This rider misses so much it's a shame.

[rogdeb]

Me n Deb, out for a quick lunch yesterday at Panera before we picked up a coupla grand kids from HS. Sat down and started to work my way
around a doorstep of a sandwich when we spy a fellow biker easing his way in through the plate glass doors. Tribal pattern helmet in hand,
raggy assed blue jeans, orange sneakers and a leather vest which was loosely fastened with velcro straps, three on each side. Stitched
words on the vest front that we couldn't quite see. As he passed by we were able to read the words on the vest back ... "after dark riders"
.... set in a logo we couldn't make out. Hmmmmmm ... interesting. Young guy, so, no trouble with night vision then, I say to myself .. and
Deb
Which got me thinking ....... yeah, I know .... look at all the good stuff he misses just by riding in the dark !!

Sunsets ?? Will he miss those or just catch the final moments as he wheels his steed out? Will he see a spectacular sunrise? Guess that
depends on how long "after dark" he rides huh?

What won't he ever see while riding his bike at his appointed hours then ? I'll start a short list -- add to it at your leisure, or not.

1. The young blonde in the green apron who gets the morning coffee together at an early meet with friends.
2. The sun chasing the shadows accross a field of yellow corn.
3. Chasing your own shadow on the asphalt while dodging the fall leaves.
4. The sights of everyday America as you cross State lines
5. Lunching with those special buddies at a greasy spoon you've all been to many times before.
6. The bright blue ribbon of a valley stream as you twist along it's edges.
7. The sun reflecting off a mountain lake as you squint to see the color of the girl's bikini as she dives in.

He will see though, I guess, the Moon in all it's quarters, many headlights, and just as many tail lights. A shame really.

My thoughts are interrupted as young Mr "After Dark" rises, grabs his helmet and walks toward us. The embroidery on his vest front reads
"Killer Member" .... WTF ??
Anyway, it seems he's about to defy the words on the back of his vest and ride away .... yes! .............. Sadly, we see it's a NO !
He climbs into his pick-up and drives away, with not even a nod to the chrome encrusted Harley Lads who ride by him ... cause they're
"daytime riders" I guess.

Any thoughts?

 

[puppychow]

Sounds like an MC.

 

[SacramentoMike]

You're a "glass half empty" guy, aren't ya, Rog? Think of the stuff he'll see that you won't.

1. The graceful form and the big soulful eyes of the doe in the middle of the road just around the next curve.

2. The sympathetic young blonde in the blue jumpsuit with the red cross pattern on her shoulder.

3. The ceiling of the ambulance.

4. The special lunches that will arrive on a cart, served right in his own bed by cute young girls in pink and white stripes.

5. All the new friends he'll make--the physical therapists, the x-ray techs, the skin graft specialists.

6. And of course the sunrise coming through his hospital window as he gets used to his new schedule, thanks to nurses with their morning meds.

But did he wear the helmet while driving the truck?

 

[rogdeb]

LMAO Mikey, thanks

Anyone else ?

 

[Khunajawdge]

Me thinks(?), the guy might need a serious dose of MC sunshine.

Caviat; I was introduced by the (Concours Owner's Group) COG safety inspector some year's ago, about the necessity for striping the under belly pan of my bike with reflective tape. This was to possibly(?) avoid being run over by another motorist in the unlikely (but possible) event of sliding sideways through a major intersection at night.

Hope as a night rider he knows this

?

 

[PhilJet09]

You're a "glass half empty" guy, aren't ya, Rog? Think of the stuff he'll see that you won't.
1. The graceful form and the big soulful eyes of the doe in the middle of the road just around the next curve.

2. The sympathetic young blonde in the blue jumpsuit with the red cross pattern on her shoulder.

3. The ceiling of the ambulance.

4. The special lunches that will arrive on a cart, served right in his own bed by cute young girls in pink and white stripes.

5. All the new friends he'll make--the physical therapists, the x-ray techs, the skin graft specialists.

6. And of course the sunrise coming through his hospital window as he gets used to his new schedule, thanks to nurses with their morning meds.

But did he wear the helmet while driving the truck?

Are you suggesting that we shouldn't ride at all after dark? There are a few nice things about riding at night.

1. Less traffic.

2. Cooler temps - in the summer this can be a real bonus.

3. I find the increased level of concentration and focus required to be stimulating.

4. All the money I spent on reflective material and extra lights are being fully utilized - then again, they have to be. This may not be a good argument.

Hmm, I'm sure I could come up with more, but I'm bored.

I understand what the OP is getting at, only riding at night leaves you missing much of the motorcycle experience, but then again maybe only riding during the day does to.

 

[Geezer]

1. The young blonde in the green apron who gets the morning coffee together at an early meet with friends.

(snip)

Any thoughts?

You had me convinced at number 1.

 

[frankenfeejeer]

You're a "glass half empty" guy, aren't ya, Rog? Think of the stuff he'll see that you won't.

1. The graceful form and the big soulful eyes of the doe in the middle of the road just around the next curve.

2. The sympathetic young blonde in the blue jumpsuit with the red cross pattern on her shoulder.

3. The ceiling of the ambulance.

4. The special lunches that will arrive on a cart, served right in his own bed by cute young girls in pink and white stripes.

