[kd5cqt]

Just an addendum to this: As I was sitting here munching on lunch, the thunder began outside. All that overcast is about to get nasty wet with lots of wind. Looked at the current weather map, and seems that approximately half of my intended route back home had I finished the trip Thursday has a front parked along it and all sorts of thundernasties are forming along that line. Sometimes it's just wise to get a 12 pack and stay at home.

 

[lowbuckbob]

I have ridden for many years in all kinds of weather (on duty and off duty). I have never found a rainsuit that doesn't eventually get wet. If it rains (or snows or sleets) long enough and hard enough, you're getting wet...

 

[Suprtul]

It's that time of year around these parts that we get these low pressure systems passing through merging with the warm gulf air and creating what's called the training effect of monster thunderstorms that lasts for days. My building was on emergency power most of the day Thursday. Glad you made it back home ok.

 

[kd5cqt]

Always was a guessing game in NO whether the afternoon squalls were coming off the lake or the Gulf. What part of NO you call home? I grew up on the West Bank in Algiers.

 

[Suprtul]

I live in Gretna on the West Bank, my family's from Algiers. We lived on Bellville St on the point.

 

[kd5cqt]

Hell, we were almost neighbors. I lived on Opelousas Av. Went to Belleville Elementary a million years ago.

 

[Suprtul]

Its a lot different now than the old days, the streets are just as dangerous as across the creek.

 

[socalarch]

In my youth, I raced motocross and enduro and I know what it is like to fall at speed in the dirt and woods. I have way too much respect for asphalt/concrete and don't ever wish to go down on the street (41 years and counting). Nor do I wish to drop my bike; it's too special.
The weekend before Thanksgiving we had rain forecast for the area. I looked at the radar and the sky and there was a nice window of sun & clouds so I opted to ride from the South Bay up to Glendale (30 miles) to visit family. I expected about a 2-1/2 to 3 hour window and sure enough, that is exactly the time I sensed the change in the weather.
I rechecked the radar and there was a heavy squall headed directly for the L.A. basin. A small local cell immediately opened up as I was mounting up. I took an alternative route from Glendale to downtown to skirt around the worst of it but I cannot believe how stressed I was riding in a good steady rain. It doesn't rain much here so when it does, the roads are slick as hell untill the oils wash off. Hit dry roads again south of downtown but hit the edge of the large cell just as I got home. Within 3 minutes it was pouring buckets with lightning.
Sometimes timing is everything.

 

[harvey13118]

Glad all turned out ok.

My only comment to add is: Coming up through PA near Harrisburg on 81, raining so hard could not keep vision, truck spray people with no lights on. We decided to stop under an overpass. PA puts barriers up in front of the columns which narrows up the shoulder to about 6'. We stepped over the barrier but as watching traffic almost bumper to bumper running full speed limit +, we realized we were in a very dangerous place. We did saddle back up a get to heck out of there which was an experience I never want to try again.

I will from now on look for an exit or if on skinny road a safe haven. Never ever again will I stop under a overpass.

 

[oldgrizz]

I don't mind riding in rain and have been on trips where it rained hard for 5 days straight. Remember well the squish ,squish sound coming from my boots as I walked into the hotel. Hate riding in high winds though.
Was on one trip through the prairies and my buddy and I hit high side winds. We stopped for a smoke break and had to huddle in a ditch to get out of the wind and his bike blew over. We didn't see any other traffic and found out when we hit an R.C.M.P road block that the highway had been closed because 2 semi trucks had been blower over and crashed. We were leaning so hard into the side wind at times we were just about dragging hard parts. It was sure tiring and a real strain on the neck and shoulder.

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[candyman1340]

Motorcycle racer struck by lightning during event, finishes anyway | Fox News

Motorcycle racer Ivan Jakes isn’t faster than lighting, but he’s tough as nails.

The Slovakian rider was competing in the grueling Dakar rally in Argentina on Wednesday when he was struck by a bolt of lightning as he sped through the Salar Centenario region....and he just kept going.

Jakes was barely past the midway point of the 485-mile-long stage when he got jolted, but managed to finish the third day of the 12-day-long endurance event in 15th place with just a pain in his arm, according to Motorsport.com.

