Help! Should I avoid rain?

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

How can he avoid rain (at all costs) and still commute in Seattle?

Probably can't, but this was his question:

"Question ----- Should I avoid riding in the rain as much as possible????"

The answer to that question is an emphatic YES, as much as possible!

[BadBillyB]

I agree with Tornado, I avoid riding in the rain as you have very little control of your bike on a wet street. The cagers cant see you when the weather is good, so if its raining you are at great risk. If my bike gets wet, I use compressed air and give it a quick blow dry....Living in Florida, I'm gonna get caught once in a while and to me it's a scary situation.....I find cover and wait it out......BadBillyB

[GregM.]

I watch the weather reports if the rain is spotty coming home i ride, if i get caught in a down pour, i hide and wait it out, when i get home its air compressor and towel time and i don't worry to much about it. it takes a day to clean all the accessable connections and coat them with dielectric grease, a good winter project, and have good tires.

Hey thanks guys. I appreciate your thoughts and advice. And as I said initially, my 850 isn't my only form of transportation. I won't be riding it as much Nov. thru March, except when they're forcasting blocks of dry weather. And even though we just had one of the nicest and driest summers on record, we can still have times year round with days of on and off rain. We don't often get the same kind of downpours that some areas of the country get, but more often, it just rains and rains and is damp out much of the winter.

I do want to commute on it more than I have, because Seattle traffic is some of the worst in the country. But now we have these car/pool lanes everywhere, including my particular route. And motorcycles are allowed, at least in Wa. State, in them 24/7... cutting my commute by at least a half, and sometimes by 2/3.

Based on what I've heard so far, I'll weather-ize my bike a little, and take advantage of those c/p lanes. The time I'll save will more than make up for re-routing some grounds, weather proofing the connections and giving it a good wax job. Anyway, I will be doing this when I think it won't be too bad. I just wanted to learn from you all, if getting caught in some rain once or twice a week would hurt my bike - mostly the unreliable electrical system.

And I hear you about the safety aspect - I'll be cautious and prudent. Any other details on winterizing/waterproofing would be great. Thanks again.

[marvinsc]

Just A thought, You said You had a Covered Area to Park at work. Probably Would Be good to let the Bike Run a Couple of Minutes While You are Getting out of Your Gear if its Wet. The Engine Heat Might Dry off Some of the Moisture.

[GregM.]

Yep... Good idea... I could do that.

Also like the idea of carrying an old terry towel in a plastic bag and giving a quick wipe-down.

I just thought of an idea myself (you experts are rubbing off on me), I could carry a little spray can of that compressed air... for the few times the bike might really get drenched (again, I am going to avoid that for the most part) Anyway, I could spray air under the seat, around the battery box, behind the side covers, up under the tank...
Would that be a good idea?? Maybe not... with my luck I'd force a drop of water right into someplace I don't want it Maybe I should blow that air, only if I know exactly where I'm directing it. What do you think??

[Matt]

No rain no gain?

For my two penny's worth I live in the Uk and only have a bike (two in fact). I do have access to a car (my wife's) but I use that to do the shopping or for hauling big stuff around. Now here's the truth: riding in the rain sucks but riding full stop is better than driving a car. I don't ride in the snow, anymore. I get a lift, use public transport anything but ride in the snow.
In the winter I pray for rain because then I know there isn't any ice, unless it rains in the night then clears up for a bright morning.
As for the bike; pay close attention to the electrical bits, connectors especially, clean them regularly with WD40 and finish off with a silicone spray. Take your handlebar switches apart, clean them up and spray WD40/silicone on them. Make sure your cables are well greased up. Make sure your battery is in good condition and the levels are topped up. Invest in the best tyres, not the best you can afford! Good tyres give you confidence, crappy ones make riding in the wet even more unpleasant than it is and could end up costing you a lot more in the long run.
Now for the most important thing wear good waterproof and warm clothing. Riding a bike when you are cold can be as dangerous as riding having drunk alcohol.
I ride in the rain because of necessity, it doesn't make me a hero or more of a biker than anybody else who might only take his or her bike out on the three driest, hottest sundays of the year.

Ride a bike, enjoy life!\\/

Matt the Brit

[ghwrenchit]

Also like the idea of carrying an old terry towel in a plastic bag and giving a quick wipe-down.

