NERDS check in please....

[airboss]

Finally made it home about 10AM this morning.

Thanks to Geezer I left Stowe and routed through the Adirondacks, Wow, not to be missed, it added over 3 hours to the way home, worth every second. 5s across New York state was not bad, ah, I mean it was Bad, but it was a Good bad.

And thanks Ed & Fred, or Fred & Ed, terrific gathering.

Karl

ps, We're going to do this again, aren't we?

 

[Mizz Bustanut]

Finally made it home about 10AM this morning.

Thanks to Geezer I left Stowe and routed through the Adirondacks, Wow, not to be missed, it added over 3 hours to the way home, worth every second. 5s across New York state was not bad, ah, I mean it was Bad, but it was a Good bad.

And thanks Ed & Fred, or Fred & Ed, terrific gathering.

Karl

ps, We're going to do this again, aren't we?

It is a requirement that it be done again. How else would I attend if there isn't one next year?

 

[yamafitter]

Re; crossing the border, while being stopped (due to a one lane road restriction) at the top of an all metal bridge (road bed too) during an electrical storm, and seeing the lighting striking the spans created a question; :blink:

Should one have both feet on the metal roadway or just one? Is there a grounding effect?

The issue here is referred to as step voltage. If there is enough potentential voltage between your one foot compared to the other to draw a current through your body and if approximately 30 milliamps is applied through the heart muscles you are in for a bad day. Standing on metal grating is actually better then standing on dirt since dirt is highly resistive therefore there is more of a voltage drop from one contact point to the other. In a lightening strike your body is a less resistive path and you get fried. Standing on metal, the metal is a better electrical path and you may be OK.

When we worked in the 500 Kilovolt switchyards we used to stand on a metal grate and then attach a ground lead to the device we would be working on. This put our bodies at the same voltage level as the equipment we were working on to reduce the possibility of electrical contact.

It is also safer to be in a cage than out in the open on a bike during an electrical storm since lighting will likely travel through the metal components of the car bypassing the occupants whereas on a bike, you are part of the electrical circuit going to ground.

Not good for you.

 

[Geezer]

You should have both feet on the pegs and be traveling as fast as possible to a dry place.

 

[griff]

Got home to Indiana last night after riding with my brother Ed (the guy with the St) to his house in Landisville, PA on Sunday. Saw Carver going by in Lake George on Sunday at a coffee stop. It wasn't raining then, so he looked pretty happy :lol: Had a great time and met some new folks. Did some great riding with some of my regular buddies. Kudos to the organizers of the event - hope to be there next year.

 

[cota95]

Finally made it home about 10AM this morning.

Thanks to Geezer I left Stowe and routed through the Adirondacks, Wow, not to be missed, it added over 3 hours to the way home, worth every second. 5s across New York state was not bad, ah, I mean it was Bad, but it was a Good bad.

And thanks Ed & Fred, or Fred & Ed, terrific gathering.

Karl

ps, We're going to do this again, aren't we?

Time to update your state's visited map!

 

[Bungie]

Not good for you.

A local guy whom I only ever met once a few years ago was touring across Canada and was in the Northwest Territories when he was struck by lightning on his bike. Apparently he lay there for 2 days and was near death when found. He spent a week getting stabilized enough for transport to a full blown hospital, and then, spent another 4 months in the ICU.

Not cool.

Rain, no big deal, lightning, get your ass off the road!

 

[wheatonFJR]

A local guy whom I only ever met once a few years ago was touring across Canada and was in the Northwest Territories when he was struck by lightning on his bike. Apparently he lay there for 2 days and was near death when found. He spent a week getting stabilized enough for transport to a full blown hospital, and then, spent another 4 months in the ICU.

Not cool.

Rain, no big deal, lightning, get your ass off the road!

Just goes to show how I stupid lucky I was going around Lake Michigan in 79 as a 21 YO on my brand new XS 11. I just got across to the north side of the Mackinac Bridge when the black storm from the west hit. It was thunder, lightning and pouring rain the whole UP until I got to Escanaba. I was trying not to get run over by logging trucks in the bad weather. I "thought" I was insulated by the rubber tires.

I rode 660 miles on a stock seat from Muskegon, MI to Wausau, WI on that day 32 years ago in July.

