Riding in or around lightning:

[cumberlandjack]

On my way from Tennessee to mt magazine Arkansas 2 years ago I could see a large storm in the distance not knowing if it would be directly in my path. I was riding back roads alone while getting closer to the storm with nothing but farm land around and a few old barns. Didn't want to lay my bike in a ditch much less lie in one so I powered thru fearing the worst when out of nowhere I came upon an abandoned gas station where I pulled over and let the storm pass. I too chose to roll the dice and think it paid off.

 

[wheatonFJR]

...but I avoid lightning whenever possible and prefer to wait out the front of the storm in a safe place.

Yeah but Greg, is that what you told your wife when she saw the credit card bill from the stripper's club?

I've gotta remember that one....j/k really.

 

[Aasland]

I always figgerd if lightning can travel through mile of air, what's an inch or two of rubber?

In school I was taught it was rubber that meant it was OK to be in the car, and that taught to me in the 80's. Makes me wonder what other false crap I was taught.

 

[Geezer]

...but I avoid lightning whenever possible and prefer to wait out the front of the storm in a safe place.

Yeah but Greg, is that what you told your wife when she saw the credit card bill from the stripper's club?

I've gotta remember that one....j/k really.

I always carry some cash, just in case. B)

 

[ionbeam]

I always figgerd if lightning can travel through mile of air, what's an inch or two of rubber?
In school I was taught it was rubber that meant it was OK to be in the car, and that taught to me in the 80's. Makes me wonder what other false crap I was taught.

If it is any solace, PURE rubber is a very good insulator, keeping linemen alive day after day. It is all the BS that goes into tires that compromises rubber's electrical insulating properties. In motorcycle tires it is usually just the carbon that drops the dielectric strength but many car tires get a bonus addition of steel belts.

Once a sufficient charge builds up between the clouds and the ground to initiate a lighting bolt it ionizes (ahh, love dat, purrrr) the air vastly improving the conduction and facilitating the lighting propagation.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I always figgerd if lightning can travel through mile of air, what's an inch or two of rubber?
In school I was taught it was rubber that meant it was OK to be in the car, and that taught to me in the 80's. Makes me wonder what other false crap I was taught.

If it is any solace, PURE rubber is a very good insulator, keeping linemen alive day after day. It is all the BS that goes into tires that compromises rubber's electrical insulating properties. In motorcycle tires it is usually just the carbon that drops the dielectric strength but many car tires get a bonus addition of steel belts.

Once a sufficient charge builds up between the clouds and the ground to initiate a lighting bolt it ionizes (ahh, love dat, purrrr) the air vastly improving the conduction and facilitating the lighting propagation.

You just like using big words...now admit it.

Ionization...is that like in Star Trek where they ion"beam" down to the surface?

 

[doctorJ]

I've been in a couple, and it is scary. Now if I am on the bike and riding at legal speeds & get struck by lightening, would that be "legal execution" or what?

BTW, a friend once told me to carry a one iron (golfers understand) when I ride and get caught in a lightning storm since (according to him) even God can't hit a one iron . I didn't take that advice.

doctorj

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

I thought I had seen lightning storms until 2 years ago on the way to NAFO. I was in NW Nebraska on a back road. Nothing but farmland and one tree. It suddenly got VERY black and lightning was hitting everywhere. As I crapped and peed my pants, I soldiered on as there was nowhere to shelter: I found a little town with a rundown motel and one bar. The owner of the motel let me put the bike under the overhang outside my room. I wiped my own ass and then had a couple beers. Scary.

 

[marcusorelius]

I heard of a guy in colorado who was ride'n along & a lighting bolt struck in front of him causeing a pot hole in the road, I think he was killed.

 

[Zorlac]

I thought I had seen lightning storms until 2 years ago on the way to NAFO. I was in NW Nebraska on a back road. I found a little town with a rundown motel and one bar. The owner of the motel let me put the bike under the overhang outside my room. I wiped my own ass and then had a couple beers. Scary.

Service just ain't what it used to be, back in the day they'd give your ass the courtesy wipe. :blink:
Dying from a lightening induced pot hole is collateral damage and doesn't actually qualify as electroBarBcution.

 

[S76]

I heard of a guy in colorado who was ride'n along & a lighting bolt struck in front of him causeing a pot hole in the road, I think he was killed.

You sure he wasn't running in the Daytona 500?

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

I can second that motion, I got caught in New Mexico in a Hail Storm.

Gotta say that is one beauty of a pic, I was hoping there were more to follow, but I guess holding the handlebars behind the 18wheeler was tough enough.

