Modern Vespa

http://www.nbcchicago.com/weather/stories/Severe-Weather-Heads-for-Chicagoland-212686121.html

A big storm came through Chicagoland yesterday right during rush hour.

Luckily I was in my car but, I saw the dark clouds rapidly approaching and I watch a young man on a crotch rocket (no gear) come up behind me. I slowed and moved over in my lane so he could get around me.

At the last minute he zoomed on the toll and took off east.

Then the storm hit. Click on the link if you want to see what it was like. About 5 minutes of car shaking, rain flinging insanity.

I worried about that young biker on the highway when the wind hit, because my car actually moved and branches and debris started raining down on the road.

I also thought I was pretty lucky NOT to have been on my scooter. Because that wind would have blown me right off of it.

Right then I decided that I needed to find some safe places to stop on my scooter commute if I ever got caught. And Woe to me if I was on the tollway. Not sure what I could do in that case.

So far the storms I have been caught in have been minimal compared to this one. So I just kept riding. But this, this was crazy bad and it happened in a second.

How about you? Ever been caught in a super storm? Every out ride one?

I've had a couple of occassions where I was out without rain gear and I had to pull up under an overpass or in a tunnel, and just wait out the storm.

Usually it passes. On one memorable occassion I met some fellow travelers:

Light at the end of the tunnel

We were out riding backroads around galena on Sunday and had a thunderstorm. Blow up on us, fortunately. We were just outside of a small town and were able to get in the tavern. Before the storm let loose. Two beers later the sun was shining again.

I have recently, and got chills as I watched the almost black clouds float towards me. I rode WOT and probably broke a few traffic laws as I tried to get to a gas station or somewhere with shelter. Eventually the wind started gusting so hard it was bending trees, so I got off the bike and locked the suspension. Then I pushed it through a red light into an apartment complex with sheltered parking. Not something I want to do again...LOL

Trep,

Thanks for posting the link to Light at the end of the Tunnel. Somehow I missed that one.

I have to put it in my compilation of Tales by Treppenwitz.

Thanks !

Everybody is the star of their own movie.

Well done Trep, good narration about your chance tunnel meeting with the "others". Thanks so much for sharing.

LL75

It stormed and rained just like in the video a few times during my two day basic riding course. Imagine being soaking wet to the core sitting on metal objects in the middle of United Center's parking lot....duuuude. I read the weather forecast religiously especially for any chance of rain. No thanks.

Belkwinith,

Thanks for sharing the OP, and thanks to Treppenwitz for sharing the Tunnel story. Both made for interesting reading. As always, you both get thumbs up from me.

That storm hit here about 3:50 yesterday. I had gone home at lunch time and switched from my car to my bicycle. I was leaving work just as the tornado sirens started going off. I had just opened the garage door and brought my bike inside when the trees started all bending sideways. I could hear the rain and see the waves in the air, but my driveway was still dry. None of it was striking the ground at first because it was being blown sideways so hard.

A couple years ago, I managed to skirt the edge of a storm like that on my way up to visit my cousin in Minneapolis. I was out in the middle of farmland and decided that taking a detour from the "suggested" GPS route to try to go sideways and miss it instead of riding at an angle like the shortest route said was a good idea. If I'd have followed the computer, it would have taken me right through the middle of the storm. When I got to his place, all the news could talk about was the horrible storm that had just rolled through the area...

I guess that's the danger of riding in the Midwest. We can get fast moving storms that just appear out of nowhere. Still won't stop me from riding...

Mark

I once rode in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain,
But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas!

When I get caught sometimes, I mostly worry about the loose gravel in intersections and corners from road wash over. On a scooter, I must resist the temptation to speed up to outrun bad weather, which makes these hazards even more treacherous.

There's a killer on the road.

We hit a minor one on our ride yesterday but it was windy. Best to find a overpass and hunker down. Like Trepps story you'll meet some cool people under there. Glad you were in your car.

Yesterday lol...I drove my bus into some of the scariest dark clouds I've seen in NH. It was creepy because it was so still, then it got super windy. Never rained. But my anxiety was through the roof (I am scared of thunderstorms for no reason whatsoever) . I got my bus back as fast as I could ( they are speed limited). When I got to the yard I decided I would try and race the storm to my apartment, which is only 2.5 miles away...it was good there were no cops...but I made it home. Barely. It was very windy and there were big rain drops, but I made it before the skies opened. Definately not a good time.




Best part is before I left for work, I checked the forecast and it was only a 20% chance of rain before I got out of work.

So, as a new rider, I am somewhat confused about this issue of riding in the rain. Of course I understand that visibility is reduced, and that certain things on the road get slippery when wet, so slowing down seems like a good idea. But, I know there are people on MV for whom the scooter is their only transportation, so they have to ride it in the rain. It MUST be made to do that, yes? The tires have to handle the water at least as well as automobile tires, don't they? And the legshield and windscreen should make it much drier than riding a motorcycle, doesn't it? Granted, getting soaked is not fun, but with the right gear, you won't. So, should I be scared off from riding if the weather forecast calls for rain? Is it really so much riskier than riding on a dry day? Expert opinions welcomed, and thanks!

Never heard of a derecho before, so thanks for this. And this picture is great!

Well, there's rain, and then there's RAIN.

This thread seems to be about weather that is just dangerous, and best avoided if at all possible.

In a car, balance isn't an issue. I don't lean in my Civic, but I have to on my scoot. Yes, most motorcycle tires have tread so they will move water away. But you still got a lot less rubber in contact with the ground...

This.

Also, in a car, one tire can hydroplane and the other 3 can still keep the car pretty stable. On a 2-wheeler, hydroplaning is a major loss of traction.

On the plus side, the curved profile of a motorcycle/scooter tire makes them less prone to hydroplaning in the first place. But when it does happen, it ain't ever gonna be pretty.