How much should you back off in the wet?

[EazyDuz]

How much less power should you give it in corners, and what about leaning?
Or is it not a problem on a 125 because they are slow anyway? I had training yesterday doing the mod1 swerve test and i went faster than i ever have and that was on a wet track in the rain, so im just wondering where the limit is...
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[The Artist]

It isn't something we can convey in text.

When it was raining, I would just not lean as much and just take it easy.

The only times I have come off my bike have been either in the rain, the snow or mud/grit.

Mostly rain. Worst thing is rain and diesel on the roads. If you see a rainbow on the road, clench your ass and get as upright as possible without touching the front brake.

[Codemonkey]

Just remember that the surface used at the test center is pretty good grippy stuff. Much better than the diesel soaked pothole ridden crap we ride on every day. In the wet, I always try and give myself twice the stopping distance and ride round corners like a right pansy!
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Test Passed 10/05/2011 Current bike: XJ6-N

[iooi]

Its all about feel.

Nothing else can tell you otherwise.

Its not just water on the road that you have to worry about. Mud/leaves are big killer's at the moment on roads....

Personlly heavy rain gives far better grip that he damp drizzly crap we have at the moment.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[ajbsmirnoff]

Avoid white lines, manhole covers, and rainbows. Or any combination of those.

[Acemastr]

If it's shiny... it's slippery
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
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[Rogerborg]

[totalllama82]

Must admit, I back off a fair bit in the rain. I don't use nearly as much lean in corners or throttle when accelerating as the back wheel would spin up/out.

Always on the lookout for drains, leaves and my biggest pet hate, diesel.

On the 125's id say to bear in mind your tyres tend to be alot skinnier which is great agains aquaplaning but there is generally less rubber on the road to hold you up.
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Gone: Haotian HT125-8 / Yamaha YZF 600R Thundercat / Kawasaki ZX9R C2
Current: Kawasaki ZZR 1400 A7F

[whitedevil]

Why risk it? Just ride slower and lean less in bad conditions, its not like you win anything for scraping your pegs.
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GPZ500 sold ~ CBR600FS-2 sold ~ ZX6R sold ~ Street Triple R

[chris-red]

Its smoothness, just be gentle. Imagine raining in the rain is like spending time with your girlfriend when she is on the blob.
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[hazza]

test centre surface is completely different compound to road stuff, thats why the test centres cost so much for effectively a square of tarmac.
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[olionel]

back off until you feel comfortable.. don't try and push it in the wet. How the bike behaves in the wet will depends a lot on the tyre compound, tyre pressure, how worn your tyre is etc etc... so if you feel the bike loose traction a bit then you're overdoing it.. trial and error tbh...
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[Im-a-Ridah]

You should back off as much as you feel is necessary, especially at corners, junctions, near petrol stations, roundabouts, and watch out for white lines and drain covers. You should be able to get a feel for what the bike can safely do from just riding it. Personally I wouldn't be too worried about the power, though the seating position would concern me in a very slippery environment.

[Mrjoolz]

walk to work instead.....
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Previous Bikes: TZR125, KMX125, RGV250, RD350YPVS, GXSR750H, GSXR600SRAD, R1 (2000), GSXR1000 (K1), ZZR600, CBR1100XX Super Blackbird

Current Bike: Suzuki GSX1300R Hyabusa.....

[EazyDuz]

Well my bike has big tyres for a 125 so thats something
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[Marcg868]

I just leave myself a bigger braking distance and use engine braking more in the wet. And use a neutral throttle through the corners and get myself straight before accelerating out of the corner. Tend to lean my body more than the bike when its wet.

Luckily tho, the Dunlop roadsmart tyres i have grip very well in the wet
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[Andy_Pagin]

Diesel's a bugger in the rain, I nearly came off this morning while stationary, put my foot down on a diesel patch & it (my foot) slid out sideways.
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[pinkyfloyd]

[JoeDougieDoug...]

[WannaBeDude]

I sometimes hang off the bike to straighten it up to get more grip.

.........................................................

[iooi]

[Teflon-Mike]

Mallory Park Race Circuit is a nadgers over a mile long, depending on how they have set up the chicane.

In the days I sat in the pitwall with clipboard and stopwatch, as a gopher; on the 'old' pre 'Delugrip' surface, when 75bhp was considered 'powerful', a one minute lap was a pretty respectable lap time for most classes. In the wet, times would generally be within 10% of dry, only adding six seconds a lap at most, and that would be in pretty torrential rain.

Lots of variables in the equation; in the wet, running wet grade race tyres on class racer, times could vary more for race traffic than the weather, or more on bike set-up on the day.

Public roads are slightly different; they dont have such a well graded surface, there is more irregularity on them, and you dont have blokes with brushes and lime diving off the verge whenever anything gets spilt on it...

Road tyres are also harder, have a more compromised 'all weather' tread patern, and the bike is not so finely tuned for such narrow range of operating perameters and conditions...

This should actually level stuff out more, and difference on the road should be pretty negligible, unless you are want to push your luck in the dry, and are a bit of a nonse in the wet.... which most people tend to...

But, thing is, difference is probably not a great as many presume.

And whats more important to wet weather riding than 'speed' and how hard you ride, is how 'smooth' you are.... but then thats just as applicable in the dry, and we have talked about it before, when I explained that confidence building excersise, trying to ride a stretch of country road, with 'least brakes', aimining for smooth, progressive, predictive ride, putting least stress on bike or tyres, riding for maximum grip..... did you ever try it?
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[Acemastr]

[EazyDuz]

[Gerrard]

Just ride at the speed YOU feel safe doing..
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