Need some Commuting Advice.......

[3way]

Spare gloves are a great idea.
Heated grips- oxford @ £50.00 are very reliable and work just great. The yamaha ones are very pricey
Use the savings to buy Keis heated Jacket. Not waistcoat. The warm collar on jacket is luxury.
Barkbusters blizzards. No guards for me in summer, these are quick to put on in winter.
Some weird blade thing on gloves to wipe visor when wet
Turn jacket and leggings inside out when first hanging up.
(You get some unnoticed vapour from sweat in your lining when cold. Change around lunchtime. )
I also put led plus indicators on rear and wired strobe/modulator into that brake light only.
(They are a combined amber indicator, red tail light and red brake light)

[duhg]

Heated clothing and grips are great, but don't forget your face.  I have a thin balaclava that helps.  I've seen thermal masks as well.
 
 
There are also heated helmets intended for snowmobilers, if you're really into it.
 
 
 
 
 
 

[kmev]

Heated clothing and grips are great, but don't forget your face.  I have a thin balaclava that helps.   
 

I used to do this with my HJC Helmets - a balaclava and a neck gator were essential when the temps dropped. Then I ponied up and bought a Schuberth C3 Pro - with this helmet I haven't need either no matter how cold it is. 

[keithu]

I'm a year round commuter here in Oregon. The most valuable piece of gear I have is my Aerostich Roadcrafter R-3. It's truly comfortable in all weather, and it's incredibly easy to put on and take off over work clothes. It goes on or off in about 15 seconds.
 
I know some people choke on the price, but their stuff is incredibly well made and will last 10-20 years.
 
They have a pop up store in Portland next weekend. You could ride down, get properly sized, and avoid sales tax.

[crazyivan]

My buddy has an Aerostich suit (the lighter weight one) as well. (I haven't pulled the trigger on one myself, I've been considering motoport, because a 'stich looks hot).
 
Last year his bike (bmw k1200 of some kind) mysteriously went out from under him on the interstate (he's not sure how, still), and went skidding down the highway at 65 mph. It only wore through on a small spot on the edge of the extra protection on his elbow (had a small tiny minor scrape). I bring this up, because they are clearly very good protection. Also, his motorcycle insurance covered the cost of a new suit.
 
The tow truck driver coming to get his bike, and commented it wasn't often the rider helps him load the bike (bike was totaled).

[wessie]

I fitted KTM handguards to my Tracer and then added Tucano Urbano R319 bar muffs. With the OEM heated grips these kept my hands warm & dry using summer or autumn gloves. Cold wet hands make commuting miserable.
 
I also have a Keis heated waistcoat. My commute is shorter but I might use my heated insoles for 30 miles in cold weather, zip-tying the wiring into my overtrousers.
 
I use a Goretex/cordura jacket made by Hein Gericke. I don't use the winter liner provided with the jacket but layer with a regular fleece as this can be worn as a casual jacket if going for a walk at lunchtime.
 
Trousers: I use overtrousers. Unlined nylon in summer if wet or Held insulated ones in winter. If you are ATTGATT you may want something more armoured.
 
I keep a pair of casual shoes in the office under my desk and take my gear off in the time my thin client desktop connects to the mainframe. I usually have time to make coffee before the connection is established as well.
 
A Pinlock is good and my Shoei helmet comes with one. If you have not used one make sure you can cope with the extra reflections as these can be a bit disorientating to begin with (although better since the UK has moved away from sodium street lights to whiter LEDs).
 
For the bike, I added a Tutoro auto-oiler.

[DavidS]

All,
 
Thanks for all the suggestions, here is what I have done in preparation for the commute:
 
1) Heated Grips - Installed the Yamaha heated grips, these were expensive, but they work great! The installation was easier than I thought as well.
 
2) Heated Jacket - Got a heated Jacket and wired the connector to the Fuze Block - small plug sits right at the point where my tank meets my seat. Just plug it in, and I'm heated
 
3) Confirmed the office has underground parking for Motorcycles. Might cost $50/month, but my friend says they only charge you if you ask about it.
 
4) Day one I will bring a change of clothes with me to keep in my office. Hopefully I won't need them, but if I get soaked one day, I'll be glad I have them.
 
 
Outstanding items:
1) Hand guards - bought the Barkbuster hand guards, but they really don't fit the bike well, and I'm not happy with them. If anyone can point me to the KTM guards folks like that would be great.
 
2) Extra Lights in rear - Still thinking about the Blaster X for the rear light, supposed to be much brighter than the stock, any advice is welcome.....
 
