Triumphrat

jjmeadowlark

I find myself being a lot more cautious, and nervous! All the reflective gear in the world doesn't help if light isn't shining on it, so it seems like danger from lane changing or u-turning cars increases exponentially.

Been trying to make changes to my speed and spacing to gain some reaction time, just in case.

Road hazards scare me to death. Seeing a brick in the road during the day is one thing, but at night things seem to jump out right in front of me since they're mostly invisible until the headlight illuminates them- at speed, that's not a long time. I've caught myself flinching quite a bit becuase something will suddenly be right in front of me, and my brain doesn't finish processing exactly what it is until I'm right on top of it. A plastic shopping bag looks just like a cinder block at 55mph!

What kind of things can I do to mitigate the dangers of night riding- I like it quite a bit, actually.

mozart

Yes Riding at night especialy after age 50 is a bitch. Lights are blinding. Using yellow tinted goggles Might help

DDon

You can add more lights to make yourself more visible, add 2 small ones in front and aim them down a bit to fill in the "gap" between the bottom of your regular light beam and the road surface. It will also add to your visibility when seen from the front.
Does your bike have enough electrical power to add more lights?
Don't forget that your night vision works a little differently. If you look directly at something at night, you won't see it as easily. So look a little higher or off to the sides and see things better. Almost like periphiral vision.
Ride more at night to get your comfort level up.

Ragman

That's probably the most important thing right there, and you're aware of it already so you're halfway there. Also, I'd totally agree with what DDon said - get out and do a bit more night riding; the more you do it, the less alien it will seem...

mikecharliemike

jjmeadowlark et al

"night time sharpens, heightens each sensation"
We have to thank andrew lloyd webber for that one (phantoad of the opera)

Since re-entering motorcycles a nanosecond ago (been off two wheels for over 30 years), night riding is one sensation delight that the bro and I regularly do to sharpen our speedmaster riding skills.

I can't believe that all of our re-born cycling buddies frown and scoff at us for our nocturnal adventures......but really there is much to gain.

Bro and I do at least one 180k loop every week, nothing boring, nothing dangerous. In say six months we have concocted at least six differing loops which include winding sections, climbing sections, and HI-speed section......we come home around midnight, with one of the widest grins and feelings of wellness.

If you ride around the cooloola/fraser/sugar/ or sunshine coasts, PM me for a speedmaster nocturnal adventure

My apologies to one bandicoot and one baby grey kangaroo who sacrificed their lives in the making of our nocturnal adventures...........sorry guys, you shouldn't be playing on the road that time of night

KuzzinKenny

why not try somethin like this..................

http://www.osram.co.uk/osram_com/Con...KER/index.html

should give you a few more feet of vision !!

KK

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shiner

Nothing wrong with having a healthy respect for all things at night. Aerostich Hi-Viz jacket, moto-lights mounted on the forks, a big help is to do a little creative re-wiring and have your turn signals also illuminate at night. A 2 filiment bulb is used so when the turn signals do come they are at a brighter intensity and can be seen flashing. Makes a huge difference when viewed from the rear. Did that on the Harley first to learn how it's done. Shiner in cincy

LittleJoe

If you're around other vehicles at night, pick your gaze up, look farther ahead and use their headlights so you can identify things as soon as possible. Then nothing really surprises you.

Catenaccio

Desert riding with the unexpected deer, elk, mustangs and the odd coyote or jackrabbit necessitates seeing more than being seen. I want to convert to HIDs because of increased lighting and at the same time less wattage used (thus less pull on the rectifier) except on start up. 35W HIDs seem the best solution for now. If I rode a lot at night, I think I'd throw a set of PIAA auxiliary lights on as well.

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Razzoo

Brighter lights help. the factory lights on my bike were terrible, I replaced the bulbs with high intensity bulbs. Riding in town has benefits, the speed limit is slower and you also have the streetlights to help out. I slow down on back roads at night (mainly due to deer) and only go as fast as I feel comfortable on the Interstate. (Before I upgraded the lights, anything over 50 made me nervous). If you can't see road hazards until the last minute IMHO you should be nervous.

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