Weird riding conditions tonight. No rain or clouds but the roads looked slick, almost oil slick looking.

Temp on the way out was 43*F. Roads clearly wet(ish) but all condensation. So annoying but fine.

On the way home it was 40*F. Slightly less wet looking but as I pulled in home the cars in the hood had a solid sheet of ice on them(!).

Seems impossible but it was slightly cooler at my house so 37*. So how was this sheet of ice over all the metal of the cars?

Happened to me last season & even the road was a skating rink. But then there was a lot of standing snow so thought it was that.

Seems like a lot of writing for such a dumb thing but pretty important info for a motorcylist.

 

Where are you getting that ambient temp?

Perhaps it came down as sleet and caused a build-up on the cars as those surfaces are more readily cooled to freezing temperatures by the very precipitation falling on them. Or, maybe you're just high "smokin" joe.

 

It's pretty common around my neck of the wood, where the temperature tends to swing around the freezing point... The air is warmer than freezing, but just barely, and the ground is at freezing point, and then there is a moderate rain shower...

The result is me lying on my *rse wondering what happened, since everything, including the road is coated in a thin sheet of clear black ice, which is slicker than snot...

I have three times this year ridden to work on the dual sport, with studded tires, parked it, walked three or four paces and then my feet just went out from under me... Once I rode through the rain, arriving to work looking like Jack Frost with ice patches covering me head to toe...

 

Ambient temp is from multiple readings. I have 2 thermometers on the vtr. Sensor is at the most accurate spot at top of the front fender in the air stream(tried many locations). 2 because both are unlikely to fail the same way. (one uses bike power, one battery powered.)

Also have 4 different outdoor temp sensors at home, 2 in each front & back of house. Plus I can verify with Nat'l weather online.

Tweey I have been thinking of the studded tire thing but last night was not even long sleeved shirt under my jacket weather(!). Plus no precip at all.

Other than that it does sound similar. Just happy it was only on the cars this time and not the road.

 

What Tweety said. It's called freezing rain, as I know it. When I live in Anchorage it happened a lot. The air temp can be above freezing at cloud level and the surfaces or air at ground level below freezing. Absolutely the worst conditions. Can't even imagine riding in such.

 

well said.... two-wheeled Russian Roulette... (unless you have studded tires, in which case it's a whole other ball game)..... feel free to flame, but this is engaging in irresponsible Darwinian behaviour IMO.......get a car, take a bus, and live to see your kid grow up.......

 

Well Tweety's is maybe freezing rain, but like I said for me not a cloud for miles so no rain.

No weather of 32* or below for the days leading up either. It must be a condensation/evaporation thing. Like I said, very mysterious.'

You just have to ride like its wet & you're ok.

 

Well... There is a reason I park the VTR once temps creeps low enough for things like this... Not to mention the fact that even without ice on the road, a tuned engine with that sort of power delivery combined with cold hard tires meant for completely other temperatures is a bit scary...

But on a dual sport with studded tires, it's more or less year round riding, unless the roads get blocked by snowdrifts, in which case even cars have issues, albeit not the falling over kind...

Which, is why I have built a electric powered car for the winter this year... Four wheels have certain advantages, even in rush hour traffic...

 

sanity is a wonderful thing.....

 

Aw. you guys just don't love riding the way I do. I understand that many bikers put them away for the winter.

I just chose to ride. I love riding that much. I am prudent in my choices so I get to ride another day. That is what carried me safely through the last 30yrs of street riding.

Its not for everybody.

 

we get heaps of the BlackICE here in winter and its patchy so one minute ur driving in a strait line next ur almost sideways in the same direction and going quicker than you were before.....

 

I wouldn't go quite THAT far, calling it sanity... Neither would you if you had a test drive in the E-Polo, which it has been dubbed...

Before we adjusted the motor controller and throttle ramp up, it would beat the VTR for acceleration, hands down, not to mention spanking all the other four wheeled toys I have access too, from a standstill or roll on, didn't much matter... It topped out at about 65 mph though, but getting there was near instant in a cloud of tire smoke...

I can still activate "Party Mode" if necessary, but for my own sake, and that of my license it takes popping the hood, and flipping a switch... Better mileage this way too...

 

well, you know what they say about that fine line, lol

 

i want more info please..... i have a vauxhall cross b (holden brina in this part of the world) with a dying engine......

 

I'm starting a thread here... Since more people have asked... Just got it going, I will add too it...

https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...74/#post381166

 

Thanks