[Marv]

Does the Temp gage read ambient temp? Does the close proximity of the engine effect the reading? How about wind chill factor.

The reason I'm asking these dumb questions is I trying to establish what kind of winter clothes to wear while riding.

I live in South Florida. I know you might be laughing but it does get down to the thirties once in a while down here in the wintertime. Today it was cold for us this morning about 68 degrees till it finally warmed up to 75.

 

[Buffalo]

It reads air temp from a sensor up close to the insturment cluster. They are reasonably accurate when you are moving. Heat from the radiator will make them read high if you stop moving. It takes them a while to come back down after you get moving. That also means they read high if you are riding in stop and go traffic. They work best out on the open road.

 

[Desert Rat]

Found mine on the open road reads 6-7 degree high. My 400 was more like just a couple of degrees high.
Marv... post what kind of ride you have like Buffalo & I have. It just makes it easier for folks to answer questions.

 

[Liamjs]

I found the same as Buffalo said. The temp readings are fairly accurate.

What you wear for comfortable riding is, of course, a personal preference. I live in a similar temp zone as you, 30s to 100 F degrees riding weather. For year round riding, I have a vented summer jacket, winter jacket with removable lining, vented pants with two liners ( thermal & wind), three pairs of gloves (light, medium and heavy), pair of hiking boots, cooling vest and a freeze out collar. Occationally an extra pair of sox and hand warmers help. Some combination of those articles keep me comfortable all year round.

 

[AROTH]

The reason I'm asking these dumb questions is I trying to establish what kind of winter clothes to wear while riding.

I live in South Florida. I know you might be laughing but it does get down to the thirties once in a while down here in the wintertime. Today it was cold for us this morning about 68 degrees till it finally warmed up to 75.

I had to chuckle a little about your comment - reminds me a little bit about my parents who live just north of you in Venice. Once in awhile, my mother will call complaining about how the temps went down into the 40's....:confused5:

 

[Rusty J]

Last time I checked, the 650's thermometer tended to read about 2°F above the actual temperature once the bike's been moving for a while, higher if stopped. Useful info if you're riding in near-freezing conditions and worried about ice.

Not sure how it deviates at high temperatures, though. I'd thought it was +2°F throughout its range, but apparently others are seeing different errors.

 

[Fatjock]

This morning, all local weather reports, and the gauge in my wife's car were reading 48 degrees. My 650 read 53 degrees.

I'm with Desert Rat on this one.........reading a bit high.

I actually fitted the liner in my jacket for the first time today, and with my overpants on, was a very comfortable ride in.

 

[Desert Rat]

Decided to ride the 650 this morning to work. True temp was 49 650 said 55. By the time I got to work 650 was showing 45 true was 39. My 400 was much more correct than my 650 is.

 

[Buffalo]

Individually the thermometers vary through a few degrees. There is a group of 5 of us that ride together that all have GMRS radios so we can talk to each other. We will often compare temps to see how they compare. The range is about 4 degrees from the lowest to the highest.

When Robin had her 07 the gauge on it read about 1 degree lower than mine until she had the CVT rebuilt. After that it read 4 to 5 degrees higher. Never did figure out exactly why. All we can surmise is they moved the sensor location when they put it back together. The one on her current 08 650 reads 1 degree higher than the one on my 07.

 

[Marv]

Riding clothes

[
I actually fitted the liner in my jacket for the first time today, and with my overpants on, was a very comfortable ride in.[/QUOTE]

I also have an armored jacket with a fitted liner. In the summertime without the liner I can wear the jacket up to 80 degrees. It's a bear to get the liner snapped in place and a real pain to get it on and off. A friend gave me an excellent idea. Don't install the liner . Just put it on, zip it up and then put on the outer jacket. My jacket is a mesh jacket. The air goes right through it. I was curious about the liner so I held it up and tried to blow air through it. It truly was wind proof.

 

[v8eyedoc]

Wind chill factor....story & calculations - interesting!!

LINK.............. http://mentalfloss.com/article/26730/how-wind-chill-calculated

 

[itlives]

Personally, I dress according to how it feels to me outside, not what the thermometer says. I also take into account I'm always going to have at least a 45 mph wind chill. I er on the warm side, I can always take layers off.

 

[ChipDoc]

We always experience maximum wind chill when we're riding, so we've grown used to thinking of temperature differently. If I'm just walking around in 50 degree temperatures, a windbreaker is fine. If I'm riding, I'm wearing gloves, overpants, and the lining's zipped into the jacket. So long as we have no exposed skin, the temperature stays the same, no matter how hard the wind is blowing.

 

[bkfist]

Answering the wind chill question...

Wind chill is the effect of wind cooling exposed skin... Mechanical items do not affected by wind chill, so the temp shown is not giving wind chill values.

 

[model28a]

Here are some charts for giving wind chill values.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wind-chill-effect-d_112.html

 

[mike D]

My wife has said I own way to much gear. The temp gauge on my Burgman always seems to read 2 to 4 degrees above my friends gps and BMW RT.