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Thread: Mother Nature

  1. #16
    Join Date
    30th March 2004 - 11:00
    Bike
    2001 RC46
    Location
    Norfshaw
    Posts
    10,455
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    17
    A variety -
    Hail: Riding my MT250 home in Rotorua in 1976, I got caught in a heavy hailstorm, with an open-face helmet and no gloves. I had to stop, put my head down so the peak on my helmet protected my face, and stick my hands under my armpits. Luckily I was nearly home, so getting soaked didn't matter. Plus I was young and indestructible...
    Rain: I've ridden in some heavy rain, but the heaviest would've been at the end of 1996, when I was riding from Christchurch to Tauranga. Going up the western side of the Kaimais, the rain was so heavy it was running down the road about an inch deep, and overflowing the gutters. Riding was like being on a jetski. I wasn't wearing any wet-weather gear (thoughtfully packed into the shipping container by my wife), so the borrowed ski pants I was wearing were soaked through in seconds. My gloves took slightly longer, as did my boots.
    When I arrived at the in-laws' house, I tipped half a cupful of water out of each boot, and rung slightly more than that out of each glove. Strangely, my leather jacket, though soaked, kept at least half of my upper body dry.
    A week after I got my Teknic jacket in 2000, it absolutely pissed down in D'Auckland for about 30 minutes (of course, that was the time I chose to go home). I discovered several things:
    • The pockets weren't waterproof. Wet wallet.
    • It's not a good idea to tuck the sleeves into the gloves (the same ones that filled up on the Kaimais!)
    • When it's horrible weather, a bike is the easiest way to get around.
    • The stormwater drains are inadequate for monsoon conditions. When I arrived at the bottom of Beaumont Street, the water was ponded about 100mm deep. I balanced as long as I could, then slowly and reluctantly lowered one (non-waterproof) boot toe into it.
    Wind: I've had several exciting trips over the bridge, one of which was when they were advising motorcyclists to NOT use it, and my wife actually rang me to tell me to take the bus. It was actually OK. But I have had one trip where I was a little scared, when even the cars were slowed to 40km/h, and I chaged lanes several times to minimise the effects of wind gusts.
    Snow: I've ridden when it's been snowing twice, when I lived in Christchurch. The first time, it was on the way home, and everyone was creeping along. I just rode up the middle of the road in the slush. Once again, I was glad I was on the bike. The only problem was visibility: the visor got covered by snow when down, and when up, my helmet filled up and the snow stung my eyes.
    Ice: I nearly rode one day, in the ice. It looked OK outside: cold, crisp but clear.
    I set off, noticed the weird slidey feeling, put both feet down, gingerly did a U-turn outside my gate, and took the 4WD. Even that was sliding everywhere. Black ice. Nasty slippery stuff.
    I may be crazy but I'm not stupid.


    Ok. I may be stupid, but I'm not that stupid.
    ... and that's what I think.

    Or summat.


    Or maybe not...

    Dunno really....


  2. #17
    Join Date
    17th September 2005 - 18:28
    Bike
    Boulevard, Ducati.
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    Auckland
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    1,790
    On my mighty sj50 at night, it was so dam windy I was swerving all over the road and nearly got blown of a bridge!

  3. #18
    Join Date
    11th August 2005 - 10:32
    Bike
    GSXR600
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    NZ
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    1,085
    Rode across a stretch of black ice about 200 metes long one winter, could actually feel the rear catching up on its self as it lost traction, some how held it together (no brakes, lots of praying) and came out the other side, a car behind me did a 360 spin and ended up in the gutter.

    I think I was too cold to react and thats what saved me, will always remember the way the road twinkled as it caught the star light, ahhh.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    21st October 2005 - 11:43
    Bike
    k6 750 :)
    Location
    Rotovegas
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    1,504
    Good effort the lot o' ya!

    Must say i'm thankful for advances in rider clothing re warmth & comfort; newspaper & plastic bags get tedious!

    Reckon we're pretty lucky to live in a country where (mostly) you can ride day in day out... Mates in the UK have put theirs away for 6-8 months, poor sods.
    "Fit a front tyre you love, and put something round & black on the back"
    Il Dottore

  5. #20
    Join Date
    11th April 2005 - 21:13
    Bike
    Big ol' Hornet.
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    RottenVegas.
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    2,201
    The worst for me is FOG!!! Don't mind wind and rain so much, but I don't handle fog too well. Between Atiamuri and Mangakino was the worst fog I have experienced. Visor fogged up inside and out so I had to ride with it open, making my whole face freeze. Not nice when the nose runs so much ya end up licking it up! Also in the Waikato by Karapiro.

