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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: jangofett on August 04, 2003, 08:21:38 PM

Title: Riding at Night
Post by: jangofett on August 04, 2003, 08:21:38 PM
Do you all ride at night very much or avoid it? My wife hates it when I do. We do have a lot of deer around here as the area is fairly rural. I sure do like to ride at night though. Anyways, just curious about your thoughts on this. I know some people do avoid night riding.
Title: night rider
Post by: yamahonkawazuki on August 04, 2003, 08:35:26 PM
i actually like to nite-ride. less traffic to deal with, but more varmints though. skunks possums etc. and DEER. but again, less traffic to deal with.
im kinda new at riding. (almost a year) :cheers:  :thumb:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: jangofett on August 04, 2003, 08:39:59 PM
Where is Clinton TN? I live in western KY. I sometimes go to Nashville.
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: JasonB on August 04, 2003, 09:06:42 PM
I like riding at night also, cars can see you better with the headlight on than during the day and less cars pull out in front of me. I live in a large metro area so I dont have to worry about large wild animals just small critters.
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: Cris on August 04, 2003, 10:01:49 PM
When I first started riding, I rode mainly at night for some of the same reasons already posted: less traffic, etc. I also live in the city so there aren't a whole lot of four-legged critters in the streets.  :o
Now, I ride slightly more in the daytime than at night.
Riding at night, to me, is more peaceful though. It kinda depends on the mood I'm in.  8)
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: TheGoodGuy on August 04, 2003, 10:16:46 PM
i used to do night time driving too when i first started. I used to ride day time to school but night time is when i really rode.

However those days I didnt have a warm jacket and in the night it did get chilly.. but that's how i put the first 500 miles or so... doing 2 miles to school just didnt cut it.

I still do night time, sometimes I run a bit slower on the roads at night but well lit roads (glen oaks) I am going at a quicken pace.
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: jake42 on August 05, 2003, 12:49:37 AM
i love to ride at night.. As a matter of fact, I went to work late last night to do some last minute stuff and came home at like 4 am.  Had all the roads to myself. You just gotta be careful to not override your headlights. I know i was tempted in a few places to run like hell until i saw an entire family of raccoons along hte shoudler of the road.

jake
ps --- critters come out in the day time too.  I was riding to work this morning and almost hit a turkey in the middle of a city park.  I came around the corner and there it was..  I swerved and it freaked and ran up the hillside.
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: Cris on August 05, 2003, 09:32:34 AM
Quote from: jake42ps --- critters come out in the day time too.  I was riding to work this morning and almost hit a turkey in the middle of a city park.  I came around the corner and there it was..  I swerved and it freaked and ran up the hillside.

Hey...a turkey isn't a four-legged critter!
And what the heck was it doing playing dodge-bike in a park? Doesn't it belong on a farm?!?
 ;)  :lol:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: JeffD on August 05, 2003, 09:46:27 AM
A highway at night is awesome.  (as long as no animals are around)  I have done many hours at night on the highway.

Picture this.

ear plugs (quiet), big farring (plexistar II I think, its huge) doing 70-75mph.  No lights whatsoever besides the occasional other car.  and nothing but the stars above.  Nothing compares to it (well maybe skydiving)   :thumb:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: jangofett on August 05, 2003, 10:13:31 AM
JeffD, there is nothing like that work of art LED you made for me either. I love that thing glowing in the darkness. It's working great! :cheers:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: JeffD on August 05, 2003, 10:19:02 AM
:thumb:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: scratch on August 05, 2003, 10:41:16 AM
Quote from: Cris

Hey...a turkey isn't a four-legged critter!
And what the heck was it doing playing dodge-bike in a park? Doesn't it belong on a farm?!?
 ;)  :lol:

...Dodge-bike! ROFLOL!! Now, that's funny!

I only taught myself how to ride under the cover of darkness. Just felt more secure at that time. Headlights would warn me of oncoming cars.
Title: tn
Post by: yamahonkawazuki on August 05, 2003, 07:24:04 PM
:) jangofett, clinton tn, is in east tn, near knoxville,where i-40/i-75 meet about 220 mi east of nashville :mrgreen:  :thumb:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: Jeremichi on August 06, 2003, 06:41:11 PM
I love to ride any time of the day or at night.  Thick fog is kinda scary and riding in heavy rain sucks.  But you know you'll eventually dry off.
Title: night riding part deux.
Post by: yamahonkawazuki on August 06, 2003, 10:40:10 PM
:) just got back from another round of night riding. had to avoid those four legged striped (black&white)commando's ((SKUNKS))but had to go to wally-world to get insulin pump batteries. between oak ridge tn. and clinton it goes along the river. mild to moderate fog. was kinda freaky but cool as well. :mrgreen:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: JasonB on August 06, 2003, 11:01:45 PM
I got to ride home tonight from Cabela's, took the scenic country route and boy were the bugs out in force! Oh yeah dont let a 2001 Honda Shadow Spirit 750 lead night rides cause about 47mph it will outrun its headlight. Wondered why were going so slow so had to ask.
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdea on August 07, 2003, 01:46:51 PM
I also enjoy riding at night.  It just seems more peaceful.  Earlier this year I rode from Milwaukee, WI (just try being a GS rider there right now) to Minneapolis entirely at night.  As I did this in April, it was a little on the cool side, but very enjoyable.   As a result, however, I am looking for some additional driving lights.  The stock headlight did not throw a wide enough beam for my tastes because almost no light was cast into the ditches, especially on the left side.
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: superted666 on August 08, 2003, 07:29:34 AM
I have to admit i prefer riding at night probably because its more relaxed and the fact that i can open it up as there arnt any critters around where i live. I feel safer when there are no other drivers and just a open Road :)

P.S. I also try set my fastest times at night :) i did 16 miles of urban driving in 14 minutes and that was on a 125 :)
What about you lot anyone else like throttling it at night?
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: JBix on August 08, 2003, 03:06:33 PM
I would have to say that I do most of my higher-speed riding at night.  That is in CA on the 60 FWY.  I get off work at midnight usually, so the roads belong to me.  REMINDER: when I get home from Iraq, I need to put magnets on my bike so I can stop running signals.  I don't like the leadlight on my bike, I think I need to adjust it upward, cause it only points like five feet in front of the bike.  If I go faster than walking I am overdriving my headlight.  Well, I'll be putting on that Gimbel fairing when I get home, so I'll have a different headlight.  I will have to remember to take lots of pics of that install.  And write a LONG review.
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: mes_423 on August 09, 2003, 05:32:21 PM
the only thing i dont like about riding at night is triggering the traffic lights. I have had to run a few lights becuase my bike wont trip the lights. :cry:
Title: Riding at Night
Post by: TheGoodGuy on August 09, 2003, 06:05:21 PM
Quote from: mes_423the only thing i dont like about riding at night is triggering the traffic lights. I have had to run a few lights becuase my bike wont trip the lights. :cry:

Put a couple of magnets (check other threads in here.. green light wont trigger etc etc) under your bike.. that should fix it.