Riding in the rain

[Tracer1234]

Again, another noob question. I know some people don't ride in the winter months, but due to commuting, I will have to.

So, what advise do you guys give to a newbie in the rain. Are there particular things that are deceivingly slippy on the road? Parts of the road I should stick too.

Also, what about maintenance, is there anything i should be making sure i do on a regular basis to help the bike though the winter?

Any advice that will help keep me alive will be greatly appreciated.

[Dannygee]

Adjust your speed/braking distances accordingly, as you would in a car. Try & stay a bit more upright around corners (no getting your knee right down ), avoid drain/manhole covers & raised painted road markings, especially when cornering.

Get a decent set of wets, it's boring riding & getting soaked!

Some people like to coat their bikes in ACF 50 or similar to protect from rust, I don't (yet) but you might wanna consider it to protect your pride & joy.
____________________
I just wanna ride, that's all...

Honda H100, Honda FX650, Honda NTV 650 Deauville, Suzuki GSX1250 FA Z

[CG Sam]

Be smooth in your riding, no huge throttle openings or hard braking (unless needed). Avoid manhole covers, white lines/markings where possible, but don't swerve to avoid them either.

Be wary or oil/diesel on the roads. No shame in going slightly slower round islands etc to keep lean to a minimum, the more you lean the smaller the effective contact patch and the easier it is to lose it. Bare this in mind but don't be nervous.

Maintenance? Well, carry a couple of spare bulbs and fuses. Riding through winter pretty much guarantees dark riding at some stage, something you don't want to do with no lights!
Check electrical connections are in decent condition and protected from the rain.
Keep up on chain maintenance, this will help a smooth ride.

Oh and of course, the BCF favourite, ACF50.
____________________
CG125, SV650S, CBR600F, GSXR600 SRAD

[Baffler186]

Advice applies to wet and dark:

Get yourself some good gloves. There's a bit of a trade-off between heat insulation and comfort (bulky ones may be warm, but more difficult to feel the controls, especially for a newbie). The first mistake I made was getting cheap gloves that claimed to be waterproof and "warm". After 30 mins riding they got soaked through, which then freezes your hands much quicker. I never had any trouble keeping my legs/top reasonably dry, and even when I got damp it's not as annoying as having wet and/or frozen hands.

If you ride sensibly you shouldn't have many problems, barring bad luck of course. I even rode my 125 in half an inch of snow/slush which was a stupid idea but I did manage to get to work and back.

Depending where you store your bike, I would also recommend a de-humidifier. it's great at drying your bike off, is quite cheap to run (no heating element) but of course this relies on having a shed/garage with plug sockets.
____________________
Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[Tracer1234]

Thank you for all the advise so far. I have invested in some decent gear, so hoping will be ok.

Unfortunately bike is outside. I have a cover that I plan on using at work and at home.

This ACF 50, Coating every day, or every now and then?

[Diggs]

Every week should do it...
____________________
Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

[Llama-Farmer]

As others have said, avoid the more slippery things on the road, manhole covers etc.

They're fine if you're upright on the bike, but run over one whilst going round a corner and you may have a squeaky bum moment or worse. Keep a good forward scan on to try spot them early and plan... especially as when its dark they're harder to spot so you want to try see them as early as possible.

Gloves that keep you warm and dry are essential... I'd rather spend £200 on gloves that'll do that than have cold wet hands all winter long. Fortunately I managed to find an Alpinestars pair for £120 which are brilliant. Bit bulky though so might be worth once you buy the gloves just put them on and sitting on the bike, practice using the switchgear until you're a bit more used to it.



Also clothing layers... a warm core will keep extremities warmer for longer. So wearing fleece & hoody & thermal layer under your jacket will make a noticeable difference to how long before your hands get frozen.

I'd recommend (Merino) wool - It's excellent at regulating body temperature, so keeps you warm without overheating you, but wicks sweat so keeps you cool at the same time and you don't get a soggy top. When it gets wet it doesn't get cold, unlike cotton, so if your waterproofs leak you won't feel anywhere near as cold as if you were wearing a normal tshirt (this is why merino is often used in snowsports as it can delay onset of hypothermia compared to other materials). It has naturally antibacterial properties so you can wear it for several days and it won't smell, but it also keeps you cool... I still wear my merino wool baselayer in summer under my leathers! Cannot recommend it enough.
Also it isnt like other wools, its really soft against the skin, not itchy... some people are allergic or irritated by normal wool, but never heard of anyone unable to wear merino directly on their skin
____________________
Current Bike: 1999 Honda CB600 FX Hornet
Next Bike: I want a CBR-RR. And I want an F800 GS-A. And a VFR 800. Can I have all 3?
Dream Bikes: Honda VFR750R RC30, Honda NSR500, Ducati 996 R

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Llama-Farmer]

Your local Aldi are doing merino base layers next week...

