The only issue I have at night is that I can only run so many electronics at a time. If I’m running my high beams (which draw 110 watts) I only havean excess of 60 watts to use before I start drawing on the battery instead of the bikes alternator. My heated grips draw 60 watts, my jacket 70 watts, and each charging device 15 watts. During the day, when I don’t need my high beams, I can use all my accessories at full power, no issue at all. During the night, I have to decide between being able to see, and keeping my core warm and charging devices.
During the ride that night, I decided to charge my phone and headset from a portable charger, then turned on my high beams and heated grips. Itwas going to be more important to see properly and react quickly with my hands than to be comfortable. I figured I’d be able the 35 degree temperature (keep in mind wind chill droppedthat to 20)
The ride was extremely nerve wracking. There were no lights, and during the 100 mile stretch, I only saw 5 other drivers.
The issue is that these were winding mountain roads. For 40 miles. There were three straights that lasted more than 300 feet that I can recall, and the rest I the time I was focusing intensely on where I needed to be turning.
For those that are unaware of what turning on a motorcycle is like - it’s one of the greatest feelings you’ll ever have - especially at speed.
The issue is that I was on a fully loaded bike, in a very dark area, had no experience with that particular road, and was looking out for snow, rocks, deer/elk, gusts of wind, and slick spots (not to mention the cliff edges I was trying to avoid).
In addition to that, I needed to focus on proper riding techniques which include lane positioning, body positioning, head angle, lean angle, braking (linked brakes meant I needed to be wary of the rear sliding out), acceleration, etc. The list goes on, but essentially I was relying heavily on what I had learned on the race track and muscle memory from my past few years of riding.
To describe the experience, imagine going down winding road, there are no lights and the moon/stars are blocked by thick clouds. Your way is marked by white/red reflective poles on either side of the road, each about 3 feet tall and 15 - 20 feet apart. As you near one turn you move into the proper lane position needed for that corner, when a strong gust of wind suddenly pushes you out of position and points you off the mountain. In order to correct, you need to brake (without losing traction on the slick road), downshift and rev match, adjust lean angle and head angle, while scanning your new path. Keep in mind the while you’re mentally taxing yourself, you’re also physically tired from 1,000s of miles of riding and the 35° temperature.
This happened often, and it’s important to note that if you become fixated on something (such as the edge of the road or a marker), you invariably start moving towards it as your body automatically adjusts. I made sure that I always kept my eyes moving from I’ve marker to the next, though on occasion I would need to adjust if my gaze lingered on one pole for too long.
It was a difficult ride, and I believe I got to the next town at some time around 02:00. I stopped ata gas station to rest, tired but feeling confident in my skills considering the route I had just takenat night.
P.S. - it’s good I did go that far that night, as a snow storm started later in the night, and blocked that road - which was the only road I could take.
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