Denver Motorcyclist Killed in Lightning Strike

[danX]

I just today returned from Denver where I was for two weeks. While I was there, a motorcyclist was hit by lightning and killed. The rider was riding a sportbike on Highway 36 during a thunderstorm. Whether the lightning killed him or the effects of the subsequent crash killed him has not yet been determined, but that he was hit by lightning has been verified by several witnesses who were driving near the rider when he was hit. I've ridden in rain before, although not in a thunderstorm, and I'd really not given any thought to the idea that morotcyclists might be vulnerable to being hit by lightning. In the future, I'm going to seek cover when a thunderstorm hits.

Here are several links to the story.

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGN ... 89c01ca7bf (http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=f9e2abf3-0abe-421a-004d-866312a8caa8&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf)

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3965395

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3969447

[VTXHOGG]

Welcome back from Colorado, Hope your ready to go back Thursday.

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago a rider was struck by lightning on I-80 near Milford, I think that rider survived. It can happen, Makes me wonder if your more proned to get struck by lighting with a Carbon Fiber helmet, like the golfers and fisherman the use Carbon Fiber clubs and rods?

[danX]

Are you going out this Thursday? I have an eye exam appointment for 10 a.m., so I don't think I'll be able to ride out to GI with you this year. I sure as hell am not going back to Denver on Thursday. Man, I spent two weeks out there, and I worked my butt off, but I made a lot of money.

I came back this past Sunday. Eight hours out, from Beatrice with gas stops at Grand Island, North Platte, and Sterling, CO, two weeks ago, and eight hours back with gas stops at Sterling, North Platte, and Grand Island, on Sunday. I rode at the top end of the speed limit, for the most part.

When I stopped in North Platte, a guy came over and asked me about my pipes. He said he heard me come in, saw that my pipes looked stock, and wanted to know what I'd done, so I told him about Sturgis Thunder Pipe Works. He and a buddy were hauling a trailer with two 1800's in it. They were on their way back to Utah from Columbia, MO., where they'd bought the 1800's at Procycle. He said he bought a new 1800 for $8300, I think was the figure he gave me. I think he said the 1800 was a new 2004. I know it wasn't a 2006, and I do know that Procycle seems to liquidate older new vehicles at super prices, but it also offers great pricing on new current-year vehicles.

http://www.procycleusa.com/index.cfm?page=home

Anyway, the motorcyclist in Denver was wearing a helmet at the time he was hit by the lightning. Most of the sportbike riders in Denver wear helmets, but most of the cruiser riders don't. I don't see a lot of Wings in Denver, although I saw several Valks. Most of the cruisers I saw were Harley's. The location of the lightning strike was puzzling. It was right in the middle of the urban area, so there were plenty of higher-profile vehicles around him, and plenty of higher vertical locations that could have attracted the lightning. It's very strange that the lightning went to ground through him.

[VTXHOGG]

DanX

We are only going to Kearney Thursday to meet up with the Wivo's, Denver Friday, back Monday. I'll drop you an Email when I get back.

Are the Roads in good shape to and Through Denver?