Late night country riding

[superman]

For the benefit of someone (maybe).

When you are riding late at night through the country, stay at the utmost level of awareness. Seeing another vehicle may be rare, but in the last year I've come across buffalo, cows and a few horses. Do not become complacent!

It's safe to say you do not want to collide with such burly animals, and that running over a rabbit/possum in a corner is risky enough for your safety. :yes:

However... if you don't wish to end up as a man and beast sausage or crawling through the country going 20km/h around blind corners there are some techniques you should be practising over and over.

Emergency Braking
Eat carrots, lots of carrots
Emergency Braking in a corner (extra points for not losing traction)
Scanning proficiency
Expecting the unexpected
I constantly ride 12am - 2am through the country, don't see many bikers doing the same but I'm sure there's some around.

If you do come across stock, find the farmer, wake them up and give them a hounding. Most of the time the stocks only gotten out because they've been doing some 'creative' fencing.

[unstuck]

Stock on the road is just a part of life down here,mate hit a deer a couple of years ago and fucked himself up.:angry:

[george formby]

It's more flavoursome riding at night. The merths are the worst, can't see jack when the buggers stick to your visor like a bat signal.

A few years ago I noticed that the reflective posts at the road side are illuminated way beyond the head light throw & started using them as a secondary vanishing point. My road position is a lot better, far fewer suprises with tightening corners etc & more time for spotting hazards like bears, drunks, gravel & cow pats.

[Usarka]

Another tip, the reflective markers along the side of the road are different on each side. Learning which is which makes life a lot easier.....

[Gremlin]

It's dark at night?

You should have more lights :shifty: :devil2:

[george formby]

Another tip, the reflective markers along the side of the road are different on each side. Learning which is which makes life a lot easier.....


:facepalm:Tis true, very helpful to know which side is which. I have noticed the colours are not consistent though. You can do the same thing with cats eyes too. Luckily we do not have any badgers here, buggers of things for knocking you off late of an evening.

[bogan]

Carrots thing is bullshit. You should only ride at a speed in which you can stop within you visual distance, so more lights = more speed! And don't get stuck out with only a tinted visor, it makes for pretty slow going :facepalm:

[caspernz]

Oh bugger the helpful advice! Where in this country can I play chicken with buffalo?

[george formby]

Carrots thing is bullshit. so more liYou should only ride at a speed in which you can stop within you visual distance,ghts = more speed! And don't get stuck out with only a tinted visor, it makes for pretty slow going :facepalm:

The first part applies whenever you ride but the second bit catches you out on tighter corners, particularly left handers, or is it right handers, hmmmm. Any hoo, when your staring into the abyss & your headlight is illuminating a field, that's when the reflective doo dackeys help a lot...

[superman]

Oh bugger the helpful advice! Where in this country can I play chicken with buffalo?

Guess I'm just lucky to have neighbours which produce buffalo cheese/milk :blink:

[bogan]

The first part applies whenever you ride but the second bit catches you out on tighter corners, particularly left handers, or is it right handers, hmmmm. Any hoo, when your staring into the abyss & your headlight is illuminating a field, that's when the reflective doo dackeys help a lot...

Depends on the spread, some lights offer remarkably improved beam pattern and light intensity over stock units. I still have an HID unit to go in mine :wait:

[Fast Eddie]

:facepalm:Tis true, very helpful to know which side is which. I have noticed the colours are not consistent though. You can do the same thing with cats eyes too. Luckily we do not have any badgers here, buggers of things for knocking you off late of an evening.

Apparently there is actually quite a bit of info on the relective markers on each side of the road, An old work collegue tried to explain the rule of thumb but I was more interested in something else. Basically the colors/strips on the reflective markers should also give you an indication of the corner speed as well as an upcoming left/right bend. and if you know how to read them they will give you enough info by color, and if it has a white strip through the color etc and other cues to tell you if its a right or left coming up and if its safe to take the bend at the speed limit of if you need to slow to safely take it. Now if only I knew how to read them...

