i have tried newspaper also, since as you rightly said - it is easily available at roadside dhaba or tea stall.

but since it is harder than soft tissue paper, it does not clean as good as soft tissue paper. but it is the second best option. just make sure that newspaper picked at dhaba does not have any oil on it, otherwise it will make your life worse.

The way I found it better than soft tissue paper is when it is being used when there is some water involved(due to rain) since tissue paper lends to leave small fibre residue, not the case with Newspaper.. But still, Newspaper is always 2nd option. Microfiber cloth will be impossible to use in wet weather as once it gets dirty, you cannot just throw it away.

News paper/tissue paper/cloth... There is not going to be a world of difference between either. Use whatever resources you have at hand, and clean the visor.

The best way to clean a visor is to actually keep it under running water to wash off the bigger particles and after that pour/rub soap on to it. Then with a gentle touch cleanse the surface. For drying use newspaper/tissue paper/cloth whatever. just ensure you wipe it completely dry and you are good to go.

As a best practice one should replace the clear visor once its scratched beyond a certain point, scratches are unavoidable.. They will happen, unless you don't ride at all . I usually replace my clear visor every 6-8-10 months depending on how much night riding I have done. The tinted visors since used primarily in the day are only change once every 1.5 years!

Regarding part in bold... +1. I put the visor under a running tap in the wash basin and then clean it up... The part in blue was the topic being discussed.

Since I do quite a lot of night riding.. +1 to the Green part. Tinted visors are a strict No No..

very informative thread..... good points for riding at night..... almost all points are covered..... just wanted to add one thing from my side..... it regarding following a car in highways..... the idea is very good and advisable..... but there are now three types of roads in our country.....
1) 1st we have four lanes or expressways with dividers and very good road conditions..... and I found the drivers on these roads to be very helpful..... so, on these roads rather than tailing a four wheeler I lead them with few meters ahead on the other lane..... so, its me on one lane with another fast four wheeler with me on the other lane..... & make yourself visible by blinkers when you need to switch lanes or to overtake other vehicles..... even that four wheeler, rather than overtaking you will be more helpful with its brighter lights & overtaking other vehicles..... if you are leading such four wheeler, always take first decision..... like for overtaking a vehicle, give a signal way ahead in actually overtaking a vehicle.....
2) 2nd comes the two lane roads which are in good conditions..... here I'll also follow a four wheeler rather than overtaking it and leading it..... but its better to go ahead rather than following a slow four wheeler, which I faced a lot during my trips..... n always give signals near villages/towns & near turns how small it may be..... better blow horns if you even have a small doubt of seeing someone or having a feeling that someone might be on road..... better be visible and audible by others and avoid any mishap.....
3) 3rd & final comes the poor condition roads, which are very rarely taken, or under construction roads..... here whatever maybe the situation or in how hurry you maybe, always go slow..... by slow I mean the speed in which you are comfortable to stop your vehicle within few meters say 20meters..... very advisable to follow a four wheeler..... but if you are riding alone, always have a look at the road ahead and nearby..... the oncoming vehicles light helps very little, but helps in understanding the road ahead..... have good judgement..... n strictly no ride if you are tired..... these roads will take maximum of your energy even in daylight, let alone the night driving..... so, plan your journey properly for these roads can be covered in daylight.....

for rain riding, I always tail a four wheeler in every road..... but I choose a decently fast moving car.....

always clean your visor and your head light whenever you take a stop.....

VEry true keeping the visor clean and clear, washing it with the water and then wiping it with tissuepaper surely help and keeps your visor scratch less and makes clear visibility during the night rides, i generally keep both the visors in im bag, blacksmoke or tinted for rides during the day time and clear for the night rides.

On the 29th of December 2012 I left Gurgaon for Kanpur at 6 PM. It was already dark. I generally avoid riding at night. So I was ill prepared.

