I ride all year round. Here it gets down to the upper 30's in the evening in December and January.
For cold weather I use:
- Tourmaster jacket ($200)
- Tourmaster overpants ($150)
- Hybrid, full face helment ($200).
- Pinlock fog shield ($50).
On my winter bike, a Suzuki DL650, I have hand guards (a big help) and heated grips (I only turn them on when it's below 45 degrees).
The windshield makes a big difference. When I put a Plexifairing on my Savage, that alone made me more interested in riding in colder weather. (It sucks when it rains - no wiper). Now I use a chest level shield, and with the full face helmet, that keeps me warm and mostly dry. I can wipe the rain off my visor with my thumb.
I gave my car to my daughter, so far, I haven't missed it much - it would be nice to have a place to put my coffee, and I do miss the windshield wipers.