Immersed in the Ride

[AnotherPilgrim]

I've had my 2010 FJR for a couple of months and really love this bike. I ride it mostly to commute to work, which I look forward to since I am disconnected from all technology during the ride (except for occassionally the TomTom). Yesterday I enjoyed a fully immersive ride. I was about five minutes from work and the thunderstorm moved quickly from the west with hail, rain, wind, lightning and standing water. Of course, some of those with roofs and four tires started to panic, which added even more fun to the ride. I heard the 'chip chip' of antilock brakes behind me but choose to relax and look forward in case the front end of a vehicle made contact with the ass-end of my bike.

About 10-15 minutes later I pulled into a Starbucks - drenched - but still upright on two wheels and grateful for the great training I've received from Motorcycle Riding Concepts in Fairfax VA. I am also very grateful for ABS. The storm quickly passed. I wrung out as much water as possible and had a great ride home, getting dry with every mile. Over 80MPH on I66 really helped dry my clothes.

I had already ordered rain gear so I'll be prepared next time. Was this my FJR baptism?

- Jim

 

[BkerChuck]

Welcome aboard Jim.

I'd be willing to call it your baptism. One of the things I love about the FJR is the design of the fairings and windscreen that redirect a significant amount of that rain and slop out around you. ABS brakes in the wet are awesome! If you don't already have it, consider adding some auxiliary lighting to make yourself more visible to the mindless sheep in the cages who aren't looking for us even when it's not raining.

I always keep a set of rain pants in one saddlebag. My jacket is waterproof already.

 

[hppants]

Agree with BikerChuck - one time we were riding in a moderate rain on a 4-lane divided hwy. A buddy was riding in the lane adjacent to me. At highway speeds with traffic, spray was getting thrown everywhere. At the next stop, he commented to me that it looked like I was sitting in a bubble. The majority of the rain and all of the spray was getting thrown right over my head.

This is why I love the FJR - you can load it down with all of my crap, take it cross country in all kinds of conditions, and when you get where you are going, unload and play with it a little in the twisties.

 

[900gc]

Yep and yep post #2 and 3, great foul weather bike esp. with the CeeBaily 2x4 flip shield I run.

 

[JamesW]

Reminds me of a downpour in the N. BC Rockies, my VFR riding buddy got so soaked we stopped at a gas station so he could go in and wring out his underwear.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Yes, AnotherPilgrim, I'd say you've been baptized into the family. Glad it all ended well. Rain (plus all the other sideshows you mentioned) will certainly ratchet up your focus.

 

[DeSudet]

Gotta love being caught out by the weather. But that's also a double-edged sword around these parts. Yesterday called for a good chance of rain and it started sprinkling as I was getting ready for work. Broke out the rain gear, dusted it off, and put it on. Radar showed significant rain on my usual route to work, too. It never got to more than a drizzle and was bone dry after the first mile (of 23 total). So here I am, in relatively high humidity, no rain, sealed up in a rain suit. By the time I got to work, I was wetter from roasting and the sweat being trapped against me than if it had actually rained the whole way and I hadn't put on the suit. At least the ambient temp wasn't reading 104 like it was the day before.

@AP: Welcome to the FJR family!

 

[Lowcountry Joe]

Good story Jim. Glad you are enjoying the feejer.

 

[James Burleigh]

I was about five minutes from work and the thunderstorm moved quickly from the west with hail, rain, wind, lightning and standing water. Was this my FJR baptism?
- Jim

I'd say yes it was!

You say "baptism"; I called my similar experience "earning my rain-wind merit badge." I was heading home from work across the Bay Bridge one winter evening. It was dark and cold and windy and raining. The wind was blowing the rain horizontally across my path of travel, and I was being buffetted like a sunofabitch, worried about getting blown into cars either side of me, at least the ones I could see through my fogged up, wet shield. I was on a Harley Sportster wearing adequate rain gear and a heated vest. When I got home and pulled into the garage, it was the first and only time in the last approx. 45 years that I crossed myself (reformed Catholic

). Seems like you enjoyed your ride a lot better though than I did. Way to go, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Welcome. Compared to my previous bikes, rain wind protection on the gen III FJR isn't that great, but it's more than adequate (and an improvement, evidently over gen I and gen II bikes). It takes a lot of rain for me to want to be in my truck or car. There's a combination of stress, finesse, and zen involved on a ride in hard rain. I generally enjoy it.