Hope I'm not done riding my Spyder for the year?!

I usually don't put the Sta-bil into the Spyder until at least mid November, but it has turned cold already here in North Central Illinois. It was 29 degrees when I got up this morning, and looks like it won't even hit 50° today. Having just treated myself to a new cold weather motorcycle jacket, I hope my riding is not yet done for the year. I used to ride as long as it was above freezing and the roads were clear, but as I get older, my willingness to tolerate the cold or the bundling up to avoid the cold seems to drop. I'll probably still go out for rides, as long as it gets up to at least the mid to high 40's. I've got a good jacket, decent boots, and most importantly, good warm gloves (I have electric gloves that run on rechargeable batteries) which can still make for enjoyable riding as it gets cold, but only to a certain degree. The one good thing about putting the Spyder away for the winter months is that come Spring, taking those first few rides after months of not riding are really, really special. If I lived where riding was truly year round, I would never again have that child like excitement of getting ready for the first Spring rides. And at 82, there's not many things that make me feel a childlike thrill.

It's not that I get too cold to ride, but when I have to keep the face shield of my helmet down, and I have to wear all the gear (including something over or under my jeans, which is normally all I wear on my lower body), the ride itself is just not as much fun. I know it is risky, but I live for the days when I can ride with a half helmet, no jacket, jeans, tennis shoes, and maybe fingerless gloves. When I am all bundled up, I start to think that maybe I should have just taken one of my cars instead. But maybe that's just me?