My first ride in in the rain - and it was a DOOZIE!

Well, now that I've had my VFR for a while, I had been hoping to get some decent rain so that I could ride in it (I know, I'm weird!). I had even mentioned it to a few of my coworkers, who can't imagine being car-less (as I have become).

Anyhoo, I think that God himself may have overheard me asking for rain...

On Friday night here in San Antonio, we had a rainstorm come through. I was parked when it started but I was about to leave and I was excited! Here was my chance, finally. So, I jump on my bike with my standard gear and get going. But little did I know, this was not a rainstorm, but a HUGE thunderstorm. So, as I rode, the rain got very heavy, putting thr roadway under 1-2 inches of water. Then it began to hail, and then came the lightning.

Now, I may be dumb, but I ain't stupid! Even if it hardly ever happens, I didn't want to make the news for getting struck by lightning on my bike. So, I'm praying. Hard. I ask the Lord to protect me for the sake of my kids (on my own, I'm pretty worthless, but my kids seem to like having me around). I ask him to give me a sign on whether he wants me to continue to make it out of the storm, or to pull off and find shelter. As soon as I asked, a huge, multi-branch lightning strike happens in the cloud ahead of me. I took that as my answer!

So I pulled off the flooding highway, and began looking for shelter. I finally see a Valero station and make my way over. I had to turn left into a deep gutter to get to it and (I'm not kidding!) the lower half of the bike went underwater. It was probably about 18-24 inches of water. I made it through and parked. I went inside for a few minutes until the storm blew through, then I continued on.

I finally made it home safely. I felt like a beat-up cat as I walked in the door. I was soaked to the bone. I was cold and sore. I think I've had enough rain for a while. I don't mind riding in it, but I certainly won't be asking for it!

 

Was in your state for two weeks came home Friday was driving a cage about 2300 miles. Visited the Alamo and was actually in your town on two different occasions! Good trip, saw a few bikes, had the car cruising at a steady 110 up to 120 mph in the lower part of your state near Pharr/Laredo...Anywhoo, what year viffer?

 

I had a similar experience with a cloudburst in VT several years ago.

I had decided that I was going to ride to work that morning, and mounted my steed to head out at around 8:00 AM. I had checked the weather - there was a "slight" chance of rain that morning, but brilliant sunshine and 80's predicted for the rest of the day. I figured if I got a little wet, it was no big deal - I'd dry out...

...Fat chance of that happening. I was on the interstate as the storm darkened the skies on my horizon. You know you're in for it when the first rain drops that hit your visor feel and sound like someone is throwing ice cubes at you. You know that kind of rain - "Big ol' fat rain" as Forrest Gump so succinctly put it.

Anyways, 5-10 raindrops turned into millions in an instant and the truck ruts on the highway quickly filled with water. My 12 foot wide lane quickly became a 3 foot wide lane as I was forced to ride in the middle on the crown. Traffic all around me slowed from 65-70 to barely crawling, everyone's wipers on "hi". Cars passing me were driving in the truck ruts, and tossing buckets of water all over me and the bike.

I was somewhat protected from the deluge at speed (the VFR actually has a pretty well protected cockpit), but not nearly so much at 10-15 mph. The last 4-5 miles of the trip took nearly 15 minutes, and I was soaked to the bone when I arrived at work. The VFR was also soaked, but didn't seem to mind all that much.

Luckily, I work for Burton Snowboards, and we have a flagship store in our building. I had to wait until 10 for it to open, but I purchased a new outfit to wear for the rest of the day. On the ride home, even though the bike had been sitting outside in the sun all day, once at speed again on the highway - it began raining on me again. The cockpit was relinquishing all of the "captured" rain from earlier.

I got rained on again. In the sun. ;-)

 

Thanks for supporting the local economy! :biggrin: I have a 2007 model in the 25th Anniversary paint scheme. I'm in Laredo about every other week for work. We recently got our speed limit raised so most rural highways are 75-85 mph now, but I see you were cruising along at a decent clip... :wink:

 

Ahhh, so you've been through it as well! I wonder what the car-drivers think of us during those times... :crazy:

 

Riding in the rain is a necessary evil when your bigtime into riding. Rode down to the tail of the dragon from Pittsburgh with a couple friends a little while back and on the 572 mile ride down it rained for the first half, and then as night began to fall a thunderstorm rolled into the dragon and I got to ride the tail of the dragon for the first time in a thunderstorm....

 

Even with good rain gear, I hate riding in more than a short drizzle. I can deal with wet and cold. It's the vision "thing".... even with rain-x on the visor, it becomes hard to see sometimes - worse still when you have to go slow. A deluge would be so.... not.... fun.... Anyone have any "magic" cures for an obscured visor? I find myself turning my head to force the rain to roll off, but only have mediocre success.

 

What i learned the first time i ever rode in the rain was this: You could soak in a swimming pool for a week and never get as wet as you can on a motorcycle in 20 minutes !!!