Start of the season

[SpikeOne]

I confess to being a wuss on this one. I put the bike away on the 19th December and I haven't even looked in on it since.
I've been itching to get back on and go for a spin on every Friday afternoon, (when I don't work), but it's nice and cosey and warm in the house, and Top Gear repeats are always tempting....

[Zed]

Definitely start of the "riding season" now

I'm going to have to pull thermal liners out, and find my non-winter gloves - sweaty hands this morning!

[mottza]

Going to be 16-18C down south today

[halfabusa]

yeah i noticed 11 and 61 plate power rangers coming out of their hibernation now...

[TmaX9]

This is the difference between motorcyclists and bikers.
Motorcyclists use their bikes like motorists use their cars as their regular means of transport, but bikers only ride when it's nice weather, weekends or only for socialising.
I am a motorcyclist by the above definition, and use my bike for daily transport in any weather other than snow and even in the last two winters only had to borrow a car for a couple of days purely as the first and last few hundred yards were icy and not gritted. That really annoys me when you are prevented from riding because local authorities refuse to grit side roads and B-roads and yet if they did even just once or twice, you could probably ride every day.
Another reason I dislike 'biker cafes' and other bike gathering places is that most of those there are not motorcyclists, just hobby riders. Snobbish? possibly a bit but it's these 'bikers' that determine how us as a whole are treated. legislated and considered by other motoring groups and government, yet they are really not representative of the core users. The weekend warrior power rangers that get the attention (usually by creating a nuisance) are who get us all a bad name.

The 'season' to me is just when I add riding for pleasure to my normal usage. Assuming time and family allow I like to ride out with other scooter owners, but it isn't the core reason I own a bike.

[Zed]

I need me some of these tyres for next winter:

[youtube][/youtube]

[Bluebottle]

I've never used those tyres but I've driven Bell 206's like that one very tasty