Be Vigilant at Night!

[GrafikFeat]

SUV runs over fallen motorcycle rider on 91 freeway
Garden Grove man died after struck on freeway in Corona, officials say.

A Garden Grove man died after crashing his motorcycle on the 91 freeway in Corona, Riverside County coroner's officials reported.

Leonard Vernon Maxwell III, 52, and his wife were both riding motorcycles westbound in the car-pool lane around 11 p.m. Friday when Maxwell hit a trailer tow hitch that was lying in the lane and was knocked off his motorcycle, the California Highway Patrol reported.

His wife stopped and tried to help him, but before she could get there, an SUV in the fast lane struck and killed him, the CHP said.

The accident took place just west of Grand Boulevard in Corona.

[Professor]

In one of my motorcyle books - I think it is "Ride Hard, Ride Smart" - there is a chapter on riding at night. When you turn to that chapter you discover that it is only one sentence: "Don't ride at night!

I know there are tricks like using other vehicle's headlights and that helps, but sight distance is so compressed at night that the danger increases exponentially. I've made one night trip - Houston to Dallas - when I had little choice. Running at 60, I watched for dark spots on the pavement and tried to avoid them just to see if i could in case one of them turned out to be a big piece of truck tire or somebody's tool box that fell out of their pickup. In most cases, by the time I could see the spot, it was too late to swerve and way to late to brake. Then the surface changed and instead of gray, it became almost totally black. It soaked up my headlight like a sponge soaks up water. I slowed to 55 (scanning my rear-view mirrors very frequently). A few miles later, a couple on a GoldWing passed me doing 75 or 80 on that dark highway.

About 60 miles from home, I stopped to rest and stretch my legs and discovered that I had no tail lights (This was not on my RT - it would have told me). I got the lights working and made it home, but that was my last trip at night. I enjoy riding in the dark early morning to work, but it is on streets with street lights and the highest speed limit is 40. At highway speeds, the risk isn't worth it to me.

[PAULBACH]

In one of my motorcyle books - I think it is "Ride Hard, Ride Smart" - there is a chapter on riding at night. When you turn to that chapter you discover that it is only one sentence: "Don't ride at night!

...



http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/ClipArt/amen-1.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/ClipArt/goodjob.jpg

The deer, the moose and FOD start lowering the odds. Plan ahead. Stay the night and get a start early in the morning.

[bikerfish1100]

with HID's there is no night. (he would have seen that trailier hitch with enough time to miss it, easily.)

[PAULBACH]

... and then there are the deer who wait until just the last rays of sunset and jump out in front of the HIDs. The HIDs do help and I have them but I like to have my feet up and the stand down with a nice libation in hand about then.

[bikerfish1100]

dusk and dawn are perfect times for relaxing indoors. or around a campsite.
but this was an urban accident, with stray vehicular parts cluttering the roadway. we can make a reasonable assumption that the hitch did not jump out in front of the rider at the last moment, it had lokely been there for at least a little while.

[Rich]

I won't ride at night if at all possible. Our sport is risky enough as it is riding in daylight.

[Braddog]

I won't ride at night if at all possible. Our sport is risky enough as it is riding in daylight.

With the ever increasing population of the white-tailed forest rats, coupled with cage driver ignorance, I tend to avoid riding after dark. There's no way in the world that I'd be traveling on unknown roads in the dark, i.e. traveling across country or somesuch.

[GrafikFeat]

Some rainy nights I'd swear I was riding purely on faith. I'd watch the tail lights a few cars up for reactions. Mix that w/ road wash and the only thing I was seeing was my speedo and red tail lights.

That's the problem w/ winter's shorter days. When I lived back east it was nearly impossible to ride year round. It's a little easier temp wise in Seattle.

Time to rethink it as I've posted elsewhere the high volume of crap on Washington State's roadways. I've seen full exhaust systems in the left lanes of I-405. Luckily it was daylight. I'm sure we've all seen "Alligators" in the road too... Those being separated tread from 18- wheelers. I'd hate to hit that at 60. And they're black as the night!

[rinty]

It all comes down to odds...

riding at night;

flying airplanes at night;

driving cars on the highway at night.