I had no credit cards, there were no cash stations, and I came home with less than a dollar's worth of change in my pocket. I even had to avoid the Illinois tollways because I didn't have enough change.

 

[yamafitter]

A local guy whom I only ever met once a few years ago was touring across Canada and was in the Northwest Territories when he was struck by lightning on his bike. Apparently he lay there for 2 days and was near death when found. He spent a week getting stabilized enough for transport to a full blown hospital, and then, spent another 4 months in the ICU.

Not cool.

Rain, no big deal, lightning, get your ass off the road!

Just goes to show how I stupid lucky I was going around Lake Michigan in 79 as a 21 YO on my brand new XS 11. I just got across to the north side of the Mackinac Bridge when the black storm from the west hit. It was thunder, lightning and pouring rain the whole UP until I got to Escanaba. I was trying not to get run over by logging trucks in the bad weather. I "thought" I was insulated by the rubber tires.

I rode 660 miles on a stock seat from Muskegon, MI to Wausau, WI on that day 32 years ago in July.

I had no credit cards, there were no cash stations, and I came home with less than a dollar's worth of change in my pocket. I even had to avoid the Illinois tollways because I didn't have enough change.

In high voltage work we are taught about limits of approach. At 500 Kilovolts the Limit of Approach is 4 meters (roughly 15 feet). This means that under the right conditions there is the possibility of the air being ionized and the current 'jumping' the air gap and zapping you. Lighting bolts have been measured up to 4,000,000 volts or roughly eight times what I worked on. The couple of inches of rubber won't do much but leave a burn mark on the road in the event of a direct strike.

 

[wheatonFJR]

So if yer under a bridge adjacent to an abutment, you aren't really protected either, right? You need to be inside a house or 4 wheeled metal vehicle?

 

[Fred W]

So if yer under a bridge adjacent to an abutment, you aren't really protected either, right? You need to be inside a house or 4 wheeled metal vehicle?

No. Air is a darned good insulator. If you are under a metal bridge, then the bridge is higher than you, and closer to the static charge. The lightning will seek earth through the bridge structure because it's higher.

 

[Fred W]

It is a requirement that it be done again. How else would I attend if there isn't one next year?

This is the kind of incentive we need. How could we not have a repeat, if Sheila will come?

I mean, this year we finally get to meet Bustanut Joker. But if we do it again, we get to meet Mizz BJ? How could anyone say no?

 

[MarFJR]

Fred I am already thinking of new designations and stickers

Like the sugar pants 100

The double route clay butt run

Or maybe the soup butt 2 tanks of gas run.

Kidding aside maybe we should have an IBA type rally day, go here do this. Take a picture with a moose for 25 point kind of thing. 10 points for a pic at Ben and Jerry’s

Take a pic in-between two counties.

More of a day long scavenger hunt than a hard ride.

If you guys need help with the next NERDS it would be my pleasure to help in anyway.

 

[airboss]

I'll take Ben & Jerry's for 10 points.

Someone else can go play with the Mooses, Meeses, Moose.......Aw, what ever :dribble:

 

[Bustanut joker]

In high voltage work we are taught about limits of approach. At 500 Kilovolts the Limit of Approach is 4 meters (roughly 15 feet). This means that under the right conditions there is the possibility of the air being ionized and the current 'jumping' the air gap and zapping you. Lighting bolts have been measured up to 4,000,000 volts or roughly eight times what I worked on. The couple of inches of rubber won't do much but leave a burn mark on the road in the event of a direct strike.

Had ta bring Alan into this didn't you... :huh:

It is a requirement that it be done again. How else would I attend if there isn't one next year?

This is the kind of incentive we need. How could we not have a repeat, if Sheila will come?

I mean, this year we finally get to meet Bustanut Joker. But if we do it again, we get to meet Mizz BJ? How could anyone say no?

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm You really don't want me to answer this do ya? :lol:

 

[Mizz Bustanut]

In high voltage work we are taught about limits of approach. At 500 Kilovolts the Limit of Approach is 4 meters (roughly 15 feet). This means that under the right conditions there is the possibility of the air being ionized and the current 'jumping' the air gap and zapping you. Lighting bolts have been measured up to 4,000,000 volts or roughly eight times what I worked on. The couple of inches of rubber won't do much but leave a burn mark on the road in the event of a direct strike.

