pretty slow in the winter months (probably still are). So here’s the pitch: “Meet old King Winter man to man” on your 1928 H-D and take it up to the snow-mantled hills to go skiing! The crisp air will zip the red blood through your veins!
And there’s camping too:
Yes, friends, freeze your butt off driving your motorcycle in the winter! Really funny. On the other hand, the ad for camping makes sense, especially if you have some pals and that sidecar to hold equipment – including a cooler. “23 skiddoo!”
Taking on “Old King Winter” was probably not the culture shock in 1928 as it would be now. There were undoubtedly lots of people who had until recently taken on that same foe with every January ride in the old window-less touring car. I would guess that the difference between car and motorcycle was the choice of with or without windshield.
It was only right around that time in the late 20s when decadent luxuries like closed bodies and heaters would make a winter ride on the Harley seem like a back-to-nature experience.
I was thinking more or less along the same lines.
An arctic air motorcycle ride is really no big deal with proper attire.
Actually, more comfortable than 33 degrees and in the rain.
Think snowmobiling.
The bigger threat today would be that in the off season motorcycles become even more “invisible” to some other motorists.
Inflation adjusted, about $5000, right on par with a basic new bike now.
50 MPH with no face shield in below freezing temperatures… that should be good for about 10 seconds of fun…
You’ll weep with joy riding your motorcycle in the winter!
No, it’s just the frozen tears streaming from your eyes from riding without googles or a windscreen.
It is an experience you won’t soon forget.
The smooth tires depicted on these motorcycles would add uncertainty to uphill travel, and adventure to downhill braking in the snow.
I’ve not tried it on a motorcycle, but have experienced some painful demonstrations of Newton’s laws during winter bicycle rides.
The sidecar would at least decrease the potential for the rider to end up beneath the motorcycle while pondering the laws of physics that precipitated the painful predicament.
I’m thinking that back in the day Harley Davidson motorcycles and especially a Harley with a sidecar were bought and used by riders that actually used the motorcycle as means of transportation rather than a fashion statement. Also, people were tougher and accepted that they would be inconvenienced by the weather. Although a lot of BMW riders are the first out each year and the last to put their motorcycles away.
There’s a series of insurance commercials that display motorcycle riders without eye protection. The rider is often wearing an open face helmet. I suppose that is so the viewer can see their facial expressions. The first thing a rider learns is to protect their eyes. I’ve been hit in the face by insects and debris but I was always wearing glasses. That was during my chopper riding days. Before, and after that period ,I was wearing helmet face shields.
In my state (CT) there is no helmet law. I’ve seen motorcyclists on the interstates with neither helmet nor eye protection. I’ve also seen and felt the effects of insects, stones and grit on the windshield of my car.
On my bicycle, I’ve had painful insect-face interactions, and even gotten them in my mouth. I can only imagine how this feels going at highway speeds.
I once hit what I assume was a bumblebee while going 65 down the highway. It hit the face shield and actually knocked my head back a little. Yellow mass on the middle of the shield. Had a lot of impact for something relatively small.
With road conditions of 1928 compounded by winter conditions, I’m thinking that any winter motor cycle ride would be at about the pace of a horse trotting.
80 miles per gallon? That isn’t just an exaggeration, that’s detached from reality.
Been there done that without the sidecar. My friend and I used to dare each other to meet for coffee half way between our homes during the winter.
One time it started snowing hard on the way home, and I had to divert to my sisters place. My motorcycle spent the rest of the winter there. Older wiser DougD has no more desire to ride a motorcycle in the snow.
I knew a guy that road his Gold Wing to work no matter the weather and this was in Minneapolis, MN. Only advantage he had was a windshield. He also pulled a pop up camper with the Gold Wing. He did wear out the ring and pinion on that Wing. Probably one of the few that ever did that. Meanwhile these old Gold Wings are almost worthless. The local motorcycle salvage yard doesn’t even want them unless they are in very good condition and running. When I visited I understood why, one whole row of about 30 Wings ready to go. The really nice ones are sheltered in the barn. There was a 71 Kawasaki Z900 on the floor, as clean and shiny as if we just took our DeLorean with the flux capacitor back to 1971.
Me motorbikes and snow dont do well together and thats on a dirtbike with knobbly tyres now with old age in sight I’ll stick to cars I’m getting soft I know I even reconnected the heater demister in my Hillman wagon now the cooler months are here
My thing with motorcycles and snow is not the cold but it is the hopeless tires and chances of falling off. I suppose the side car helps here and a 2wd Ural or something do even better. But no thanks.
I encountered snow once on my KLR650 when a buddy and I took our bikes (via his F150) down to AZ to spectate at a rally near the Grand Canyon almost two decades ago now. It, uh, did not go well. The ride to the start area about 90 miles from the hotel was simply freezing and then after turning onto the dirt road for another 20 miles to the start we found it was covered in about an inch of snow. He went down about fifty feet in and put a nice ding into the tank of his BMW GS and I somehow kept it upright for another fifty feet but slid it into a ditch next to the road (still upright though!). We tried to proceed a few more time but got nowhere fast, then went back to the main road and rode on to the next stage by which time it had warmed up some. Not fun (that part anyway).
I’ve ridden plenty in the rain in California winters as well to know that I don’t rea;;y want to do that anymore either. And that was all before cell phones and texting were a thing.
I had a motorcycle or two from the days of front drums and they were fine considering the speeds I went.
Little did I know I was living safe and large compared the decades-before bikes without both front and rear brakes. Anyone have an idea when this stopped being a selling point?
I have always ridden year round. The coldest that I have ridden was eight degrees Fahrenheit. I still ride year round but it is easier now since I now live in the mountains of central Mexico. The low temperature last winter was 51 degrees. I can handle that.