If you do it it enough, something unpleasant will eventually happen.

[StevenK]

On a related note, I was driving on the same freeway last week to pick my wife up from work. I was about 25 miles to the west, and headed in the opposite direction. For some reason, I began to notice the debris that was next to the center divider. In the 15 or so miles I was on the freeway, there was what I would estimate as HUNDREDS of pounds of junk.

Several road cones, mutiple tires, all manner of automobile parts, from small to large. At least one entire bumper cover. Fortunately, none of it was in traffic lanes, but it was close, and in all likelihood it had started out in traffic. I was stunned.

[shire2000]

One thing that none of you mentioned. When you ride at night, slow the heck down!!!! When I was learning how to drive and ride, back in the late 60s, I was told that when driving or riding at night, you should be able to stop in the distance you can safely see in your headlights. That was back in the days of having a stock sealed beam as standard equipment and very few people even had quartz halogen lights. So the distance you could see was way less than we can see today.

I have no problems driving at night. I have the stock headlight on my R100RT, and a driving light and fog light combination. Driving light on with high beam, fog light on with low beam to light up the sides of the road looking for critters. I live in a rural area and there are lots of forest critters out at night, especially on our two laned country roads that pass as highways here.

I always slow down at night at least 10MPH or more depending on conditions. Bad weather, fog, rain, sleet, whatever, just slow down and get there in one piece.

[dancogan]

I'm really happy I found this site. When I was an active cyclist I avoided riding at night. I've kept that habit on the motorcycle. If visibility is a major problem during daylight hours, then riding at night is like rolling the dice. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who tries to avoid riding at night.

[jlaban]

I think the increased risk of riding at night is about the same as riding w/o any gear. I'd rather not do either.

John

[Oldhway]

I guess I am the odd man out here. I love riding on a warm summer night. I have always enjoyed night riding. I do get the best lighting possible, and I do regulate my speed. I recognize the increased risk, but I find it immensely satisfying and enjoyable.

[rdalland]

I guess I am the odd man out here. I love riding on a warm summer night. I have always enjoyed night riding. I do get the best lighting possible, and I do regulate my speed. I recognize the increased risk, but I find it immensely satisfying and enjoyable.

I like to ride at night too, always have.

http://reid-dalland.smugmug.com/photos/370712056_ah69D-L.jpg

[arthurshort]

I'm one of the few that will ride at night. But I do find it interesting the number of riders that do not.

[scoobs]

Ride according to the conditions- my bike has lots of extra lighting and reflective bits. I wear high-viz/ reflective banding on my clothing and helmet- one of my co-workers commented that they could spot me from way back, I smiled and said "Great! That's the whole idea!!"
In Northern England the Winter days are very short, so you learn to adapt or you stay at home for 6 months. Folks here (2-wheels and 4 wheels) tend to run flat out all the time, regardless of light conditions, weather etc. I guess I'm lucky in that I'm never that desperate to get anywhere in a hurry.

"Be seen- be safe!!"
Cheers,
Ian :drink

[E_Page]

I leave for work 2 hours before sunrise and it's dark by the time I get home. If I were afraid of the dark on the road, I'd never get out of my pickup.

Close to home, deer, skunks, and other critters are a common hazard. You just ride more cautiously. In traffic, a lot of knuckleheads who won't see you at night won't see you any better in the daylight.

Just adjust your speed to not overreach your headlights, be a little more vigilant in the country, and be careful as always in town. Like any other time, don't fear the conditions, adjust to them.

[Callmethebreeze]

I enjoy the dark. Long days journey into the night isn't an issue with PIAAS and reflective gear. Vigilance and practice play a role. I often work until midnight so I keep my skills up. Skunks, opossum and the odd coyote make it interesting but few deer are up at 1:00AM.

Breeze

[JK]

Thanks to a recent Forum hint, I can now run my R-1200s w/o lights (with the aid of a full moon), just like my old R-90s!

Simply said, some joys only get better with age.