    Have never ridden in snow but I would like to! Been at a Cold Kiwi when it snowed but we weren't riding in it. Have ridden in early morning frost but that's not so bad as the sun comes up. No black ice yet.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    14th September 2005 - 14:12
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    98tls&rs250
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    Breda
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    1,014
    Quote Originally Posted by Goblin
    The worst for me is FOG!!! Don't mind wind and rain so much, but I don't handle fog too well. Between Atiamuri and Mangakino was the worst fog I have experienced. Visor fogged up inside and out so I had to ride with it open, making my whole face freeze. Not nice when the nose runs so much ya end up licking it up! Also in the Waikato by Karapiro.

    Have never ridden in snow but I would like to! Been at a Cold Kiwi when it snowed but we weren't riding in it. Have ridden in early morning frost but that's not so bad as the sun comes up. No black ice yet.
    Oh yeah, gotta agree with you there. Hit it up the Kaimais, it's so hard to ride when you can't see 2 feet in front of you. After flying past loads of cars on the way up I had to slow to about 20-30k's, and that was pushing it!
    It's just one of those days, where you don't wanna wake up,
    everything is fucked, everybody sucks,
    You don't really know why but you wanna justify ripping someone's head off

  7. #22
    Join Date
    9th December 2005 - 21:16
    Bike
    06 r1
    Location
    Kapiti coast area
    Posts
    401
    i have riden in rain and the sun came out so i thought well lets dry the gloves and half way home it hailed god dame they hurt at 100kph with no gloves
    Give it heaps buy a R1

  8. #23
    Join Date
    25th January 2006 - 15:33
    Bike
    Honda NT650 The Stealth Bomber
    Location
    New Plymouth
    Posts
    571
    Howdy folks. The worst day riding I had was setting off about 9am in Perth when it was 25 degrees. Sun shining, birds singing, tralala etc. Of course a couple of hundred ks later (in a mind numbingly straight line too I might add) it was 42 degrees and time to come home. Like riding through a blast furnace. Fiendishly tempting to do as the locals do and ride in jandals and shorts. With a helmet on for safety's sake of course . . . At least when it's cold you can put more clobber on.

    Janno.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    19th January 2005 - 11:00
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    none
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    Tredding water
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    6,100
    110 and up in summer farenhight (or whatever) and -3 in winter. Rain, hail, sleet, snow. Even that twister that hit the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex a few years ago. Weather doesn't scare me, it's the other loonies that drive in it that do.

    Rain, Fog and new tyres would have to be the worst though.
    Last edited by Waylander; 25th January 2006 at 21:04.

    Sever
    Now and forever
    you're just another lost soul about to be mine again
    see her, you'll never free her
    you must surrender it all
    And give life to me again
    Disturbed - Inside the Fire


  10. #25
    Join Date
    1st September 2005 - 11:47
    Bike
    1998, Ducati Monster 600
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Pwalo
    I ride in Wellington. Enough said!! Wind, rain, hail, snow (once), ice, you name it.

    Nothing beats a good old southerly complete with rain in the middle of winter. Oh fricken joy.
    I ride in to Wellington each day also, regardless of weather. Must say the cheap boots and gloves combined with a wet day don't add much joy to what is normally a great ride to work. What gloves/boots have people used that have proven to be reliably waterproof?

    Cheers
    Scott

  11. #26
    Join Date
    25th October 2005 - 20:09
    Bike
    im getting one i just crashed my cb250rs
    Location
    whangarei
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    28
    hay dude i rode in hale extreem wind and lightning and thunder all at once lol i have also riden in rain so hard that cars had pulled over cos of it and the road was submergen from all the rain............great fun i must add its all part of the experence

  12. #27
    Join Date
    12th June 2004 - 23:15
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    - 6 on the Taupo road. frozen solid from Tepohue. longest ride ever. Had all the gear. Only time I have ridden with a silk balaclava and liked it. Had to let the cars passed cos they would have run me over if I had fallen off. Came back 5 hours later and most of the ice was gone but in the shade she hit the rev limiter as the back lost traction. It was a game by then.

    Snow in Napier a few years ago. Rare to see snow here. Was fun for a while but it packs in front of the front tyre. Not fun. Sticks to the visor and you just can not see, or get it off. I have the nick name Captain Hurricane from my many rides in the rain. When I put a ride on we ride.........

    Usual alone now cos they don't commit.........................................

  13. #28
    Join Date
    27th July 2004 - 00:36
    Bike
    NC700X XR250 MTS1200
    Location
    Auckland, NZ
    Posts
    3,275
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    Hail on my 1st KB ride.....

    Riding my new Honda VTR250 with 83km on the clock and riding experience. Didn't knew it was hailing until my visors fogged up and I lifted them abit... wondering why my lips are numb I tasted.... water? no... ICE..!
    newbie since August 2004....
    VTR250 (retired) / SV650S (Fw:Keystone19) / GSXR750(given up) / CB400(traded for 919) / CB900 Hornet / CBR954 (traded) / CBR1100XX (sold) / TuonoR (sold) / CB900 Hornet / NC700X / MTS1200 / XR250

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