Night riders

Does anyone enjoy the spacy sense of riding briskly after dark? After encounters with black bull in shadow of road dip and deer fur that don't reflex light I force myself to look into the darkest reaches of light and try not to just focus on the well lighted zone > that may be too late to react too. Low beam halogen don't really count to see forward just a marker lamp for oncoming. Till Gov't changed the hunting rules in '04, deer were fairly rare and i'd stay out exploring or riding with other lone wolfs, now its too much to risk on joy rides. To lessen knock down by side impact I freak out until about 80 mph. There are many bike meets at drinking places after dark in a city 50 miles away and a meeting I go to once a week, so wondering if I can get away with it. Prolly not.

I enjoy riding at night under two conditions:

1.) The road is a seldom used two lane that winds through the country side

2.) I'm not in much of a hurry. The Basic Rule says not to exceed a safe speed. A good friend of mine says "Never drive faster than you are willing to crash at". Its a good rule for all things in life, but it applies well to motorcycles at night.

Russ

A gentleman does not ride after dark. Alcohol and darkness after say 1:A.M. do not mix . Deer are paralyzed by headlights into a state of inaction ,poachers use the term "jacklighting". Slow down to a comfortable speed and wear yellow tinted night glasses to compensate. Keep to the right lane and light up like a christmas tree.

I love riding in the Miata topless in the night on a nice summer night, if there aren't too many bugs and the sky is clear. Actually, it's pretty cool tonight, I just may go for a ride, but I won't take any Lucas materials with me.

Dave
69S

I used to love riding around Houston at night. The freeways all had good lighting and were clear of automobile traffic. The elevated clover leaf interchange exits and entrances from one freeway to another were a blast to shoot through. Didn't have to worry too much about the wild life though.

Not like the deer and cows you have to contend with hobot.

That's quite an impressive high mountain pass Ludwig, thanks for the photo's.

rvich, my Pop's instilled a similar thing in me, he called it safety speed- never ride faster than the road conditions would allow regardless of the posted limit, (if it was posted as 45mph but you could do 65mph safely---go for it) conversely if it was posted at 55 but rain or other conditions would allow it, don't do it.

I tried the yellow tinted night glasses but they didn't work for me Torontonian, but I must say that refelictive vests to light me up like an X-mas tree are the way I go now. It's almost always " the other guy" that gets ya right. Cj

im on the dreaded night shift. a great deal of my riding is done at night, there's something special about it. Im in an area where i can be surrounded by fields, mountains, or woods depending on the mood. It would greatly help if i would remember to point my headlight correctly before i took off...

Yeah man Ludwig thanks for sharing the night time High! The dark unseen abyss definitely adds some groin tingles.

Russ my rule is never ever ride to be scared, though the sense of safe for conditions is a variable scale, but good/bad bike or conditions, same rule to me, don't ride to ever get a close call or scare by letting bike get 'ahead' of you. Close Calls and scares will hunt you down w/o any effort on your part but butt in a saddle. Still night riding just feels like asking for it to pounce.

Torontonian, can't jack with me on damn deer quirks and I can assure you your headlight don't do a damn thing to deer but show blueish green eye reflection before impact. In the rebel south its known as spotlighting and it don't freeze no deer in tracks beyond their innate curiousity of any and everything new. They 'freeze' up with just my sudden present on foot or bike or car with radio baring. Got a foto though sun roof of them looking down at me with cocked heads after just a moment earlier leaping out of my way up a steep, but I stopped and they wandered back down half way to hear better. But other animals besides deer out at all hours, the most brave are skunk which fear nothing, so don't spook, just raise a tail then spatt=Stinky. I brake for gum foil blueish white reflections on road sides and glints off moist grass blades. Night ride are night terrors to me now.

