Who likes night rides?

[derstuka]

Anybody like going out for an "occasional stroll on a beautiful night? I prefer the day, for safety mostly, and scenery.....but night riding can be very cool/refreshing as well. Even just around the town, up the coast (if you live near one), etc....

Something about a nice stroll in piercing thru the black veil of darkness on the rumble of the V-4 just makes me so at peace. Makes me want to pull over and smoke a large doobie right there..hahaha

I realize that many folks have a large population of deer around them, and they might be wise to forgo the night riding for safety's sake.

Anybody been abducted by aliens during your night ride only to wake up naked with a sore in a ditch?

[34468 Randy]

50% of my work commute is during night hours and I do enjoy them. As far as the safety aspect goes, other than the wildlife, both human and non human, I believe you are far more visible at night than during the daytime. I have had zero near misses during the dark hours yet a few during daylight hours. It soes suck thought riding at night in the rain but then it sucks riding in the rain during the daytime too. One drawback in the rain at night is that you do not see the pooled water as easily when traveling at freeway speeds. I sometimes simulate night driving by closing my eyes.

[julianivfr]

I love riding at night. It can get irritating if it's bug season, but I quite enjoy the lighter traffic and my lighting. I'm smitten by them. The bugs seem to be also.

I try to get out as often as I can at night. There is too much traffic and far too many pedestrians in the daytime within the city. It gets a little chilly this time of the year though, so I am keeping the night jaunts short (didn't think to buy heated gear). I'll do the storage thing when the ice starts. Snow doesn't scare me.

[Lgn001]

One of my favorite rides is Highway 80 through the Sierra mountains when there is a full moon, particularly if there is snow on the ground. It's like being on another planet.

My night vision isn't what it used to be, so I don't ride in the evenings much any more.

How did you know about the aliens??!!!

[JTC]

I'm totally down for the Night Rides. I've been working nights sooo long that even on my days off I'm usually up until about 2:30 or so in the morning. My favorite thing to do as far as night rides, is go out about 10:00pm. Long after traffic has died and hit the canyons at or near Mulholland, Malibu, Topanga and a couple other random spots in the Santa Monica Mountains.
In clear dry conditions I actually think night riding in the canyons is safer than daytime for a couple reasons. At night you can see headlights coming around blind corners that you normally wouldn't see during the day. Then there is the obvious, NO TRAFFIC.

[ewryly]

We have some great, quiet back roads out here that I try to ride at night at least a couple times a month. The focus it requires is really therapeutic. It seems to me that deer are more likely to be out at dusk and dawn, but not so much later in the night. Is that true?

[woody77]

+1 on seeing oncoming headlights around the turns. That was useful for my runs to the station at 3am when I was still volunteering. It was cheery/time-to-dive-for-the-shoulder when I saw the flickering red of the first engine out heading out to wherever the incident was.

My ride home is almost always after dark. The strong horizontal cutoff of the low-beams on my '86 make left-handers REAL fun (rights don't seem to be near as much of a problem).

There's still enough oncoming that I feel bad leaving my brights on, but @!#$%! I need to see the turns. (although it's less of a concern on a left turn with the brights than it is a right).

I'm contemplating checking the voltage drop to the headlight and putting in a harness, or switching to something brighter, but the cutoff is still going to be an issue on a tight left-hand switchback (25mph sort) with the bike leaned way over.

[woody77]

Originally Posted by ewryly

We have some great, quiet back roads out here that I try to ride at night at least a couple times a month. The focus it requires is really therapeutic. It seems to me that deer are more likely to be out at dusk and dawn, but not so much later in the night. Is that true?

Not in my experience.

My near-misses have all been dead of the night sorts.

[RocknVFR]

When I was younger with no responsibilities, I used to ride quite a bit at night and actually enjoyed it. Now, I very, very rarely ride past dusk. The roads I prefer to ride on are fairly rural and the deer, raccoon, skunk, possum, etc. population is pretty high so being older now I think more about safety. The other reason are the bugs. In the rural setting they are thick to the point I have had to stop to clean my faceshield in order to see.

Doesn't anyone have any alien or UFO stories/experiences???

[Fizz]

I ride at night as often as I do during the day.

I like it.

What I don't like is Fog. Last night I went through some THICK THICK THICK fog on the 15 south. I couldn't see 10 feet ahead of me. my face shield was covered, my glasses were covered. it was like riding in a downpour. I was doing 30 on a 65 freeway. I was afraid someone was going to come barreling up behind me, but I wasn't comfortable going much faster either.

