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.

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)  

Where is Clinton TN? I live in western KY. I sometimes go to Nashville.

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.

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.  
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.  

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.

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.

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:

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)  

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!

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.

jangofett, clinton tn, is in east tn, near knoxville,where i-40/i-75 meet about 220 mi east of nashville :mrgreen:  

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.

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:

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.