DogT, I can appreciate an nimble open top hair messer after sunset.

cj, from '73 til '98 Houston was home town. Had two years there on my P!! and swear I could of caught air over some of the over passes. But generally lit up but still eerie sense of tempting fate beyond a proper sober gentlemen rasied low bid Lucus electrics. Its funny to read about such low battery and charging the bike stalls when brake touched...

I love ridding at night & now that I have a new headlamp & bulb from Candlepower.com along with good power from the Sparx alt, reg/rec even my tail/brake light is super bright now. Just last night I was getting home from a local bikenight thing & just before I pulled into my garage I had a better idea & took off for a nice little round trip through town. Good lights make all the differance to me & I am glad to have my turn signals working now.

Hhehe, I love it gstun, just not enough life on one bike event per night. The wild ones out here are not on motorcycles but Blaster type ATV's. I hear em after midnight tearing up THE Gravel some distance away and see evidence of the doughnuts and slides. Farmers and normal folks are not on the move that late so pretty safe bet no vehicles past crests and blinds. They do it so often likely every deer knows their sound by now so stays puts or heads away a mile before they get there. Wife tells me the 5-6 deer around here stiffen up at Trixie 1/2 mile off just easy throttling in, then freak out with loud Snorts and sprint away within 100 yd approach. They know what happens if I catch em in road or field. Anywho part of Peel's appeal and handling mysteries to explore if to show up and see if I can surprise these maniacs like a real Ghost Ryder. It just hurts so bad to crash at times, which is part of the sense of impending doom after dark for me. Discussing it is sort of my therapy to expand time and distance and life on a Commando. Radio is always advertising bike nights 60 miles away and my wife is a stick in the mud for going out anymore and i get bored just studying or fixing stuff all the time. Getting my daylight goat-ed SuVee650 going again for a friend in the city to use - so likely would just 'crash' on his floor instead of hurting my pysche to ride the woods alone. I rode Trixie till almost dusk yesterday and if I had video installed I could show how i run up their butts when I'm the one leaping blindly ahead.... this one got away and so did I.

Btw Ms Peel fairing has the superduper CandlePower lamp out a Harley catalog. Tested across my pasture to see its better than all 4 beams of my cage. Not sure what to mount on just bars w/o fairing on. LED's maybe if I can afford em by then. Horns don't affect deer but to turn their head in curiousity but I bet loud mountain lion screams and hounddog baying in between should give em the creeps about a mile away, even if it wakes up the farmers and hassles their cattle. Trixie is just a passing fling stuck in the dark ages forever.

I came around a corner one night and went past a 1200 lb. Angus, not 5' from the side of me. Never saw it until I was on it, headlights or no. They don't care what tune you play to them, they just stand there.

Dave
69S

I wrote off a good XY Falcon on an angus bull , first time I saw it was when it hit the windscreen . Glad it was'nt the Norton .
Have hit a few roos on the Norton though , they hide on the side of the road and run at ya as you pass .
I love to ride at night , but only slowly at home in the country these days , lucky no cops near home so can enjoy helmet free at times .
Riding is all about pleasure for me , but it can come at a cost .
City rides at night in quiet times are fun too , some nice roads up there .
Enjoy the dark but never drop your guard .

With two small children at home I rarely have time to ride during the daylight hours so I am forced to ride after the kids are asleep. Riding at night gives me a new perspective on motorcycle riding and for me, night riding provides a sense of freedom and contentment that I rarely find elsewhere in life. Obviously, riding at night requires an elevated situational awareness, but at leased there are fewer cars on the roads ready willing and able to take you out.

I love riding in the Miata topless in the night on a nice summer night

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DogT, for those of us with overactive imaginations, could you be a little clearer next time.

For those in the Melbourne area the Icicle ride is next month, I did this on the Commando three years ago and swore I would never do it again, then two years back the Missus decided she would have a tilt at it so I manned up and did it again on the Superduke, as i remember some poor sap hit a walaby with his honda!. The Commando was the better choice as it has a good halogen light and good range with the interstate tank. No intentions of doing it this year. For those in the northern climes remember this is winter in the antipodes.

