Riding in the rain.

[GQROD]

+1 for not wearing untreated leather,

I wore a leather jacket, it rained all morning during the test day of my MSF course, it SUCKED. Visibility was cruddy i did pass! but my nerves were shot.

Then while on a short run during my tuning of the carbs, the bike shut off, the starter fried and i had to push start it while on the bike THANK GOD it started right away, all this during a vicious summer down pour here in Florida.

Definetly get a textile jacket/suit, good boots/gloves and try not to ride at all in the rain if you don't have to.

[jabberjoe87]

what are peoples opinions on the effects/damage to your bike from riding in the rain. Does it put a hurtin on the electrics?

[simon kuether]

Riding in the rain is cool ( and wet ) .Sharpens your skills . Slow up a bit and stay SMOOTH . Use your engine rather than your brakes . SMOOTH on and off both brakes and throttle . You learn quickly ( or should ) how to pick and hold a SMOOTH line through corners.Once you can do it in the wet , you become so much better in the dry and you find you enjoy dry riding so much more . I recommend it . Cheers , Simon.

[themess]

what are peoples opinions on the effects/damage to your bike from riding in the rain. Does it put a hurtin on the electrics?

Should not make any difference if the connections are tight and sealed. Motorcycles are designed to work well in rain. Use dielectric grease to help keep moisture out of connectors.

[DanTheMan]

65% of the BRCs I've taught are in the rain. Lots of rainy days especially this year. I sprayed my spark plug cables and boots with waterproofing spray and haven't had any rain related electrical problems since.

[MelodicMetalGod]

Words of wisdom? Hmmm...

Move to San Diego?


Got caught in the rain a couple weeks ago, first time in years. Didn't like it all!!!

My advice: Don't ride in the rain. As dpep said, all the advantages of being on a bike become disadvantages as soon as the rain hits. I don't care to be more of a target with less ability to get out of the way of all those 2,000+ lb missiles. Worst part about riding in the rain is lack of vision. Between rain and fogging on the shield, it's awful.

Best of luck and stay dry!

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I rode 50 miles in the rain today*. Mostly in the 40-55 mph posted range.

Any particular words of wisdom?

(4pm, about 40degrees F)

Park bike.
Get in car.
Live long.

[salty_monk]

You can also park under a bridge right Keith?

[KEITH KRAUSE]

You can also park under a bridge right Keith?

Smart guy, huh?
That was one of the worst times I ever had. No choice but to go forward. Cars right on my ass at 70 mph. Can't see well at all. My new bike WITH that ram-air design. Thinking about the rain getting in....wonderful time.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Oh, and I hope the new baby keep you up.

[tkent02]

Riding in the rain is cool ( and wet ) .Sharpens your skills . Slow up a bit and stay SMOOTH . Use your engine rather than your brakes . SMOOTH on and off both brakes and throttle . You learn quickly ( or should ) how to pick and hold a SMOOTH line through corners.Once you can do it in the wet , you become so much better in the dry and you find you enjoy dry riding so much more . I recommend it . Cheers , Simon.

+1 on this. Growing up in Seattle there is not much riding without a good chance of riding in the rain, ride it and enjoy it, just respect it. Good tires, Rain-X, good gear all helps. Don't push your luck around cages, they will **** up. Learn how much traction you have left, don't just guess. Learn how much traction you have by braking, doing little traction tests here and there. Modern tires in good condition do pretty darn good job of sticking in water. Then don't go too close to the limit on this, as the available traction will be different in different places that may look the same. Learn where and when the slick spots are. Go easy where there are things going on, poor road sections, cell talking idiots, little knots of impatient traffic are to be avoided even more than normal. ATGATT, of course. If your riding skills are not yet up to handling little slips and skids, if your fingers don't automatically apply instantaneous corrections when you make a mistake, you are not ready for much rain, at least not around any traffic.

