This ^^

Not worth the extra expense, effort , or especially risk to ride when the roads are slick. Im sure we have simialr winters, and here in N. IL, 90% of the time the roads are clear in the winter, It only takes a day or so after a storm for them to be clear. Just ride in on the clear days. Watch the weather , and if it snows unexpectedly snows while at work, get a ride home. Since its not that far, you could walk that if you had to.

I worked with a guy that rode all winter. People thought he was crazy but really when he rode it was always on dry pavement, and he only had to miss a few days a year because of road conditions.

Have fun,
Dan

 

I'd stick with 4 wheels on snow days. I worked with a fella who owned 20 plus bikes. Cruisers, sports, racers, and a couple adventure/dual sport. He rode every day minus snow covered road days. He had this whole set of heated gear and he'd cruise in with below zero temperatures.

I enjoy the heck out of my klx but below 50 degrees or rain I am in my truck.

 

Anyone with any experience trying to mount and fit a 120/100 18 tire of any type, particularly trials on the KLX's?

In my head it could be a little wide to clear the overflow tank underneath, but maybe would JUST clear it?

Reason is I'm looking for a winter solution, preferably a soft compound tire with built in siping to get me home on a day when it snows. I've already recieved lots of input on using my cage, obviously if there's 8" of snow in the morning I can stay home, but the reports here are unreliable and it can snow AT work then I still need to get home. Just want to know if a trials tire will fit because in my head, that should be as close to a snow tire I can find in KLX size (if it fits) They also come in 4x18 standard size.

 

120/100x18 is what most of us kobbie users are using. That's the size of my rear Kenda K760 Trakmaster. No issues at all.....

 

That's very useful, thanks! (I was beginning to think everyone was going to auto-rain on my parade with cage talk, so thanks!) With the short, low traffic commute I have I'm willing to stretch my skills and endurance to try it out. Worst case I try it and realize it's a lost cause end up getting a ride home to grab my truck and rescue the bike with some bumps and bruises. Best case, I ride through the winter and join an elite club of 4 season N.E. riders and can post back on this thread in 5 months with success stories and photos to encourage the other guys that think about this but haven't gotten there yet. (though I seriously wouldn't do this if I had to deal with a lot of 4 wheelers on my way to work, but I literally pass maybe 4 cars total a week if that, and most of them are going the other way after work and most likely wouldn't even be out in the bad weather. Once in a while I wait at my one turn for a car to pass before I pull out.

I think I'm going to look at the Dunlop D803's as they appear to have a lot of built in ridges and siping and are a true "trials" tire not a crossover so I'm guessing they have a naturally softer compound that should grip better cold than a lot of long mileage dual sport stuff.

Here's a follow up question... Clearance wise, do you think you could fit a rope tied around the tire in a loop (say 3/8" more gap to the sides) and still clear everything? I've read a couple places and seen a you tube video of a person using dacron rope as emergency tire chains, which could be just the ticket for me as a temporary traction solution that I could tie on temporarily to get home, then take right back off once the roads cleared up enough.

Seems like some old school hard core guys do this because the cloth fibers really stick to snow/ice when the cold rubber doesn't and will hold up well enough to get you to where you're going as long as you're careful and take your time and keep an eye on it so you don't ride through and get the rope cut and bound up around the hub or such nonsense. I've looked at a lot of different 'studs' ideas and it seems like the metal stud/screw route only makes sense if it's icy and snowy ALL the time or if you're only using the bike in the winter for dedicated trail/snow riding, but the rope is something that is not so slippery on pavement that for that day or two of wet packed stuff with maybe a patch or two of exposed asphalt I could still use it to get myself home. That would be all I need to really plan myself around at least TRYING to be a 4 season commuter/rider.

I honestly don't mind if it's literally a 5mph drudge sitting with my feet dangling on either side of the bike as long as I can keep her upright and moving forward to the farm, it's all good! The amount I save in gas would literally pay for several sets of brand new tires through the winter.

 

This was the first link I found, not ideal and I've seen better ones that aren't homemade, but you get the idea.
Probably faster to mount than a rope and would bite better too.
Building motorbike snow chains

 

And about studs. I ride them all winter. They feel a little wonky on dry pavement, but you get used to it.
I've used Grip Studs for the past 3 winters. I've used a new rear tire each winter and am still on my 2nd front(which looks like it will make it through this winter too).
Ideally, find someone that will install automotive studs on an already drilled tire.
There's a guy in PA(IIRC) that does his own that offered to stud a tire for me for a nominal fee, if I pre-drilled the tire...he posts in the winter commuting thread on ADVrider...might want to look him up and see if he's anywhere near you.

 

Hmm, hard to say. Like I said, I have a kenda 760 Trakmaster on mine. I just mounted up a new one a few weeks ago, so it doesn't have any ware on it yet. I'll be working on my bike later today. So best I can do is take some close-up clearance pics for you and post them here. Maybe that will help ya answer you question. I'll do that later. I would also think the rope would settle between the knobbies once ridden. Hey, I ride in the snow, just not on puplic roads. I think my state has a law against it, but not 100% sure. Anyway, I'm sure you know already, just be careful....

 

Some items to consider if doing this:
Make sure your insurance is paid up.
Don't ride this setup too far away from emergency services.
Be young enough to heal quickly.
Don't let your wife or mother wander into the garage.
Park around back at work.

 

LOL... you guys rock
First: Kudos to you men among men who are blazing the winter trails.
Second: I have AAA+RV - aka they will bring a flatbed to my bike and pick her up if need be.
Third: I've mostly trained my wife to tolerate my adventurous things like motorcycles. Since I work at a gun range, riding the bike in the snow is something low on the list of risks I regularly take and is something she probably has no idea just how "slippery" an idea it is, I'll do my best to keep it that way

Lastly, I've seen a few ideas of guys using short individual stretches of chain and strapping them around the tire using d-rings and cam lock straps, which I'm intrigued by. Might need to take a trip to home depot and look at raw materials.

clearance is definitely a concern in any case.