J.K. :wow

P.S. It's all about risk versus return. Like Jerry, I wouldn't mind staying 53, it's been so much fun this year. :brow

[Professor]

I love the feel of riding at night. It's just not worth the risk to me. I'm guessing that nobody on the planet knew and practiced safe riding techniques more than Larry Grodsky. I'll bet he was doing all the right (safe) things when he was killed on his motorcycle - except for riding at night.

A friend of mine is as experienced as they come - more than a million miles on Moto Guzzis. He has had two accidents. Both at night.

It's wonderful that we all have the choice to ride whenever we want and most of the time, nothing bad happens. Just be very aware that the odds against us increase dramatically when it gets dark.

Y'all be careful out there.

[Rich]

Truth be told, I really don't care to drive an auto after dark either. Obviously it can't be avoided, but I've come across too many things in the dark to let me be totally comfortable out there.

No. 1 is deer.

No. 2 is drunk drivers.

No. 3 is obstacles on the road.

At least our automobiles offer some degree of protection.

[tourunigo]

Except for that little Iron Butt thing a few years ago, I also make every effort not to have to ride at night. What seems to affect me more these days is the glare of oncoming traffic which, at times, reduces my vision to "good luck pal!". The glare is like riding in fog. On the flip side, I do like riding on a warm night but when the 'what ifs' start mumbling in my head it's just not fun any more. Might just be geezeritis setting in: mutating vision and an increasing sense of my own mortality. -Bob

[r11rs94]

Yes there are more risk at night. Look at my signature. That happened about 23:00 hrs. Still depending on the area, there's usually less traffic and less road construction. Unfortunately I have been stopped more often at night. It usually happens after mid-night. I haven't been ticketed, its usually a what are you doing out here at this time of night thing. What scares me more than night riding, is riding in very heavy rain, day or night. Last year I seemed to do a lot of both. Just my two cents. Lots of melting going on today. SOON, come on spring.

[shire2000]

You can help yourself very easily. Get some good quality fog lights on your bike, car or truck. Go out onto a dark road or street and turn them on and adjust them so that they light up the sides of the road. And make sure they are not pointing too high. They should NOT go down the road any higher that your low beam headlights. Just make sure that the main part of the beam is on the shoulder of the road. This gives you the ability to see most of the critters that may be just waiting to jump out in front of you. There are always some that can hide themselves, but this will help for most.

You all talk about deer and critters. Just try coming around a bend and avoiding a Moose or Grizzly Bear. Now that will make you go home to change your pants.

Also, alter the way you drive or ride. Be constantly scanning both sides of the road as well as the lane you are in. Expect some critter wants to commit suicide and have picked you to be the executioner.

And of course, slow down to a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see. If you cannot stop in what you can see, then you are going to hit something. If you cannot avoid any debris laying on the road, then you are going to fast.

Lastly, try not to tense up. If you are nervous and tense up, your reaction times will be much longer or not at all.

Once you master all of the above, you just may find that riding and driving at night can be very enjoyable. Others have already said it. Riding on a moonlit night can be very rewarding. Some of my longest and best rides have been at night. I like the darkness in that I can see the other vehicles coming for a long way. I can see the reflection of their headlights coming around a bend way before either of us get there.

Also, stopping in just the right spot. You, the moon, your bike. Now that is romantic! :heart

:ca

[Paul_F]

I love the feel of riding at night. It's just not worth the risk to me. I'm guessing that nobody on the planet knew and practiced safe riding techniques more than Larry Grodsky. I'll bet he was doing all the right (safe) things when he was killed on his motorcycle - except for riding at night.

It's wonderful that we all have the choice to ride whenever we want and most of the time, nothing bad happens. Just be very aware that the odds against us increase dramatically when it gets dark.

Y'all be careful out there.

I have to agree with the Professor. I also enjoyed the ride in the dark until I did a four week trip across the US back in 2007. I came across deer at all hours of the day, usually grazing at the side of the road. Since that trip, I have a lot more respect for the dangers that lurk in the dark and try to avoid night riding as much as possible.

Having said that, I have purchased Lazer Star driving lights for my bike. November's MCN evaluated them as their recommended buy for driving lights. For those times that I can not avoid night riding, I want to see as far down the road as possible.

