What did you do to your FJR today?

[Spininprop]

Took it out for a 2 hour ride. First in a month I'm embarrassed to say. Working from home and getting lazy.

[Hppants]

With your humidity I'm not sure how that is possibly pleasant, but at least you don't have to rewet it throughout the day!

It is surprisingly pleasant, really. I have one of those "cooling vests", but soaking the T-shirt works a ton better. The vest is just too insulating to me. In our humidity, the evaporative cooling will work for about 2 hours, maybe 2 1/2.

Honestly, in the summer time, it's really the only way I'll ride.

What is this humidity thing you speaketh of? Is it like work? I don't understand the concept of work either. Just kidding of course.

The sooner you leave work the sooner you will forget all about it. No joke here.

Pants it was wet during my visit with heavy rain in the forecast for six consecutive days. Now it is wet in the summer. It is ever dry?

Rarely. We get about 60 inches of rain per year (sometimes 80+). And when it's not raining, it's still raining, but you just can't see the "rain" in the air. Dewpoint this morning was almost 80 (sigh). Between November and April, this place is pretty good. Between May and October, it's mostly miserable.

There are 12 months in the year, that's why I'm going to move when I retire....

[fontanaman]

Took the FJR and lovely wife for a 75 mile ride in the Palouse wheat fields south of Spokane. Not much of a ride really. I forgot to charge my Sena and the battery went tits up 20 miles in spoiling the whole damn ride. We like talking about what we are seeing. Darn.

Today it will be 92 with 23% humidity. Humidity is low year around. On the down side I give up motorcycling November 1 and don't start up until mid March. Spokane gets about 17" of rain per year but 44" inches of snow. The roads are well sanded and don't clean up well until April 1 or so. We pick our poison.

Tomorrow it will cool down to 85 and we will go golfing. Applied for Medicare today. Oops wrong forum.

Now it is time finish changing the oil on the FJR if I can remember where I put the wrenches.

[raYzerman]

There is porch paint or floor paint, you can always sprinkle sand on it before it dries or use a commercial outdoor stair paint. Did I ever mention horse mats?
For a humidity problem, a simple ceiling fan always on will circulate the air, should help immensely... of course the wall materials have to absorb the humidity.... use plywood.

[escapefjrtist]

Took mine for a 100 mile rip around the 'hood. FJR was egging me on the whole trip...let's go, let's go. Reminded me why I love this machine!

~G

[Hppants]

There is porch paint or floor paint, you can always sprinkle sand on it before it dries or use a commercial outdoor stair paint. Did I ever mention horse mats?
For a humidity problem, a simple ceiling fan always on will circulate the air, should help immensely... of course the wall materials have to absorb the humidity.... use plywood.

Ray - not sure where you are going with your "humidity" recommendation, but I can state with unequivocal fervor one undeniable fact:

There is humidity, and then there is HUMIDITY.

This analysis does not apply to anyone north of Interstate 80. You are welcome to your opinion, but not your facts. And respectfully, the fact is you don't know anything about humidity because you don't have humidity. And be damm glad you don't. You may have your own weather problems (everyone does, really), but humidity is not one of them.

You people north of Interstate 20 but south of Interstate 80 get humidity. In the morning, while it is still cool, the dewpoint finds the temperature. There is some ground fog for a while, but after the sun peeks about 25 degrees from the horizon, things dry up nicely. In the afternoon, when the sun sets below 25 degrees on the opposite horizon, things get pleasant. Tolerable. Enjoyable, even. Oh I know, about 2 days out of 30 days, the humidity holds above 50 percent for the majority of the day, and you moan in shear misery. You scream to the clouds and heavens verses of the unfairness. The indignity of it all. Then tomorrow, the north wind returns and all is right with the world.

We here south of Interstate 20 have HUMIDITY. Unlike our northern neighbors, who have "humidity" cycles that run daily, our HUMIDITY starts about April 15th, and last until about October 1. To save you from dropping your coffee mug to count on fingers, that's FIVE AND ONE HALF MONTHS STRAIGHT! Our HUMIDITY is like an atmospheric blanket. The air is heavy and our people have evolved pseudo gills for which to breathe during the summer months. Think about that feeling you have for 15 seconds after you have showered and toweled off standing on your bath matte. Your pores are still open and even though you are "dry", the bathroom is kind of steamy and you still feel a little moist. Well, we feel that way 24 hours a day for HALF THE FRIGGIN YEAR!!! Now, I hear it does wonders for the ladies skin complexion, and to be fair, our gals to look quite nice.