[george formby]

Apparently there is actually quite a bit of info on the relective markers on each side of the road, An old work collegue tried to explain the rule of thumb but I was more interested in something else. Basically the colors/strips on the reflective markers should also give you an indication of the corner speed as well as an upcoming left/right bend. and if you know how to read them they will give you enough info by color, and if it has a white strip through the color etc and other cues to tell you if its a right or left coming up and if its safe to take the bend at the speed limit of if you need to slow to safely take it. Now if only I knew how to read them...

That would explain my confusion. How clever. Now to do a bit of research me thinks. Cheers.

[george formby]

That would explain my confusion. How clever. Now to do a bit of research me thinks. Cheers.


Research done. Road markers explained & markings explained. The writer is very dry, no sex, violence or humour in the road marking world...... It all becomes clear at fig 3.8 here (http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/road-traffic-standards/docs/rts-05.pdf)

[oneofsix]

I was taught to drive by an old road worker. When going round the bend as you pass one marker another should appear around the corner, if not slow down. Yes the colours are different for near side and far side, bridge abutments etc but I have been noticing the markers are getting removed in favour of these speed signs and other useless devices rather than telling drivers how the markers work. All they really need to know is that a new one should appear as the pass one, what's so hard??? :facepalm:

[actungbaby]

Yes i used to really dislike riding at night on open road as used to city riding i was just going say that
reflective road marking signs , somone told me years ago you can tell the speed of the upcoming corner
By thwe spacing of the markers even since then game me alot more cofidence to plan ahead
As for the cattle you just likey to wreak you vechile even in a car i had 2 freinds write of there cars hitting cows
Never heard Motorcylist hoting one till the previous post mind you mainy had car drivers as friends


Another tip, the reflective markers along the side of the road are different on each side. Learning which is which makes life a lot easier.....

[actungbaby]

Yes they say its just a much the metal reflector shape at the back of the light makes you wonder why some bikes with same
Wattage bulbs some are great some are crap esp on low beam

Depends on the spread, some lights offer remarkably improved beam pattern and light intensity over stock units. I still have an HID unit to go in mine :wait:

[Fast Eddie]

Research done. Road markers explained & markings explained. The writer is very dry, no sex, violence or humour in the road marking world...... It all becomes clear at fig 3.8 here (http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/road-traffic-standards/docs/rts-05.pdf)

figure 3.7 is a good table as well, sweet for digging up that info, I was far too lazy. Gonna try some memorising and see if it helps at night on the open road.

[BMWST?]

if you have your headlight on high you illuminate the markers for bloody miles....white to the left,yellow to the right.If the whites diapear and the yellows go of the the left you are approaching a left hander,if the yellows disapear and the whites go of th the right you are approaching a right.If bothe disapear "downwards " you are approaching a dip,if they go up then disapear you are approaching a blind crest.?if you can see several reflective markers delineating a bend it shows the first part of the corner is not so sharp.

[Berries]

Research done. Road markers explained & markings explained. The writer is very dry, no sex, violence or humour in the road marking world...... It all becomes clear at fig 3.8 here (http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/road-traffic-standards/docs/rts-05.pdf)
If only RTS 5 was actually followed. All you can rely on is that if it is a left hander the reflectors on the right should be yellow. And that's it. Even NZTA don't follow their own guidelines on state highways when it comes to spacing, particularly on vertical curves. Have a look here if you want to see the standard (which RTS 5 has used) click on Section 5 (http://nzta.govt.nz/resources/motsam/part-2/motsam-2.html) then go to page 16.

On a dark night well spaced and, more importantly clean, edge marker posts are great, but is rare to see them set out in accordance with any of the guidelines. Still, better than nothing, and probably lead to an increase in night time speeds. One day they will take them away.

[TOTO]

It's dark at night?

You should have more lights :shifty: :devil2:

thats what I say too.

