The storm, the tire, the ride,..... wow

I rode home last night in one hell of a strom. 50 miles in a severe thunderstorm, fighting 50 mile an hour cross winds with heavier gusts all the way. There were two times while rounding a semi getting back into the wind that I was literally blown off the road at speed. Managed to catch it at the rumble strips but still !!!! There is nothing like running straight with the bike thrown over hard like into a hard high speed sweeper to compensate for the forces of nature. There was an awesome, powerful lightning display for most of the ride adding to the ambiance of the evening. What a sweet strom system it was. The best part of it all was throwing the throttle at my scoot hitting it hard and knowing that the bike was not gonna step out on me. That darkside stuck like it was a clear day out..

See you out there
Smokey

YoIdaho wrote:Smokey...I’m so glad you made it through the storm.
Were you cold & whipped when you arrived to your destination?
That's a little to much adventure and the wrong ambience for this wimp. ~M

Exhausted is the word that comes to my mind Soaked through and through. My rain gear was at the house drying from the last time I rode in the rain. Just glad I had the leather coat in the trunk. Leather is not impermiable to water though. So i did manage to get drenched in places I prefer to wet in the shower ........ arm pits people, get out the gutter It took a good hour once I arrived to begin to warm up and quit shivering. It will be a few dys before I can wear that coat or the boots I had on.
But there is nothing like a ride like that to make you feel alive... vibrant....thankful.

See you out there
Smokey

Glad you got home safe...It was a big storm......

Jerry

Glad you are safe and warm now. Those storms are one of the things I really miss, living in the Seattle area. Plenty of moisture but our storms suck! NO lightning. Well, maybe a couple of flashes

Smokey,
You are my hero, sir. I am asumbing that you got caught in it. My southern butt would have been under an overpass or holed up at a gas station or anything that could give cover. The way you discribed it sure makes me wish I was tail gunner with ya.
One question for ya though. What kind of helmet do you where? And what kind of diff does it make in weather like that? I am guessing full face.

Moon

Badmoon wrote:Smokey,
You are my hero, sir. I am asumbing that you got caught in it. My southern butt would have been under an overpass or holed up at a gas station or anything that could give cover. The way you discribed it sure makes me wish I was tail gunner with ya.
One question for ya though. What kind of helmet do you where? And what kind of diff does it make in weather like that? I am guessing full face.

Moon

You saw his face,.....really he should wear a full face.



ALL THE TIME

Guess we got another Ugly Mug here. Thought I was it. Damn.
Good Jab Muntz
Moon

Nope I didn't "get caught" in it. I headed out into it. Had an idea that I was gonna get a little wet, had no idea the effec t the wind was gonna have on me though. While I was still at work one of the oncoming shift guys poured me a cup of coffee assuming that I was gonna wait it out. They all looked at me like I was nuts when I said it was calling me to ride. I am sure they talked about me too as I walked out the control room headed out All good , If they are talkin about me they are leaving others alone It was an adventurous ride to say the least.. I wear a modular helmet, generally ride with the chin piece up, but last night I had to drop it and open the visor completely, fogged up way too much with it down an all..

Gotta ride yall, Have a great day

Smokey

Smokey you are the man. You ain't skeered a bit are you. You must thrive on riding in the rain. Rode Dude all the way to Mt. Ida in the rain and now the last storm. From now on when I hear the song "I Love a Rainy Night" I will think of you and your rainy rides. Sorry I don't have another cup of coffee to offer you.

Tanglefoot wrote:Smokey you are the man. You ain't skeered a bit are you. You must thrive on riding in the rain. Rode Dude all the way to Mt. Ida in the rain and now the last storm. From now on when I hear the song "I Love a Rainy Night" I will think of you and your rainy rides. Sorry I don't have another cup of coffee to offer you.

Mr Robert
That song has been a theme song of mine for years, I have always enjoyed the rain and I love thunderstorms. You have to appreciate the power being unleashed throughout one. Now to get to combine two of the things I really enjoy is pretty cool (riding and storms). No I aint skeered, not with that tire under me anyway. I used to dread getting on a wet road before I went darkside. No fear now.

See you out there
Smokey

When I was a kid we had a small uncovered patio with a set of sliding glass doors. When it would rain hard Dad would pull back the curtain and we would watch the rain dance on the cement for hours. Later in college I found this casette tape called "the Ultimate Thunderstorm" I went to sleep to that thing a million times. I love what other people call "bad weather" including the storms that come during hurricanes. I don't mind driving or riding in it, until visibility drops to about 10ft. I was in one like that today. I don't think I'm as bold to set out into a raging storm on the MC, but more power to Smokey.

A Lightening Storm set to "I Love a Rainy Night" --- For you Smoke

Greg and I have ridden in so much rain and lightening that people at the pub we used to stop at would comment if we showed up dry. We would pull up, sit on the front porch and take our boots off and pour out the water. They would have a beer for Greg and a cup of coffee for me by the time we got inside. lol! When I went to my club's mid summer's meeting in Tenn. last year, it took us 6 hours of riding to go 100 miles. We rode through rain, out ran some bad cells, and finally stopped for awhile.

I always have my rain suit with me, but I'm always thinking it will stop raining and the wind will dry my clothes. On of the worst soakings I've ever had was on the blue ridge parkway. We kept thinking that if we just got around the next mountain, the rain would stop. We were in full leathers and they were soaked through. We stopped at a turn out that Greg remembered had old growth trees that we could scoot under and put rain gear on over the leather so we could stop freezing. It was a riot. I lost my bike key down my britches because I couldn't feel my own skin when I thought I put them in my pocket. I also discovered that I can only lift my foot about 5" off the ground when both blue jeans and chaps are soaked. lol! We survived to tell the tale!

Right now I'm feeling pretty good that I can drive the truck to a doc appointment all by myself. I need to get some exercise before I start riding again. Just too much of a weakling at the moment.

shebear