Now for centuries, mankind has tried many ways to curtail this issue. Insulation, air circulation, etc - these things work for people that have humidity. But for those of us that have HUMIDITY - there is only one cure:

Evaporating freon - and a shit ton lot of it.

Of course, we supplement that with the other things, but without it, those are useless.

For those that know me, you are not surprised. But for the rest, know that this is the time of year when Pants goes on his annual soapbox. I've been subjected to this f@$king airborne blanket for about 3 1/2 months. The end is closer than the beginning, but still, I'm frustrated. The heat relents on and like COVID-19, it doesn't give a shit what I think or feel. In about 2 months, the north wind will return (I hope and pray), and once again, all will be well in the world. I'll get there. In the grand scheme of things, especially THIS year, its a very minor problem. But like you, I am human and there is only so much of anything one man can take.

Stay thirsty, my friends.....

[ionbeam]

...There is humidity, and then there is HUMIDITY...

Having lived in Arecibo Puerto Rico (the coast, not the forest) for a few years I have some idea of what HUMIDITY is like. With no AC.

We have had a long stretch this year where the dew point has been in the 70s to 90s. Between COVID closing things down and week after week with temps in the upper 90's and humidity in the upper 80s we have put the fewest miles ever on a motorcycle. Last fall when I quit my job I had envisioned having this summer off to do a lot of bike riding. Disappointed.

[BkerChuck]

Rode to work this morning as our weather forecast for the next couple of days does not look favorable. The crap pounding the cost is heading north and inland and we should start dealing with the heavy rain and winds later tonight.

Just as a public service announcement, several of the serious Iron Butt riders I know like to take their GPS along sometime when flying for business or vacation and turn it on briefly while in the airplane, just long enough to record a nice airspeed. By doing this if ever pulled over and the LEO would happen to ask how fast they were going they could flip that on and explain how they've been having issues with this damned thing but that can't be right.

[gixxerjasen]

There is humidity, and then there is HUMIDITY.

Having grown up in Florida, I have to remind the folks here in Dallas of this when they complain about the humidity.

Oh look, Pants gets some months away from the humidity. Floridians don't get that at all. Which is why I moved away and haven't moved back.

[Hppants]

...There is humidity, and then there is HUMIDITY...

Having lived in Arecibo Puerto Rico (the coast, not the forest) for a few years I have some idea of what HUMIDITY is like. With no AC.

We have had a long stretch this year where the dew point has been in the 70s to 90s. Between COVID closing things down and week after week with temps in the upper 90's and humidity in the upper 80s we have put the fewest miles ever on a motorcycle. Last fall when I quit my job I had envisioned having this summer off to do a lot of bike riding. Disappointed.

Puerto Rico has HUMIDITY, no doubt. Without evaporating freon, it would be past miserable, unbearable I dare state.

And again, I do recognize everyone has "stretches" of higher dewpoints, even "long" stretches, but not 1/2 of the year straight, 24 hours a day.

Jasen gets it. Dan gets it. But seriously, you'd have to be here to get it. We just sweat a lot. A WHOLE lot.....

[gixxerjasen]

Jasen gets it. Dan gets it. But seriously, you'd have to be here to get it. We just sweat a lot. A WHOLE lot.....

Take a shower to get ready for work. By the time you walk from your front door to your car you need another shower.

Some folks give their kids a beater for their first car to make them appreciate a nice car. In Florida, parents give their kids a car with a broken air conditioner to make them appreciate a nice car. I don't know how many years I suffered back and forth to my crappy job in my car with broken ac.

[Red]

Jasen gets it. Dan gets it. But seriously, you'd have to be here to get it. We just sweat a lot. A WHOLE lot.....

