Weather and Transportation - alternate thinking?

[drooartz]

Re: Weather and Transportation - alternate thinkin

I thought "this is what it's all about".

So true, Doug. I can picture them, too (though I've never met them), with big grins.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Re: Weather and Transportation - alternate thinkin

This past summer I drove my Sprite 4.5 hrs without the top (on the interstate) in the pouring rain. It was actually more enjoyable than having the top and side curtains on. Sure I got a little damp, but it is better than listening to the side screens rattle and stuffing rags around the corners.

 

[bill_powell]

I was in downtown rush hour this morning and saw the usual collection of dedicated cyclists (one on a skinny tired road bike vs the usual mountain bikes) plus a guy on a motorcycle with a side car.

I, too, have been known to venture out despite the chill:

Embrace the madness!

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Bill -

Haven't seen you in a while - trust all is well.

Mickey

 

[bill_powell]

Hey Mickey!

All's well. Spend most of my time up here in Dover. I did manage to attend the Nashville Car Club Show this year; fun. photos here:

https://www.kodakgallery.com/galler...il-_-new_site_share-_-core-_-View_photos_link


Midget is doing fine; still my daily driver if not on the Guzzi~

 

[drooartz]

That's a great looking rig, Bill. Really need to get me a hack one of these days.

 

[bill_powell]

Thanks! I'm addicted. Take a look around over at sidecar dot com:

https://www.sidecar.com/mbbs22/category-view.asp

You will find info and rigs for sale there.



Another view of mine, for your amusement:

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Guys: I've seen Bill's rig up close and personal. Even though not an aficionado, even I was impressed - nicely done!

 

[bthompson]

I was just chasing a Triumph TR7 to use a winter beater.....missed it though.

What about a BGT?

TR7's better.

It has a built-in snowplow.

 

[Guest]

I love Guzzi's. They got the clutch and transmission of a dump truck and go FOREVER !!!! My old boss had a '72 Ambassador he let me ride.

 

[Guest]

This past summer I drove my Sprite 4.5 hrs without the top (on the interstate) in the pouring rain. It was actually more enjoyable than having the top and side curtains on. Sure I got a little damp, but it is better than listening to the side screens rattle and stuffing rags around the corners.

How you do that? In my '79, the rain comes in backwards and wets the inside of the windshield and I can't see.

 

[JPSmit]

This past summer I drove my Sprite 4.5 hrs without the top (on the interstate) in the pouring rain. It was actually more enjoyable than having the top and side curtains on. Sure I got a little damp, but it is better than listening to the side screens rattle and stuffing rags around the corners.

How you do that? In my '79, the rain comes in backwards and wets the inside of the windshield and I can't see.

you've got it in reverse!!! use some of the gears on the left side of the gear shift knob!

 

[RickB]

This past summer I drove my Sprite 4.5 hrs without the top (on the interstate) in the pouring rain. It was actually more enjoyable than having the top and side curtains on. Sure I got a little damp, but it is better than listening to the side screens rattle and stuffing rags around the corners.

How you do that? In my '79, the rain comes in backwards and wets the inside of the windshield and I can't see.

Must not be driving fast enough.
On Mythbusters Adam and Jamie tested out the myth that you can drive in the rain in a sports car with the top down and stay dry.
It worked best at about 90 mph.
They were using a Mercedes two seater, don't know if that helped the rain bubble effect or what?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I did get a little bit of water on the inside of the windscreen, but I'd wipe it with chamois about every five miles or so. ...all part of the fun. I did get a few "thumbs up" from motorcyclists that were all decked out in rain gear.

 

[JPSmit]

Actually about a year ago was driving and passed a guy driving a mercedes pagoda with the roof down. He had a big TV box in the back so couldn't put up the top. Tragically it, a) had started raining heavily and b) he was in stop & go city traffic. He was about as miserable looking as I have ever seen.

 

[jaegzie]

I put some drain plugs in the floor of my MGB for when it gets caught out in the rain. Comes in handy. Usually take the B out when it has a chance of rain, never the sprites!

 

[drooartz]

Thanks! I'm addicted. Take a look around over at sidecar dot com:

https://www.sidecar.com/mbbs22/category-view.asp

Thanks for the link. I'll have to check it out.

 

[twas_brillig]

This thread has sure turned out to be a lot of fun and dang interesting.

Alternatives: back about 1970, I did a trip into British Columbia on the Kawsasaki 500 and ran into a couple in a Lotus Super 7 from Edmonton - it was their only car, and they drove it year 'round. They had the electrically heated pieces of glass that you stick onto the inside of the windshield with suction cups to handle the defrosting, and you could see through the left rear fender because the studs on their winter tyres had worn through from the inside.

I got quite chilly going over the continental divide up by Jasper, Alberta, on that trip and opened the bike about to about 100 mph when I dropped into BC and warmed up - the old triples don't have great brakes or handling but the road was twisty and I was warm, and finally had the brains to slow down when I saw the highway sign warning about cattle wandering on the road.

I used to have a spare windshield wiper arm and blade in the BugEye for wiping the inside of the windshield when caught out in the rain with no top (or choosing to wiper both sides of the windshield rather than stopping to put the top up).

One of the neighours has a sidecar rig; the owner of the BMW motorcycle shop I used to go had a sidecar for his rottweiler.... It was labelled 'Bruno's Ride', and Bruno used to play pull toy with Dave's 3 year old granddaughter.

And a Chinook hit today - snow melting; sloppy roads with liquid snow running in the gutters; temperature up to about +4 c (39F) this afternoon. Turns out that the -46.1C in Edmonton that I mentioned at the start of this thread made Edmonton airport the coldest place on the planet for a few hours, then another place in Siberia 'won'.

Doug

 

[CraigZ]

What do you guys with BGTs do to keep the rear window from misting over in cool wet weather? I can't imagine the early models had rear window defoggers...

 

[Guest]

opened the bike about to about 100 mph when I dropped into BC and warmed up -
Doug

I've always noticed I got warmer at 100 or more. I thought it might be the friction of the fabric on your skin. If I started getting colder, I'd just crank 'er back a bit more.