If Ever I Was Tempted to Ride Squid...

[rockbottom]

...tomorrow's trip to Bloomsburg would be it. A wife beater tee shirt and shorts is sounding pretty good right now. Today was the first time the temperature gauge on the R hit triple digits.

[Catchina]

I was going to go for a ride today and decided not to...too hot. Tomorrow should cool down a bit, maybe down to 95.

[ka5ysy]

Welcome to what we have in Louisiana in the summers all the time !

I had my bike in for the 24000 mile maintenance over the last two days, and got a chance to ride the new R1200RT demo bike at the shop for two days in the heat to see how it is with the newer fairing setup. I picked up the bike with 11 miles and returned it with 400 miles or so on it, so I really gave it a good break-in ride. Actually, other than needing to stop for Gatoraid ever couple of hours, it was not too bad, but after picking up the RR this afternoon with the temp at 95 with a 115 heat index, it was instantly obvious that the fairing on the RT was blocking a whole lot of wind that is appropriate for such hot riding days. The ATGATT consisted of BMW Summer pants, Sidi Slash boots, and the Motoport Airmesh Kevlar 2 Jacket. Lots of airflow through that thing !

Actually the RT was a great ride (seat sucked as usual, but good for about 3 hours before being uncomfortable). Fine handling and a very seductive wench. Over the whole period the bike was averaging 48mpg, not bad for a brand new engine!

It was interesting to compare the ride of the K1600GTL that I took several weeks ago. I really think that I am a confirmed Boxer person. The K is a great bike with lots of power and torque, but to me the boxer simply is a better ride and better "feel" beside being a lighter platform to contend with. It will be very interesting to see how the RT evolves in the future with liquid cooling on the horizon now.

I kept telling myself to avoid violation of Eilenberger's Law #13, Reference here:

http://www.eilenberger.net/laws.htm

As best as I can figure, the RT does not contain the seat nanites that cause people to become test ride victims like the RR does.


The RR with new plugs, synced throttle bodies and fresh oil (Amsoil engine and gear lube) is a very, very smooth ride that purrs.

[roger l]

Riding home from work today my thermometer on the bike hit 100.4. That was hot. Most of the ride was 98.4. I ride with a mesh jacket and mesh over pants. Most of my miles were on the freeway. I do not know if I would have been much cooler without the jacket and pants.

Roger L

[rockbottom]

Welcome to what we have in Louisiana in the summers all the time !

Interestingly, I grew up on the coast of South Carolina but in 18 years in Pennsylvania, have lost my heat and humidity tolerance. My two brothers, who now live in Tampa, are miserable when go back to South Carolina over Christmas and the temperatures get in the 50s or 40s, while me and my family don't even bother to put a jacket on.

[ContraMoto]

...tomorrow's trip to Bloomsburg would be it. A wife beater tee shirt and shorts is sounding pretty good right now.

You forgot flip-flops.

Need to have the full uniform.

[xprof]

Or ride without pants, as Roger L seems to suggest. Now THAT would be cool!

[rockbottom]

Or ride without pants, as Roger L seems to suggest. Now THAT would be cool!

Since I got stung by a yellow jacket that was sucked into my sleeve on the way up, and had to dodge a bear coming back, no pants might have been a bridge too far.

[ka5ysy]

Or ride without pants, as Roger L seems to suggest. Now THAT would be cool!

There might be a problem with aerodynamic flutter ...

[rockbottom]

I'm sure Wunderlich makes a flutter fixer.

[BoxerSteve]

You could always ride like this guy:



http://stcharles.fox2now.com/news/news/ ... heat/62360

[dutchie]

Naaa, forget the bike!, take the car and promise yourself a ride when the temp. breaks.

[ipokebadgers]

I rode home from work the other day and the temp was 108. I thought about stopping and taking a picture of the temp gauge but decided not to. I have a mesh jacket but I'm actually wearing a vented textile jacket now. The mesh got to smelling bad from all the bugs that got stuck in it back in the spring. It is hard to get those sucker cleaned out of the mesh. My cage is a Jeep Wrangler with no top (usually) so the heat isn't anything new. It isn't fun but it isn't new. My friends say I am crazy. They are correct.

[rockbottom]

I got a high reading of 104 riding home from the MOA rally on Friday, but it was a bit better today.

[caprug]

In West Springfield, MA, Returning to Maine early from Bloomsburg, I was making a left at a light, one car ahead and one behind me, when a woman ran the red light and hit me broadside. Bike, bags and I went in four different directions. Temp 103 Degrees. ATGATT saved my butt! Bruised but walking. Bike a mess.

[RT-Mike]

In West Springfield, MA, Returning to Maine early from Bloomsburg, I was making a left at a light, one car ahead and one behind me, when a woman ran the red light and hit me broadside. Bike, bags and I went in four different directions. Temp 103 Degrees. ATGATT saved my butt! Bruised but walking. Bike a mess.

That sucks...Glad to hear you are o.k. for the most part... What was the womans excuse? Too hot to think? or just plain stupid?

[nylife]

ouch sorry glad you ok

[jkhomes]

I was tempted to cruise Ruidoso sans gear a couple weeks ago in the evening while I was on a tour of SE NM. Decided not to. There was a really good article in On The Level magazine (BMW Riders Association) about this subject.

Not sure areodynamic flutter is a problem or desired result in the situation illustrated in the photo.