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night riding

3K views 29 replies 25 participants last post by  speedjunkie27 
#1 ·
Is it difficult to ride at night for the first time?
thanks
 
#3 ·
the very first time at night CAN be a little scarier cuz you're not used to the feel of riding on the street so when its a little harder to see the road condition ahead of you, you might tend to freeze up a little
 
#5 ·
Truthfully the very first time ( a few days ago) that I took my bike out was at night. But I live in Cntrl FL so the weather was still around 80 but I was a bit scared one because I haven't driven much out on the road and 2 because it was night. But I didn't have any trouble seeing the road or the cars around me. Just scared that the cars couldn't see me I'm thinking about getting some damn reflective tape and maybe outlining the graphics on my helmet with it.

kre8
 
#8 ·
Like others said take it easy dark roads thing can jump up quick and you don;t see junk on the roads until your on top of them.I GO TO WORK AT 4AM so its bloody dark and cars dont seem to think any body else is using the roads at that time they just dont look
 
#12 ·
Well.....i've never ridden during the day. Always at night cause thats the only time I'm able to pick up my bike from my friend.

So i wouldn't know how to answer it.

Well first time on my bike....i rode it at night around his neighborhood.not going past 25. 2nd time, already took it out for a few hours at night on the streets

Even though haven't gone in the daytime yet...seems like night would be easier to learn. They say its harder to see and harder for people to see you, but hey less cars on the rode. Fine with me. Just gotta worry about that fawking visor fogging up the minute you come to a stop. Ah I just leave that sucka up all the time.
 
#13 ·
My first time out at night was hilarious, I was on my permit, supposed to be home by like 8 or something but I ignored that so it was like 2 in the morning. I was down by the cape cod canal if any of you are familiar with that area, WICKED dark area, deserted, twisty, and no lights anywhere, and being my first time out I at night I had no clue that my headlight was adjusted wrong.
By wrong I mean pointed almost straight down, with lows I could see about 2 feet infront of me, highs might have made it 50, it was scary as hell. ANd of course I had no clue how to adjust them.

And the thing that made it even funnier was that someone was folowing me the whole way home, thinking that I knew where I was going and new the roads, I'm lucky to have not crashed.

The big thing is just to give yourself more time to see potential hazzards in the road. And if you're not familiar with the road then take it slow and make sure you know where the road is going.
And before you head out for the first time at night make sure your headlights are adjusted right and that you know how to adjust them if you need to.

I have my license now and I've found that whenever I have a passenger at night I have to change the angle from when I'm by myself. The passenger makes the beams aim UP too much, probably just because it's compressing the rear suspension and not the front.

Basically just be cautious and you should be fine.
 
#16 ·
Yeah I really dont like to ride at night, I would rather just do it during the day!! Even though riding at night here is nice cause the weather is nice year around here I just get un easy thinking about the people that cant see me. And the fact that the visor on my helmet is really really shitty.
 
#19 ·
Most visors swap out pretty quick with no tools. If you have the room for it (under your rear seat, or somewhere else) it wouldn't hurt to carry around an extra visor...

I live in the high desert so it gets pretty cold here at night and I can't go out as much as I'd like. But I usually get home from work around 8pm so it's already dark.

Knowing the roads or streets you're on is a great help... Last night I was able to make it home by going anywhere from 90 to 110 mph most of the way and there are not alot of lights on the back-roads I take. Of course the speed from last night was also brought on by what I thought was a cop following me and the fact that I had to take a wicked piss! :lol:

Ride safe and know your surrondings..
 
#22 ·
Got2josh said:
ha, so you thought a cop was following you so you sped way up? That's the spirit!
Well thats gonna avoid you getting a ticket!! :thumbup:
 
#24 ·
Daivd L. Hough in his book "More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride" recommends not riding at all during night time !!!

I would not go that far but it sure ain't the best time to learn to ride.

1) Visibility not great (duh!)
2) More chance of drunk drivers
3) Most motorcyclist deaths occur between 9pm and 3am...

Most people would not recommend a Hayabusa as a first bike... because of the added difficulty in mastering the bike... Same goes for night riding, carrying a passenger, riding in the rain, riding in traffic, carrying luggages, doing stunts, etc...

Go the easy way first... Grow into in slowly and avoid the more difficult situations at first. If you ask the question about night riding, it is because you are not confortable with it... so wait a bit if you don't HAVE TO ride at night.
 
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