a group ride in rain, hail, thunder and lightning

 Every year I take the windshield off of my bike, to remind myself why I have
it in the first place. Shirley will set 'em up for you, while I explain.
I am a member of a smallish club, and we put on a run each spring to open up
our riding season here in northern Minnesota.  Sometimes we get nice weather,
but often we will get spring showers and chilly weather, generally in the
mid-40's or low 50's. On Saturday, the 17th of May (Syttende Mai for us
Norskies) we had a wide range of weather: Sunny and balmy temps in the upper
50's, clouds as dark as the inside of a cow, temps in the 40's, sprinkles and
frog-drowners, BB-sized hail, and occasionally a stiff breeze. We started
with about 70 bikes and about midway through the 90 mile run we lost about 20
or 25 riders to the first wave of heavy rain cloudburst. Understand that we
were riding through some Boreal forest areas, and the nearest town is about
an hour or more distant at highway speeds - more, at the somewhat reduced
speeds prudent at the time. The thunder and lightning were brief and distant,
so we rode on. They coulda just as well stayed with us and finished, for the
food and warmth at the end of the run... their loss, I guess.
Those of us who finished had nice rosy complexions after a stimulating run,
and we enjoyed all the club had to offer by either a good bonfire or the
comfort of the clubhouse.
I'm puttin' my windshield back on in a couple of days. I don't mind the rain
so much, or even getting wet - I ain't gonna melt, but the hail was a bit
more stimulation than I prefer, and we do have a large variety of Junebug
around here in the summer, too.
Thanks for your time.
tom k.
AH118
been lurking and vacationing for awhile.

--
I will find a way or make one.

 On Mon, 19 May 2008 14:40:21 -0500, tom koehler


I bought a cheap-assed 4" unit for the Pig.  I've had it on for a
month or better now.  I'll probably take it off for any ride of
distance, but I kinda like the wind in the face, with the fairing
keeping it off the rest of the body.  Though my eyes do water a bit
with just the sunglasses on.  The jury is out.

Glad to see you're on the road
--
Curly AH#117 BS#107
2004 FLHTPI Dirty Pig
"The party never ends"

 On Mon, 19 May 2008 16:37:34 -0500, LaJolla wrote


my ride is an FXDX, and I've been using a Memphis Shades sport job. Keeps the
bugs offa my face, but the turbulence comin' up under the screen is pretty
fierce. Am going to try a longer windshield and some deflectors on the forks,
to try to tame the blast. Just about blows my beard off.
tom k. AH118


--
I will find a way or make one.

 On 2008-05-19 16:41:21 -0700, tom koehler


I have to wear glasses that touch my cheeks to keep my moustach out of
my eyes. Kind of a drag as it distibutes the sunscreen from my cheeks
all over the lens'. I guess I could wax it up......


NOT!
--
Ryder Rick

 Richard Begeman wrote:

  Since I moved to the Ultra , the beard-blowing-up-in-my-face thing has
stopped almost completely . Used to get to a certain length then beat me to
death . It's a good bit longer now than it's been before . And getting even
longer ... until the morning I awake to find my wife has had enough .
  On deflectors , I had a set of (homemade) upside-down teardrop shaped plex
units on the Sportster , helped a lot . Mine were bolted to some "modified"
pieces of aluminum angle , held to the forks with SS screw clamps .
 --
Snag
'90 Ultra "Strider"
'39 WLDD "Popcycle"
Buncha cars and a truck