Night Riding...What do I need to know?

[jeffsen]

Just got my license this weekend and got my first bike on Monday. I have about a 22 mile commute to work and have 140 miles under my belt. Do any of you have any helpful advice for night riding?

Other than:
Don't override your headlight, what else should I be aware of?

Thanks in advance.

[Loonette]

Watch out for random critters that traverse from field to forest across your road (or at least be ready to brake hard). Make every effort to not combine night riding with the rain. Add extra distance between you and others to allow more time for braking and maneuvering. More than ever before you must assume that nobody else can see you - ride defensively! Enjoy yourself - some of the best riding is at night whether you're in the country or the city. There is just an extra element of risk.

Cheers,
Loonette

[Kal]

Just be more aware basicly.

Remember that if you have a car behind you then your headlight can appear to be one of the cars to people in front of you - which means you may experience people pulling out thinking they have the distance to the car behind you.

If you are in a residential area or in traffic then dip your headlight. This is probably the setting that my light spends most of its time in.

Clean your visor whenever possible. Dirt/Grime/Stains/Water etc take on extra dimensions with the ligths of oncoming traffic.

Should you be blinded by oncoming traffic then gently roll the throttle off and wait to get your vision back.

Oh and your lights are the only clue to what you are doing - so if you decide to slow down tap the rear brake to tell teh traffic behind you that you are slowing.

[sharpmagna]

If your headlight sucks (like mine does), then make use of surrounding car's headlights as aids. Be aware of the lights of the cars around you, if you see them dip suddenly then expect a bump or pot hole up ahead. Do not stay in the blind spot of cars (good advice for riding any time of the day) but at night you are even less visible.

Enjoy the ride!

[CNF2002]

Make sure you have a clear visor. It may sound obvious but I recall someone on the forum who wore tinted visors at night. Not smart.

[Andrew]

More on the visor: mine gets fogged up very easily at night when it's cooler if I'm not continuously moving. At slow speeds I keep it open just a little bit to keep it from fogging.

Don't stare into other headlights. Look down and to the right at the lines on the road when passing other cars to preserve your night vision.

Go Slow!

[Z (fka Sweet Tooth)]

Clean your visor whenever possible. Dirt/Grime/Stains/Water etc take on extra dimensions with the ligths of oncoming traffic.

+1 this also goes for your windshiled if you have one. I had a really bad experience with this once.

[ofblong]

pft I ride every night to work (cept 90% of the weekends lol) I have no issues riding in rain but then again I do 55mph . I slow down, however, on everything I do. I take turns a little slower as you never know what was dumped on that turn. If someone comes up behind you let them pass as soon as safely possible for one reason stated above. clean your lense everytime its raining with a soft cloth to keep it from getting dirty. I actually raised my light for night riding because I was able to see more than 10 feet in front of me when the brights were on and I could still see whats ahead of me when I didnt use brights (yes people will flash you at night if your brights are to high and bright but at least you will be able to see whats going on in front of you). I have been able to slow down for many deer by increasing my light distance. Always look at the edges of both sides of the road for animals because well thats where they will come from. Having to watch for animals on the side of the road is 1 of the biggest reasons you dont want someone tailgating you. If you have to make a quick stop you are going to stop much quicker than a car/truck whatever may be tailgating you. I havent had anyone pull out in front of me yet but that doesnt mean it wont ever happen. Stopping in rain just remember your brakes are going to be wet so they will squeel and you will have to slow down slower than normal. Try not to hit the brakes hard in the rain unless you have to. Also remember that if its 40 and raining its gonna feel like 35 and with doing 65mph your gonna feel it is about 0 outside at 55mph. Of course the only thing I need to change myself for this kind of riding is I need new gloves. My hands are always cold by time I get home. I mean yeah they block the wind but they do nothing for the cold.

[jeffsen]

Thanks for all the advice. That was exactly what I was looking for. I kept my speed down a bit and utilized the high beam as much as possible. Sure enough, a cat ran across the road in front of me. It was far enough ahead not to cause a problem. It was a little unnerving a first, but once I settled in it was nice to cruise along w/o any traffic.

After living in the city of Phila for 6 years it still amazes me how busy the city is after midnight.

Thanks everyone. See you around.

[CNF2002]

Congrats! Oh, and welcome to the forums. A fellow blast owner!