Had ta bring Alan into this didn't you... :huh:

It is a requirement that it be done again. How else would I attend if there isn't one next year?

This is the kind of incentive we need. How could we not have a repeat, if Sheila will come?

I mean, this year we finally get to meet Bustanut Joker. But if we do it again, we get to meet Mizz BJ? How could anyone say no?

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm You really don't want me to answer this do ya? :lol:

Oh Bust! Go lay down and we'll see if ya still feel that way when I'm done with you. :evilsmiley: :drag:

 

[Fred W]

Kidding aside maybe we should have an IBA type rally day, go here do this. Take a picture with a moose for 25 point kind of thing. 10 points for a pic at Ben and Jerry's

Take a pic in-between two counties. More of a day long scavenger hunt than a hard ride.

Having a scavenger hunt type rally sounds like it would be great fun. It was actually suggested for this year's NERDS, but we were too far along on the planning stages to get it going. Since we already have 11 routes prepared for next year, adding a rally should be do-able.

 

[Vtwin996]

I finally arrived home on Saturday morning around 3am, unfortunately with the FJR in the back of a pickup :angry2:

The ride back started uneventfully - left Stowe around 7.35 am and ran into rain after about 45 minutes. We needed to be in Ancaster, Ontario by early evening to visit family, so we followed the GPS route via the border crossing at Cornwall. The crossing was a breeze with one car ahead of us. From there we hit the 401, heavy rain, a genuine (small) tornado about a quarter of a mile south of the highway, bumper to bumper traffic and finally lightning that made us decide to pull off the highway at Oshawa. Due to the traffic on the 401 we finally decided to ride the 407 (toll road) towards Ontario. For some reason the GPS routed us back on to the 404 back into Toronto (and the traffic) - anyway we finally made it to the family in Ancaster around 7pm in one piece.

We spent the next day with family, Ruby flew home to Dallas from Toronto and I headed home via Niagara Falls. I thought I had plenty of gas to make it back to the US but after sitting in line at the crossing at Fort Erie for an hour, I barely made it into Buffalo on fumes.

From there I had an uneventful ride south to the Deals Gap area and spent 2 nights in Bryson City. I rode the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, Blue Ridge Parkway and the Foothills Parkway. Had a great time and weather was beautiful.

It was then the real adventure started. I had planned to make it to Vicksburg MS that night for a fairly easy 400 mile drive into Dallas the following day.

I was on I20 about 20 miles east of the MS border in AL, following an 18 wheeler when I noticed a strange smell. I thought it was coming from the truck until I passed the truck and the smell was still there :blink:

About that time I noticed antifreeze splashing up on the bike and me. Not good.... I slowed down, keeping an eye on the temperature guage and pulled off at the next exit which happened to be Livingston AL.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I found a small hole (pin head size) in the radiator and a broken 'fin' on the radiator cover. Something must have got kicked up off the interstate and punched the hole in the rad.

I decided to get a hotel room for the night (it was late afternoon) and consider the options. I was about 40 miles from Meridian MS which was the closest town of any size but no way to get there. I finally called a good friend in Dallas who drove our pickup all the way to Alabama (about 530) miles, loaded up the bike and turned right around back to Dallas.

Anyway, other than the unfortunate last couple of days, we had a really great trip. Many thanks to Fred and Ed and all the others who worked hard to put this event together.

We met a bunch of really great folks in Stowe and fell in love with the area. It's been so sad the last couple of days to see all the destruction in the area we were in just a week ago and hope that everyone from that area is doing OK.

BTW, I have a new radiator on order and will also research one of the aftermarket radiator covers. A busted radiator on the road is one thing that's hard to fix on the road!

Cheers

Howard and Ruby

 

[Fred W]

Howard,

Glad that you got as much riding and as close to home as you did before the radiator incident. There are very few places around that can fix an FJR radiator.

It was really great to have you two along for the rally. NERDS from Tehas? Who'd a thunk it?

 

[BikerGeek99]

Dang, Howard.

Stop being such a deterministic stick in the mud and go for a ride, would ya?



It was good meeting you and Ruby. Glad you're home safe!