[henzilla]

Used to do it a lot...and without lights on a full moon, loved the run down the beach in the dark. Rode bicycles the same way in deer country with only a few near misses...talk about an adrenaline rush to hear them coming,but not sure from where!

Having tagged three deer in my Dodge and one in my Ranger, One deer t-boning me at dawn on the GS when I commuted(both of us shook that one off and moved on) I did manage many great early morning pre dawn hours without incident, so averaged out well. I try to avoid it these days since the commute ended...miss it some I must admit. Unfortunate side effect of older eyes is the ability I had to see well peripherally has not kept up with the want to's. My GSA is lit up for those times when I have to ride. Depends on where I am and where I live now the odds are very high for deer contact. I scan my tail off, but those side firing out of the woods/over the fences racks come VERY quickly. And that darned tire gator Chuck hit in front of me and threw my way in New Mexico last summer...I should have been leading with the lights I had:brow Or all those skunks in east Texas last fall at 2 AM walking like Zombies on the road...PEE-YEW!

[beemermyke]

I'd miss out on too many nice rides home in the afternoon if I didn't ride in to work at 5:30am like I do. It's a risk I'm willing to take, but I'm not in the habit of riding at night just for the sake of riding. The Motolights help, and I don't think I'd ride at night without a set of auxiliary lights to help spot the critters. The critters (especially deer) are not only on the move just after dusk and before dawn either. Five years ago, while riding my Concours home about 11pm, I turned down a back stretch of road that I've taken 1000 times before during daylight hours. Because it is so remote and I don't like to ride it at night, I didn't mean to turn down it, but I did... even when I realized my mistake and thought about turning around and going my "night time" way. (Heck, I was only about five miles from the house, what could possibly happen, right?) Well, they say that most accidents happen within "X" number of miles from the home, and it rang true for me. I'm in the habit of staying towards the center of the road at night provided there is no traffic in my immediate vicinity. At 50mph, I saw a deer running low and fast ahead and to my left coming out of some pretty dense woods. I had about a second to react and I probably got the bike slightly leaned to the right towards the edge of the road in a countersteer before it impacted (glanced) off my left saddlebag. Other than a sudden raise in my heart rate and a slight wobble effect to the Connie, me and the deer continued our seperate ways. Funny thing is, I had remembered at that moment about reading an article from a guy on a BMW that got clipped in a similar fashion and he lost his entire left saddlebag. I actually reached down to see if it was there! Other than a loose rivet on the saddlebag mount, there was absolutely no damage to me or the bike.

[glurkus]

I work nights, so if I want to take the bike to work, (which I do as often as I can) I have to ride at night. The ride is 45 miles one way, mostly on rural roads and freeway. I had Piaas on my RT1100, which saved my butt several times. I now have a RT1200, and the stock lighting on that bike is as good as the 1100 with the Piaas. My biggest concerns riding at night are animals, road debris and drunk drivers, in that order. I wear reflective gear, slow it down and pay attention to the side of the road.

[Rpbump]

I work nights, so if I want to take the bike to work, (which I do as often as I can) I have to ride at night. My biggest concerns riding at night are animals, road debris and drunk drivers, in that order. I wear reflective gear, slow it down and pay attention to the side of the road.

I also work the night shift and ride my mc. To help even the odds I avoid riding my bike in the rain/fog. Ride Safe :usa :usa

[BubbaZanetti]

when you don't own a car, riding at night is not an optional endeavor.

[KGT1200]

With the ever increasing population of the white-tailed forest rats, coupled with cage driver ignorance, I tend to avoid riding after dark. There's no way in the world that I'd be traveling on unknown roads in the dark, i.e. traveling across country or somesuch.

I commute every morning in pre dawn light. I adjust speed, and stay on well lit roads, and honestly? I run scared, but I run alert, and in control, well lit and in the face of anyone near me. 35W or 35E into St. Paul or Minneapolis takes me out of rural county roads into the cities.

But you know what scares me more? wait till later after dawn, wait till the throngs of cages racing for the 8:00 bell surround you, come up behind you, race by you cell phone in hand, bagel in their lap, putting makeup on, sobering up from the night before; they scare me worse than the dark spots in the road, and statistically are exponentially more dangerous!