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-25-september/product-detail/ps/p/merino-base-layer/
____________________
Current Bike: 1999 Honda CB600 FX Hornet
Next Bike: I want a CBR-RR. And I want an F800 GS-A. And a VFR 800. Can I have all 3?
Dream Bikes: Honda VFR750R RC30, Honda NSR500, Ducati 996 R

[Tracer1234]

[barrkel]

[Stobo91]

Vouch for getting good gloves!

I got some £20 summer gloves when i passed my CBT 2 months ago and during some of these colder mornings my fingers have been freezing and its only bloody september. Will be investing in some decent winter gloves definitely.

In my two months of riding i still haven't encountered riding in heavy rain, just the usual drizzle and damp conditions. Still not managed to get the wheel spinning on my little YBR125 come rain or shine. I imagine it will bite at the least suspecting moment whilst filtering over white lines.

[Andy_Pagin]

Regarding the whole soggy gloves issue, invest in a set of handlebar muffs, Tucano Urbano being the best make. They keep your gloves dry as well as your hands warm.

Cheap builders waterproofs over your bike clothing will keep most of the water out.

Another problem that tends to get worse in winter is visor misting, so if your lid is 'pinlock enabled' get yourself a Pinlock visor insert.
____________________
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[Taught2BCauti...]

If possible, keep a set of dry clothes at work, so if you arrive soaked through at least you can get changed into something dry

In the dry, you would allow a 2 second gap between yourself and the vehicle in front, and I was taught the phrase "Only a fool breaks the two second rule" as it takes 2 seconds to say it.

In the wet, allow a 4 second gap, and the phrase becomes "Only a fool breaks the two second rule, only a twat gets closer than that"
____________________
Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[rideslikean00...]

[Crazy-Duck]

Thick socks!!! and waterproof boots. I dont drive a car so its the bike or bus when it gets bad. Cold wet feet can be just as bad a cold wet hands.

I was given about 6 pairs of decent thick socks for christmas last year and they worked a treat.

Also got a heated vest for those very chilly rides.....being chestically endowed I was getting cold nips.....
____________________
Passed Mod 2 19th June 2014. First 'Big Bike' Ducati Monster 600

[BrownTrousers]

Haven't read the whole thread but in my relatively little experience of riding in the wet, my main problem has been visibility.

Potential solutions to consider;

1 - keep your visor super clean on the outside so that rain drops form and stream off.

2 - Pinlock visor insert

3 -
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/product_images/bob_heath_vee_wipe_hand_2.jpg
____________________
Bikers make great organ donors - add your name to the register
Ducati Multistrada 950 | Triumph Tiger 800 XR | Honda CBR500R | Yamaha YBR 125 Custom

[Teflon-Mike]

My Advice? STOP THINKING - START RIDING.. Relax! Don't sweat the small-stuff. Worried about a bit of Rain!? This is Britain! If you let the stuff worry you enough to question riding in it, you ent going to be riding very often!

Bike has tyres, tyres have tread. They are designed to find you grip in the wet, and they probably offer far ore grip than you give them credit for.

Meanwhile, if you are going to dump-it, chances are, it wont be because of the road surface, wet or dry, but you doing something a bit daft; hazard awareness, lack of anticipation, getting carried away and pushing too hard, or having a wibble, panic braking or target fixating, or similar.

Paying attention, keeping your wits, keeping your cool... staying RELAXED and staying control, of your self, as well as the bike... that's where safety starts.

Then the bike. MAINTENANCE. A well maintained bike, goes faster, stops shorter, uses less fuel, and responds more willingly. Its all good, and half those benefits are very useful when the going gets tough.

No point fretting about spotting polished patches of pot-hole fill, if what you might do about them is limited 'cos you're tyre pressures are wrong or you have some slop in your steering, is there?

