Night Riding

[Lazydog]

Took my bike out for its first night time ride. I have to admit I like riding at night. It was a real eye opener to see what they were talking about at MSP in regards to over riding the headlight. I can see how easy that would be. But I still enjoyed it. Reminded me of the old days of riding.

How many other like or enjoy riding at night?

[used98KX]

I love riding at night, i usually ride my atv though since my bike doesn't have a head light on it, and flashlights just don't cut it lol

Plus the temperature is so much nicer, instead of riding in the heat and sun you get the cool night air and stars to look at.

[Foyclassic]

Night time riding right now is probally the best time to ride due to this heat on the east coast, It's like sitting in front of a huge hair-dryer during the daytime. I always loved that cool crisp air at night. Be careful though the deers and racoons are on the move during the night and they are harder to see on the berms. I'm puzzled about the " riding over the headlight thing" Can someone explain

[Lazydog]

Originally Posted by Foyclassic

I'm puzzled about the " riding over the headlight thing" Can someone explain

Straight from the MSP hand book;

"One of the difficulties associated with night riding is overriding the headlight. This is when total stopping distance exceeds sight distance."

In other words you should ride so that you can stop you machine within the distance that you headlight luminates the road.

EX: if you headlight only lights up 3 feet in front of you, you should only ride fast enough so that you can stop within those 3 feet.

[bud8fan]

i love riding at night...its sooo hot down here during the day...

[windrider18]

I'm not currently a fan of riding at night, but I do take into consideration that my Ninja 250's headlight was really awful. It cast a lot of light...just not at the road which made seeing stuff difficult.

Hopefully my new bike will be better.

[Lazydog]

Originally Posted by windrider18

I'm not currently a fan of riding at night, but I do take into consideration that my Ninja 250's headlight was really awful. It cast a lot of light...just not at the road which made seeing stuff difficult.

Hopefully my new bike will be better.

Couldn't you adjust the headlamp? I had to adjust mine the first time I took it out.

[rbentnail]

I love riding at night, and working 2nd shift allows for it. 35-40 % of my riding time is at night, so I've done 2 things to the bike: replace the oem 55/60 watt headlight bulb with 80/100 watt, and converted the rear turn signals into running and extra brake lights for added visibility. Another tip: if you fiddle with your high/low beam switch a little, you can get both on at the same time. Try it, you'll light up the road bigtime.

If only the offspring of Mothra resided elsewhere. The big brown and yellow ones and the hugh Luna moths are coming out now. SPLAT!!!!!!

[DE_ZR-7]

I also like riding at night. It is not because of the weather, but of the feeling. When you ride through a city at the weekend there are so many colorful lights, the city is much quiter, there is less traffic... I like the feeling. I haven't experienced much of night riding at the countryside...

[2WheelFun]

Night riding can be enjoyable...unless of course your riding through parts of the desert lands of Idaho and you see rabbits on the road that look like the size of a large dog run out in front of you...and when you stop for gas your riding buddy (Spok in this case) tells you just how big that rabbit really was since his light bar allowed him a much longer look at it as it bounded off the highway into the brush. Yes...I saw it...about 5 ft in front of me as it bolted like lightning and I nearly hit it...but Spok really saw it clearly and when he began to describe just how big it was and that he had never seen a rabbit that big...I began to realize just how lucky I was that I didn't hit it as it may have not have had a lucky rabbit's foot attached to it.

[gpzrider]

My favorite part of night riding is passing under street lights and seeing your own shadows zip past you. It's weird, but it gives me a sense of total freedom.

[CTRider]

Originally Posted by gpzrider

My favorite part of night riding is passing under street lights and seeing your own shadows zip past you. It's weird, but it gives me a sense of total freedom.

...or you think "that thin guy with the black bike and gear keeps passing me up - I gotta go faster!"

[southjersey636]

im a big fan of riding at night, I think I put a post up about this last month. Right now the temps here in jersey are just miserable in the day time hitting 90-95 and full leather just makes it not enjoyable. I ride almost every night and I agree that the headlights and speed go hand to hand and you should never go so fast you cant see. I tend to ride late at night past 12-1am when nobodys around and no blinding headlights coming head on. Talk about getting away from lifes problems, you cant beat it on a nice 2am ride nobody around and feeling the power of the 2 wheel machine under you.

I always wanted to wear all black, black helmet and shield, and ride at night on all black zx12r. Talk about night rider lol.

[1400pilot]

I also love to ride at night, head north and get into the sandhills where there is no ambient light and the stars just come alive......... just pull over and sit a spell and wonder at the vastness and splendor of our world!!!!!

[tnhunter]

One of the other things I like about riding at night is the change in temperature. I never felt this in a car but on the bike when I drop into a valley I can feel the difference in the air. It is pretty hilly here so you get a lot of that. But it just seems hot everywhere during the day! 100 yesterday!

[Chromequeen]

I used to be unsure when I started riding... Now I love riding at night. Hubby gets home, it's late but I need a stress reliever so I go for an hour ride and come home happy and refreshed.

[CTRider]

Originally Posted by southjersey636

I always wanted to wear all black, black helmet and shield, and ride at night on all black zx12r. Talk about night rider lol.

Except you need one of those red lights that swishes back around forth on the front of the bike.

I haven't done any motorcycle riding at night, but I always like it in my car. It's kind of erie driving around a smaller city where trhings shut down late at night. Everything is lit up and you have a sense of the people being there in all those tall buildings, put there's not a soul out on the streets. It's like being in the middle of one of those apocolypse movies where the humans have all been wiped out - and you're the lone survivor of it. It's like driving around a movie studio backlot when no shooting is going on. Very surreal.

[ispeed77]

riding at night can be great as long as you keep your eyes peeled for other eyes staring back at you. there are usually less cars on the road, better temps, and its just easier to enjoy the ride, IMO.

[Lazydog]

There is only one thing I don't like about riding at night. It's Murphy's Law. A moth in flight will find it's way to your visor and will die in your line of sight. And they are the big ones too.

[bretsk2500]

Originally Posted by windrider18

I'm not currently a fan of riding at night, but I do take into consideration that my Ninja 250's headlight was really awful. It cast a lot of light...just not at the road which made seeing stuff difficult.

Hopefully my new bike will be better.

I have no complaints about my 250R's headlight.. you might try adjusting it. oh yeah, and I love riding at night... it's just... better, IMHO.