A few lessons I learnt -

- Dress up in multiple layers of clothing. I was wearing 6 layers of clothing and didn't feel cold even when temperatures were less than 2 degrees! Layers were - cycling vest, thermal vest, t shirt, woollen polo neck, riding jacket with thermal liner. Also one can carry a windcheater to wear over the riding jacket. I wore my rain pants over my jeans to protect me from the
- Using a tinted visor is not impossible. I used a tinted visor, since I prefer that. It helps with cutting down the glare of oncoming vehicles. But one must ensure that it is clean and scratch free.
- Wearing two cotton balaclavas or one silk one should suffice.
- Tank up so that you don't get stranded with a want for petrol.
- Follow a fast car. Even at night one can ride very fast, but for a much shorter duration. So if you can catch a fast car you will easily be able to keep up. Drafting a fast car helps, as you don't get hit by the ice cold breeze. Also I find target fixation on a fast car at night helps cover distances without tiring oneself.
- Luggage should be mounted securely as you wouldn't want to stop on a dark, dacoit infested highway to tighten a strap.
- Ride on low beam if even a slight haze is present. High beam bounces off the haze and fog.

I kept a good pace throughout (80-100 kmph) and managed to cover my 500 km journey in 7 hours. I did not take a break though and was very stiff when I got off the bike after 500 km and 7 hours of riding.

Finally, avoid riding at night as far as possible

You may also want to consider having your Helmet jacket lined with Conspicuity stickers. They are an absolute boon while riding at night...

Cheers!!

Exactly drafting a fast car could help you much better to maintain you pace a bit but somewhat you need to be more careful while riding at higher speeds during the nights due to less sight and the unwanted animal crossings like dogs, cattles and the dead dogson the road.

mmm interesting and bugger you dont even tell me when you here...
Well I have been doing night riding since a very long time. Yes I enjoy it, whether its plains or hills.
The most important thing in night riding for a rider is to tank up himself well, as at times you dont feel like stopping specially if its cold. I prefer to eat well, have a cup of tea and then hit the roads.
About following a fast car in night, I dont know but I prefer it not comfortable. But everyone has there own riding style. I am saying this because of my experiences, that fast car can be fatal at times and specially if you have a TARGET FIXATION. Though it all depends on individuals riding style.
Night is the time, when your focus increases a lot, and one should be able to maintain that focus throughout, and also know when your focus is deviating.

Let me know whenever you are here next would like to sit and yap

I love night riding! If I plan for long over night trips then I mostly ride on full moon nights, not for auspicious reasons. Full moon nights give you better visibility on pitch dark highways & you always have the bigger moon beside you which is a great feel. I generally carry a LED torch as it is a necessity during puncture or any fuse failure its better than wasting your precious mobile battery. I find the best thing about over night riding is the breaking of early morning sun its an awesome feeling.

Almost all important points are covered but want to add something from my experience as I also do night driving and riding most of the times.
1)We should be more cautious while crossing a city as traffic wont be there and people drive rash(mostly drink and drive type)
2)Usually I listen to the music which I am not so fond of it, that keeps me awake and focussed. If you listen to the music which you like then there are chances of getting into the tune and feel relax and sleepy.(Thats my take).It sounds weird but it helped me a lot.
3)If you are riding with pillion rider than make sure that even he should not feel sleepy that will make you lose your balance.

Arey Sirjee. Inspired by you and your musketeers I decided to ride at night. Else hate riding at night!

Am in Delhi only by the way. For good!

Re: Night Riding

After two extensive night rides and numerous moderately-long ones, may I share my two pence here. More experienced people may feel free to correct me if required.

• Find out your night riding comfort zone. Everyone has their own comfort zone. For me, it's 60 kph on state roads, 70 kph in a single lane highway, and 85 kph on 4-lane roads at night.
• The next step would be to calculate your average speed based on your comfortable speeds. For most highways, your average speed will be approximately 60% of your cruising speed. So if your cruise at 100 kph, your average speed will be around 60-65 kph. Keep these figures in mind and plan your journey.
• Keep a tab on your fuel gauge. You wouldn't enjoy watching your last bar blinking when you are passing through some densely forested area at midnight. Most people don't keep spare fuel handy unless they are touring really far.
• This point is debatable, though from my personal experience, caffeine helps. So if you are fatigued, and come across a tollgate or a dhaba - hop over for a cuppa. Most tollgates usually have a chaiwalla serving 24x7.
• Combine that tea break with some leg-stretching exercises, a short squat on a flat surface, and some hopping. If possible, talk to someone - it breaks the monotony of a dead-silent ride and makes you alert mentally. Need an ice-breaker? Ask the distance to the next town, and you have a conversation in place!

Re: Night Riding

7 hours non stop? How do you prepare yourself for it? Mentally and physically? That requires a lot of patience and perseverance.