5. All the new friends he'll make--the physical therapists, the x-ray techs, the skin graft specialists.

6. And of course the sunrise coming through his hospital window as he gets used to his new schedule, thanks to nurses with their morning meds.

But did he wear the helmet while driving the truck?

Are you suggesting that we shouldn't ride at all after dark? There are a few nice things about riding at night.

1. Less traffic.

2. Cooler temps - in the summer this can be a real bonus.

3. I find the increased level of concentration and focus required to be stimulating.

4. All the money I spent on reflective material and extra lights are being fully utilized - then again, they have to be. This may not be a good argument.

Hmm, I'm sure I could come up with more, but I'm bored.

I understand what the OP is getting at, only riding at night leaves you missing much of the motorcycle experience, but then again maybe only riding during the day does to.

I agree with all of the above. I enjoy riding at night. The superbright PIAAs light the upcoming 100 yards of road like the sun which is nice.

The other truth is that I enjoy the solace of a night time ride. The night is like a blanket.

Haven't had deer, raccoon, possum, or kitty kat problems... yet. I am always wary.

 

[rogdeb]

Just so there's no doubt, I wrote this in a sarcastic note (SacMike got it) -- nothing serious here

---- unless the night rider is on this forum and needs my address

 

[maddad]

Vampire?

 

[PhilJet09]

I got the sarcasm, but still have seen a lot of "oh my God, you ride at night? Are you suicidal? You're going to hit a deer and die!" sentiment.

 

[frankenfeejeer]

Just so there's no doubt, I wrote this in a sarcastic note (SacMike got it) -- nothing serious here

---- unless the night rider is on this forum and needs my address

Sarcasm received, just fun to add some positive input!

 

[Geezer]

Yes, I knew you were having fun.

I used to enjoy riding at night when I lived in a more populated area. There were no deer and the lighter traffic made riding more fun. My eyes were better then. Now I live in deer and bear country and I ride much slower when I am out after dark.

 

[dcarver]

Each has ride, day or night, has it's perks. Daytime typically means warmer weather equaling less clothes on the wimmens. WooHoo!@

Night time has the incredible sense of being alive, the the soft glow of cockpit lights on a moonlit ride and the headlights blazing the trail into the vast unkown of darkness, like a Jedi saving the Empire to find and lay Princess Leigh! Woo Hoo Too!

Me thinks Mr. BadAss be a p o z e r!

 

[Bugnatr]

Geez Roger, I can't believe you didn't recognize me in my new duds. Must be I forgot to shave.....

 

[odot]

It's my new club, guys...........chill out.

 

[beemerdons]

It's my new club, guys...........chill out.

Ray's new club is so cool, I went by the Inuit Umiak M/C clubhouse to par-tay with the Bro's yesterday evening! Hooked up the Huskies and rode around the block for a while, don't know why someone harnessed up a Boxer but he pulled pretty damn good!

 

[Fred W]

I got the sarcasm, but still have seen a lot of "oh my God, you ride at night? Are you suicidal? You're going to hit a deer and die!" sentiment.

You know, they may not realize it, but they are more right than you might think.

If you drive or ride at night, more specifically at dusk and dawn, for long enough, you most likely will eventually hit an animal, with deer being the most prevalent. I'm lucky enough (?) to have already crossed that one off my bucket list twice.

And you are definitely going to die. Not necessarily due to having hit the deer, but nobody has yet figured out a way to skip that final requirement.

 

[James Burleigh]

Great post, Rog. Like most peeps on this forum I have earned my night-riding merit badge. One of the reasons I stopped (or reduced) commuting to work lately is because it's dark now, and that just increases a lot of the risk factors, including forest rats leaping onto the freeway believe it or not.

The worst, and scariest, night riding I did was to and from NAFO in Denver back in ought-eight. On the way in "Silent" and I went through Yellowstone, then came out in the early evening into Jackson, where we figured we'd just find a motel and check in. No dice. Some festival going on; not a room to be had.

He queried his GPS and called a place somewhere south. We hit the road at about 11PM, heading south into the remote darkness on a winding two-lane road. I don't know about Silent, but I was mentally exhausted and waiting for the deer to jump out in front of me, or some other forest critter, or for the drunk or crazy teenager to come flying into my lane.

We never did find the motel, and by about 2AM decided to throw our sleeping bags onto the grass of a local park, only to be woken an hour later when the sprinklers came on. Later on we discovered that our hotel room, with the key left in a box by the office, was only 100 yards away.

Then coming home we spent the first night in Ely, NV, which as many of you know is in the county of Timbuktu. We finally got there at about 1AM to check into the motel we DID have a reservation at. But those last 100 miles along the winding, dipping, dark-as-ink roads just blinking and staring into the shallow depths of my headlights with a fuzzy rider somewhere ahead and my eyelids getting heavy..... I never looked so forward to parking that bike.

BTW, that's when Toecutter was with us, having joined just on the border of Colorado. To my astonishment, he continued home over the mountains and into California. I call that crazy, but I guess some call it Ironbutt....