Some folks give their kids a beater for their first car to make them appreciate a nice car. In Florida, parents give their kids a car with a broken air conditioner to make them appreciate a nice car. I don't know how many years I suffered back and forth to my crappy job in my car with broken ac.

Hppants,

When I was stationed in Mississippi (on the Gulf Coast), I watched the local traffic police , who were sitting in their A/C cruisers and watching for bad drivers. They would let almost anything go, like illegal turns, no turn signal, bad lane changes, speeding - you name it, as long as all of the offending car's windows were rolled up. Anybody with their windows rolled down (thus, no Air Conditioning) were fair game; they would not have a lawyer, or the financial opportunity (like vacation days) to fight a ticket. Sad but true.

I did read somewhere that even if you NEVER wear a suit and tie, you should still do so on the day that you get your driver license photo taken. The better your appearance, then, the better that license photo will speak for you, if needed, later. On the FJR, anytime I talk to the police, I get my helmet off, first thing. Gray hair does have some advantages.
.

[Hppants]

Jasen gets it. Dan gets it. But seriously, you'd have to be here to get it. We just sweat a lot. A WHOLE lot.....

Take a shower to get ready for work. By the time you walk from your front door to your car you need another shower.

Some folks give their kids a beater for their first car to make them appreciate a nice car. In Florida, parents give their kids a car with a broken air conditioner to make them appreciate a nice car. I don't know how many years I suffered back and forth to my crappy job in my car with broken ac.

First, let me state that at least where I specifically grew up, "folks" didn't "give" their kids a beater, or any other automobile. No sir, my siblings and I purchased our own vehicle with our own money earned by sweat, tears, and perhaps a little blood.

However and more applicably second - you might find it interesting to know that Pants learned the theoretical and technical principles of refrigeration about 2 weeks after he purchased his first vehicle. Back then, necessity was (and still is) the mother of invention. With my new found knowledge (thanks Dad again, for teaching me about things), and some loaner tools (once again, thanks Dad), I replaced the faulty high side A/C hose, along with the dryer. I pulled a vacuum on the system, and re-charged it dutifully with R-12 refrigerant, AKA - "the Ozone killer".

After all, at the conclusion of our car dates, if I was to have any chance for my sweetie (at the time) to allow me access to the treasures underneath her sweater, I certainly couldn't have her sweating much, now could I?

Indeed, necessity is the mother of invention.....

[danh600]

There is humidity, and then there is HUMIDITY.

Having grown up in Florida, I have to remind the folks here in Dallas of this when they complain about the humidity.

Oh look, Pants gets some months away from the humidity. Floridians don't get that at all. Which is why I moved away and haven't moved back.

We do have the humidity most of the year. But to be fair it's not ALL year. Where I live in S FL it's pretty nice from about Nov-March. The only problem living this far south is cold fronts often stall before bringing us nice cold dry air. They just bring a little rain and it warms right back up.

Strangely C FL is even different than S FL. The nights start getting cooler a little quicker in the year. The cold fronts come past and make for some really nice days. While not a huge difference C FL is often much more pleasant.

The one good thing about FL is ocean breezes seem to keep us from ever having 100+ degree days. That almost never happens anywhere in FL. Now the "Feels Like" temp almost always goes over 100 every day in the summer because of the humidity.

Honestly, what I dislike most here is it does not cool off that much at night. When I get home from work and try to do stuff in the garage or on the patio it's still 90+ degrees. We go for stretches where it doesn't even get into the 70s in the wee hours. Some mornings I walk out on the patio at day break and it's like opening an oven door. One day a few weeks back I got up before day break to go for a ride. When the sun started pecking out it was already 84.

I want to move far enough north where it cools off at night at least. However, not far enough to have to put up with that frozen white stuff. I am too old to adapt to that at this point in life.

I know my ancestors were tough. I am third generation S FL. They came before AC. I have no idea how they did it.

[HotRodZilla]

There is porch paint or floor paint, you can always sprinkle sand on it before it dries or use a commercial outdoor stair paint. Did I ever mention horse mats?
For a humidity problem, a simple ceiling fan always on will circulate the air, should help immensely... of course the wall materials have to absorb the humidity.... use plywood.

