Night rides and comet chasing | GTAMotorcycle.com

Night rides and comet chasing

MacDoc

MacDoc

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I used to ride regularly at night but have not recently but think I may change that tonight and comet chase up to Arthur.

Comet NEOWISE Climbs Higher in Evening, a Perfectly Placed Moon for Evening Viewing, Mars before Midnight, and Seeing Planets Simultaneously!
July 19, 2020
This stunning image of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was captured in cottage country, near Haliburton, Ontario, by Kersti Meema of Toronto using her Canon T7i camera. She took the image at 11:15 EDT on July 13, 2020. Serendipitously, she also captured an auroral display! The fainter, blue ion tail of the comet can be discerned…

NEOWISE-by-Kersti-Meema-on-July-13-2020_MG_0433-1024x683.jpg


and the space station is lurking as well which I saw barreling across the sunset sky the other night. Looks like a plane with it's landing lights on but much brighter and really motoring.

ISS-through-10-inch-dob-James-Boone-from-Tampa-Fla-Apr-27-2014-1024x580.jpg


anyone else been doing night rides??
A fav has been a Niagara Falls run to catch the lights.
 
Nope. I only ride at night if I’m late or in the city. A near miss with a leaping deer on Woodbine south of 9 two years ago spooked me for the last time.
 
I try to avoid it. Wild life where I live scares the **** out of me.
 
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Yeah that's the downside. Looks like tonight is wash out for comet watching. I see quite a few deer in the daytime these days on the secondary roads.
Biggest risk riding along a river or stream where they come to drink at dusk ....now about those airbag jackets :unsure:
 
It's a shame though because I really like riding at night.
 
Allistonfjr said:
It's a shame though because I really like riding at night.
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Me too. It seems like the deer population has grown to the point where they are now a major hazard. I’ve hit turtles and porcupines at night — they are unnerving but at least you can ramble on. A deer is not something you can hit and get home.

I’ve managed to stay bike-upright for 40+ years, I think that’s because I take note of the hazards. I don’t want to end my riding career with the nickname “deer slayer “
 
Mad Mike said:
I’ve managed to stay bike-upright for 40+ years, I think that’s because I take note of the hazards.
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Congrats. I believe thats key. Have to weigh whats really worth the extra risk.
 
I'm going on 55 years with not come offs on pavement - much more cautious rider these days as hands are really troublesome with braking and throttle control and I'd rather ride relaxed than push the envelope.
I've had a few dangerous situations with deer too close but no encounters.
Cagers on the other hand ..... :eek:
 
Does extra lighting help at all to scare off any critters, or might it attract them? I've done some late night returns home, and noticed some other riders with some great aux lighting, which is on my list of things to get. Wondered if anyone here has a setup like that and if it helps.
 
Deer says.....Headlights headlights!
 
sburns said:
Does extra lighting help at all to scare off any critters, or might it attract them? I've done some late night returns home, and noticed some other riders with some great aux lighting, which is on my list of things to get. Wondered if anyone here has a setup like that and if it helps.
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Not sure if it makes any difference. Also not sure how to measure that.
 
I never ride at nights...
 
sburns said:
Does extra lighting help at all to scare off any critters, or might it attract them? I've done some late night returns home, and noticed some other riders with some great aux lighting, which is on my list of things to get. Wondered if anyone here has a setup like that and if it helps.
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Here's what I think. Extra lights help the rider better identify hazards, they might scare some hazards away, but not all, and in some cases they might mesmerize animals.

Things I have hit at night that didn't react to my bright lights:
Snapping Turtle - Deep Lake Rd, scary but just a big thump. Porcupine - Calabogie, quills got up inside my fork seals and I lost my front brake. Tractor tire tread - Toledo, big thump. End of pavement grinding - Woodbine and Aurora Rd, big thump for me, riding buddy broke the front rim on his K1200. Frog migration, Hwy7 near Kaladar- slip but no fall.

Things I have seen thanks to bright lights, may have missed without them:
Moose - Dorset. Abandoned trailer - Sharbot Lake, road work.

Things that have reacted to my lights:
Oncoming cars many times. Deer on Concession 2 and Queensville Sd Rd - proverbial deer in headlights - I slowed and she bolted when I was about 30' away. Bear in Dorset foraging on a roadkill deer - he bolted. Bugs - they fly at lights. And a really drunk chick staggering/hitchhiking down the middle of Hwy 144 looking for a lift to Gogama.

@sburns - straight pipes are your best bet, I've heard they save lives.
 
I do like riding at night but on the major highway in the GTAM. But my R6 headlight(s) is/are terrible. In a few instances, only road markings are lit up. Can't make out between the road and the night sky. Feels like outer space!
 
I have Denali D4's with datadim on my mts that turn night into day. I will very reluctantly ride at nite. Animals are extremely unpredictable.
 
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