Night ride in icy rain

[Davo66]

G'Day all,

I thought I should start my contribution to this forum with a brief account of my first night ride in the chilly rain.

I was returning to Canberra from Sanctuary Point, (near Nowra) last Sunday evening. I left Sanctuary Point about 3:30pm, with my family in the falcon and me leading the way on my busa. The ride was absolutely brilliant, gave me a good chance to explore the cornering capabilities of the busa which was very stable and easy to direct.

I traveled south along the Princes HWY through Ulladula and turned up the hill at the Canberra/Braidwood turn off just out of Batemans Bay. The Busa was a pleasure to ride and the scenery was peaceful, (not that I spent much time looking anywhere other than the road to the front).

Unfortunately about 60min into the ride the rain got a bit heavier. This combined with the diminishing light made for an interesting ride. To cut a long freezing ride short I have to say I was totally impressed with the way the bike handled the wet slippery conditions. There was more than one occasion when I honestly thought I was pushing my luck on a deceptive bend in the road. Not that I was pushing the speed limit just the surface of the road appears very smooth and slippery, but credit to the Busa, not a single loss of traction. Once I felt the rear wheel kick out a little but that was when I crossed into another lane and accidentally went over a cats eye marker.

All in all I made it home to Canberra in one piece, although almost frozen solid!! My gloves were soaked through as were my jeans and socks.

The fuel economy was surprising. I used about 12 litres to travel about 265 km. That's sitting on the limit, (most of the way)! ;-)

Anyway, that's my short story over with. If you have read it to this point, cheers and I hope you weren't too bored.

Love me Busa

Davo66

[Madmax]

G'Day all,

I thought I should start my contribution to this forum with a brief account of my first night ride in the chilly rain.

I was returning to Canberra from Sanctuary Point, (near Nowra) last Sunday evening. I left Sanctuary Point about 3:30pm, with my family in the falcon and me leading the way on my busa. The ride was absolutely brilliant, gave me a good chance to explore the cornering capabilities of the busa which was very stable and easy to direct.

I traveled south along the Princes HWY through Ulladula and turned up the hill at the Canberra/Braidwood turn off just out of Batemans Bay. The Busa was a pleasure to ride and the scenery was peaceful, (not that I spent much time looking anywhere other than the road to the front).

Unfortunately about 60min into the ride the rain got a bit heavier. This combined with the diminishing light made for an interesting ride. To cut a long freezing ride short I have to say I was totally impressed with the way the bike handled the wet slippery conditions. There was more than one occasion when I honestly thought I was pushing my luck on a deceptive bend in the road. Not that I was pushing the speed limit just the surface of the road appears very smooth and slippery, but credit to the Busa, not a single loss of traction. Once I felt the rear wheel kick out a little but that was when I crossed into another lane and accidentally went over a cats eye marker.

All in all I made it home to Canberra in one piece, although almost frozen solid!! My gloves were soaked through as were my jeans and socks.

The fuel economy was surprising. I used about 12 litres to travel about 265 km. That's sitting on the limit, (most of the way)! ;-)

Anyway, that's my short story over with. If you have read it to this point, cheers and I hope you weren't too bored.

Love me Busa

Davo66

It certainly looks like you're paying your dues Davo.

Les (Busdriver) and I rode home from the big smoke on Sunday and ran into really light sprinkling crap that got heavier as we got home to my place in Gunghalin, poor old Les had a rest and brew then headed out into the cold showery shit you must have ridden into.

Miserable cold wet crap, but at least we were all riding!

Welcome to the club Davo and we'll look forward to seeing you at Zefferelli's in Dickson this Thursday night around 6.30 if you'd like to share a meal and a drink with us. If you ride in Canberra you're going to have to put a set of wetties under your ducktail to keep your bottom end dry when getting unforeseen wet stuff falling out of the sky. Rare these day - unless you're washed and polised your busa! lol



Later and welcome again!


Max

[Gnarbunkle99]

Another likely buyer for the Oxford heated grips!

[Davo66]

G'Day all,

I thought I should start my contribution to this forum with a brief account of my first night ride in the chilly rain.

I was returning to Canberra from Sanctuary Point, (near Nowra) last Sunday evening. I left Sanctuary Point about 3:30pm, with my family in the falcon and me leading the way on my busa. The ride was absolutely brilliant, gave me a good chance to explore the cornering capabilities of the busa which was very stable and easy to direct.

I traveled south along the Princes HWY through Ulladula and turned up the hill at the Canberra/Braidwood turn off just out of Batemans Bay. The Busa was a pleasure to ride and the scenery was peaceful, (not that I spent much time looking anywhere other than the road to the front).

Unfortunately about 60min into the ride the rain got a bit heavier. This combined with the diminishing light made for an interesting ride. To cut a long freezing ride short I have to say I was totally impressed with the way the bike handled the wet slippery conditions. There was more than one occasion when I honestly thought I was pushing my luck on a deceptive bend in the road. Not that I was pushing the speed limit just the surface of the road appears very smooth and slippery, but credit to the Busa, not a single loss of traction. Once I felt the rear wheel kick out a little but that was when I crossed into another lane and accidentally went over a cats eye marker.

All in all I made it home to Canberra in one piece, although almost frozen solid!! My gloves were soaked through as were my jeans and socks.

