My morning commute

[1moreroad]

 
It was just about 5 miles in about 2" of snow before any traffic has really run by.
 
When you own a Subaru and a Yamaha street bike, maybe you should drive the Subaru when the Weather Channel predicts snow for your ride home.
 
Made it home OK. Never got above 25 mph or 2nd gear. I couldn't get up the driveway until the temperature got above 32 even with shoveling.
 
The last time I rode a motorcycle in the snow, it was a WR250X. That was a little easier to handle.

[thetruck454]

The first thing that came to my mind, wash the salt off!!! Lol. You are a brave rider.

[checkereddemon]

Yeah, get that salt and sand offa there, it'll corrode shiny stuff in a hurry...

[javashot1]

As a kid in the 70's, the most fun I ever had on my IT 175 was "flat track racing" my buddy's YZ 125 in the snow!  Kicked his a** sideways 
 
Can't say I'd want to get a 450 lb street bike out in it though. So how about a review of challenging the FJ's  TCS/ABS/ Mode B combo?
 
 
 

[1moreroad]

Yeah, get that salt and sand offa there, it'll corrode shiny stuff in a hurry...

 
 
Thank you and I would agree... If we had any salt or sand! That's all snow. The Deep South isn't so prepared. My city lays cinder on the bridges only, but I beat the cinder trucks this morning. Even rode a few spots of virgin snow.
 

So how about a review of challenging the FJ's TCS/ABS/ Mode B combo???

 
B mode is great. Big help on the moderately slippery stuff.
 
ABS only kicked in once, right as I rode out of the parking garage. I adjusted my riding after that so it wasn't needed. Less sensitive than my Subaru in the snow and that's a good thing.
 
TCS... well, our bikes just aren't intended for snow covered roads. I need to adjust my riding style maybe. TCS caused me to stall out at a traffic light since I backed off the throttle right as the TCS cut fuel... stall. If you trust it, you can throttle up a little more aggressively and slide through a turn (did it leg out dirt bike style at an intersection and hoped the bike didn't catch my leg and twist my knee around). I just failed going up the driveway. TCS on and the wheel just slowed to a stop with no traction. TCS off and the wheel stepped out with any momentum. I'm sort of OK with that on a 300# dual sport with 25 hp. I'm not OK with 500# and 100+ HP. I probably could have made it with TCS and more speed, but then the cost of a mistake when going faster is higher.
 

[kamalv]

Good that you made it safe. I got caught in the Wednesday night fiasco here in DC.
 
Left at 7:15pm and got home at 10:15pm - 60 miles to cover and no treatment at all on the roads. I-95 south slippery mess with multiple lanes - cars and SUVs sliding around, few gone straight into the road side barriers, no visible lanes to speak off, everyone doing less than 20mph for a significant time. I couldn't put my feet down when everyone stops coz it was so icy my feet were slipping and I was just leaving enough gaps to keep little forward momentum and stay upright and pray that ppl start moving before I ran out of space. After about an hour and half, left hand started going numb from cold and clutch pull at less than 10 mph. All my heated stuff batteries died by then - feet and hands and only the heated grips were keeping me warm.
 
And on the bridges, it was a special glassy mix. Every bridge it was first or second gear, plenty of space in front, and feather the clutch while I slid and fish tailed across it keeping my grip and body as loose as possible without having to put a foot down. Bah, I got no dirt experience, so this was all just plain weird to me. Need to get a WR250R and commute on that There were some considerate ppl in cars who gave me space coz even changing lines was an adventure with sticking snow between the next clear line on the road. Needed a lot of luck to get home without falling on Wed. Next time I think I will just camp out in the office. I am pretty sure TC saved my ass quite a few times, but I was so focussed on every car and light around me and the safest path in front, never looked at the dash.

[ULEWZ]

It was just about 5 miles in about 2" of snow before any traffic has really run by.  
When you own a Subaru and a Yamaha street bike, maybe you should drive the Subaru when the Weather Channel predicts snow for your ride home.
 
Made it home OK. Never got above 25 mph or 2nd gear. I couldn't get up the driveway until the temperature got above 32 even with shoveling.
 
The last time I rode a motorcycle in the snow, it was a WR250X. That was a little easier to handle.

Not to make you feel too bad, but I rode to work today while there is a break in the rain. 47 Degrees F in the morning, and 71 on the way home. It felt good to be back on my bike after a 3 week layoff.  

[1moreroad]

@kamalv - Nice job making it home.  I grew up in MD and went to school at UMCP.  The traffic was bad 25 years ago. Traffic in DC was one factor in me moving across the country.
 
@ulewz - I know. I know. Lived in Long Beach until 2007.