Tips for the rain?

[AngelGrinder]

Been out a few times in the rain (I have only done a CBT, so not taught much about the rain) and just wondering on peoples tips for riding in it?

Earlier I managed to lose the back end quite badly, nearly came off, but luckily stayed calm, took rear brake off, applied front and put my feet out...

Lesson - Don't use rear brake much in rain.

How much can you lean in the rain, whats the best technique to getting round tight corners? Go really slowly, or will the bike grip much more than I would think?


Also... not that it applies, but I've heard conflicting views - when carrying a pillion passenger, should they lean with you, or stay upright?

Cheers!
P.s I will be doing proper test, and having lessons shortly to improve my abilities.

[Jamie S]

[AngelGrinder]

[TomR6]

Avoid manhole covers, but if you have to go over them, keep it straight and go over smoothly.
____________________
2005 Yamaha R6

[faddius]

Good tyres are a bonus.

Drive smoothly, dont downshift too quickly and dont pull away from lights too quickly.

Dont lean too far over, lean in slowly and you can generally feel where the tyre is happy before it starts sliding.

Dab your brakes every now and then to keep them dry, spray from the road soaks the discs and the pads wont bite for a couple of seconds if you brake which can be fatal.

As for pillion, same as above, just be more careful, you have extra weight on the back wheel so its more likely to slide if you try a corner too hard, and because of the weight you got less chance of coming back up.

Oh, and dont feel its fun to go round a shallow bend on an A road at 90 and go through a puddle whilst lent over, did that today, swear both tyres slid a couple of inches before gripping again

[AngelGrinder]

[faddius]

Oh another thing, have a good idea on how to estimate what the roads are going to be like.

You can walk out into the middle of the road and rub your foot around a bit to see if its greasy, or theres this you can remember.



Road looks dry, rained within the last few days - Roads are good.
Road looks dry, hasnt rained for a long time - Longer it hasnt rained, greasier itll be
Road looks semi dry, been raining that day - Generally ok, look out for petrol and diesal.
Road looks semi dry, hasnt rained that day - Same as above
Road looks wet - been raining lightly - Be careful, alot of grease
Road looks wet - been raining heavily for a short while - Same as above
Road looks wet - been raining heavily for a while - Roads shouldnt be greasy, keep eye out for puddles, tyres wont grip as well as in the dry but will grip quite nicely.



Im sure you could work out the logic behind each one and use common sense to be able to tell what roads will be like in the future.

[TomR6]

What do you ride?
____________________
2005 Yamaha R6

[AngelGrinder]

[AngelGrinder]

[keyser soze]

thing i like about riding in the rain is once you are used to it you'll be a better rider.
things to avoid in the rain are manhole covers, white lines and writing, cats eyes, crossings, joints in the tarmac. only brake when up right. stay away from the car in front. change gears smoothly.
oh and stay warm and dry.

[Dalemac]

also when they rip up bits of road, they retarmac it then put som form of black sealant around the edges to prevent cracking, avoid that also as it is very slippery when wet.
____________________
YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[alun111]

don't accelerate as fast and brake early and certainly don't shift down too early as the back can swing right out.

[iooi]

[sagalout]

Riding in rain is all in the head. The bike will happily lean as far as you lean it in the dry, unless you regularly scrape the pegs.

Its braking which is more likely to cause a problem. Obey the 4 second rule, dont apply the brakes mid corner and generally just be as smooth as possible and you'll be fine.

[Louise]

All the horror storys I hear & 'offs' people have had on BCF in the rain has put bad image in my head.
I just take it easy. I promised myself I wouldnt take a pillion in the rain, But I had no choise last week. Wasnt too bad, just tell them to relax as they normally would.

[eifion]

The worst is the the first half hour or so of rain after a long dry spell. All the oil and crap that's soaked into the road comes to the surface on the rain and it's really greasy. Once it's been raining steadily for a while the roads are wet, but pretty clean, so shouldn't cause too much problem.

Avoid manhole covers if you can, they can be very slic in the wet, but if you're upright and heading for one it's often better to ride over it than try to swerve around it on a wet road at the last minute. Just relax, keep the bike upright and ride smoothly over, don't touch the break, and give enough power to maintain your speed so you keep the bike balanced.
____________________
SR125 -> 6 year gap -> SV650 -> Deauville -> NC750X -> Vstrom 650

[T.C]

Rain, Rain, Rain!

Why do so many people dislike riding in the rain? Is it because they feel that the tyres won’t grip? Is it because to them riding on wet roads is like riding on a bed of glass? Is it simply the thought of getting wet that puts people off? Regardless of the reasons, wet weather riding is something that we riders in the UK have to contend with from time to time, even if it is no more than being caught out in a shower in the middle of summer!

Believe it or not, wet weather riding is not an issue if you are mentally prepared for it, and by applying a little bit of thought to the subject it shouldn’t be an issue for any one of us.

Firstly, the most potentially dangerous period is after a long hot dry spell, the rubbish that gets left on the road such as rubber and oil deposits can cause a problem in the first few hours after it starts to rain. These deposits tend to roll up into little balls and the marble affect will be a factor not dissimilar to those experienced by racing riders when they go off the racing line in the dry, so obviously care is required in that initial period.

However, the main problem in many cases not the road but the rider as a mental block often kicks in and they believe that an accident is just around the next corner, why? Well in most cases it is a combination of two things, one is the belief that the tyres will not grip as well in the wet as they do in the dry. Well that is true to a point, but (unlike when I first started riding when tyres were 95% nylon and 5% rubber) modern tyres are actually very good at providing wet weather grip, and the level of grip will actually far exceed the ability of the average rider.

The second factor is that often at the first sign of rain, many riders tense up, and this tenseness is transmitted to the bike and so the whole operation of the motorcycle becomes what I term “mechanical”. What this means is that rather than just relaxing and let the bike handle normally, they feel that they have to be in the permanent braced position where even the slightest of movements on the handlebars is over exaggerated as they try to negotiate the bend as upright as possible.

A modern motorcycle will handle just about anything that is thrown at it in terms of weather conditions these days, the key to good wet weather riding is smoothness and the ability to relax.

Harsh or jerky throttle movements will cause the bike to shake its tail particularly when exiting a bend, excess speed in conjunction with poor throttle operation will cause serious problems, but smooth delivery of the power in combination with a relaxed riding style will eliminate the majority of the problems that might otherwise be encountered. As an example, next time you see a wet race on the television, look at how much smoother the riders are in comparison to when it is dry. Look at the angles of lean. OK they won’t lean as far as they would in the dry and their speed through the corners will not be as high, but the bikes will still turn in very respectable figures simply because the riders are relaxed and smooth, well this is a principle we can transfer from the track to the road.

Braking distances as well as speed need to be adjusted to cope not only with changes in the road surface, but also to counter the fact that visibility will be reduced which will affect reaction time, but, much to many peoples surprise bikes will actually stop very well in the wet providing it is upright and travelling in a straight line.

The whole key to good and in some cases enjoyable wet weather riding is smoothness! Smooth power deliver, smooth braking (done in plenty of time as well) along with a relaxed riding style will often have a very positive affect on the way the bike performs and your overall enjoyment of riding in wet weather.
____________________
It is better to arrive 30 seconds late in this world, than 30 years early in the next

[LeeR]

Top post T.C. and your sig. was my mantra on the way to work today.
____________________
My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[DaveW]

[AngelGrinder]

[Kal]

[ilovensr]

[Kal]

Only problem with that is at 30mph you'd be giving away over 250m. I wouldn't want to try that in town - giving away 100m is bad enough.
____________________
Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Resurrection]