Wife and I want to do one last ride end of October down by Starved Rock Illinois (foilage should be great). Cold is okay...rain is not, cross your fingers for us, do a rain dance, whatever.
Is it me or have the winters gotten longer in the Midwest?
Wife and I want to do one last ride end of October down by Starved Rock Illinois (foilage should be great). Cold is okay...rain is not, cross your fingers for us, do a rain dance, whatever.
Is it me or have the winters gotten longer in the Midwest?
If you don't wear a helmet when you ride....you probably shouldn't be riding.
mine: 07-r1200s
hers: 07-monster 695
Hx of bikes
1979 Honda 125 SS
1988 Ninga 900
1997 Suzuki SV1000S (fastest)
1997 Kawasaki 600r (racing only)
2001 Honda F4i
2002 Daughter
2003 Ducati 800ss
It is you.... Heck it was 90 degrees last weekendOriginally Posted by larrydk
I don't think winters have gotten longer, just it seems the seasons change are more radical. I.e. 90 last week 37 this morning
Ride safe and enjoy
Roy
Roy G.
85 K100RT Ol Ruby "Gone but not forgotten"
02 K1200LTC Hoss
I keep taking long weekend trips and saying "this is going to be the last one for the year"... and then I find myself going on another ride.
I agree with the rain, though. Ever since I had issues with my "new" GSPD in the rain, I'm a bit rain shy when I ride it. It still has not earned my trust. I got lucky last Sunday coming back from PA; the roads were wet and the sky looked a little ominous for a while, but I stayed dry. I'll get out the chicken bones, for you.
It's ok riding when it's hot, but you have to deal with the loud muffler crowd. But, it's even better when it's 20 degrees (or less) as long as it's been dry with no chance of ice. Love pulling up next to someone in a big SUV sipping a drink of coffee with their goatee and Oakleys on and with an ostentatious Hardley Dangerous sticker in the back.
I just shake my head and let my shoulders shake with mirth. "Yeah, you're a real rider." Cold is good but rain? I have to clean my bike and that takes time I could be riding!!!!
Regards,
Randy Kasal
Just ride
It's raining right now in SF Bay area, but I'm still going to roll the R90S out in a few hours to head down to the vintage campout near Paso Robles this weekend. I hope it doesn't rain down there -- I don't mind riding in the rain (lived in Seattle for 8 years after all), but I don't much enjoy camping in it.
I'll check the weather prevaricators web site after I'm done here...
I get the same feeling when I ride into my local BMW dealer when the temp is below 50 and NO BODY who works there rode their bike(s) in. If you think Harley riders are the only ones who don't ride when conditions are less than perfect I would ask you to take a look at the used BMW bikes for sale in the ON or on this website or maybe go to an event at your dealer. There are almost as many folks with spotless Stiches and 2-3 year old GS's with 1500-2500 miles on them as there are Harley riders who don't ride all that much.It's ok riding when it's hot, but you have to deal with the loud muffler crowd. But, it's even better when it's 20 degrees (or less) as long as it's been dry with no chance of ice. Love pulling up next to someone in a big SUV sipping a drink of coffee with their goatee and Oakleys on and with an ostentatious Hardley Dangerous sticker in the back.
Randy Kasal
When I ride around where I live and the temps are 20-30 degrees, the ONLY others I see are a couple of Harley riders.
Rounders Rule - no matter what they ride!
Don't winterize; Rounderize!
www.yearroundriders.com
+1 El Dookey!
Nose
Its sad but too often true, when I bought my 78 R100 back in 99 it had only 22K on it! Over twenty years old and only 22K? To make matter worse the PO had already toasted the clutch! She's got well over 100K now and lovin' it.
RM
"A man isn't totally drunk if he can lie on the floor without hanging on!" Joe Louis; comedian
"I'll make a deal with you, I won't bore with my Science if you don't bore me with your Politics!" Lionel Barrymore from the 1929 film "The Mysterious Island"
Last winter I rode over to Max's BMW to meet Gail. I pulled in and ..... no bikes? I went in and the place was hopping. My lowly Hardley was the only bike out front.Seemed wrong somehow..... That was one of the few times at my size I felt invisible. There were a lot of downcast eyes i think in embarrassment.
Just ride....
BTW 35 degrees F this morning on the way to work.... Electrics Rock!
Toughest guy I ever saw was riding a Harley, in the rain, wearing a tank top. This was at 11,000 feet, just west of the Eisenhower Tunnel, on I 70. The temperature was at about the freezing level.
Rinty
You should live in Oregon. You would learn to "love" the rain. lol
2008 Triumph Rocket III Touring
Bob
It started to rain about the time I hit I-80 on my R90 w/ Windjammer Faring. I took 75 south which is only two lanes. I found out I would have to ride faster than the occasional tractor-trailer rigs to avoid being swamped - one of those fairly stupid adventures you fall into when you don't plan. I ran about 75 mph pretty much all the way to Lincoln. Arrived about 2:30 a.m. No incidents, just one of the most spiritual experiences of my life.
Today, I picked up a '95 K75 (now I know why they have an excellent reputation) and it was raining. I could have waited a couple of days but the dealer is 120 miles away. Conicidentally, they had their open house today. One Hardely, a couple of Japanese, and a whole lot of BMW's rode there in the rain. Of course, the Hardely guy had no helmet and he overshadowed in noise the K1200LT near him.
But, it was a great time and they had brats for free and lots of BMW riders. I could also have had it put in the back of my brother's truck who came with me, but being a BMW rider, I bought a rainsuit and rode it home. I can't say enough positive things about the BMW pro-winter gloves, BMW rain suit, and my boots are gore-tex but I don't recall the brand. Add a full-face shield and it was en enjoyable ride. Once again, I felt sorry for the cubicles on wheels traveling with me.
In short, you might surmise I'm now an enthusiastic not letting rain stop me rider. You should do it if it rains. Just wait 1/2 hour after it starts raining (so most of the oil and other car fluids on the road wash away) and you'll have a great time with the proper gear. Good luck!
Regards,
Randy Kasal
I am a pretty conservative rider in the rain. I've had folks ask me, "Don't you trust your tires?" I always answer, "Sure I trust my tires, it's the pavement I don't trust."I keep taking long weekend trips and saying "this is going to be the last one for the year"... and then I find myself going on another ride.
I agree with the rain, though. Ever since I had issues with my "new" GSPD in the rain, I'm a bit rain shy when I ride it. It still has not earned my trust. I got lucky last Sunday coming back from PA; the roads were wet and the sky looked a little ominous for a while, but I stayed dry. I'll get out the chicken bones, for you.
Paul Glaves - "Big Bend", Texas U.S.A
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." - Bertrand Russell
http://www.bigbend.net/users/glaves
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