[dhgeyer]

I don't ride at night if I can possibly avoid it. Last Summer my daughter hit a deer a couple of miles from home. Came out of nowhere - she never saw it. It hit the right front corner of her car. In 2004 I had one jump in front of me, and it was a close call. If I'd been going a bit faster I'd have hit it. It jumped from behind some trees and landed in the road in front of me. There was nothing I could do - it happened so fast. I was lucky. The last Iron Butt Rally had one fatality - a deer strike. Larry Grodski, one of the most esteemed motorcycle safety experts and trainers in the USA was killed by a deer strike. He didn't like to ride at night either, but was forced to because he lost his motel room and had to move on to the next town. Got him killed. What impresses me about all these incidents is that, no matter how well trained and skillful you are, it doesn't matter. They come out of nowhere so fast there's nothing you can do. Riding at night is a lottery, pure and simple. I don't want to play.

I used to love riding at night, though. It's almost mystical - city lights or country roads. I miss it, but I won't do it willingly.