First Night Ride!

[kilgh]

Day off, no rain, 30 mins before my curfew....let's do it!

New experiences:

First time in 5th gear.
First time over 50kph. (I'm such a law abiding geek)
First "this is so cool" chuckle.
First time around my street's insane little roundabout from the hill side angle.
First experience of cold hands even with gloves on.

Some traffic out, but even with the L-plate noone hassled me. Was going to take on the big roundabout in the area but decided I still suck enough at riding not to try it for the first time at night. Especially as there were quite a few cars behind me. Chickened out! :facepalm:

Anyway, did some of the twisty back streets instead. Amazing the amount of people walking around on a cold week night at 9.45pm.

Have decided three things.

Still need practice at stopping smoothly.
Still need practice at going around corners from a standstill.
My bike's headlight is very weak. (Actually put my hand in front just to see if it was on at one point!) Could hardly see the people out walking their dogs where with the car they are completely illuminated. Disconcerting. :shutup:

So that's tonight's little adventure.

[puddy]

Cool!:yes:
Practice (makes perfect), take care, ENJOY!

[FJRider]

Get the dark sorted ... and day rides are a piece of piss .... :lol:

[kilgh]

As I'm a shift worker at least a half of my driving is done late at night, so I'm comfortable with night driving. Just the roads hazards are different on a bike. If it wasn't for this darn curfew I'd be out there every night between 2-4 am. Love to practice the mechanical skills without worrying about the traffic!

[DrunkenMistake]

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=217073928462136105352.0004a38b141544a80178a&z=14
Try that road at night time haha, not a single light. Its pretty weird feeling riding at night, not alot of traffic etc, I like going to work at 6am, ill pass one car, and that'll be it. But its a road prone to slips and gravel been washed onto the road, makes it fun ;)

Would recommend changing your headlight bulb/s and making giving the reflector plate a bit of a scrub and polish, all else fails Halo's or Xenon bulbs

[unstuck]

Just take it easy and practice as much as you can.Agree with getting your lights seen to:yes: good luck out there.:woohoo:

[Chancebmx25]

well done good on yah. i say ride at night more less people on the rides depending on how late u ride, and just take it easy. ull love it more onces u get it sussed.

[kilgh]

[QUOTE

Would recommend changing your headlight bulb/s and making giving the reflector plate a bit of a scrub and polish, all else fails Halo's or Xenon bulbs[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it's a brand new bike, doesn't get much more polished!

Better bulbs then.

[nathanwhite]

Yea most of my riding is at night because I have my course all day...

If you wanna try something fun, try a open road in the dark......
I go along Henderson Valley rd at 70k's... thats pretty hairy in the dark.

[DrunkenMistake]

Yea most of my riding is at night because I have my course all day...

If you wanna try something fun, try a open road in the dark......
I go along Henderson Valley rd at 70k's... thats pretty hairy in the dark.

The road I linked to has no lighting at all, and its all twists, sign posted 70

[kilgh]

Yeah, maybe when I get a little more...what's the word...ah, yes, crazy.:yes:

[DrunkenMistake]

Yeah, maybe when I get a little more...what's the word...ah, yes, crazy.:yes:

Hahaha yah probably a wise statement, I think since I have owned my bike I have become a little more crazy each time I sit on it

[nathanwhite]

its not too crazy.
Just do the road several times in the day so you know where everything is
then do it in the dark, well within your comfort zone/speed

then the next day just a little faster.

[kilgh]

I know all the roads I'm practising on very well. Was actually practising smooth throttle control and cornering, roundabouts, intersections etc. I'll save the speed thing for quiet open roads.

[ducatilover]

Yeah, leave the speed thing for a while....:yes: No need to push the limit at all. Have you checked that the head light is aligned correctly for your weight?
Keep it safe dude!

[kilgh]

Yeah I discovered I switched the thing to park light! :facepalm:

[p.dath]

Come along to NASS sometime on the North Shore if you life for some free training.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/wiki/North_Auckland_Street_Skills
(http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/wiki/North_Auckland_Street_Skills)

[Maha]

I remember my first night ride.
Twas a night of a few first really...
Never had a pillion at night in the rain with a tinted visor before that night with a 100kms to home after a our first big group ride way up north.:blink:

[kilgh]

Sounds fun. Will have to wear my sunnies next time.

[nomnomnom]

Awesome to hear! I still find night riding scary, but again only been riding around 9 months!

One thing I found really helped me with getting more comfortable in traffic (specially taking off at lights/intersections/round-abouts) is to just think to yourself "the car behind cant move till I go, and I have to wait for people in front of me to move before I can go, so everyone can just be patient!"

Think about the times your at the lights and the light goes green and the car/bike in front of you doesnt move, you give them a few seconds before any abuse starts, and if they still dont move you go round them!

Iv stalled in so many places before and always manage to get out of it fine. Traffic lights. Intersections. Rush hour traffic on 3 lane state highway.... lol

[livee]

Way to go Kilgh! (i'm a few days slow haha) Have you done a few more night rides now?

[kilgh]

Hey nomnomnom,

I'm so used to night driving that night riding isn't phasing me. Still have traffic about, but haven't stalled at an intersection yet! :woohoo:

Still not quite getting those slow take-off turns quite right though. But to paraphrase you, I've only been riding for 4 months!

Livee, just got back from yet another one tonight. Nice night, but a little windy. As I left my street the first car I gave way to (the only car out there actually) was a police car. I pulled in to follow him to the first set of lights and, just as I reached him, all his lights came on! :shit:

Luckily this was a coincidence as he roared off through the red light after some real baddie hopefully. But geez:laugh:

Anyway, just about to pass the three figure mark so all my friends can stop teasing me about my slow progress....work and weather have conspired against me I tell you! Tomorrow could be the day if the weather holds. Unfortunately I am then locked into a 7 day stretch of shifts that pretty much encompasses all my legal riding hours...darn stupid curfew!

[livee]

Oh Geez, my heart just thumps when there's a cop around, no matter than I'm not doing anything wrong! That would have freaked me out big time!

Don't you worry about 'slow progress'! I took 3 years or maybe 4 on my learners, and yea I can't compare to if I'd rushed through the stages, but I felt really no worries sitting my tests. My tester for my restricted said he could tell I'd been riding a long time, and for my full, nothing to comment on at the end. I didn't even really think about the test this time as I knew if I couldn't pass it after 4 years then I shouldn't be on the road lol... you take your time :)

Frustrating not being able to ride though! I had my bike stolen earlier in the year, bought a bigger bike so haven't been able to ride, and now I am licensed to ride it, the rego is still on hold.... I just want the month of June to be over in a blink! You're 7 days of shift work will fly by!!

Keep up the good work! :scooter:

[kilgh]

Happy you passed!

6 days to go....

[Grant`]

Have you considered applying for a allowance to ride outside the normal conditions due to your work patterns?

I don't know if its possible or even how easy it is, just a thought.

[kilgh]

Yeah, but I'd only be able to go to work and back....which would be unsafe at 70kph.:angry: