Riding Through Storms
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,314
Likes: 5
RE: Riding Through Storms
If there is a place to get shelter....gas station or even an underpass I will pull over for lightning and hail....rain doesn't bother me, but I have read too many stories of bikers being hit by lightning and seriously injured or killed.....hail just hurts too much.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 457
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From:
RE: Riding Through Storms
Yes to the shelter thing. It wouldn't be wise to be anywhere near lightning. If a thunderstorm is large enough to produce lightning, there is also a possibility of hail. If severe enough, tornados. "Normally" thunderstorms that are large enough to produce lightning either die out fairly quickly or they move on (30mph or so).
Wait it out and live to ride tomorrow.
Gart
Wait it out and live to ride tomorrow.
Gart
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 219
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From:
RE: Riding Through Storms
I recommend finding someplace to hole up.
With that said, on my way back from Gatlinberg, TN in '94 it begain raining in bucketsat the GA/FL border (at night)and continued until I wassouth of Gainesville on the FL Turnpike. I can tell you I-75was not a pleasent ride in that kind of down-pour with theadded complication ofJuly 4th holiday weekend traffic. I was trying to maintain 65-70mph and Tractor-Trailers were passing me doing 80mph. To say I was scared to deathis an understatement. My bigest fear wasthe big rigs not seeing me and running me over. I guess "That which does not kill you makes you stronger", in hindsight, I could have done without the experience.
With that said, on my way back from Gatlinberg, TN in '94 it begain raining in bucketsat the GA/FL border (at night)and continued until I wassouth of Gainesville on the FL Turnpike. I can tell you I-75was not a pleasent ride in that kind of down-pour with theadded complication ofJuly 4th holiday weekend traffic. I was trying to maintain 65-70mph and Tractor-Trailers were passing me doing 80mph. To say I was scared to deathis an understatement. My bigest fear wasthe big rigs not seeing me and running me over. I guess "That which does not kill you makes you stronger", in hindsight, I could have done without the experience.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Dallas / Ft. Worth, Texas
RE: Riding Through Storms
A couple of years ago, I was at Sturgis and rode out to Devil's Tower. On the return trip, while still in the Wyoming flat lands,I ran into asever storm. The rain was coming down so hard all I could do was try to see the road ahead. Then out of nowhere, I saw a collage of images from my past in bright colors, with sparkles and flashes and right in the middle of the collage was an image of Woody Woodpecker (no kidding). I'm not sure how long I was watching this image, but it abruptly ended with a sharp pain in my left wrist and lower back. At the exact moment, a huge lightning flash and clap of thunder happened next to me. The bike continued to run and I rode back to Sturgis. I think I pulled into the Broken Spoke and started talking about the hallucination. People looked strangely at me and walked away.
I asked everyone I could think of about what I experienced. After a couple weeks of searching, the editor of well knownmotorcycle magazine sent an e-mail telling me he also experienceda lightning induced hallucination. He was on a Gold Wing. When his hallucination ended, he was atop his stopped bike. Every light bulb on the bike was blown and the wire harness was welded to the bike.
From what I can gather, before a lightning strike, a huge electrical charge can build up on the rider's highest point (usually his head). The brain's electrical circuits cross fire. I think the pain was an eddy current that pasted through my wrist and back.
Best advise for when you encounter an electrical storm while riding --stop the bike, get away from the bike and head for the lowest point around (but don't go into a ditch that has water in it because lightning can travel along ditches filled with water). Then if you experience a hallucination, don't tell anyone, 'cause they won't believe you anyway.
I asked everyone I could think of about what I experienced. After a couple weeks of searching, the editor of well knownmotorcycle magazine sent an e-mail telling me he also experienceda lightning induced hallucination. He was on a Gold Wing. When his hallucination ended, he was atop his stopped bike. Every light bulb on the bike was blown and the wire harness was welded to the bike.
From what I can gather, before a lightning strike, a huge electrical charge can build up on the rider's highest point (usually his head). The brain's electrical circuits cross fire. I think the pain was an eddy current that pasted through my wrist and back.
Best advise for when you encounter an electrical storm while riding --stop the bike, get away from the bike and head for the lowest point around (but don't go into a ditch that has water in it because lightning can travel along ditches filled with water). Then if you experience a hallucination, don't tell anyone, 'cause they won't believe you anyway.
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Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 546
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From: Bergen County, NJ
RE: Riding Through Storms
ORIGINAL: Dennis Murawski
A couple of years ago, I was at Sturgis and rode out to Devil's Tower. On the return trip, while still in the Wyoming flat lands,I ran into asever storm. The rain was coming down so hard all I could do was try to see the road ahead. Then out of nowhere, I saw a collage of images from my past in bright colors, with sparkles and flashes and right in the middle of the collage was an image of Woody Woodpecker (no kidding). I'm not sure how long I was watching this image, but it abruptly ended with a sharp pain in my left wrist and lower back. At the exact moment, a huge lightning flash and clap of thunder happened next to me. The bike continued to run and I rode back to Sturgis. I think I pulled into the Broken Spoke and started talking about the hallucination. People looked strangely at me and walked away.
