When Does Motorcycle Season Start and End? A US Rider's Guide

When does motorcycle season start and end? It is not a date on the calendar. The season opens once the roads are clear of ice, salt and sand and the mornings stop freezing, and it closes when frost, early dark and salted roads come back. Where you live moves those dates by months. Here is what sets the season, how it runs in four regions and what to wear at each end.

What Decides When Motorcycle Season Starts and Ends

Four things set your dates:

• Temperature. Once mornings drop to freezing, ice can sit on shaded corners, bridges and overpasses long after the sun is up.
• Road surface. Winter leaves salt, sand and potholes behind, and spring sweeping can take weeks. Fall adds wet leaves.
• Daylight. In most of the country the clocks go back in early November, and the ride home from work happens after dark.
• Heat and rain. In the South, summer heat and storms thin out the riding more than winter does.

Any one of them can close the season for a day. When all four are open, it is riding season.

When Does Motorcycle Season Start and End in Your Part of the Country?

These are typical patterns, not promises. One warm February week or one early frost can move your dates by a month.

• Northern states and the Great Lakes. Think Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and New England. The window often runs from April or May to October, with a cold, salted stretch in between.
• Mid-Atlantic and the Ohio Valley. Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and their neighbors get a longer window, often March or April into November, plus an occasional dry winter day above freezing.
• The South and Southwest. Texas, Florida, Arizona and the Gulf Coast can ride most of the year. The break comes in summer, so riders shift to early mornings and evenings.
• Mountains and the Pacific coast. Elevation sets the dates in Colorado and Utah, where lower roads stay open far longer than the high passes, which close for winter. On the Pacific Northwest coast winters are mild, so rain and early dark set the limit.

Wherever you ride, the first and last weeks of the season look alike: a cold start, a warm afternoon and a long shadow on the ride home. That is where your gear earns its keep.

What to Wear at the Start and End of the Season

Dress for the start of the ride and plan to shed a layer at the first stop. A thin base layer goes under the pants and under the jacket, and a mid layer under the jacket comes off when the day warms up. The RoadVault riding pants are a single-layer shell with 4-way stretch, not an insulated pant, so a base layer fits underneath without binding at the knee. The warmth comes from what you wear under them.

Layers change your waistline through the day, which is where a belt with no holes helps. The Tactical Belt has a 38 mm nylon strap and a friction buckle that sets anywhere along it.

Spring and fall rides often end at a diner or a friend's place, so pick layers that look right off the bike too. Our guide to streetwear motorcycle outfits has four looks to copy.

Check Your Gear Before the First Ride of the Season

Give your gear ten minutes before the first ride:

1. Try everything on. Pull the pants on over a base layer and check the waist, knees and ankles.
2. Run every zip and snap. A stuck zipper is easier to fix in the garage than at a gas station.
3. Keep the first ride short. After months off the bike, a long first day feels longer than it is.

Seat time comes back slowly, too. A gel rider cushion straps over the seat you already have in under a minute, no tools needed.

Common Questions

Can you ride a motorcycle all year round?

In parts of the South and Southwest, yes: riders there can go out in every month and adjust for heat and rain. In the North, ice, snow and road salt make riding impractical for weeks at a time, so the answer is closer to no. Even in mild areas the call is made day by day.

What is the best temperature to ride a motorcycle?

Many riders find 60 to 80 degrees the easiest range. Below 50, add a base layer, and near freezing, ice becomes the bigger worry. Speed makes any cold day colder, so check our motorcycle wind chill chart before you pick your layers.

When should you stop riding for the winter?

One practical rule: call it when the forecast shows freezing lows for several days in a row, the roads are salted and you cannot find a dry afternoon above 40 degrees. Clean your gear, let it dry fully and put it away. Our guide to storing motorcycle gear covers where and how.