I have the same issue of having to get the kids to bed before riding. I am currently road testing LED headlights and relays for both pos and neg ground systems. They both work great in the shop, are DOT and relays make them even more robust. The one in my fastback looks really cool and puts out a blinding white light with a good pattern for seeing both sides of the road. More to come soon.
We will have a web site soon and will be distributors, if they work as advertised. :?:
Mike

mikie3117 said:

I have the same issue of having to get the kids to bed before riding. I am currently road testing LED headlights and relays for both pos and neg ground systems. They both work great in the shop, are DOT and relays make them even more robust. The one in my fastback looks really cool and puts out a blinding white light with a good pattern for seeing both sides of the road. More to come soon.
We will have a web site soon and will be distributors, if they work as advertised. :?:
Mike

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I was going to try an upgraded Sparx alternator and a new headlight assembly by candlelight.com on my 74 850. I would really like to keep the factory Lucas setup, but honestly, the light output is simply too dark to ride safely at night. Keep me posted because I definitely need a headlight upgrade.

I'm using these motorcycle specific German made Bosch headlamps: http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?par ... 0301600118 at $45 a PAIR (share with a friend or second bike) with a 45/45 watt lamp.







BRIGHT as ANY modern bike in my fleet, MUCH brighter than my 2007 Triumph. The 45 watt lamp keeps the current draw slightly below the original birthday candle, the single phase alternator keeps up with no problem. They are motorcycle specific reflectors the VW guys use to get more light. Drop in the OEM rim with no mods, looks period correct. That lamp, is THE BIGGEST single safety upgrade done on the bike. I ride with the headlamp on 100% of the time. Conspicuity in the daytime up manyfold, modern level of nighttme illumination. :idea: :lol:

"BRIGHT as ANY modern bike in my fleet, MUCH brighter than my 2007 Triumph. The 45 watt lamp keeps the current draw slightly below the original birthday candle, the single phase alternator keeps up with no problem. They are motorcycle specific reflectors the VW guys use to get more light. Drop in the OEM rim with no mods, looks period correct. That lamp, is THE BIGGEST single safety upgrade done on the bike. I ride with the headlamp on 100% of the time. Conspicuity in the daytime up manyfold, modern level of nighttme illumination."

Does the fixture come with the bulb as well? Sounds like a quick fix to my factory Lucas headlight woes. Thanks for the heads up, luckily I have a local British shop that would be interested in the second light. I will give this a shot.

Decemberist said:

"BRIGHT as ANY modern bike in my fleet, MUCH brighter than my 2007 Triumph. The 45 watt lamp keeps the current draw slightly below the original birthday candle, the single phase alternator keeps up with no problem. They are motorcycle specific reflectors the VW guys use to get more light. Drop in the OEM rim with no mods, looks period correct. That lamp, is THE BIGGEST single safety upgrade done on the bike. I ride with the headlamp on 100% of the time. Conspicuity in the daytime up manyfold, modern level of nighttme illumination."

Does the fixture come with the bulb as well? Sounds like a quick fix to my factory Lucas headlight woes. Thanks for the heads up, luckily I have a local British shop that would be interested in the second light. I will give this a shot.

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Lamp sold seperately, I found them here... http://www.bulbtown.com/4745_MINIATURE_ ... p/4745.htm

Returning home in cage 9:30 as too chicken yet to mc it, saw 6 endro single guys winding their way into the worst parts with no where to stop for at least an hours ride. Gave me a zing down my spine. Got over daily commute fear in about 3 yrs off and one riding again but still need more time/therapy for after dark voluntarily. Hearing other animals strikes ain't helping. Fur don't seem to reflex light very much and strains eyes looking into the darkest zones ahead. I hear some stories of deer whisltes making deer freeze or turn away, so maybe as good as my rabbit foot.