Sad story from Kansas

[slim_grizzy]

I don't know this guy but it's kind of a bummer.  Sounds like a guy that we'd like to see more of.  Seems that having rubber on the road doesn't help out motorcyclists like it does in cars.  Not sure exactly how it happened or how it could be avoided (other than not driving during a storm). 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517985,00.html

[Jobu]

I don't know this guy but it's kind of a bummer.  Sounds like a guy that we'd like to see more of.  Seems that having rubber on the road doesn't help out motorcyclists like it does in cars.  Not sure exactly how it happened or how it could be avoided (other than not driving during a storm). 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517985,00.html

I've actually wondered how often this happens.  Riding with lightning in the area just seems like a bad idea.

When a car is hit by lightning, the steel body and frame of the car carries the electricity to the ground through the tires.  The rubber tires are not what protects you, they ground you.  Same thing with a bike, but unfortunately, your kinda part of the bike.

But that sucks.  I guess one should always pull over during an electrical storm.

[IZ]

I've actually wondered how often this happens.  Riding with lightning in the area just seems like a bad idea.

When a car is hit by lightning, the steel body and frame of the car carries the electricity to the ground through the tires.  The rubber tires are not what protects you, they ground you.  Same thing with a bike, but unfortunately, your kinda part of the bike.

But that sucks.  I guess one should always pull over during an electrical storm.

A classmate of mine was struck by lighting when she was driving home from college.  I can't remember how it traveled through her but she had bad burns on her hands and foot.  They had to pry her hands off the steering wheel.     

I always think about that when I'm driving in a storm. 

After reading about this unfortunate motorcyclist, I'll be turning around the next time I see lightning while I'm on the bike!!

[lsberrios1]

thats probably the most direct form of god taking someone to heaven after doing charity.  very sad indeed

[mitt]

It happens often on motorcycles.  Cycleworld was having a group ride for a story through the rockies a couple years ago, and one of the participants got hit.  Some H-D riders say that helmets make it more likely, which is probably a stretch, but more believable than some other helmet arguments.

The poster above is correct - a cars body transmits the current around you, although you will still get burned, temporarily blinded, and deaf from it.  Tires or not, lightening doesn't care, it is traveling through thousands of feet or air, which is many times less conductive than rubber.

mitt

[bmonty72]

thats probably the most direct form of god taking someone to heaven after doing charity.  very sad indeed

+1 ...exactly what I was thinking.  God said "Next"...end of story.  I live about 30 min. east of Lawrence, KS and did not hear about this until now.  That same storm spawned 4 tornado touchdowns nearby too.  All I can really say is that it sounds like he died doing something he loved, and also in the service of others!!    Here's to a sad story about a good person!!

[Slide Panda]

It happens often on motorcycles.  Cycleworld was having a group ride for a story through the rockies a couple years ago, and one of the participants got hit.  Some H-D riders say that helmets make it more likely, which is probably a stretch, but more believable than some other helmet arguments.

The poster above is correct - a cars body transmits the current around you, although you will still get burned, temporarily blinded, and deaf from it.  Tires or not, lightening doesn't care, it is traveling through thousands of feet or air, which is many times less conductive than rubber.

mitt

Unfotunetly, it's not that uncommon.  A guy in Denver was struck and killed last year.  the book Proficient Motorcycling has a section noting the hazards of riding in an electrical storm. 

That helmets make it more likely to happen seems like a pretty vodoo theory to me.  Unless you are dumb enough to wear a metal helmet (not even legal in the US) there's so little metal in modern helmets that I doubt they would increase the odds of a stike more than sitting on a few hundred pounds of conductive materials... 

[Monster Dave]

I actually knew a guy who had been struck by lightning twice in his life and has lived to talk about it.

Crazy.

[cyrus buelton]

If you get struck and killed by lighting while riding a bike...........


your time is definitely up and someone made that happen.


What are the odds?

[Buckethead]

This raises all sorts of questions in my mind.

What kind of gear was he wearing? A helmet? Did the lightning actually kill him? Or just knock him out and he died from secondary injuries?

Shitty situation, no doubt.

[Holden]

This raises all sorts of questions in my mind.

What kind of gear was he wearing? A helmet? Did the lightning actually kill him? Or just knock him out and he died from secondary injuries?

Shitty situation, no doubt.

Apehangers might be another one to consider.

[PizzaMonster]

Maybe THIS was the problem?   




Not to make light of a tragedy though folks.  Just goes to show you.  When your ticket is punched it's time to go.

[Nitewaif]

Wow!  I've never hesitated to drive on through a lighting/thunderstorm if there was still some visibility.  I only pull over when I can't see.  I think I'll start getting the heck off the road.  Freaky.