Oops did the read the post above. I don't think too many people will forget that storm.

 

I don't know, there's limits. When it could rightly just be classified as miserable, yeah, it gives me a bit of pride that I can endure it and ride it out. My view is misery is a choice you make and I'll be damned if it's a choice I'm going to make. There comes a point though that it isn't proving what a manly man you are but rather what a stupid **** you are.

When you can't see the road, when you have to ride with a deathgrip to keep the standing water from jerking the bars out of your hands, when the cars with their wipers full tilt still can't see you then you've crossed the line from a manly man to a stupid ****. If that isn't a nightmare to you then something is wrong with you. If you enjoy that then you're suicidal. You've gone beyond triumphing over adversity or refusing to live your life in fear to seeking a way to die that isn't your fault. There comes a point the right answer is get the f' off the road. When you start thinking I'm going to be lucky if this doesn't kill me then it's time to get off the road.

 

any day I can ride even in the rain is better than any day I worked.

 

The first time a rain drop hit me in the forehead I wasn't quite sure what it was....it was at night....and I thought it was a big, juicy bug....running down my face....I rode along thinking....ewwww......till a few more hit and I realized what it was.

 

I LIKE riding in the rain. I got caught in a real STORM and enjoyed every minute of it (it was day and I got good visibility).
I like it so much that it happened I've seen it was raining and gone to take my bike for a ride in the rain.
Fog... that's another thing entirely.
Right now it's the only weather that made me turn my bike and go home (and got there scared ****less).
It was winter, and by foot it didn't look that bad. I got 3-400 yards visibility. On the bike... over 30 mph the world vanished in a uniform gray patina on my visor. Opened the visor and in a matter of seconds the same happened to my glasses.
No antifog could prevent this. It's like every droplet summing to the others to cover your visor. In a city like Milano, fog is DIRTY.
I rode perhaps 2-300 yards without having the faintest idea where I was going. I knew the road was straight, I could get a glipse of the guard rail, and hoped that, if somebody braked in front of me, I'd see the lights... perhaps. I couldn't stop as it would have been tantamount to suicide (no place to get out of the way).
Scariest experience in all my life: knowing you could be running to your death... and you can't stop!
I rode very slowly with the hazard lights on... Still here, so all's well that ends well, but I will never ride in fog again. Hope it doesn't creep on me somewhere, or I don't know what I'll do.

 

This is a picture of the storm we were caught in a couple weeks back rolling in. It sure cooled things off in a hury! All in all it was still pretty fun riding.

 

In my late teens, motorcycle was my only transportation. Riding to work and school everyday I encountered all types of weather (no snow in SF Bay Area). Nowadays (35 years later) I wouldn't ride in the rain on purpose or for fun. Dark is no problem, especially here in AZ (usually warm). But definately, getting caught in a monsoon is a tale to tell your grandchildren!

 

The rides where I and my wife get caught in the rain or snow always makes a memory. I rode while single many years in all types of weather but once my wife starting going along, it bacame a whole other thing. Here is a typical situation when we hit the rain with my wife on the back.

Cruising along, relaxed .........
First rain drops start.........
me; start cussing a little at the stinging and the thought of what's about to happen
wife; laughing her *** off like a kid playing in the rain (she has a face shield on her helmet)
me; head starts to duck and weave every time my face gets pelted
wife; now laughing harder watching my head bobbing

So glad to be her source of amusement

 

All it takes is practice.The more you ride in lousy weather the better rider you become.

 

The storm on Aug 5th dumped golf ball sized hail on Lead and Deadwood, SD. Luckily we were not out in it but it did do a number on the bikes.