The fuel economy was surprising. I used about 12 litres to travel about 265 km. That's sitting on the limit, (most of the way)! ;-)

Anyway, that's my short story over with. If you have read it to this point, cheers and I hope you weren't too bored.

Love me Busa

Davo66

It certainly looks like you're paying your dues Davo.

Les (Busdriver) and I rode home from the big smoke on Sunday and ran into really light sprinkling crap that got heavier as we got home to my place in Gunghalin, poor old Les had a rest and brew then headed out into the cold showery shit you must have ridden into.

Miserable cold wet crap, but at least we were all riding!

Welcome to the club Davo and we'll look forward to seeing you at Zefferelli's in Dickson this Thursday night around 6.30 if you'd like to share a meal and a drink with us. If you ride in Canberra you're going to have to put a set of wetties under your ducktail to keep your bottom end dry when getting unforeseen wet stuff falling out of the sky. Rare these day - unless you're washed and polised your busa! lol



Later and welcome again!


Max

Gunghalin/Harrison was my final destination also.

Seriously looking at venturing into Zeffs. See you there.

Davo

[simmo]

Another likely buyer for the Oxford heated grips!

Yep yep, I have seen the light,

[2wheelfreak]

There's something special about riding a 170+hp busa in the wet!
2 of the best investments I made were a set of Rjays storm pants & my Collins aquatek gloves, save the hands getting too wet & cold, never even thought about heated grips when wearing them.
Lately nearly every ride I've had has ended in bucketing down rain & I can't say I havn't had traction problems, but that may be down to my right wrist & the fun in scaring people as you go past with the rear spinning like crazy. lol

It's great to see another busa rider enjoying their baby! Have fun mate!

[cheeky]

i reckon thhe club should have shares in the grips...

welcome davo..
glad to see you love your busa..but whats not to love it..

i recently put a new tyre on and went for the pirelli,s 195/55..

i think it makes it handle even better.

[gravy]

G'day all,
I never normally ride in the rain, and this showed several weeks ago, when I picked up the Busa after having a radiator repair and radguard installed. Took off down the highway in the wet, and discovered the rear doesn't get much in the way of traction when you give it a handfall up to 200, and was uncomfortable spinning her up at this speed. Lesson learnt.

[Davo66]

Thanks for all the welcomes and well wishes. Have thought about wet weather pants but I only have 5 months left in the ACT then it's sunny Darwin for a few years. Probably still need a set up there during the wet!

Davo

[Busdriver]

But at least the rain should be warm up there.

I still remember the lovely thunderstorms and rain of Honiara in the Solomons.

But then came the humidity when the sun came back out.

[cheeky]

gday gravy,,

nice to see you posting!


wow davo you do go from extremes.

from cold too humidity...

i cant handle humidity..like the dry heat.

but i,m silly like that....

how long are u posted at darwin?????

i have fam in canberra the windy city..
or so i tease them about it..each time i visit them at their block its always windy..i reckon he need too put up those wind turbines..hehehhe

he lives at womboin.commutes to the windy city each day..

i adore canberra because its like a big country town ,friendly and lots to do

[LOAFIE]

Davo

[Davo66]

gday gravy,,

nice to see you posting!


wow davo you do go from extremes.

from cold too humidity...

i cant handle humidity..like the dry heat.

but i,m silly like that....

how long are u posted at darwin?????

i have fam in canberra the windy city..
or so i tease them about it..each time i visit them at their block its always windy..i reckon he need too put up those wind turbines..hehehhe

he lives at womboin.commutes to the windy city each day..

i adore canberra because its like a big country town ,friendly and lots to do

I really liked Canberra when I got here in Dec 07, but the wind, dust and cold is frustrating. There's a lot of new estates going up out Gunghalin way and the dust from the construction site is everywhere. Have always preferred the warmer climate. Almost forgot, I expect to be posted to Darwin for 3 - 4 years.

[Madmax]

gday gravy,,

nice to see you posting!


wow davo you do go from extremes.

from cold too humidity...

i cant handle humidity..like the dry heat.

but i,m silly like that....

how long are u posted at darwin?????

i have fam in canberra the windy city..
or so i tease them about it..each time i visit them at their block its always windy..i reckon he need too put up those wind turbines..hehehhe

he lives at womboin.commutes to the windy city each day..

i adore canberra because its like a big country town ,friendly and lots to do

I really liked Canberra when I got here in Dec 07, but the wind, dust and cold is frustrating. There's a lot of new estates going up out Gunghalin way and the dust from the construction site is everywhere. Have always preferred the warmer climate. Almost forgot, I expect to be posted to Darwin for 3 - 4 years.

Are you a service man Davo? Army, Airforce or Navy?


Max

[Ward P]

You guys are wimps, that's nuthin . . .

Last night went from Jinabyne, Thredbo to Khancoban, to Tallangatta.
It went from 3degrees down to minus 2.

After dark, snow and ice everywhere, very slippery, saw dozens of kangaroos, and a couple of wombats all playing chicken with me.

arrr wait . . . I suppose it doesn't really count if I was in a car with the stability control on, climate control set on 24, sipping a latte, and stereo softly Serenading me.

I'll leave the ridng in the harsh conditions to you hard core riders.


Davo