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RIP Death Valley Rider

berth

berth

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2014
Location
Orange County
Moto(s)
BB F750-GS
A rider in Death Valley died from heat exposure. It was 128 degrees out.

www.upi.com

Motorcyclist dies from suspected heat exposure in California's Death Valley - UPI.com

A motorcyclist has died from suspected heat exposure in California's Death Valley National Park where officials are warning visitors that the temperature can rise as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
www.upi.com www.upi.com

Remember you can saturate your shirts and such while riding in hot, dry conditions. I don't know if it would have been enough to mitigate something like this though.

There's "wind chill factor", I don't know what the opposite is with 128 degree heat at 60 mph.
 
That is the suck. Godspeed Rider :rip

Having ridding in 114 and seeing the heat drain fellow riders I really feel for the group with them too. :rose

What was likely a challenge to the group led to a devistating event. :(
 
Stories about europeans challenging themselves on extreme rallies.
Winter has the Elephant Rally, - temps for fun.
Summer challenge of Death Valley, IS a thing, has been for years.
Record heat bumping 130 this year.
 
Was 121° when I rode through it last time.

VnMSport base layers, soaked cooling vest and wrist wraps, and a gallon jug of water to dump over myself every 30-45 minutes. Survived but can't say it was "fun".

RIP Rider
 
So was it a heat stroke induced crash due to loss of consciousness or solely a medical issue and the riding was incidental? That sounds horrific...I’ve been hot on a bike but never anywhere near that ambient temperature.
 
PorradaVFR said:
So was it a heat stroke induced crash due to loss of consciousness or solely a medical issue and the riding was incidental?
Click to expand...
Yea, there's no details. For all we know they were on the side of road, just walking around. Maybe they stopped because they were too hot. There's no shade in Death Valley.

I don't know if they were kitted up German tourists, a bunch of bikers in T-shirts, or what.

A curious thing, if you think about it. Our heads are wrapped in a styrofoam cooler.

I'd love to learn more details to see what can be learned from this horrific event.
 
I’ve ridden in 117 degree temps in Eastern Oregon. In my all black Aerostich Darien. I had my cooling vest on and had soaked my clothing under the Darien with water. I also soaked my helmet. And I filled the pockets of my Darien with ice. And I had more ice and water in my trunk. Not really fun but it certainly was an experience.
 
Personally I don’t even step outside if it’s over 90-95 degrees, much less ride a motorcycle. Call me a wuss but I’d rather be comfortable.
 
greenmonster said:
Personally I don’t even step outside if it’s over 90-95 degrees, much less ride a motorcycle. Call me a wuss but I’d rather be comfortable alive.
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FTFY.

Was with family in Gatlinburg this past weekend playing the mountainside Hillbilly Golf course in 95 degree heat without factoring in the heat index (albeit shaded but still damn hot...) and unfortunately an 80-year-old man dropped dead from heatstroke. The management said it's the first time in their 53 years of operation that this has ever happened. The signs are always there and people really should familiarize with what heat injuries look/feel like and, for many of the times I've personally experienced, stop acting like you can muscle through it and take it seriously in the first place.
 
Another article said they couldn't get a rescue helicopter to the victim because it was too hot to fly.
 
heat-symptoms-2022-final.png
 
tzrider said:
Another article said they couldn't get a rescue helicopter to the victim because it was too hot to fly.
Click to expand...
Yeah... I looked it up and they typically will not fly above 120 because soon as they add some weight they cannot get up. The air is just to thin.

I did not know that most jets will not fly above 120 either. Just not enough lift and runways are not designed to accomodate the additional distance and speed required.
 
tzrider said:
Another article said they couldn't get a rescue helicopter to the victim because it was too hot to fly.
Click to expand...
What the hell were they trying to fly, R44s?. Every bird we brought to Iraq, small and large, could fly in the desert heat all damn day long. Shit, the MH-6 and OH-58 aren't even "high powered" and they did just fine even when loaded down. :dunno
budman said:
Yeah... I looked it up and they typically will not fly above 120 because soon as they add some weight they cannot get up. The air is just to thin.

I did not know that most jets will not fly above 120 either. Just not enough lift and runways are not designed to accommodate the additional distance and speed required.
Click to expand...
Most jets? What jets? Again, it's not like Dubai International or Kuwait International shut down just because it's 120 degrees outside so what exactly are they flying there that's different?
 
I already left the article. They did say several are good to 130.

So I don't know what most is other than they said most.

Google it yourself.

Love Daddy :laughing
 
In the past two weeks, there have been three overheated fatalities in the Grand Canyon.
Cottonwood is 5 to 7 degrees cooler than Phoenix due to 3 K elevation
I'm doing short rides, shopping, errands, around town when above 110.
When I lived in Bullhead City for a year, I learned. 115 across town will dry you out quick.
Door handles are covered, no naked metal. Nobody is out and about, 115 to 120.
Everybody is out @ 105, living life.
General aviation is flying, here. Fixed and rotary

CHILL. to LIVE. !!!
 
CDONA said:
Door handles are covered, no naked metal.
Click to expand...
Our front door is dead east with pretty much a clear view of the horizon.

In the summer, the sun bakes that thing the door knob something to be conscious of to be sure.

Not so much "oh no my hand is stuck to a sizzling door knob", but more "golly that sure gets hot!".
 
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