Use your head, your discretion, rush hour crowds on a multilane highway with water flying everywhere is not a place I would go on two wheels unless I really had to.

[tone]

360 + miles in the rain this week & another 50 or so while its not actually been raining but the roads have still been wet & greasy

My tips are .......
accelerate smoothly, brake progressively, cut down on your lean angle, avoid painted lines, avoid manhole covers/ drains etc, leave plenty of time & space to react to anything other road users are doing. Even if the roads are drying after a storm be aware of wet patches or damp leaves under trees & in shaded area's

On the riding kit front....... most "waterproofs" will not keep you 100% dry for long periods of wet weather riding they, have a rating which i cant remember the name of but which comes down to the higher the number the longer you are supposed to stay dry & over a certain number the can be sold as 100% waterproof err no they are not, what it actually means is 100% waterproof fo a set amount of time

Its always a good idea to carry a spare set of gloves as when your hands get cold & wet your attention starts to wander as you will eventually start thinking about your hands instead of what you are doing, a simple thing like changing gloves can extend your safe riding time

Having said all that i personally have great boots which while dont offer brilliant protection have proven to be totally waterproof & all day comfortable,this helps a lot, the rest of my kit while having the highest waterproof rating available all eventually leaks, not too much problem if its fairly warm if i'm honest but its a different story in winter temps

tone

[DimitriT]

Apart from what everybody else said (especially the part about not riding if you can
avoid it)...

Riding in the rain I really appreciate my HJC CL-14 helmet's feature of letting the visor sit
partially open. A fogged up visor makes riding very difficult. If your helmet doesn't have
this feature consider cutting a short piece of PVC tubing, slicing it across and using it
as a spacer to prop the visor lip open while you ride. I've also tried visors with the Fog City
coating and it really does work (especially in very cold conditions). The problem is that
with that particular coating you get less clarity the rest of the time.

[jbs80106]

Just do it....

With the summer we've been having in Colorado this year, and with a reliable daily commuter, I've been caught in the rain more times this summer than in all my years riding combined. In fact, on one trip I actually LEFT the house when it was raining! (Another first).

I 2nd the suggestion on 2 pairs of gloves, in fact, I have 2 sets, one leather driving style gloves that just stop at the wrist. Nice in most weather but does leave a little gap betwen the bottom of my jacket sleeve and the glove. Lets cold air in and water. I find that if my wrists are exposed to the cold/wet, I 'feel' colder all over...veins near the surface of the exposed skin perhaps?

My 2nd set of gloves are more like ski gloves....gortex lined and gaunlet style so the glove actually overlaps with my jacket. Keeps wind/cold out very well.

Water proof pants are always either on me, or with me on the bike. Some leakage at the fly...otherwise dry with exception of bottoms of my pants. Seems VERY hard to find gear with 34-36 in in seam for taller riders.

Avoid paint, especially at intersections....the big arrows and lines get very slippy when wet.

Overall, I have lessoned my fear of riding in the rain....lightning however is a different story!

[themess]

On avoiding paint: When I change lanes or cross an intersection, I don't cross paint, if at all possible. I made this a habit decades ago, even when it is dry and I'm in my car. This way, it is automatic, I don't even think about it. Even worse are those ceramic lane markers.

+1 on keeping the helmet visor cracked.

A good rain suit can keep a person almost bone dry. I rode from Texarkana to San Antonio in non-stop rain. My hands were wet through the leather gloves and my wrists and neck were damp. Everything else was completely dry. A rain suit should be tough and flexible. The pants should reach the rib cage on top, and rest on the top of your boots when sitting. They should fit snugly at both places. The jacket should go below the belt line and be snug. A large flap should cover the zipper. The gauntlet of gloves should be inside the sleeves, which should be snug. The only water that will enter at the wrist is that which is carried in by capillary action. The collar should fold up to touch the underside of the jaw on front, and should reach the underside of the helmet on the sides and back.

And, one other thing - a decent windshield makes a big difference.