Darkness at 5:00 AM is doable and safer if you ride the 50 mile one way commute every day! I know every bump, exit and bend in the roads, and that makes the difference! I used to run pre dawn rural roads 50 miles to New Prague on familar 2 lanes and that was way more scary than the freeway!

For leisure rides? By all means stay away from the night!

[GrafikFeat]

with HID's there is no night. (he would have seen that trailier hitch with enough time to miss it, easily.)

Even seeing it and also having cars next to you and behind you? Hmmm... Hard to call. Easy to guess.

[GrafikFeat]

when you don't own a car, riding at night is not an optional endeavor.

The Bus is! :ha

[kreinke]

I started on day shift back in October. I don't miss riding at night one bit. The pre-dawn drive can get a little hairy though.

O and by the way, I did my best during deer season to reduce the wood-rat population. I took my first with a revolver.

[bikerfish1100]

Even seeing it and also having cars next to you and behind you? Hmmm... Hard to call. Easy to guess.

he was in the HOV lane when it happened. I've never really seen "cars next to" with those things- usually there is at least a lane of clear space between traffic and the HOV. not having been there however, yes, its conjecture.

[jforgo]

[QUOTE=Professor;419546]In one of my motorcyle books - I think it is "Ride Hard, Ride Smart" - there is a chapter on riding at night. When you turn to that chapter you discover that it is only one sentence: "Don't ride at night!

IQUOTE]

I just picked up your book last week, and in fact was reading it over the weekend. I figured if i got even one thing useful out of it, it would be worth the price.

Quite frankly, I was taken aback at the two-page deal in there, with zero advice on riding at night. I grew up in the urban jungle, having only motorcycles for many years; southen Californa is year-round motorcycle country, after all. I suspect there are a lot of people in the same situation - MC only. Some advice, I believe, would be much better than none. The odds against you increase; so what? Take more countermeasures, then.

I now live in an area with a much larger danger of four-legged critters. Spring and fall, the freeway I commute on is on a deer migration route. A few years ago a fire took out the wintering area this connected with, so the deer were gone, but now they have returned.

The area north of Lake Tahoe is full of deer; the lack of predators mean the deer are more scattered; wolves tend to force them to herd more. And California clings to 19th century game management, meaning lots of small does. A lot of other states, I am sure, are seeing similar effects.

I do tend to avoid riding up above Tahoe in the evening - the deer come all directions. The migration crossing the freeway is a bit simpler, they go south in spring, north in winter. The critter issue has made me ride a lot slower at night (in many areas), but I have not entirely stopped. It is certainly best to shed speed before you need to.

And, yes lights out full moon is better than any headlight.

[GrafikFeat]

he was in the HOV lane when it happened. I've never really seen "cars next to" with those things- usually there is at least a lane of clear space between traffic and the HOV. not having been there however, yes, its conjecture.

Here in WA, some places its a painted line to the right... A wall to the left.

[kgadley01]

I used to love to ride at night. But now that I'm retired I have no reason to be out at night. I don't even drive the truck at night unless I have to. Plus I hit two Deer on motorcycles back in the 70's. Night time is for watching TV and chatting with all my friends here on the Forum...

[bikerfish1100]

Here in WA, some places its a painted line to the right... A wall to the left.

i'll try to avoid them. sounds like no fun.

[KGT1200]

i'll try to avoid them. sounds like no fun.

In Fort Collins, you have mule deer weighing in 50 lbs heavier than anything out East. Also, since Fort Collins is the epicenter of the wasting disease problem in deer, chances are they are even slower off the blocks to get out of the way!

Be careful Joe!:)

[bikerfish1100]

oh, i stay out of the mountains at night. that would be plain foolish! (but i will run on the flatland roads to the east- they stay pretty darn clean).
interestingly, i have rarely seen deer down on the flats. bear, an occassional elk that has wandered downhill, coyote, even cougar- but not so much deer. more in Ft Collins it seems than here in Loveland.
wasting disease seems to be afflicting the elk- haven't heard of it in the deer population, and they are unusual to be east of Big Thompson Canyon.
:wave