"Suffer for your art?" Freddie Mercury

My youngest went off to college this fall and I am heartbroken. So yesterday, I decided to sneak out of work around noon. I hopped on the bike and road to Hilton Head to have dinner with my daughter before she headed to work. The ride down was a bit chilly but warmed up nicely. Kaitlyn and I had dinner at Truffles Cafe (highly recommend) and got to catch up on what's going on in her life. After dinner, I hopped back on the bike and started to make my way home. It had turned dark and temperatures had dropped into the 50s and then later into the 40s.

Did I mention my Gerbings liner bit the dust again earlier this week?

The four and a half hour ride home was so COLD... I had to stop twice to warm up in rest area bathrooms. I expect to see news stories today for travelers to be on the look out for a strange man in a neon motorcycle jacket and white helmet who makes strange chattering noises. "If you see this man, do not approach, it may be contagious"

Anyways got home, took a half hour hot shower, jumped in bed and woke up this morning. Thinking, what a great ride.

What's wrong with us? Why do we suffer so much and then the next day remember only how wonderful it was?






P.s. Ordered a new Gen 4 Warm n Safe this week. Can't say enough about their customer service experience. I'm switching to the Warm n Safe product because Gerbing does not honor the GerbingS life time warranty. Apparently, a new owner purchased the company, and removed the letter "S" from the end of the company name. This allows him to take advantage of the Brand identity but absolves the new company from any responsibility for the legacy warranties. The liner failed last year, I paid to have it fixed and swore when if it failed again, it was going in the trash. Hence the new liner on its way. Rant complete.

dkjkwood said:

My youngest went off to college this fall and I am heartbroken. So yesterday, I decided to sneak out of work around noon. I hopped on the bike and road to Hilton Head to have dinner with my daughter before she headed to work. The ride down was a bit chilly but warmed up nicely. Kaitlyn and I had dinner at Truffles Cafe (highly recommend) and got to catch up on what's going on in her life. After dinner, I hopped back on the bike and started to make my way home. It had turned dark and temperatures had dropped into the 50s and then later into the 40s.

Did I mention my Gerbings liner bit the dust again earlier this week?

The four and a half hour ride home was so COLD... I had to stop twice to warm up in rest area bathrooms. I expect to see news stories today for travelers to be on the look out for a strange man in a neon motorcycle jacket and white helmet who makes strange chattering noises. "If you see this man, do not approach, it may be contagious"

Anyways got home, took a half hour hot shower, jumped in bed and woke up this morning. Thinking, what a great ride.

What's wrong with us? Why do we suffer so much and then the next day remember only how wonderful it was?

Click to expand...

I did a ride similar to that a few years back and keep thinking I need to do it again! (Except, my electrics did work, but where I wasn't hooked up, those bits were frozen!)

dkjkwood said:

P.s. Ordered a new Gen 4 Warm n Safe this week. Can't say enough about their customer service experience. I'm switching to the Warm n Safe product because Gerbing does not honor the GerbingS life time warranty. Apparently, a new owner purchased the company, and removed the letter "S" from the end of the company name. This allows him to take advantage of the Brand identity but absolves the new company from any responsibility for the legacy warranties. The liner failed last year, I paid to have it fixed and swore when if it failed again, it was going in the trash. Hence the new liner on its way. Rant complete.

Click to expand...

I fix my own electrics. I ripped out the connections and controller out of mine (TourMaster brand) and replaced them with Warm& Safe wireless controller. I have also had to replace some of the connectors in the sleeves and such.

dkjkwood said:

What's wrong with us? Why do we suffer so much and then the next day remember only how wonderful it was?

Click to expand...

Nothing is wrong with us. This is simply an instinctive species survival mechanism.

If i am not mistaken, you guys live in the warmer climates don't you.












To a father growing old, nothing is more dearer than a daughter. EURIPIDES

^^^

Attitude is all that separates an adventure from an ordeal.

I like your attitude.

dkjkwood said:

P.s. Ordered a new Gen 4 Warm n Safe this week. Can't say enough about their customer service experience. I'm switching to the Warm n Safe product because Gerbing does not honor the GerbingS life time warranty. Apparently, a new owner purchased the company, and removed the letter "S" from the end of the company name. This allows him to take advantage of the Brand identity but absolves the new company from any responsibility for the legacy warranties. The liner failed last year, I paid to have it fixed and swore when if it failed again, it was going in the trash. Hence the new liner on its way. Rant complete.

Click to expand...

I was impressed with W 'n S's customer service as well. Mike spend about 20 - 25 minutes on the phone with me on a Saturday morning a few years ago walking me through the his new wireless dual remote and SAE adaptors I needed for the Gerbing gear I purchased off of e-bay. He`s certainly not shy in expressing his opinion about Gerbring. When it come time for me to upgrade I`ll likely go with his line.

Let's hope you don't need that upgrade in the Middle of a Cold ride.

Does anybody know what fails with the Gerbings? It was a known issue with the coax connectors once, but the rest of it can't be rocket science (internal solder connections?)........ just curious.

My experience has been the glove connectors from the jacket liner 'break' right at the back of the coax connector. Easy enough to fix (if you have an extra glove harness) - BTDT. My old Gerbing liner itself just keeps on working. I don't know about the newer 'microwire' models.

Good to know about Gerbing...s. I need to replace my vest. Warm and safe huh?

An electric vest is awesome in the cold.

dduelin said:

Attitude is all that separates an adventure from an ordeal.

Click to expand...

So true

Phil,

Both of my Gerbings failures were with a micro wire jacket. First one failed
at the connection box. Second one, only the trash man knows.
I love how it heated up "instantly" but it was not a very robust design.

I've got a few hundred miles on my new WarmNSafe. The jacket is much
lighter than the Gerbings, time will tell if this is good or bad. I like how it
has flexible sections, allowing for a tighter fit for better heat transfer.
The jacket heats up very quickly and I've yet to be burned on the belly where
the junction box was on the Gerbings. I routinely rode in the teens in Cincinnati
with my old liner, I would hesitate with this one either.

I'm loving it so far!

I ride pretty much year round and my boss from SC says I'm insane when I get into work when it is colder than 20 degrees. I love to ride when it is cold though. I have heated gloves and heated grips so my hands stay toasty and the rest doesn't matter much. I love riding in the rain, sleet, and sometimes snow. I may be insane but I like the cold. On my ride back from Oregon from Green River, WY to Laramie, WY it snowed the whole way this semi pulled up next to me and just hung out there while we were heading down the road. I looked over and the gal in the passenger's seat was videoing me. I waved at took off ahead of them. The icicles coming back off the faring looked really cool. I wish I would have taken a picture. To each his own I guess.