Ray - not sure where you are going with your "humidity" recommendation, but I can state with unequivocal fervor one undeniable fact:

There is humidity, and then there is HUMIDITY.

This analysis does not apply to anyone north of Interstate 80. You are welcome to your opinion, but not your facts. And respectfully, the fact is you don't know anything about humidity because you don't have humidity. And be damm glad you don't. You may have your own weather problems (everyone does, really), but humidity is not one of them.

You people north of Interstate 20 but south of Interstate 80 get humidity. In the morning, while it is still cool, the dewpoint finds the temperature. There is some ground fog for a while, but after the sun peeks about 25 degrees from the horizon, things dry up nicely. In the afternoon, when the sun sets below 25 degrees on the opposite horizon, things get pleasant. Tolerable. Enjoyable, even. Oh I know, about 2 days out of 30 days, the humidity holds above 50 percent for the majority of the day, and you moan in shear misery. You scream to the clouds and heavens verses of the unfairness. The indignity of it all. Then tomorrow, the north wind returns and all is right with the world.

We here south of Interstate 20 have HUMIDITY. Unlike our northern neighbors, who have "humidity" cycles that run daily, our HUMIDITY starts about April 15th, and last until about October 1. To save you from dropping your coffee mug to count on fingers, that's FIVE AND ONE HALF MONTHS STRAIGHT! Our HUMIDITY is like an atmospheric blanket. The air is heavy and our people have evolved pseudo gills for which to breathe during the summer months. Think about that feeling you have for 15 seconds after you have showered and toweled off standing on your bath matte. Your pores are still open and even though you are "dry", the bathroom is kind of steamy and you still feel a little moist. Well, we feel that way 24 hours a day for HALF THE FRIGGIN YEAR!!! Now, I hear it does wonders for the ladies skin complexion, and to be fair, our gals to look quite nice.

Now for centuries, mankind has tried many ways to curtail this issue. Insulation, air circulation, etc - these things work for people that have humidity. But for those of us that have HUMIDITY - there is only one cure:

Evaporating freon - and a shit ton lot of it.

Of course, we supplement that with the other things, but without it, those are useless.

For those that know me, you are not surprised. But for the rest, know that this is the time of year when Pants goes on his annual soapbox. I've been subjected to this f@$king airborne blanket for about 3 1/2 months. The end is closer than the beginning, but still, I'm frustrated. The heat relents on and like COVID-19, it doesn't give a shit what I think or feel. In about 2 months, the north wind will return (I hope and pray), and once again, all will be well in the world. I'll get there. In the grand scheme of things, especially THIS year, its a very minor problem. But like you, I am human and there is only so much of anything one man can take.

Stay thirsty, my friends.....

I got to deal with your humidity in August 2005. 14 days wearing around 50lbs of gear and patrolling the flooded streets of LA. It was hotter than balls and the humidity was Hell. We had a line of porta potties we had leased from someplace in Gonzales. We called them the "Shauna." Because they were both a shitter and a sauna. We shit with the door open because we had to. Even the girls. It was better than melting.

After 3 or 4 days, I had not slept more than about 8 hours total. I couldn't sleep in a tent in that heat. I finally grabbed the keys to our Expedition and ran the AC while I slept in the back seat. Not comfortable, but better than it was. I woke up and all the windows had about an inch of condensation on them. I maybe got 3 hours of sleep that night.

I FINALLY found a cot in the fire department's equipment trailer. It had it's own RV AC and a generator. We had cots stuffed in there like a jigsaw puzzle and were sleeping nut to butt but it was cool inside. We had to walk on the frames of the cots to get to the inner cots. Getting up to piss was not an option so I'd hug my rifle and sleep maybe 5 or 6 hours a night, which was a huge improvement. I'd get dressed in the tent I abandoned and then head out for my assignments. It was miserable.

We have dry heat here which everyone thinks is some "better" kind of heat. Just remember, dry heat is what you use to cook a turkey or cookies in the oven. This is "pavement burning our feet through our shoes" type of heat. AZ is worse. Screw that! We get 4 seasons here and by the end of summer we are ready for the cold. By the end of winter we are pushing for the heat. Fall rocks and Spring blows, literally. f@$king 70mph winds for 2 months is miserable.

