Brilliant Observation Tonight

[M-Coupe99]

When it's 38 degrees outside, your tires don't have nearly as much grip as they do during the summer nights. On the plus side, the bike still remains amazingly stable and upright with both front and back wheels/tires temporarily locked up while doing 50 mph (no ABS on my bike).

Only 5 to 7 months to wait until I can really enjoy those warm evening rides again.

[MikeM]

Originally Posted by M-Coupe99

When it's 38 degrees outside, your tires don't have nearly as much grip as they do during the summer nights. On the plus side, the bike still remains amazingly stable and upright with both front and back wheels/tires temporarily locked up while doing 50 mph (no ABS on my bike).

Only 5 to 7 months to wait until I can really enjoy those warm evening rides again.

Haven't you heard? They have these things called cars that work great when it's below 40 degrees and icky outside....

[007]

You both have a good point... sometimes you just have to feed the need....


I do laps in my underground when I cant take it any more....lol

[verrucktaxe]

can't say i miss cold winters up north. Cold tires are bad enough, but i can remember driving a girl home from the bar on the old harley in Iowa with no rear brakes in freezing rain. stupid, i know. funny how the time in my life i learned the most i did the dumbest things?

[M-Coupe99]

Originally Posted by MikeM

Haven't you heard? They have these things called cars that work great when it's below 40 degrees and icky outside....

Oh, I know as I have three other 4-wheel vehicles to drive. But it had been almost a full week since I had the opportunity to take out the bike and I was needing a fix. As I rule of thumb, if the roads are wet and the temp is less than 40 degrees F, I'm in one of my cages.

At least the roads were dry and the rush hour traffic had died down by the time I went out. Had to generally keep the speed in check as I saw several LEOs out on patrol (no doubt gearing up for anticipated hoard of drunk drivers for the New Year celebration).

[Mack]

Originally Posted by verrucktaxe

...but i can remember driving a girl home from the bar on the old harley in Iowa with no rear brakes in freezing rain. stupid, i know. funny how the time in my life i learned the most i did the dumbest things?

hee. Bet she still talks about it too.

Mine ended up with both boots full of water and water blisters on her toes after I found this little service road near some dam's overflow that was like a waterfall and I kept passing back and forth through it to cool us both off. I may have taken it a bit too far in circling through it maybe a hundred times or so while yelling "Yee Haw!" I still get to hear about it at times as though it was a capital crime.

Then, I feel the need to remind her of my cheap nylon snow pants she got me that burst into flames on one ride from the heat off the crossover pipe on the Harley. Probably why Harley put that flame retardant Nomax or whatever on their rain gear inseams. Luckily, they were partly wet from the drizzle and cold but dragging in a bunch of wet melted nylon insulation batting is a bit alarming.

It's why we do it.


Mack

[markjenn]

I was out on my vintage bikes today (tough to keep them exercised in the winter) in the Seattle area and the black ice was treacherous. Any shady corner I was tip-toeing and even then there were a couple minor slides. No way I'd want to be on a 180-hp, $18K sportbike in these conditions.

- Mark

[verrucktaxe]

Originally Posted by Mack

hee. Bet she still talks about it too.

Mine ended up with both boots full of water and water blisters on her toes after I found this little service road near some dam's overflow that was like a waterfall and I kept passing back and forth through it to cool us both off. I may have taken it a bit too far in circling through it maybe a hundred times or so while yelling "Yee Haw!" I still get to hear about it at times as though it was a capital crime.

Then, I feel the need to remind her of my cheap nylon snow pants she got me that burst into flames on one ride from the heat off the crossover pipe on the Harley. Probably why Harley put that flame retardant Nomax or whatever on their rain gear inseams. Luckily, they were partly wet from the drizzle and cold but dragging in a bunch of wet melted nylon insulation batting is a bit alarming.

It's why we do it.


Mack

she actually asked me if i wanted to come inside and 'warm up', and all i could think was "bike is outside in bad weather" and left. Next morning it dawned on me i'd chosen, and chosen wrong. Gah, idiot!

nice job on the waterfallls. Took my bipolar exwife down a ditch on dad's sportie and would've been fine until she started waving around like an idiot and dumped us.

the suit actually started on fire? that's awesome! though i'm sure it wasn't at the time. dad's rat's nest wiring on his old sportie caught on fire right under his legs riding down main street once.

I agree with markjenn about not taking these machines into bad weather. It's fun to suit up and have these precision advanced rockets, but have to admit there's time i miss a 5th of whiskey, a crude tshirt, and that old shovelhead grumbling down the road to whatever poorly planned adventure awaits.

NOTE: a full sized FLH will not fit through the doorway between your garage and your house, even after a few beers and a running start to get up the step. poor hands.