- This topic has 6 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 10 months ago by bigguybbr.
Night Riding + Highway
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June 29, 2009 at 8:08 am #3093SafetyFirstParticipant
My full motorcycle endorsement has been burning a hole in my wallet.
So, I figured, what’s the best time to ride at night and on the highway at the same time than at 3 AM on a Sunday. The ‘party patrol’ is pretty low on Sunday, everyone is in bed trying to start their work week off with a good night of sleep. Except us weekend third-shifters, who are off.
1) My Scorpion textile pants were actually comfortable for a change. Besides closing the vent zippers above the knees, nothing else needed.
2) HOLY #$#$ I now know why they gave me a liner with my Shift mesh jacket. BRRRRRR! Absolutely freezing. That needs to go in next time. It’s why I cut the ride short.
3) Riding is really different at night on a motorcycle than in a car. Outside of the city lights, you don’t see at all as much as a car. And the road surface is slightly slick from dew.
4) Highways are interesting. Merging was actually easier than doing so in the Caviller (actually, any acceleration is faster on the Ninja 250.) And the wind! WOW.
It’s def. something different getting hit by a gust of wind at 70 MPH going down the highway. A semi truck passed me at 55 MPH, and holy ##$# was that a gust. Even once he was down the road, I still was feeling the breeze from him.
I really am going to wear earplugs next time I do highway riding — my ears were hurting after a 10 mile trip from the wind noise.
June 29, 2009 at 1:03 pm #20313Clay DowlingParticipantFor the most part, I find highway riding to be fairly gentle. Fewer deer and there’s a median between me and the opposing traffic. I mostly ride back roads, and I see deer on the roads every day. This morning it was a pair of them racing down the road, zig-zagging back and forth from one shoulder to the other.
June 29, 2009 at 6:33 pm #20318Speedy RodriguezParticipantIt’s interesting how the air feels like an ocean at around 70 MPH, and the semis leave a turbulent wake. It can be a lot of fun, but certainly highway-riding requires a lot of rest stops. I was coming back through the Adirondacks on a 6-hour highway trip, and by the end there I had to stop every 50 miles or so to get the feeling back in my legs and arms.
June 29, 2009 at 9:57 pm #20324MunchParticipantHighways are boring to most riders as its nothing really challenging. Mostly straights and everyone’s going the same direction. Ride ’em long enough and you learn the turbulence of various vehicles and know which ones to get behind and which ones not to.
Some things newer riders here don’t seem to realize is the “sluggish” transition from straight line to merge or turns. It is very different from the dice offs you can do at 50 mph.
Remember pass trucks on the left, never if possible on the right. If they need to come over… slow down let them. Don’t try to race them. Watch the head movements of the cars in front and beside you. It will give you alot of warning on whats about to happen. I don’t care what anyone has said before, here in these parts throttling down or braking a bit will save your ass more then trying to find your speed to get ahead of em. Not gonna happen, chances are they are speeding up with you.
If your riding where theres alot of bridges…memorize them. In hard storms especially where lightning is involved it can help you plan some shelter.June 29, 2009 at 11:02 pm #20326eonParticipantJust wait till you add heavy rain to the night+highway combination. That’s a real butt clenching experience. When its raining heavy enough to cause standing water but too dark to see it; not pleasant, not pleasant at all. One time I was going 60 which was as fast as I dared but I could see a large semi catching up with me. Definitely did not want him passing me so I crept up to 65 so I could make my exit before he caught me. All part of the fun
June 30, 2009 at 12:27 pm #20337CandiceParticipantWent on a group ride on Sunday to Starved Rock in Illinois and OMG! Talk about windy. Cross winds were horrifying. One of the old timers told me that morning that wind doesn’t bother him at all, well, by the time we were out for an hour and stopped at a gas station he said he takes back what he said, he’d rather ride in the rain the wind was so bad. Well, I managed and my attitude is that any other windy day will be easy after that.
Also went on my first night ride home from cruise night on Friday and I was so glad that my old-timer friend lives in my area so we could ride home together. I would not have felt comfortable riding by myself that day. I’m gonna have to work on that I guess. It’s weird and dark and I was afraid of the cars. I’m gonna have to suck it up and just get over that.
June 30, 2009 at 12:59 pm #20339bigguybbrParticipantYour a 3rd shifter! Now it makes sence why you post so often!!!!!
There is only thing I wanted to add. I dunno about where you are, but around here in CT there are a lot of highways that aren’t lit at night, really only the big 3 (91, 84, 95) have lights so it’s very easy to ‘over run’ your head lights, basically ride fast enough that your head lights don’t shine far enought to allow you to see adequately ahead to anticipate obstacles and have time enough to react to them. You can use the headlights of the cars infront of you to help you see further, but at 3am out here there is nothing on the road but the occational 18 wheeler, and thats no help.
As for wind, my bike’s wind protection isn’t my favorite, but where it really gets me is on my ride to work. I have to pass over a bridge that crosses the Connecticut River and there is always crazy amounts of wind. This is good however as it was the first stretch of highway I rode regularly. I got used to the excessive wind, so when I started riding other highways, I noticed it “ain’t no thang” as the wind was quite a bit less than what I was used to.
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