I had my emergency flashers on for like 5 miles (Only time I've ever used it, good feature of the FZ1), anyone coming up behind me would have had a hard time seeing me.

[derstuka]

Originally Posted by Fizz

I ride at night as often as I do during the day.

I like it.

What I don't like is Fog. Last night I went through some THICK THICK THICK fog on the 15 south. I couldn't see 10 feet ahead of me. my face shield was covered, my glasses were covered. it was like riding in a downpour. I was doing 30 on a 65 freeway. I was afraid someone was going to come barreling up behind me, but I wasn't comfortable going much faster either.

I had my emergency flashers on for like 5 miles (Only time I've ever used it, good feature of the FZ1), anyone coming up behind me would have had a hard time seeing me.

Try leaving from the coast at 5:50am when it is hella foggy.....the other day, it was so foggy that (like you said) I could not see a damn thing....was misting because the fog was so thick. I had to stop and take off my riding glasses. I was so relieved to make it into work that day without getting hit. It can truly be a nerve-wracking experience.

[Joey_Dude]

Well I do like night rides but not really the ones on a empty road with barely any cars. What's more fun is going to a big city like atlanta and just ride around downtown at night. It's kinda cool seeing all the bright lights, buildings, etc...

[Knife]

I've been commuting to and from work for a short while now. Since DST abandoned me, it's dark when I leave in the morning. Actually, it was usually dark before DST was over, too. I need to start putting in fewer hours.

I like it. I also like to take an occasional short evening ride in the dark. There's something very satisfying about it. Not sure exactly what, though.

I've had to dodge an awful lot of deer when in my cage. Even had a buck slam into the side of my rear quarter panel, denting my trunk lid with his antler. He just shook it off and ran into the woods.

So I have to keep a keener lookout for our animal friends after dark. Not as bad as the SD or BRS during rut, though. Those horny buck have a one track mind, and to hell with what gets in their way! I was glad my bro was riding lead when we went through after dark, so I could see him hit the brakes in plenty of time for me to slow down. After all, what's a brother for? He almost got a freezer full of meat about a half dozen times, but we made it through unscathed.

So, besides drunk cagers, sober cagers, bugs, deer, other assorted vermin, and fog, what's not to like about a ride after dark? Think I'll take a ride tonight since I didn't get out much over the weekend.

[drewl]

I avoid riding at night as much as possible.
Around here, the deer wander out onto main street in broad daylight. Much more so at night. Plus we have things like mountain lions and bears occasionally as well.
My issue is not 'what can I see?' but 'what can't I see?'

[Knife]

Originally Posted by RocknVFR

When I was younger with no responsibilities, I used to ride quite a bit at night and actually enjoyed it. Now, I very, very rarely ride past dusk. The roads I prefer to ride on are fairly rural and the deer, raccoon, skunk, possum, etc. population is pretty high so being older now I think more about safety. The other reason are the bugs. In the rural setting they are thick to the point I have had to stop to clean my faceshield in order to see.

Doesn't anyone have any alien or UFO stories/experiences???

No alien stories, other than those about my boss, but a few weeks ago I was rounding a blind left turn and right smack dab in the middle of my lane was a Turkey Vulture feasting on some hapless creature that had been brought to its demise by a careless cager.

I swerved to go around just as it saw me, raised its wings, and lifted off with one powerful thrust, right towards me and right over my head. I could feel the turbulence! It was HUGE, or at least seemed that way! Do these things have a six foot wingspan, or were my eyes playing tricks on me while I was busy crapping my pants?

Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't a Turkey Buzzard at all! Maybe it was Mothman! Yeah, must have been!

Anyway, after I got home and changed my shorts and had a warm glass of milk (not), I calmed down and went to bed. There was no alien abduction that night, but maybe next time. Then I can describe to you what it's like being probed by a Gray. I wonder if it's anything like being in prison?

[drewl]

Wrecked my bicycle due to the very same situation when I lived in Kansas. Damn thing jumped out of a ditch right next to me while I was riding down a dirt road. The sound was like a flock of pheasants, the wind from the wings, and the sheer size of the thing...
Wiped out right there.

[34468 Randy]

Originally Posted by Knife

No alien stories,

I've been told I look like an alien when suited up! ATGATT

[Joey_Dude]

Originally Posted by 34468 Randy

I've been told I look like an alien when suited up! ATGATT

Take me to your leader...

Rarely when I stop at gas stations I get kids scared of me even hiding behind their mommy and saying, "Look at that scary man!!" One time a guy even told me I look like Darth Vader.