I asked everyone I could think of about what I experienced. After a couple weeks of searching, the editor of well knownmotorcycle magazine sent an e-mail telling me he also experienceda lightning induced hallucination. He was on a Gold Wing. When his hallucination ended, he was atop his stopped bike. Every light bulb on the bike was blown and the wire harness was welded to the bike.
From what I can gather, before a lightning strike, a huge electrical charge can build up on the rider's highest point (usually his head). The brain's electrical circuits cross fire. I think the pain was an eddy current that pasted through my wrist and back.
Best advise for when you encounter an electrical storm while riding --stop the bike, get away from the bike and head for the lowest point around (but don't go into a ditch that has water in it because lightning can travel along ditches filled with water). Then if you experience a hallucination, don't tell anyone, 'cause they won't believe you anyway.
A couple of years ago, I was at Sturgis and rode out to Devil's Tower. On the return trip, while still in the Wyoming flat lands,I ran into asever storm. The rain was coming down so hard all I could do was try to see the road ahead. Then out of nowhere, I saw a collage of images from my past in bright colors, with sparkles and flashes and right in the middle of the collage was an image of Woody Woodpecker (no kidding). I'm not sure how long I was watching this image, but it abruptly ended with a sharp pain in my left wrist and lower back. At the exact moment, a huge lightning flash and clap of thunder happened next to me. The bike continued to run and I rode back to Sturgis. I think I pulled into the Broken Spoke and started talking about the hallucination. People looked strangely at me and walked away.
I asked everyone I could think of about what I experienced. After a couple weeks of searching, the editor of well knownmotorcycle magazine sent an e-mail telling me he also experienceda lightning induced hallucination. He was on a Gold Wing. When his hallucination ended, he was atop his stopped bike. Every light bulb on the bike was blown and the wire harness was welded to the bike.
From what I can gather, before a lightning strike, a huge electrical charge can build up on the rider's highest point (usually his head). The brain's electrical circuits cross fire. I think the pain was an eddy current that pasted through my wrist and back.
Best advise for when you encounter an electrical storm while riding --stop the bike, get away from the bike and head for the lowest point around (but don't go into a ditch that has water in it because lightning can travel along ditches filled with water). Then if you experience a hallucination, don't tell anyone, 'cause they won't believe you anyway.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 2
From: Omaha Nebraska
RE: Riding Through Storms
ORIGINAL: Dennis Murawski
A couple of years ago, I was at Sturgis and rode out to Devil's Tower. On the return trip, while still in the Wyoming flat lands, I ran into a sever storm. The rain was coming down so hard all I could do was try to see the road ahead. Then out of nowhere, I saw a collage of images from my past in bright colors, with sparkles and flashes and right in the middle of the collage was an image of Woody Woodpecker (no kidding). I'm not sure how long I was watching this image, but it abruptly ended with a sharp pain in my left wrist and lower back. At the exact moment, a huge lightning flash and clap of thunder happened next to me. The bike continued to run and I rode back to Sturgis. I think I pulled into the Broken Spoke and started talking about the hallucination. People looked strangely at me and walked away.
I asked everyone I could think of about what I experienced. After a couple weeks of searching, the editor of well known motorcycle magazine sent an e-mail telling me he also experienced a lightning induced hallucination. He was on a Gold Wing. When his hallucination ended, he was atop his stopped bike. Every light bulb on the bike was blown and the wire harness was welded to the bike.
From what I can gather, before a lightning strike, a huge electrical charge can build up on the rider's highest point (usually his head). The brain's electrical circuits cross fire. I think the pain was an eddy current that pasted through my wrist and back.
Best advise for when you encounter an electrical storm while riding -- stop the bike, get away from the bike and head for the lowest point around (but don't go into a ditch that has water in it because lightning can travel along ditches filled with water). Then if you experience a hallucination, don't tell anyone, 'cause they won't believe you anyway.
A couple of years ago, I was at Sturgis and rode out to Devil's Tower. On the return trip, while still in the Wyoming flat lands, I ran into a sever storm. The rain was coming down so hard all I could do was try to see the road ahead. Then out of nowhere, I saw a collage of images from my past in bright colors, with sparkles and flashes and right in the middle of the collage was an image of Woody Woodpecker (no kidding). I'm not sure how long I was watching this image, but it abruptly ended with a sharp pain in my left wrist and lower back. At the exact moment, a huge lightning flash and clap of thunder happened next to me. The bike continued to run and I rode back to Sturgis. I think I pulled into the Broken Spoke and started talking about the hallucination. People looked strangely at me and walked away.
I asked everyone I could think of about what I experienced. After a couple weeks of searching, the editor of well known motorcycle magazine sent an e-mail telling me he also experienced a lightning induced hallucination. He was on a Gold Wing. When his hallucination ended, he was atop his stopped bike. Every light bulb on the bike was blown and the wire harness was welded to the bike.
From what I can gather, before a lightning strike, a huge electrical charge can build up on the rider's highest point (usually his head). The brain's electrical circuits cross fire. I think the pain was an eddy current that pasted through my wrist and back.
Best advise for when you encounter an electrical storm while riding -- stop the bike, get away from the bike and head for the lowest point around (but don't go into a ditch that has water in it because lightning can travel along ditches filled with water). Then if you experience a hallucination, don't tell anyone, 'cause they won't believe you anyway.
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