Well, I woke up and most stuff was dry, so that was good and it wasn’t raining!
I packed up and was ready to go by about 8:15, which was really good. I had a good amount of distance to travel today, so I need to get going early.
Since there was no rain, I put the fullface under the seat and put on the half helmet instead, much more comfortable to begin with and I skipped the rain pants because they aren’t the most comfortable and the legs ride up a little because the inseam isn’t long enough and my lower legs and boots get SOAKED.
Well, I got soaked anyway, the rain started lightly about 5 minutes after I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway. I knew there was some light rain in the area, so when it was light I was expecting it, and I was traveling west, which was going to have me drive out of the rain more quickly since I was going in the opposite direction the storm was moving. It didn’t matter, I was soaked to the bone in about 30 minutes or so. Initially just my lower legs and then it started to creep up and eventually every bit of my jeans were completely and utterly soaked, you could tell by the change in color of them, but you could tell they were completely saturated when they wouldn’t absorb any more water and it was just puddling up and running off my legs.
Fortunately, around 10:30 or 11, the rain tapered off and while the sun didn’t really come out, there were some small breaks in the clouds and it thinned out to let more light through, which warmed thing up and when I put my feet up on the highway pegs I was able to get mostly dried off.
Then when I was mostly dry, it rained again, but only a quick one for about 20 minutes, but it was enough to get me plenty went again, although it did lead to more sun and more warmth to dry me off more.
Then it rained again for about 20 minutes, and the cycle repeated itself.
Finally, around 1pm it stopped raining for me and the sun came out. It was wonderful! Warm sun, cool breeze, and dry roads that I could just cruise on. I did come to a realization while I was riding both on the dry and on the wet roads, it’s not my riding skill that I have any doubts about. I am confident in every aspect of my skill and abilities while riding. Do you know what I don’t have confidence in? My equipment, aka the bike and the tires more than anything.
My confidence is definitely rising in the equipment. At first, I was hesitant with turns because I still have flashbacks from the Europe trip when my front tire kicked out and the bike went down and I hit a car, with my leg pinned between the muffler and bumper of the car. However, after a significant amount of time riding, I became much better with dealing the wet pavement, counter steering and leaning with the turns at speed versus slowing down.
I traveled 725 miles on this day, it was almost an 11 hour day riding, I stopped for gas 5 times versus only once on the trip the day before.
I was almost annoyed when there was a mild spitting of rain when I had about 15 minutes left in my trip, but it was only quick and I didn’t show up completely soaking wet.
A few other things I realized, saw, or thought of on this day…
- While I did not buy them because of the OCC branding on them, the orange tinted safety glasses I got are possibly one of the best riding glasses I have owned, not too much tint, but enough to cut glare and clear up sight. They also have no leakage, no bright color spots where there are gaps because they fit close to the face, like proper safety glasses should. They also stand up to small bits of sand and such that get kicked up by other vehicles.
- Too many people don’t realize how much water is kicked up off the road when they are wet by their cars, even when not raining and they need to not pull back into a lane in front of a motorcycle as closely as they do, I am wet enough already, I don’t need you adding more to it!
- It was really weird seeing a “Baltimore Orioles, AL East Champions” billboard in the middle of nowhere in Western PA.
- That awkward moment when you are completely trusting of your GPS to be guiding you when all of a sudden you enter West Virginia when you think your next state in Ohio. Then you remember about that weird little shoot of WV that sticks up the western side of PA.
- Irony of being cut off and almost hit by a vehicle with multiple “Check Twice for Motorcycles” stickers on it.
- While I dislike grooved pavement being prepped for paving, I hate it when it’s wet even more.
- I am not sure if there are more porn and adult toy “dens” along the highway in Ohio or fireworks stores.
- I giggled all 3 times I saw the sign “Entering Licking County”
- I saw 3 completely closed and shuttered Harley Davidson dealerships on the trip off the side of the highway.