Worst ride ??

[BIKEVIDDER]

What's been your worst journey ??
Probably one you'll remember the longest.
Mine.
During a Xmas holiday a few years back.
27 hours, 550 miles to get from A to B, turn around to get back to A.
Minus 14 over night minus 4 daytime.
Left at midnight Friday, returned 3am Sunday. Only took my coat off to get the snow off it.
Don't like hail storms either.
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GROWING OLD DISGRACFULLY

[UrbanRacer]

The A9, Aviemore down to Glasgow. It was a cold and wet November. I honestly felt like throwing it in a ditch and getting the AA to take me home.

[Snorty]

Edinburgh to Leeds down the A1.

30/40+mph winds (really windy day, compounded by the fact the route is by the sea) was almost certain I was going to crash or be blown into something. Wanted to pull over but realised it'd just take longer to get home. Came home and fell asleep on the floor.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Dazbo666]

East side of Cardiff to the west side of Swansea, along the M4 a few months ago...
Absolutely HORRENDOUS multiple downpours that were so heavy that I was struggling to see other vehicles and/or lane markings


[edit]... and riding home from a night shift about this time last year. It had snowed fairly heavily overnight, but working in the city centre (near sea level) it didn't look too bad, so I decided to at least try to get the bike home.
So, bearing in mind that our house is at a higher level on the side of a hill, the road conditions got progressively worse the closer I got to home. The final part of the journey was trying to ride up a frozen, snow covered inclined road, riding with both feet sliding along the floor, and still managing to drop the bike at slow speed... twice within a few hundred yards.
I eventually admitted defeat, and had to leave the bike at the side of the road, covered in a thick layer of snow and ice for nearly a week before the road was clear enough to move it...
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1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[Polarbear]

Back in 1976 on an RD250................

From South Shields (near newcastle) to bournmouth. Mid winter and I hadn't passed my test so couldn't use motorways. It rained from Durham southwards

I can't remember how long it took, but when I got home I fell off the bike I was so frozen. My stepfather had to pick up the bike and drag me into the house.

I seriously considered never getting on a bike again after that .....
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Im-a-Ridah]

Riding to and from 125cc sportsbike meet probably!

I left mid to late afternoon, had a rough idea of where I was going, waterproofs, RS125 and a map. I got lost on the A26 as the road changed names, so I went back and fourth a few times looking for it only to discover I was going fine anyway. Then I got lost again on the A13, finding the exit was proving tricky, and it was dark and near midnight by then, so very cold. On the return journey the next day I left late, missed the exit (no surprise), found my way back to my route, hit very cold fog, eyes started to sting from the water so I had to stop mid corner to move the water from my eyes so I could see again, then continued riding... to the bottom of the A13 where I stuck the bike in parents van and f**ked off home!

Another time was quite brief, but could have been worse. The ZX6RF only has one headlight, so I fitted a spotlight underneath, but was told it was pointless. Heading up the A34 passing a truck at ~90mph my high beam goes, so I switch to low beam and switched the spotlight on, the low beam then blew but the spotlight gave me enough light to get to the next service and fit the spare bulb. Another guy I know had his lights go on his RSV, he didn't crash, but he gave up road riding soon after. Top tip: If you ride out of town and only have one headlight, fit a spare light!

A lot of them in this thread really come down to being badly prepared and having the wrong gear. Given a reasonably powerful bike, heated clothing and waterproofs most of these journeys would probably be alright.

[matlow]

This years MOTOGP, riding back from Silverstone, already wet from watching the race and the downpour never ended on the whole 5 hour ride home. my waterproof boots were full of water from my supposedly waterproof trousers letting me down.
The highlight of the ride was sitting cuddling a cup of brown at Wetherby services, shivering and making my own personal water feature on the floor
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Hornet 600, CBR600F, 929 blade, 07 R1, R1200GS, 09 Blade, 750 SRAD, ZZR1200, 954 Blade, KTM 990 Adventure, Ducati 749s

[pepperami]

A few years back in the January.
I had ridden the bike to work a few weeks earlier to work on it as I had access to the company workshop in my own time.
Because I was working on the bike over the last few weeks, I`d been using the car to get backwards & forwards to work, and to prevent idiots tampering with my bike clobber I`d taken it home.

Cue the car breaking down at work and the bike was in working order by then, so it`s my only form of transport.
No bike clobber, a borrowed bash-hat that was very tight, one thin jacket, and no gloves!
It`s January and it`s starting to sleet heavily and I`ve got 25 miles to go through london traffic .
I had to be lifted of the bike at the other end as I could hardly move and could`nt even turn the ignition off, let alone take the keys out of the ignition

I wont forget that journey in a hurry and now prefer to be a pussy fair-weather rider
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[dodgydog]

Going to the NEC a few years ago, Bradford to Birmingham and minus God knows what outside, I was bloody cold when I stopped to fill up after 3 miles. Had to stop at Tibshelf services when I couldn't feel my fingers anymore. Really wasn't looking forward to the ride back.

Another one was going to Olivers mount, it drizzled all the way there, the rain got worse while we were there, then it pissed it down every bit of the way back.



Dog
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I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you heard is not exactly what I meant

[TQ]

Going home from the Ogri rally a few years ago. Spectacular hangover that meant I'd had to hang about for two hours after my mates had left in order to be sure I was sober enough. Horrible drizzly rain that soaked me through after about ten minutes, sat in the inside lane of the M5 doing 60mph feeling like I wanted to die.
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First Bike :Gilera DNA 50 | Second: Imported 1989 NSR125
Third: 1998 Yamaha XJ600N | Currently: 1999 Yamaha FZS600

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Feeling ill and having to ride home. Pulling over to puke and visiting most toilets on the M5/M6.

