It seems that it is done around here mostly on those semi- off road BMW's, but they typically have two sets of tires, with one set carbide - studded for winter use, and ride all year. Further north but still in New England, it gets much colder for much longer and so they end up with a snow / ice coating on the roads that lasts for the whole winter. To be able to ride at all during the winter there, they need studded tires. There are two kinds, one is the coarse thread, self- screwing (Easy Boys!) kind but the preferred ones actually bolt right through the tire. This is the same type used for ice- racing motorcycles and they have a tremendous amount of 'bite' even on glare ice (which is exactly where they ice- race motorcycles). A little funky to ride on them the first few times because they absolutely 'cog' a bit, and I found it very un- nerving to actually lean a bike over wearing such studs but it absolutely does work.
Of course carbide studded tires is not something I would use on warm pavement and not at all on clean, dry concrete if avoidable so that is not an option for year- round riding or on a bike that does not have at least another set of tires ready to mount for when spring arrives.
But sport- touring tires, on clean, dry but cold (20F or even colder) will work fine IF you ride as though you are riding on a wet road that has really substantial petroleum stripes down the center. And with modern, heated gear, it is not only possible, it is downright comfortable to ride for hours at temps. below freezing IF the rider(s) and the bike is set up for it. BTW, a C-14 has enough power to drive two sets of heated gear, neck- to- toe and keep up, though at 100% duty cycle (high on the heated gear), just barely. To get significantly more electrical power you basically have to move to a Hondapotamous (an OldWing) or a BMW.
When I was a kid I also loved to ride dirt bikes in the snow. Back in those days, snowmobiles did not typically have the one- million horsepower they do today so something such as a Honda Elsinore would easily out- run snowmobiles, at least the ones I ran into, on a straight road with fresh snow.... much to the amazement of the snowmobile riders. :-)
Brian
Thank you for the reply, I live in Oklahoma and we get to 10 degrees F and 110 degrees F. This is my first winter riding season ever, getting down to 0 degrees. I have obtusely logged 5,200 miles just this winter alone on "soft-summer" Shinko's--mostly going straight down a freeway--and am just now noticing the very negative rear traction issues, as I just now have attempted more in-town winter riding. I will be paying extra attention to the tire's condition and functionality, especially as I transition back into the summer.
I've ridden almost exclusively freeway this winter and have only recently done the little short-ride / in-town, due to the inconvenience of donning all that heated gear. I've long seen the Goldwinger's out in the cold and have just never considered that motorcycle tires may not be designed for cold weather operations.
I was raised in Iowa and as a teen, I would take dirt bikes out for fun after a new snow. I was surprised to realize that there are no traction issues when riding in snow, as the bike 'surprisingly' seems to retain an equivalent wet-road traction capability. Now ice, well that's an obvious winter concern and loss of traction, HOWEVER, when it got below zero, traction on ice improved. This has now got me thinking about having summer and winter tire sets, especially considering I don't exactly "putt-around' in the summer.