Greg,

I carry an "absorber" folded up in a ziplock bag, you need to leave it damp all the time. You can get these at most autoparts stores or WalM@rt for about $9.00.

http://cleantools.net/website/inner.aspx?pg=../productDesc.aspx?pid=3&desc=../website/htm/the_absorber.htm

Greg

[jimcor]

The compressed can of air won't last one spray down and I'd say you're wasting your time and money with it.

I'd clean every, yep every, connector on the wiring harness and coat them in silicone dielectric grease, available from the auto parts store. Most problems with the GS charging system stem from poor electrical connections so cleaning the connectors is something you should do whether you spend time in the rain or not. Yes, even the ones under the tank and the rats nest inside the headlight bucket. Pay particular attention to the frame ground connections and the fuse box.

Make sure your rainsuit is high visibility.

[beby99]

How can he avoid rain (at all costs) and still commute in Seattle?

lol..thats a myth...there's no rain in Seattle:

[8trackmind]

lol..thats a myth...there's no rain in Seattle:

This week.... :roll: :-D

No coffee there either I suppose.

[8trackmind]

I ride in the rain because of necessity, it doesn't make me a hero or more of a biker than anybody else who might only take his or her bike out on the three driest, hottest sundays of the year.

Ride a bike, enjoy life!\\/

Well put, Matt. :-D

[beby99]

This week.... :roll: :-D

No coffee there either I suppose.

Nope........just tea!

[argonsagas]

Stated as succinctly as possible

If you are literally afraid to ride in the rain, either get over that fear, or stop riding.


Rain is an inevitability, a fact of life. If you ride a long time, you will find yourself in it, and sometimes it can be a really heavy downpour that was not forecast.



If you maintain a fear of rain, when you do find yourself in it, and afraid of it, it is very probable that you a will make mistakes where others would not, and it is too likely that those mistakes, even if they are minor, will lead to more serious problems, as fear causes you to tense, and limits your thoughts and reactions.



The first few minutes after rain begins are a good time to park the bike, as those first drops of water cause oils and junk on the surface of the road to lift, and they become VERY slick. Wait a few minutes for it to wash away and you can ride safely.

Only experience will tell you how long to wait. Basically, if it has not rained for a week or more, it will take longer for the crud to wash away, but the time needed also depends on the amount of rain that falls.

Be careful of ALL painted lines and metal road inserts (covers/grates/rails etc) as they are always slippery.

[jimcor]

Ron is correct. If you do any touring on a bike, you're going to get wet. It's no fun to take a polished and detailed bike out in the filth, but what the hey, you want something to look at buy a sculpture. Ride that motorbike, go someplace. With a good rainsuit, boots and gloves riding may not be the lap of luxury but it can be comfortable...more or less. Take your time, think ahead, be alert. At least the deer are less apt to be about when it's raining.

[GregM.]

Thanks again for all the continued advice.

But Ron, where did all this talk about being afaid of rain come from? I never said anything about fear of riding in bad weather. My main question in this thread, which has been repeated a few times, is the mechanical effect rain will have on a 26 year old m/c. (If I was riding a more contemporary model, with modern electrics, I wouln't even be asking.) My concern is the very old, and apparently poor, GS electrical system. And you all have helped a ton, teaghing me about where the items are... and how I should protect them.

I'm born and raised in Seattle - I've been playing and working outside my whole life. I rode bicycles in all the local weather year round in my youth. I rode m/c (new ones at the time) in the rain between '75 and '85. I've spent 35 years skiing, almost full-time, up in the local mountains. And that's a lot of experience driving in snow, slush and ice. I've taught lots of people how to drive in the snow - cars not m/c I even used to ride my dirt bike in the snow in my teens.

I am certainly not afraid of riding in the rain. Prudent and smart yes, but fearful, no. Anyway, what I'm not smart about is 26 year old GS elec. systems. So again I thank you all for the wothwhile advice.

On a lighter note - I laughed for 15 minutes about Beby99's post with the local forecast in it. Hilarious, Bret!!

Lastly, sorry I don't mean to sound defensive here. I certainly appreciate all the time it takes to type out all your tips and your thoughts, including your's Ron - I'm sure it's meant with good intentions. I just didn't want you to think,"There's the guy afraid of the rain." When I write in for carb. advice next time