I guess we all get it somehow, so better to just sick it up and have fun doing what you do. Haha!

[danh600]

Jasen gets it. Dan gets it. But seriously, you'd have to be here to get it. We just sweat a lot. A WHOLE lot.....

Take a shower to get ready for work. By the time you walk from your front door to your car you need another shower.

Some folks give their kids a beater for their first car to make them appreciate a nice car. In Florida, parents give their kids a car with a broken air conditioner to make them appreciate a nice car. I don't know how many years I suffered back and forth to my crappy job in my car with broken ac.

First, let me state that at least where I specifically grew up, "folks" didn't "give" their kids a beater, or any other automobile. No sir, my siblings and I purchased our own vehicle with our own money earned by sweat, tears, and perhaps a little blood.

Ha. My Dad actually owned a car dealership when I was a teenager. You think I drove a new car? NO

Funny story. One day I was working in the shop at the dealership. My Dad calls me up front. He tells me to go get the tow truck driver. I was too young to drive the tow truck because I could not get a CDL yet. He tells me there is a truck upside down in the ditch and we needed to bring it back to the dealership.
He tells me the truck was just purchased. I kind of laugh and said "You bought a truck out of a ditch?"

As I am walking out I hear "No, you did."

So my first vehicle came out of a ditch upside down, not from the show room.

At least the ditch was dry at the time.

[gixxerjasen]

First, let me state that at least where I specifically grew up, "folks" didn't "give" their kids a beater, or any other automobile. No sir, my siblings and I purchased our own vehicle with our own money earned by sweat, tears, and perhaps a little blood.

Well, let's just say that "Giving" me a car was never in the plan. However, when they found out how little the dealer was giving them for their trade in, and knowing I'd be driving the new car, they felt that it was in everyone's best interest to give me that car.

However and more applicably second - you might find it interesting to know that Pants learned the theoretical and technical principles of refrigeration about 2 weeks after he purchased his first vehicle. Back then, necessity was (and still is) the mother of invention. With my new found knowledge (thanks Dad again, for teaching me about things), and some loaner tools (once again, thanks Dad), I replaced the faulty high side A/C hose, along with the dryer. I pulled a vacuum on the system, and re-charged it dutifully with R-12 refrigerant, AKA - "the Ozone killer".

Yes, dear old dad. My dad grew up in a single parent home, where my grandfather turned wrenches, worked construction and raced cars and motorcycles. Absolutely NONE of those were things absorbed by my father's brain. Thus, none of that was passed down to me. We think the desire skipped a generation, but the knowledge was not passed on. I did however learn to recognize the difference between a Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Dali, and an O'Keefe.

All of my mechanical knowledge I've gained myself through trial and error, and as we well know, it's often error. But, all things considered, I think I do pretty well overall.

After all, at the conclusion of our car dates, if I was to have any chance for my sweetie (at the time) to allow me access to the treasures underneath her sweater, I certainly couldn't have her sweating much, now could I?

If she was wearing a sweater at any time of the year in Louisiana, she really needed to come out of that promptly, and nothing would do it faster than a broken air conditioner. But, what do I know, I had my geeky nose buried so deep in computers that girls weren't talking to me. Somehow, geek later became attractive, but I sure missed out on that.

[HotRodZilla]

Mmmmmm... Sweater puppies! The best kind of puppies!

[Powerman]

I was introduced to HUMIDITY when the double doors opened at the Miami airport. Grew up in Washington State in SeaTac, wet but cool. Spent a year at tech school in Denver in the dry. Spent my Air Force career in Homestead FL. Had a TDY to the Marshall Islands for 6 months, also a little humid.

The heavy drinking, the heat and humidity kicked my ass. Fancied myself a distance runner and after getting used to the altitude in Denver, S. Fla was worse. A couple of months and my times were back to normal.
Air Force had no PT and I invited to run with the Army guys. Me and the Army Navahoe kid weren't too popular when setting the pace.

[Uncle Hud]

(Busy, busy busy ... work is a necessary evil, I suppose.)

Back to the drop posts ... I've never been able to lift mine without the adrenaline that accompanies a really embarrassing drop.