[caspernz]

To me it's the inconsistency of the various road marking and sign posting methods that'll trip you up if you rely heavily on them.

Some things crack me up, like head north out of Hawera from the big roundabout and the line markings on the ground would have you almost do a slalom to circumvent the flush median and the turning bay.

In other areas the marker posts are either dirty, missing, or mowed flat.

Nothing beats good lights so you can see the black stuff you wanna ride on....

[george formby]

If only RTS 5 was actually followed. All you can rely on is that if it is a left hander the reflectors on the right should be yellow. And that's it. Even NZTA don't follow their own guidelines on state highways when it comes to spacing, particularly on vertical curves. Have a look here if you want to see the standard (which RTS 5 has used) click on Section 5 (http://nzta.govt.nz/resources/motsam/part-2/motsam-2.html) then go to page 16.

On a dark night well spaced and, more importantly clean, edge marker posts are great, but is rare to see them set out in accordance with any of the guidelines. Still, better than nothing, and probably lead to an increase in night time speeds. One day they will take them away.

I view the road markers as just another piece of information to increase my safety margin. The lights on my bike are mediocre at best so every little helps.

I worry more about the OP's beasts & vermin on the road or dew which I cannot see. Is the road shiny coz it's damp.... Paranoia!

[unstuck]

I worry more about the OP's beasts & vermin on the road or dew which I cannot see. Is the road shiny coz it's damp.... Paranoia!

Black ice is really good fun too.:yes:

[george formby]

Black ice is really good fun too.:yes:

Oh yes, feckin hilarious. Scotland is great, black ice, badgers, deer & highland cattle loitering on every corner. Winter is even worse.

[unstuck]

Oh yes, feckin hilarious. Scotland is great, black ice, badgers, deer & highland cattle loitering on every corner. Winter is even worse.

Sounds like southland.:yes:

[Shadowjack]

Sounds like southland.:yes:
When living in Invercargill, I once talked to a recent Scottish migrant to that fair province, and his comment was "I travelled around NZ, and decided to live in Southland because it reminds me so much of home".

[Macontour]

Years back when I had my GS550 I used to regularly leave Auckland on a Friday night and ride to Palmy. I upgraded my headlight bulb to a 130/100("for off road use only")!! and also fitted two 55 wattt Hella spotlights to my crashbars, run through a relay.

Fantastic on high beam and even better for a quick angry flash at a car driver who didn't dip quick enough but the problem was that I would end up riding at speed allowed by the main and spots and if I suddenly had to dip, it was like turning the lights off altogether.

It made the Alternator work hard too.

I still say you can never have too much light at night and have always upgraded car and bike lights.

[FJRider]

It's more flavoursome riding at night. The merths are the worst, can't see jack when the buggers stick to your visor like a bat signal.

A few years ago I noticed that the reflective posts at the road side are illuminated way beyond the head light throw & started using them as a secondary vanishing point. My road position is a lot better, far fewer suprises with tightening corners etc & more time for spotting hazards like bears, drunks, gravel & cow pats.

Dip's in the (straight/flat) roads can hide short left and/or right handers ... NO guarantee's is what you think you see is true in this regard. Late at night and being tired ... even on (familiar ???) roads you can trust the eye's too much.

[FJRider]

Oh bugger the helpful advice! Where in this country can I play chicken with buffalo?

No need to ask ... they will find you ... you just dont know when ... :facepalm:

[Gremlin]

I still say you can never have too much light at night and have always upgraded car and bike lights.
Oh I don't know... everyone seems to tell me I have enough? Or won't ride in front of me.

Get flashed on low beam, and high beam (with 6 lights on maximum) I reckon reaches reflective boards about 1.5km out. :sunny: It's actually interesting how few straights are 2km+ long, with the right terrain (and reflective boards at the end), to allow you to see how far you can see...

[blue rider]

Oh I don't know... everyone seems to tell me I have enough? Or won't ride in front of me.



is because you look like a UFO hovering behind one.......all one can see is lights