The worst riding conditions make the best riders.

Recently I got caught in the rain at the end of a long day. I rode from California to Spearfish, South Dakota, and arrived as the shadows were growing long.

I could see thunderstorms ahead, and sweated out my gas situation until I finally had a chance to fill up. At the gas station, I heard that not only was there heavy rain, but hail as well.

Newly confident with a full tank, I headed into the storms. First the bugs were washed from the bike, then I got soaked, then that clammy feeling of wet, cold leather.

Soon I was concentrating on making time on the windy roads of Spearfish Canyon, with some mud thrown in where the road was being worked on. I don't like riding when it is dark, and the rain made it worse. However, I have to admit that I felt really good about the ride almost the second I finished that part of the trip. While I would never choose to ride in these conditions, it was the kind of thing that can't help but make you a better rider.

From now on, when you find yourself weather challenged, go for it with gusto. Wet conditions force you to be smooth.

 

That wasn't on Tuesday the 5th was it?

 

I've ridden in hard rain for hundreds of miles (Memphis to Mobile T-Storm the hole way).
I've ridden in hail and ahead of a tornado less than 5 miles away but I sill don't care for it.
I really hate it when I see lighting striking. You know what though you always remember these kind of trips better than the ones that go by without an issue

 

The only riding I don't like is riding to work!

 

Once rented a Fat Boy in Hawaii, my first real Harley ride. Ended up riding it into a downpour and minor flooding, dressed in only a T-shirt and jeans. The nice thing is that I didn't freeze, being in tropical weather. By the time I returned the bike that day, I was completely air-dried.

 

Living in AZ it's hard to believe that I ride in the rain very much, but this monsoon season has been a little different. I've rode in the rain a lot this year. Just a couple of weeks ago the wife and I got caught out in a heavy monsoon. Couldn't see 6 inches in front of the bike, but somehow managed to get home. As long as it's not pouring like it was that night, I really like riding in the rain. This time of year it feels really good, and you're usually dry within 5 minutes after it stops anyway.

 

My 1st real adventure with bad weather was in the early 70's I left Oscoda Michigan which is about three quarters up the state over on Lake Huron side late one afternoon in October heading south before winter hit..My plans were to angle south thru Chicago and keep goin...Bad Plan.... I hit a snow storm commin outa the south and hadda hang a hard right somewhere around Standish and scramble due West and try to outrun it across the State to Luddington and catch the Ferry that used to dock there and run To Milwaukee Wis..Well I rode thru the night in a half snowstorm half rain, dumped er once onna curved bridge where there was no ground heat to melt the snow.. Busted off my kicker arm .. Pushed er into a gas station where the poor kid workin almost keeled over helpin me push the bike to get er started.. But I got to Luddington at 3 or 4 inna morning.. caught the ferry at 6am.. Hit milwaukee at some point in the morning was 65 and sunny.. Dern bike hadda tank fulla water and wouldnt start no matter how many times I pushed it up that hill and tried to bump start it.. I managed to round up a ride with a trailer to get to my Dads 70 miles west..
Hadda lot of adventures with the weather.. seems the 1st one is the one ya never forget..
Blessings

 

About a week after I got y bike last year, I went and got a tattoo, well the artist was very slow and I ended up leaving the shop around midnight, pouring down rain, could barely see the road when stopped, but I had to press on, I rode the whole way home, about 25 miles in the downpour and only able to travel at about 35mph due to the visibility problem. at that time i wished I had brought my leather or a rain suit with me, and a full face helmet, but all I had was my 1/2 shell, wearing an old cut up t-shirt and jeans. the rain just pounded me all of the way home. Learned a very valuable lesson that day, the rain suit is like the American Express card, never leave home with out it.

 

We pulled into the Travelodge at Spearfish just before that storm hit.

 

I bet it was Tuesday the 5th as well. What a cloud bank that was.