Lightning strikes and motorcycles

[notbike]

Just rode home in a thunderstorm tonight and the thought popped into my head about what would happen if a motorcycle was struck by lightning.

I'm not really talking about while you're on the motorcycle itself, but when it's parked. Mine's chained to a lamp post, so if the lamp post or the bike itself got hit by lightning, what would the damage be?

I've heard cars take lightning strikes well but never really could find any tests that were done on a motorbike. All the info I've managed to get on teh googles was about finding shelter and avoiding the storm itself so nothing interesting.

Fancy getting caught in the storm 5 minutes after my shift ends though, and it only takes me a few minutes to get home.. If I left a few minutes early I'd be bone dry

Would be interesting if anyone's actually had their bike hit by lightning?

[CaNsA]

All the electrics would pop.

[notbike]

[CaNsA]

Dunno, depends if the bike catches fire I guess.

[Ste]

"The lightning strike that knocked out the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines on Tuesday came to earth on a lamppost, it seems." (Sauce)

A car that's hit by lightning acts as a Faraday cage which isn't the case with bikes.

What would the damage be? Fire.

[doggone]

In a car you're pretty safe due to the cage effect, a bike could be struck, any imagined 'insulation' from tyres will have little effect.
I wouldn't like to be caught out on a very open road.
In reality you're probably far more at risk of falling off from gravelly debris washed out of fields or driveways - or a branch dropping in the road.

When parked it will make a good strike point with stand giving a good earth on a wet road.
However most strike damage is not from direct hits, but being close to something else nearby.
A tree or pole might splinter into shards and sometimes a considerable area gets a sudden burst of high voltage - enough to do some damage to electrics.

[CaNsA]

Fucking Cheating haxxor

Biker cheats death after lightning bolt hits helmet as rides along motorway
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/biker-cheats-death-after-lightning-2260000

[stinkwheel]

Most lightning strikes aren't direct.

If it was a direct hit, the power would take the most direct route to earth. It that took it through electronics, it would probably fry them. Chained to a lamppost, I'd suggest it would hit the lamppost and go directly through it. If it hit the bike, it would hit the highest, pointiest bit and earth through the stand by either the shortest route or the thickest bit of metal.

Most lightning strikes however are of the electricity tracking along at ground level until it finds a suitable place to earth. Then it's down to if the object in its way offers a lower resistance path to earth than the ground underneath it.

I'd suggest a motorcyce does not so it would probably be untouched. The human body does conduct quite well so we fare worse. Also why it's a good idea to keep your feet together if caught out in a thunder storm.

The storm near my house the other night was totally amazing. I'd just got home from the pub and stood outside for about an hour watching it circle our village. Some of the strikes were so close the thunder was pretty much similtaneous and you could smell ozone.

Caught a few strikes on camera. I was drunk so you'll have to excuse the "woahs!" and such. I had to edit out a lot of swearing.
https://youtu.be/ekxpGcvkUYw

I've always thought the scars people get from lightening strikes are pretty cool. I've sen them on a cow before, grey hairs on a black cow. Ultimate in cool tattoo.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b8/ea/fc/b8eafc5b1c4117fe380464f4ead7251e.jpg
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.