Korean Job Discussion Forums

shetan · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Location: In front of my PC.

I just got a scooter last month and I want to know if anybody rides motorbikes or scooters in winter?

is it safe? or crazy talk??

any advice, info or experiences welcomed....

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

It's dangerous in fresh snow. Other than that it depends on the condition of your engine and your tolerance for cold.

normalcyispasse · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:10 am Post subject:

I ride motorcycles year-round: rain, shine, or snow. It can be done, but winter sucks.

seoulsucker · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:39 am Post subject:

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

last year i rode year round, but you have to minus july and august when i was in canada. so... 365 days straight minus rainy season.

there's these really nice big fat army issue goretex jackets you can get in itaewon. they're perfect for scooter riding. waterproof, and they look awesome.

seoulsucker · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:39 pm Post subject:

shetan · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Location: In front of my PC.

hey... what do you guys wear in winter when riding??? the wind is so cold... feels like knives stabbing your face!!!

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

The most important thing for me is gloves.

Bailsibub · Joined: 22 Dec 2006

Riding in the winter isn't too crazy.

BUT, if you are going to ride in the winter, get a snowsuit. The full thing with a single zipper.

Granted, when you put one on, you go from zero to dork in about 3 seconds. But the good thing is you can wear your normal stuff underneath and be ready to scoot in like 3 seconds.

Also, get a full face helmet and some mittens (preferably the big snowboard ones...fleece liner...windproof shell). One of the worst parts of winter riding is the cold hands. On the coldest days, you can even wear another pair of gloves under your mittens. This can make winter riding bearable (even though it can still get uncomfortable!).

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

I ride in winter, but usually there's a month in January to February where I don't ride it.

I bought some cheap ski pants in Itaewon, and wear gloves and a down coat. That's warm enough.

Optimus Prime · Joined: 05 Jul 2007

I got me some snow tires. about 45000 each, and about 5000 to get em changed each season. maybe the best purchase I've ever made in korea.

normalcyispasse · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:11 am Post subject:

GoldMember · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

Make sure you warm up the engine for about 5 minutes before heading off, especially if it's a 2 stroke or you'll destroy the engine in no time.
Spend 50,000won and get some electrically heated grips, it's the only way to keep your hands warm.
Most heat loss is from your head. A balaclava under a full face helmet does the trick.

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

all year round baby!!!! get some warm gloves, warm socks, winter pants, underwear, those grip covers the quick service guys use (10,000 won), and a neck warmer. Wash your visor with shampoo and leave a little soap film on it and it will be more fog proof (you can buy special sprays too, from ski shops, hockey shops).

be careful of ice on the road and let your ride warm up before you start revving it, especially if it s a sport bike (Sport bikes have high compression and running them cold is not good....forces oil through the head gasket).

You can buy decent winter gear from a market (Dongdaemun is pretty good). Leather gloves, cheap wind gear, and buy some leather boots from Itaewon. Those grip covers and neck warmers can be bought cheap from a motorcycle shop (near Chungmuro station).

Be careful of Korean drivers if you decided to ride in the snow, rideing a 2 wheeled vehicle on icy roads is not the safest thing to begin with, and Korean drivers are not really that good at driving in the snow (I'm from Canada in the mountains so I can say that...not being racist, New Yorkers suck in the snow too...so do Torontonians). On a snowy day stick to the side of the road and don't let people pass you on the inside, just on the off chance that you go down.

Don't use your front break heavily on slippery roads, this contradictory to how you should usually ride on a bike (the front brake is the strongest on a bike). Hitting the front brake when the road is really slippery is a sure way to put your bike down and lose all control and braking. When things are hairy, ride slow and use the back brake while using your feet (or foot) to hold the bike up right. A rear slide is easier to control than a front tire slide.