 

[Bearly Flying]

And shitting my pant's. Zorlac wasn't available for a courtesy wipe....

Actually I did take a couple of pictures, until I realized it was coming across the opposite lane( in the pic posted, the road took a turn to the left at the crest of the hill, and I was instantly in it...... I thought it was way in the distance until then.

 

[painman]

Thanks for the replies. I have learned some valuable ideas in reading them. Looking back now probably the smartest thing I could have done at the time was pull off to a safe spot on the side of the road and wait for some time for the storm to move on instead of riding into it. As I mentioned, I had been watching these cells move through the area all day due to the vast distance one can see in the Nevada desert.

These storm cells were moving from north to south and I was traveling east. Possiblly if I had waited, the storm cell could have kept moving south and I could have avoided the blunt of it and the danger from the lightning inside. This was a couple of the items listed in the link for tips to wait it out or turn around.

Another item on the list and someone had asked about was it safe to seek shelter under an overpass during a lightning storm. The answer was "yes". It said overpasses are likely to be properly grounded, are higher than most surrounding structures and if struck will direct the current safely into the ground. Although there were no overpasses within over 50 miles in any direction where I was in Nevada. Another idea I thought might help would be a weather radio or cell phone with weather data from the web but unfortunately I don't think these items would be within range of any tower in that part of the world. I know my phone was useless most of the way across Nevada on hwy. 50. I don't know, just try and be smart and avoid any storm if possible which is producing as Ionbeam mentioned, a ionizing feature like lightning bolts.

And Bearlyflying, that is one beautiful pic, and Shiny, I almost crapped "my" pants laughing at your post. PM. <><Ride Safe.

 

[Bearly Flying]

I think there is a lesson for all of us there.....

If Bustanut was riding Bitch for You, at least He could Kiss Your Ass GOODBYE>>>>>>>>

So F.U. BUST with all affection...or infection.... whatever..eh. :wacko:

 

[JR'SFJR]

I usually just keep riding. I figure stopping along the side of a road is a good way to get hit by a car and I would rather have my feet off the ground. If on the interstate, I get in the fast lane and go, avoiding the slower, indecisive drivers.

I got caught in a rough thunderstorm with lots of rain, lightening, hail, and high wind near Summit Lake west of Fort Nelsen on the Alcan this summer. There was no place to hide, so I just kept riding at a slower pace trying to drive out of it. Not fun.

Many years ago, my son and I were riding from WI to Co. We met a couple on a newer bike at a rest area, that said they had been struck by lighting the day before. They had to have some medical care, but were continuing on. They showed us the bike mirrors, which had yellow lines or streaks through them from the lightening. Lucky people!!!

 

[Checkswrecks]

I always figgerd if lightning can travel through mile of air, what's an inch or two of rubber?
In school I was taught it was rubber that meant it was OK to be in the car, and that taught to me in the 80's. Makes me wonder what other false crap I was taught.

If it is any solace, PURE rubber is a very good insulator, keeping linemen alive day after day. It is all the BS that goes into tires that compromises rubber's electrical insulating properties. In motorcycle tires it is usually just the carbon that drops the dielectric strength but many car tires get a bonus addition of steel belts.

Once a sufficient charge builds up between the clouds and the ground to initiate a lighting bolt it ionizes (ahh, love dat, purrrr) the air vastly improving the conduction and facilitating the lighting propagation.

The electrical properties of tires aren't compromised, there's enough conductive magic added to intentionally not be a good insulator. Long long ago, people got tired of always getting static shocks and this was something Detroit & Akron did to help.

But as long as the surface of the tire is wet and you're the tallest thing around you're a nice target.

 

[Zorlac]

Guys, I wouldn't fixate on the insulation properties of the rubber in tires, if the current in the bolt has made it down from a cloud through the ionized air channel, what's another 1-2 feet to the ground?

I like conductive tires, especially when I put the gasoline hose into my tank at the pump.

Golf ball+ sized hail would scare me more than lightening, what are the odds of me getting pummeled? 1-in-1? :ermm:

Where's Howie?

FL is the lightening capital of the world, I'm sure he's been up for a courtesy wipe.

 

[MotorToad]

It isn't the rubber tires that make cars safe in lightning, it's the steel cage. A Faraday cage, to be precise. A metal shell that keeps the electricity outside the interior.
You don't have that on the bike, you're out there amongst the rest of the free electrons.

I love that "rubber tire" idea. I always answer that with "it just arced across 3 miles of wet air, you think 3 inches of rubber makes a difference?"

 

[FJRBluesman]

Good stuff. Thanks PM and all.