first rain ride

[MaxxRonin]

well today was interesting i spent some time with a good friend then on the way home i got nailed by a freaky tiny storm. it was maybe a square mile but followed me for a good 15-20. i was in a t-shirt and the speed limit was 50mph i didnt think rain could hurt that much.

[Zooks]

Well, the obvious question that most will ask is - What on earth were you doing wearing only a T-shirt?
Are you a fan of road rash?

[argonsagas]

Riding in the rain is a different experience, but it is HIGHLY recommended that you do not do this immediately after the rain starts as the pavement is very slippery for the first ten minutes of rain..


Wearing only a T-shirt? And you made it home without slipping? Good show for the last, but a VERY poor choice for the former.

If you think rain hurts a lot, you are in for one h ll of a shock when you meet pavement, even if it happens at 20 MPH.

[Redman]

Without commenting on the t-sirt . . .

You are not a real biker (or "motorcyclist" if you prefere) till you have riden in the rain. And so now you have and so now you are.

Now the next step is to go out on your bike even if you know it might rain.
And the next step after that is to head out when it is raining.
Both of which typically involves having rain gear, and then a way to carry it.
Speaking of having gear . . . ah, well, .. I said I wasnt going to mention it.

[Redman]

Maxx

I looked at your photoalbumn "my bike". THose two bikes or the same bike?

[Road_Clam]

well today was interesting i spent some time with a good friend then on the way home i got nailed by a freaky tiny storm. it was maybe a square mile but followed me for a good 15-20. i was in a t-shirt and the speed limit was 50mph i didnt think rain could hurt that much.

Feels like 100,000 bee stings hitting you all over huh?

At 50 mph, if you don't have a wind shield it's gonna be a PAINFULL ride home..

[bwringer]

The best way to keep the rain away is to spend 20 minutes in a parking lot putting on hot, sweaty rain gear.

Simply carrying rain gear on the bike with you has been proven to decrease your chances of actually getting rained on by nearly 40%, while leaving the rain gear at home makes you 50% more likely to get caught in a freak storm. (Did you know that 70% of all statistics are made up on the spot?)

Last year on the way to North Carolina, we hit a violent rain storm on the Foothills Parkway. Stopped, struggled into rain gear in a driving rain, continued on.

Foiled, the rain stopped about 5 minutes later. When we got to the Dragon (Deals Gap) shortly after that, the road wasn't even wet. I decided to keep my mismatched anti-rain suit on to foil any lurking clouds, which explains the hobo look seen here:


When we got to the resort, I foolishly took off the rain pants. And of course, we got rained on less than 5 minutes later, all the way into Robbinsville.

I tell you, those rain clouds have evil brains. And eyes.

[bradleymaynar]

Be thankful it was only rain stinging you. I've ridden through hail before. And even with gear (except rain gear) that stuff hurts. Thank goodnes it's only been pea-sized, anything larger would do some damage.:shock:

Brad bt

[MaxxRonin]

yeah t-shirt...not the smartest thing, but man it was such a nice day out and looking at all the other riders in their t's i gave into peer pressure and figured what the heck. on the plus side i only ride locally, which means i know the roads and the traffic patterns, not that it helps alot but it beats going where ive never been before. that and right now i can't afford real gear, my riding attire when fully dressed consists of heavy duty boots, jeans, a leather jacket and gloves. and of course a helmet.

redman- they're two different bikes. the crummy one was my first bike, i bought it as a project, but then came across a guy nearby who wanted to trade the stocker for a paintball gun. he wanted something safer cause he had two kids. so i jumped on that and sold the crummy one for what i bought it for.

P.s. i took the bike to the drag strip friday. and ran a 13.982

[83GSrider]

Hey Maxx would that dragstrip be Raceway Park in Englishtown? We should hook up sometime and go riding. I just got my 83 1100 back on the road last week. Let me know if your interested.

[spyug]

If you believe the statistics, you are more likely to run into trouble within 6 miles of your home so if anything, you should wear all the gear when you are putting around home.

I am one of the "all the gear-all the time " guys and I don't leave home without it.

Yesterday morning I rode my XS for the firstime in about 3 months. As I noticed some potential charging problems and as I am still plagued by a sciatic nerve problem in my left leg I decided to stay close to home. The weather was so good It was no problem to wear the gear and I blasted around for about 45 minutes.

Once, coming around a 90 degree corner , I nearly became a hood ornament for a cager that wasn't paying attention but the old swerve training took hold and I steamed on by. Twice I came by as cagers were backing out of the driveway and looking the other way. One other time a woman in an SUV with phone glued to the ear did a 3 point turn in front of me with no warning. All of this within 1/8 to 1/4 of a mile from home.

I was a tiny bit sweaty but its a small price to pay to be safe. I think knowing that you have some protection also gives you a bit more confidence.

If you do nothing else keep wearing the gear you have. As money permits buy some armoured pants at least ( most injuries are to the legs). I have a set of Icon textile pants I got off E-bay for under $100.

My 2 cents.

Cheers,
Spyug

[SteveN]

I had my first experience with riding in the rain (Serious rain, I've ridden in showers before) yesterday for about 100 miles out of a 130 mile trip. Saw a lot of people caught out without rain gear, sitting under hi way overpasses. The worst part was the wind blowing the bike across the lane! I had some rain gear with me, some bib pants and a coat I "borrowed" from work.The day before I dumped the bike for the first time, a low speed fall on a dirt road. Didn't even think that MS map search wouldn't differentiate between paved and unpaved roads!
What a weekend!

[catfishk]

Riding in the rain is a different experience, but it is HIGHLY recommended that you do not do this immediately after the rain starts as the pavement is very slippery for the first ten minutes of rain..

yes, the rain water lifts oils off the road during this time, layering oils above the rain slick, and you have yourself a dangerous situation...

i'll be the first to tell you that road rash and exhaust pipe burns heal very slowly. then there are the rocks popping up and the cigarettes flicked from cars... i'd say it's better to cover up, but i'd be a bit hypocritical, as i ride around town in a shirt and shorts sometimes

my nurse friend says that removing melted denim from road burns is more painful than not wearing anything to begin with. ride naked!

[MaxxRonin]

Naked men on naked bikes...seems like a logical step.

83gsrider- its actually island dragway up near hackettstown, but id be more than happy to swing by raceway park some time. what day is your street legal racing held?

the only reason mosts accidents happen that close to home is because thats where we are most of the time. we dont drive 95 miles away to get our groceries, its no safer away from home because 75 miles out you may get in an accident with a guy pulling out of his driveway. the stats hold true to him only because you were there. i am more apt to think that if you drove the same amount of time away from home as you do at home, youd be more likely to get in an accident away from home because you dont know the roads as well.

catfishk- ill have to agree with you, i was at school one day and slipped while putting the bike on the centerstand. in the rush to pick up the bike i braced myself against the bike, and it turns out i actually braced my leg against the pipe. i left a decent patch of skin on my motorcycle that day.
and i always thought they were myths abot riders getting hit with cigarette butts but i dodged one the other night. at least they are easier to see at night.

[JHawkins]

I haven't had a cigarette butt yet, but the darn windshield washer fluid has got me a bunch of times when behind a vehicle.