Upon arrival at base camp, Jakes was checked out by medical professionals, and his team credited the insulating effect of the motorcycle’s rubber tires for limiting injuries, saying that if he’d had his feet on the ground at the time of the hit it would’ve been a much different story.....

 

[ZombieOutlaw]

Lets talk hail....San Antonio. Riding 35 south. Sunny skies. Out of nowhere, thunderstorm and pouring rain. Then came the hail. The underpasses were full. I just pulled over on the side and leaned over my tank to protect my baby from harm. There I was wearing a vest over t-shirt, hail beating down on my back and bouncing off my helemt. Only lasted a few minutes and my bike was unharmed. But my back was black and blue the next day. Texas weather is no joke.

 

[rapier57]

Every long trip I've every made had some good and some bad weather. Much as I try to re-route and avoid major storms, sometimes you just have to bull through. One trick I learned is to try to stay relaxed. Heavy winds and passing the big rigs gets gnarly, but let the bike to its job and don't try to force it. Nebraska was always a crap shoot every time I went through there. One time, it was gorgeous, sunny, and mild. The next time, I had 50+ MPH cross winds and hundreds of trucks.

I'm thankful for my Harley, and its weight. It's much more stable in the heavy weather than a lighter metric. Keep in mind that weather will take a toll on you, especially those winds.

 

[glust]

Coming back from Sturgis three years ago. 2002 e-glide with a short windscreen. Open face helmet. Rained ALL the way across SD from Wall to Souix City IA. At highway speeds the gentle rain turns into flying shards of glass. 374 miles of the nastiest hardest rain I've ever seen. The farther we went the harder it rained. I had good tires under me. At one point I screamed up to the sky, "Is that all you've got?!?" it rained even harder then, so I just shut the hell up. Cars pulling over, hazard lights blinking. cars parked under the underpasses. We pushed on. There is no rain suit that will keep you dry in that stuff. I figured, "Once you're soaked you can't get more soaked." It took $9.75 in quarters to dry our stuff at the hotel. Drowned rats, but it was a nice story to tell and we picked up some good rainy weather riding experience. I have a buddy who is new to riding and I keep telling him the next time it rains he needs to get out and get some miles under his feet. He always says, "Why would I want to ride in the rain." He's a nice guy but you can't tell someone ANYTHING that already knows EVERYTHING.

 

[Phdharley50]

Lets talk hail....San Antonio. Riding 35 south. Sunny skies. Out of nowhere, thunderstorm and pouring rain. Then came the hail. The underpasses were full. I just pulled over on the side and leaned over my tank to protect my baby from harm. There I was wearing a vest over t-shirt, hail beating down on my back and bouncing off my helemt. Only lasted a few minutes and my bike was unharmed. But my back was black and blue the next day. Texas weather is no joke.

I know what you're talking about. Got caught in a Texas hailstorm myself. Felt like baseballs hitting me. I did make it to an underpass to hideout. Only a couple of dings on my then, Suzuki.

 

[ZombieOutlaw]

Knowing the hail here in Texas it probably was baseball size.

 

[Bricklayer]

Have ridden in the rain many times myself while touring, the heavy rain definitely has some pucker factor to it especially when its busy, absolutely no fun at all, but will have to say that my HD rain gear has always done a good job of keeping me dry.

 

[JPR]

It is now against my religion. I have joined the Church of the Fair Weather Riding Riders.

If by chance I come across a storm . . . I head for the nearest underpass or exit with an eatery within sight.

I paid my dues for riding through storms in the 60's and 70's.

 

[Louisville Joe]

It is now against my religion. I have joined the Church of the Fair Weather Riding Riders.

If by chance I come across a storm . . . I head for the nearest underpass or exit with an eatery within sight.

I paid my dues for riding through storms in the 60's and 70's.

Joe, I'm with you! Sometimes people ask me about riding in various kinds of weather and I tell them I ride for pleasure--and if the weather ain't pleasurable I ain't riding. :smile

 

[Bricklayer]

Joe, I'm with you! Sometimes people ask me about riding in various kinds of weather and I tell them I ride for pleasure--and if the weather ain't pleasurable I ain't riding. :smile

Thats all fine and good but sometimes, depending on how hard its raining you have no choice but to keep on rolling since you're a 1000 miles from home.