Ahh the smell of your own puke-breath...unforgettable.
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[MarkJ]

First time I went to the Farmyard Party, 2007 I think. Waterproofs were definitely not waterproof and I got wet through. Gave myself a cold for all the week.

[Gothtec]

Nottinham to Lincoln at 2am on a very cold night in december...

No heated grips and the engine oil had become like rubber...

So now fresh oil just before winter (if it needs it or not) and heated grips
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[fireyphoenix1...]

few days after passing my test .........

first time takeing a pillion my gf no less were getting on the A588 haveing been to one of the last knott end meets . We are on my 125 under power 4 stroke drum brakes and shit tyres then it starts to rain by the bucket .never had rain so heavy before it was blowing up inside my helmet.
The front wheel starts hydroplaneing on every deep puddle then to cap it all off my headlight blows so now im rideing one of the most dangerous roads in britain with my gf on the black in pitch dark pouring rain and only a side light and occasional streetlapt to guide me .
I can remember thinking this cant get worse ......i was wrong some kind farmer seems to have driven a muck spreaed for a few miles and to those that dont know wet cow crap has all the grip of sheet ice

Finally we crossed the shard bridge back in to built up areas with nice well lit roads we pull on to the A road back to mine and reach a half mile hill speed drops to 40 and one after another artics blow past us the wind knocking us all over the show and the tiny profile of the tyres offering no grip now hail is falling
we made it home ...just .
Sold the damn thing the next day and got my GSX750F now that same route in the same conditions is an awesome laugh
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2014 Aprillia dorsoduro 750 factory.

[Bendy]

Back from the NEC to Bracknell at the end of November on a Speed Triple.

Being so cold that you're concentrating like a bastard cos you know you're so cold that your brain isn't working properly any more. The sort of cold that has you sitting on your right hand at the '1 mile to turnoff sign' cos you know you're not going to be able to brake cos you can't feel anything any more. Then it started raining, just to make life better.

Stuck the bike in the garage, ran a hot bath and didn't ride again til the spring.

[parkmoy]

This chinese bird who kept banging on a tin of beans ....

[parkmoy]

... shouting 'Tin Tin'

[andyscooter]

coming back from matlock last year

no wet weather gear as it was baking hot got halfway and it pissed down i got soaked

bike then needed fuel so stopped for fuel and then bike wouldnt start had to call the recovery company who took three hours to get to me as the bloke had been to an accident first (which i witnessed)

and then had to go back to base to fetch a trailor as he couldnt tow a bike any other way so another hour

got home still wet at half ten at night
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[firefox]

[JoeDougieDoug...]

My worst ride... Probably the first time I rode down the Hullbridge to Wickford backroads. It was a cold, very wet night in October and I had never been down that road before. The corners are insanely tight, it doesn't help that its a NSL road. Such a scary ride.
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CBT Passed - 22 / 10 / 11 >> Theory Passed - 16 / 02 / 2012 >> Mod 1 Passed - 07 / 03 / 2012 >> Mod 2 Passed - 18 / 05 / 2012.

[mistergixer]

Coming back from the 'Ring a few years ago - somewhere in Germany we rode into the worst rain I have ever encountered in Europe.
We were crawling along der Autobahn, the only thing visible was the rear light of the bike in front, and that was only visible at about 15 feet away. Every time a car or lorry passed it was like someone had thrown a full bucket of water straight at you. The raindrops were so heavy that they stung my chest - even through leathers with waterproofs over the top.
Eventually the rider at the front who we were all following decided it was too bad to carry on, so we pulled over under a bridge.
When I put my foot down the standing water on the hard shoulder came up over my ankles.

Somewhere in Belgium we stopped for fuel and bumped into another British chap who we'd met at the ring (he'd trailered over his Ariel Atom). He took one look at us and asked 'Did you lads ride through all that rain? Fuck me, you're madder than I thought!!'
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[arry]

Late September coming back from a week away in the Cotswolds back to Essex. All's well and good in the lanes through the hills but then I want to get some miles done and just get home, so M25 it is.

M25 is then closed between the M1 and the A1 Worst of it is I'd just come off the M40 so it would have been nice if some of the very expensive electric roadside signs did their job and actually informed people of something other than "wear your seatbelt"

Anyway, cue the best part of 60 miles filtering, literally jammed up everywhere, trying to find routes through, ending up very grumpy that a 2 hour ride just took 5.

Only take solace in the fact I didn't choose the car to go away in; I doubt I'd have been back even now, 2 years on.

[lydanial]

was at work on a mild(ish) day and it started snowing, got real heavy so i was allowed to leave early as was on my rg.

ride through town was ok but slippy, then a dual carriage way up hill, there was a lorry that was on inside lane, hardly moving as its wheels just span as it inched up the hill... so i proceeded to overtake, got halfway past (very slowly) and lost traction, ended up jumping off bike and walking/jogging past lorry feathering throttle to keep moving.

extremely slow ride back from that point till i got along the 'top' road that leads to village... it was so windy and heavy snow that every gap in the hedgerow had made a 'speed bump' drift... which at this point i was frozen solid. (i had work trousers under thin waterproofs, a bellstaff, and summer gloves.

reach the top of a hill that leads down into the village, dipped clutch (could barely pull it) but the throttle cable had froze so the engine started racing...flicked off ignition.

the snow was now so thick on the hill that as i rode down i had back brake on and this was causing the back end to skid and try to overtake the front so i then had to pull front brake and lock front wheel to straighten it, so back, front, feet down, back again... felt like i pretty much slid sideways down hill.

pulled outside garage and physically couldnt lift leg over bike, was in that much pain... even worse when i got in house to a blazing coal fire.

[bunglebubs]

[truslack]