All well and good, staring at the tarmac for diesel spill or gravel wash.... but if you aren't watching out for that SMIDSY about to back out of a driveway in-front of you?

Meanwhile....MOST people crash in summer.... fact that a large proportion of riding population only ride in the summer, sort of stacks the odds, BUT... reality IS that for all the less favourable conditions in winter...... the risks of them making you crash are NOT actually that much higher, and there are a lot of compensating factors to sort of even out the risks.... big one being the 'false' sense of security a nice dry sunny day, with an apparently good surface and good visibility instils.

Really the question ought to be, NOT 'what should I do to compensate in winter', but 'Can I really ride that much different the summer?' to which the answer is probably 'not much'.

Relax, don't let dark wet nights deter you from getting out there and cleaning the bike, checking tyre pressures, waving oil and spanners around; keep the head-lamp & stop lamp and idies clean so people can see them and you can see where you are going, & battery charged so they don't go dim on you, with cold making the battery electrolyte lazy, when its beg hardest used keeping lamps lit more often, and charged less.

Don't sweat the small stuff; roads aren't brilliant any time of year; don't obsess about the surface, keep your wits about you and don't let attention slip fro the every-day hazards.

Dress for the weather and ride to the conditions, as you should ANY time of year; Rain, Sun or Snow.

And remember, no one MAKES you get on a motorbike... if the busses are running, you can probably ride in it... but f you dot feel confident to do so? You dont have to. You can always take the bus.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[LoonyBird]

Good tip for wet/hands gloves, wear a pair of latex gloves inside, keeps you hands dry plus stops any dye coming off.
I've found when my hands are dry they seem to get less cold.

[Dave70]

[grr666]

[Pigeon]

Snood + Pinlock FTW!

Waterproof socks if your boots aren't (plastic bags work also).

[talkToTheHat]

Decent goretex gloves are indespensible. Last 2 winters were in HG summit gloves, just bought some IXS mid season goretex xtrafit gloves, not too hot and the xtrafit means the lining isn't baggy or squishy, so control feel is better than a full winter glove.

Heated grips, muffs and brush guards all help maintain hand temperature and delay point where you need massive gloves.

Waterproof kit fits the opposite of windproof, so gloves inside jacket (or double cuff gloves if you can fimnd some and do the rain lots) and trousers outside boots.

A saturated textile jacket shell can suck heat away as if you were wet through, so layer up, and if its really wet, or very cold and a bit wet, waterproof oversuit works over textiles.

I ride summers In leathers, winters in shelltex/goretex. Leather will shrug off some drizzle, particularly if well waxed, but the stretch panels get damp quickly so get the oversuit on sooner, you can always strip it off again. I keep my waterproofs in a 4 litre tankbag.

Be really progressive on the brakes, some bikes and tyres feel squirmy before they let go, but a locked front in the wet even upright is unlikely to be recoverable. Your brakes will be slow to bite and won't stay warm so you'll feel the effect of them warming up slowly on each heavy braking. As mentioned earlier in the thread keep a good gap.

Watch out for polished smooth bits of road, leaf slime, slippery paint and the dreaded manhole. Worse are puddles and flooded roads as they can hide big potholes, and hitting a deep puddle fast can rip your feet from the pegs or throw water up inside a two-piece. Or worse you'll aquaplane and wreck. Deep water bad.

Don't mess with your tyre pressures, whilst lower pressures help on soft ground, a larger than designed contact patch means your tyres have more water to shift and will aquaplane sooner.

Much hilarity picking ones way down the centre of a flooded farm track at walking pace when you can just see a ridable path only to have the Chelsea tractor behind decide to go around you at the next passing place, only to to get stuck in a few feet of water...

Mostly though, just ride and don't be afraid of the wet. I got my first 125 in an October, and most of my riding through that autumn and winter was sneaking off after dark to see a girl from a biker family that I liked too much to wuss out on, most of that was in the rain. Not only am I comfortable in wet weather now, but it was a part of convincing the local chavscum that it wasn't worth messing with me or the bike.
____________________
Bandit. does. everything.

[Llama-Farmer]

[Tracer1234]

Thank you everyone for you tips and advice. I think its just a case of getting out on the bike and keeping my wits about me and riding sensibly.

As for the bike, myself and a few others are looking at getting one of the "all year bike" treatments done, so than you for suggesting that.