3) Extra Lights up front - Thinking about adding some LED lights mounted in the front end, haven't investigated much yet, any advice is welcome......
 
4) Aerostich Roadcrafter R-3 - on my list, but want to make sure I'll keep commuting before I sink that much money into riding gear
 
Once I get the hand guards squared away, I'll do a trial run. Day 1 and 2 are orientation, and at a different location than the office. I'll take the car for those, and start my commute on Wednesday. Day 1 is right after Thanksgiving.
 
Thanks for all the advice, I'll keep posting on how it is going once I start work.
 
 
 

[kmev]

Outstanding items: 1) Hand guards - bought the Barkbuster hand guards, but they really don't fit the bike well, and I'm not happy with them. If anyone can point me to the KTM guards folks like that would be great.
 

These are the hand guards I installed, and this is the cheapest I have seen them: KTM 
Removing the stock handguards removes a small amount of bar end weight. If you find the bars a bit buzzy with the KTM you can easily install bar end weights along with the KTMs. 
 
Keep an eye on Craigslist for used Aerostich suits. There are several options on Seattle Craigslist right now. 

[angrygirafe]

I highly recommend the upgraded taillight. I have the Motodynamic, but the Blaster X is at least as bright if not brighter. And they both make the stock light look dim. The strobe effect is also gives more piece of mind when you’re not sure if the person behind you is paying attention.

[estell]

Outstanding items: 1) Hand guards - bought the Barkbuster hand guards, but they really don't fit the bike well, and I'm not happy with them. If anyone can point me to the KTM guards folks like that would be great.
 

These are the hand guards I installed, and this is the cheapest I have seen them: KTM 

David, What Barkbuster did you get? I am currently using the [/url]Barkbuster BBZ and they work well in combination with the heated grips. The back of my hands do not get cold while wearing my 3-season gloves in mid-30 degree temperatures. I have seen a few other recommendations of the BBZ on this forum recently. My installation included fabricating an aluminum bracket to support the left side away from the clutch lever. The BBZ is made of a stiff material that is supposed to support itself, but mine was collapsing onto the clutch lever at freeway speeds. The right side is supported by the master cylinder and the throttle cable and it stays well clear of the brake lever. 
I have tried the KTM handguards. I think that they are the same as those in the link above. I have read good reviews but I don't like them because my Cal Sci windscreen bumps them at full turn. I also didn't think that they kept my hands much warmer than the stock guards. They are certainly not as warm as the BBZ. My KTM guards are available if you want to buy a used set. PM me if you want to see them.
 
 
 

[keithu]

Weird that the BBZ collapses. I have the Barkbuster Storms and they come with a steel reinforcing bar that prevents this. The Storm also seems to quell handlebar vibration a little better than the stock bar-ends and guards.

[DavidS]

Weird that the BBZ collapses. I have the Barkbuster Storms and they come with a steel reinforcing bar that prevents this. The Storm also seems to quell handlebar vibration a little better than the stock bar-ends and guards.

I couldn't get the Barkbuster Storms to install on my FJ-09, maybe it's operator error, but I played around with them for about 3 hours and came to the conclusion that what they sent me could never work on the FJ-09. Could be just a case they shipped the wrong thing, or maybe I'm just clueless and couldn't figure it out. 
 
Regardless, I got the following off of Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0158I9KGI/
 
We will see how they work. Temperatures rarely get below freezing here in Seattle, so I'm hopeful this will be good enough for me. 

[keithu]

Good ol' bar muffs. Can't go wrong with those!
 
The Storms work great on my FJ. You have to completely remove the bracketry for the stock guards. Once you've done that they fit perfectly, assuming you got the right parts to begin with.

[3way]

@Estell. My blizzards came with a short alu plate that goes inside a sleeve inside guard. The bolt for bar end goes through this supporting the guard. Sure you have this installed ?  Maybe I've just been lucky as they seem fine. I found they offer more wind protection than storms in winter, and not as cumbersome as traditional muffs. I take them off for the summer, I prefer no guards at all.
 

 

[duhs10]

@Estell. My blizzards came with a short alu plate that goes inside a sleeve inside guard. The bolt for bar end goes through this supporting the guard. Sure you have this installed ?  Maybe I've just been lucky as they seem fine. I found they offer more wind protection than storms in winter, and not as cumbersome as traditional muffs. I take them off for the summer, I prefer no guards at all.  

I use the barkbuster blizzard's too. Aluminum plate and rigidity of the guard keep them off my levers at highway speeds. I've used them for 4 winters now (1 year on my Versys, 3 years on the FJ).