Note: This is a Minnesota winter which is an entirely different thing! Sometimes it gets to below 30 and even worse windchill. I would like to start riding a motorcycle but I need to get past a couple questions.
I ride all winter long, and have ridden through several snowstorms, even white-out conditions, on my Harley Davidson Ultra Limited. The bikes will start fine. There are tow key elements. You must wear at least three layers of insulated clothes and they must be able to seal around the neck, wrists, waist, and ankles. Heated clothing is even better. An insulated skull cap will make even the helmet very warm and keep cold air from getting in around your ears. Even with a full dresser, in deep winter the gloves must be made especially for winter riding. Heated is even better, and they have to seal at the wrists. Even lower fairing make a difference, as your knees can freeze without one. Once you handled the gear, the next issue are the roads. They MUST be dry. The cold won't bother them, but ice will drop a bike in a minute. So check the forecast every day when riding in sub zero temperatures. Even with my gear, I switch to a car when the temperature is below 17 degrees, as I find water tends to freeze instantly on the road below that temperature. It's still very enjoyable to ride through the winter, as the air and smells are crisp and clean, and the traffic is so much less. The attached picture shows my bike at the end of one 700 miles-in-one-day winter run when I rode through three snowstorms. Do not start that way! Try small trips first, and have enough money to pay for a ride home if you get in trouble. Stick to populated areas. The bottom line is you must dress warmly enough to survive on foot overnight if the bike goes down. And pick the bike carefully. Make sure it's in great condition. I hope this is helpful.
Motorcycle engines are not terribly different than snowmobile engines so they will definitely run in the winter although they might be difficult to start if stored outside. Motorcycle ice racing is a popular sport in Canada and many Scandinavian countries. Actually riding in ice and snow is a different matter. When I lived in Canada I tried riding in the winter and gave it up for snowmobiling. Motorcycling on ice covered roadways is very difficult unless you have purpose made spiked ice racing tires. If you attempt to go off road the tires will sink into the snow until the bottom of the engine starts to plow through the snow effectively stopping you progress. Once the roads have been plowed and the pavement is dry you shouldn't have a problem. If you get caught out by an unexpected snowstorm you may find that you're forced to become a pedestrian. Good luck.
u'd need a thinner oil in harsh winter riding than summer oil, or the oil will be so thick, it could keep it from turning over. also, bike batteries dont like sub-zero temps, and if it gets frozen, bye bye battery. unless u are riding a full dresser, under 10 degrees with no wind will make for 1 hell of a cold ride. the bike will do it, but will u be able to? frostbite and hypothermia is the 2 biggest hazards for the rider besides ice patches, sand, and gravel. my mantra is, no riding unless the route i was gonna do is 100% dry and clear. if it looks wet, i'll assume its icy.
