Ducati Monster Forum

I am curious to see if many, if any one goes out for a night ride, I am currently enjoying a screwed up body clock due to Depression, so it means I'm waking up at all hours of the night and basically can not sleep, I am wide awake and staring at the ceiling bored out of my skull.

I have often considered going for a ride up the local Gillies range or something like that, not a flat out, knee scraping, lets get rid of those chicken strips kind of ride, just a bit of fun in the twisties.

I know that animals can be a bit of a hazard, but that's why I was thinking of a slower cruise more than a balls to the wall all out attack.

Just interested to see what any one else does.

We have occassionally taken the kiddies out for a spin to a meeting or something but generally on well lit streets, minimal traffic and only roundabouts for fun.

We also find oursleves caught out after dark on occasion and have done the Old Road in this situation. It is pretty tight and twisty with no lighting. Can't say I enjoyed it much, there is too much you can't see in tight corners and even if you are familiar with the road it looks a lot different with the lights turned out. When we get on to our road (the home stretch) it can be more fun as the road opens up with some faster corners that you can see through.

There are obviously different hazards you need to be wary of and only you can decide whether it is for you and your personal circumstances (including location/road/etc) or where things move from nervous excitement to teeth grinding concern to paralysing terror.

Due to working rotating shifts, I quite often ride at night !! Any time netween 9pm and 4am.

And Betty is dead right (oops) I mean absolutely correct that the lack of light transforms once familiar highways and byways into something completely different. Where I ride, the night brings out the possums, foxes domestic critters, and even the occasional cow!!  :o

The lack of seeing distance makes these sort of things an even greater threat, and the other aspect is that later in the week you have to deal with the potentially pissed and the smartarses out to cause grief. >:(

you want to be were your going before the sun goes down here in tassie  there is just to much wildlife here to even think about it  [bang]

I really enjoy riding at night - an 11 or 12pm run up the Old Road and through to the Hunter Valley is a great way to while away several of the early hours. It's a great way to avoid traffic. The riding is _very_ different to daytime riding, but I find it just as much fun in its own way.

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Have been caught out riding at night a few times - don't like it much due to lack vision and love of small furry animals being alive and not have big furry animals in my lap.

Don't start taking sleeping pills or drugs to help you out though.  I have successfully treated depression with good diet - lots of good food to give lots of B vits. And enjoyable exercise can help.  But also depends on whats causing the depression.  I'm no doctor but I can send some Reiki if you want.

Having said that.  A ride on a full moonlit night is inspiring.

I pretty much have my depression under control, but every now and then I have a week or so which is a bit tough, but for me the killer is the lack of sleep, sleeping pills don't work for any way, I just ride it out (no pun intended)  I can go to bed at 10:30pm and my system wakes me up at any where between 2 and 4 and I then can't go back to sleep. or I go to bed and just lie there listening to the missus sleep.

I used to do night fill at a local woolworths (6-7 years ago), so riding at night doesn't worry me, was just keen to see if anyone else got the "night wanders"
 

After splitting from the ex and kids around 15 years ago I used to go and ride at night up the north of Melbourne just to clear the head, beautiful summers evenings with the road pretty well to yourself was great for the "downer" attitude. [thumbsup]

Going at a err "reasonable" clip had me concentrating more on what I was doing on the bike rather than what was bringing me down. (Racing was especially good for that too, cant be thinking of anything else on the track ;) ) The crisp summer warmth and clear night, listening to the motor of the bike humming along couldnt not but bring a smile to the dial. [thumbsup] [moto]

The bike is better than any pill or medication ?? It helps to develop an ability to concentrate at higher levels and shut out what doesnt/shouldnt matter. Gotta LOVE IT!! :-* [clap]

Hmmmm prescription bike or bike ride??? Now there is an idea??  [evil] ;D 8)

Ditto Dragon but back then it was actually my mountain bike that kept me from going nuts........

Sadly today as I'm on the wrong side of 50 it my eyes that let me down at night. I am starting to suffer from night blindness. Easiest way to describe it is that everything looks 2D (flat). I loose all depth perception. Love night riding but it is getting to the point where it is becoming hard work, even a bit scary at times. Replaced my headlight globe with the Xeon which helps but sadly the depth perception thing lingers....  8)

Enjoy your night rides you all.......  [moto]

Ditto with the age induced vision problems!! :(

Wanna try it with a forming cataract on one eye!! It really screws up the depth perception as well as the light.  [roll]

Still, gotta love it, just ride according to the situation. (Maybe , sorta, heh. [evil])

yes Trev i remember you try to read that menu list at the pub in Bathurst gee that was funny  :D ;D [evil] 8)

And that was in the day light.......  8)  ;D

yes and even then i had to read it for you

I had a very shitty day yesterday, and just walking up to the bike and going through the routine had me smiling...it's an amazing transformation...but then I had to put up with drivers....is that what glove boxes are for? to store your brain, attention, effort and care...you put them in there so they are safe!

But god are these great machines!  ;D

i dont get a chance to do any night riding here so when im over in feb look out spider were gunna go kruzing  [thumbsup]

The Esplanade from Frankston to Port Melbourne is actually pretty nice at night....although their are dangers: St Kilda had prostitutes and Frankston has Dragonworld  :)

thats my fav part of melb riding along that way to get frankstone

A real nice ride yes, but bucketloads of Plods and cameras unfortunately!!  [leo] [roll]

And depending on the time shitloads of cyclists with a death wish and mouths full of abuse for everyone else who dont get out of their way!! >:(

i ride that way when getting of the boat , i did notice there were shit loads pedals but thats what you foot is yoused for  [laugh]

hey, I resemble that remark!

I guess I don't have a problem with them cause I can see how they approaching traffic with their inherent vulnerability - and I understand that another less than a meter or distance sounds and feels way TOO close. Out Ducmeister's way it's even better, you slow, wait, pull over and get to rapidly accelerate past - it's actually fun, compared to speeding past them at 100km within a meter and into oncoming traffic.

Some of them however need to also start thinking about the other users perspective...just cause it's legal to do it doesn't make it advisable or well mannered! had a guy ride out in front of the car yesterday as my traffic light turned green...I told the missus "run that make the beast with two backser down!".

Bazz - Clutch in and rev it to 6000 right next to them....that usually gets the point across!

will do spider, im coming over on day sailing so get of the boat at about 7 ish  so should be nice ride through to frankstone