A cold dose of reality By VINCENT JACKSON

A little bit of cold weather doesn't keep Joe Bassetti from riding his motorcycle from his Vineland home to his job at the Showboat Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City.

Bassetti, 49, started using his 2007 Harley-Davidson Softail Standard instead of his 1997 Toyota pickup truck to travel to work in April 2007.

The switch saved him lots of money - gas prices were climbing and he was spending about $75 per week to commute.

But, the price was right when he rode the motorcycle - about $25 weekly.

The only two months he didn't ride it was January and February of this year, in the dead of winter. He has been riding his bike to work this month at a time when most people are turning up the heat in their cars.

"Naturally, I'm a little bit more beat up. It's more tiring to bike in the cold weather. I will go to bed earlier," said Bassetti, who is not only more tired at night, but he heads to bed earlier because he needs more time in the morning to get ready. "Immediately, I feel cold as soon as I leave the house."

With the rise in gas prices during the last two years, thousands of people have purchased scooters, mopeds and motorcycles to save money.

In this state, the number of yearly motorcycle registrations increased from 142,768 in September 2005 to 162,130 this past September, according to the Motor Vehicle Commission statistics.

But, when buying a two-wheel vehicle in the heat of the spring or summer, the cold and bad weather of winter may be far from the mind.

Several local motorcycle and scooters riders don't regret the purchase of their more fuel-efficient mode of transportation even though the cost of gas has dropped below $2 gallon for regular, but at some point, they plan to put their two-vehicles away for either all or some part of the winter.

Ben Petrovic, owner of Atlantic County Harley-Davidson of Galloway Township, estimates that 80 percent of riders stay off the roads in the late fall and winter.

But Bassetti is determined to ride as often as possible.

During this time of year, Bassetti makes adjustments to ride his motorcycle. It takes about five minutes longer to get ready in the mornings, and he is already rising at 4:30 a.m. to make it on time for his shift, which starts at 6 a.m.

The saddlebag on Bassetti's motorcycle holds his accessories. His helmet with a face shield has a liner in it for added warmth.

Bassetti has to make sure getting dressed to ride is last thing he does before leaves his home because his winter motorcycle apparel will make him sweat if he stays in the house too long, and then he will be even colder when he walks outside.

The bellman checks the Weather Channel before he falls a sleep at night. He checks it twice in the morning, once when out of the shower and again before he leaves his home. Even with the adjustments for cold-weather riding, Bassetti believes it was worth it to buy the motorcycle.

"I love motorcycling," said Bassetti, who dresses in layers in the fall as opposed to a heavy overcoat. "I'm hooked."

Petrovic said his store carries a full line of winter motorcycle apparel and cold weather riding gear. For winter apparel, he sells pants, gloves, jackets and shirts. For cold weather riding gear, there are devices that allow clothes and even the handle bar bags that cover the rider's hands to be heated from the bike's operation.

Similar to the polar bear club that jumps in the ocean at the start of the New Year because they love the ocean, there is a polar bear motorcycle-riding group. Last year, between 25 to 30 people came together to ride, Petrovic said. He knows people who don't own a car, only a motorcycle, but during the wintertime, that person need to hop a ride with a friend to travel to and from work or take public transportation if the weather is too bad, Petrovic said.

"Riding gear has become so sophisticated that the day of putting newspaper inside your leather jacket to keep the wind out is over," Petrovic said.

Despite the progress made in winter apparel and cold weather gear, some people don't like the cold. For them, the dropping temperatures of late fall or winter takes all the pleasure out of riding a two-wheeled vehicle, even for a short distance.

When the weather was warm, Michelle Carney-Ray of Egg Harbor Township, could be seen dressed in a suit as she rode her scooter to her job as assistant principal of the Fernwood Middle School.

Carney-Ray purchased her Piaggio BV500 in May. She's happy with the scooter, but she got a chilling dose of reality this fall.

"I didn't think I would be as cold as I was," said Carney-Ray, 37, who last rode her scooter two miles to school in November and added it will probably not come back out again until March. "I have no windshield."

Carney-Ray has an excuse for not anticipating how cold it could be riding in November. She says her husband, rides his motorcycle year round and that he "doesn't mind the cold as much as I do."

Betty Bentz of Fairton, Cumberland County, has a longer commute, which takes her home to working as a teacher at Veterans Memorial Intermediate School in Vineland. When riding in colder weather, Bentz, who rides with the Fire Base Nam Motorcycle Club, wears Under Armour cold gear on her upper half along with a sweatshirt and leather jacket. She also wears either stockings or Under Armour on her bottom half along with jeans and chaps.

Bentz's motorcycle ride from home to work takes between 20 and 30 minutes one way. She is probably done riding until the spring.

"Below 40 degrees, I don't ride. From being out when it gets colder, it's really tough," said Bentz, who purchased her Honda VTX1300R in January 2007. "It takes a long time to get warm when you get home."