Bad Weather Riding

[MikeN02]

Just wondering what your experiences/stories are of riding in bad weather.
I've rode in rain and intense wind (around 30 mph) while on the freeway doing 65, was blowing me all over the place.

I can ride in the rain but today there was heavy rain and it flooded the streets, so much fog and I couldn't see a thing. So I had to give up half way and go back home and take my brother's car to work. My pants and shoes were soaked... which means I need to get some textile pants!

[flyingminno]

Wind is always....interesting. But yeah, heavy rain is exciting to say the least, especially when it is a head-on rain and you're one of the only vehicles on the freeway. I do love watching the rain fly off my visor when I turn my head slightly. I also like watching the rain come over my windscreen and see how it arks before hitting my chest or helmet.

[MikeN02]

Originally Posted by flyingminno

Wind is always....interesting. But yeah, heavy rain is exciting to say the least, especially when it is a head-on rain and you're one of the only vehicles on the freeway. I do love watching the rain fly off my visor when I turn my head slightly. I also like watching the rain come over my windscreen and see how it arks before hitting my chest or helmet.

Except it fogged up my windscreen. Also a car rode by me as I was riding slow and careful and splashed water all over me. Not to mention when I stopped at a red light I didn't look down and stuck my whole foot into a giant puddle of water.

[flyingminno]

Originally Posted by MikeN02

Except it fogged up my windscreen. Also a car rode by me as I was riding slow and careful and splashed water all over me. Not to mention when I stopped at a red light I didn't look down and stuck my whole foot into a giant puddle of water.

I actually like to ride in the rain with my visor open just a crack to keep it from fogging up. As for cars, I like to ride just fast enough to avoid getting passed if it is safe to do so. Remember, motorcycle tires have less a chance of hydroplaning than car tires do to the shape, so theoretically we can ride slightly faster without compromising safety though I wouldn't recommend to anyone to go ahead and speed in bad conditions. Yeah, there's not really a sure way to avoid putting the foot in water, except doing to police-style of inching forward at a light without stopping.

[fz6rwolf]

Mid '80s bought my dads silverwing (back when they were mini goldwings), flew from NJ to TX rode back 3 1/2 days in which it rained 80% of the time. Wasn't fun but was memorable.

[FitZ6R]

Originally Posted by flyingminno

Remember, motorcycle tires have less a chance of hydroplaning than car tires do to the shape

However, we also have a smaller contact patch for traction, no ABS, and more severe consequences if a wheel locks. Take it easy out there.

Back to stories, I've ridden some distances in the rain, and with waterproof gear it's not that bad. I find visibility to be the limiting factor. If you're having trouble seeing cars, they're probably not seeing you at all. Pulling over in a safe spot for a few minutes could be a lifesaver.

My personal worst wet ride started as a jaunt on a nice early summer Saturday in CT. After heading west about an hour, I thought, WTH, it's only another two hours to my folks' place in NY. Approaching the Hudson River, the heavens turned black, temperature dropped, and full scale downpour ensued. Since this was only a "quick summer ride," my raingear was back in CT.

I arrived alive, but with leather jacket, jeans, gloves, boots, and everything underneath saturated through to the skin, and so chilled that I could barely unclench my grip on the bars.

[dart1963]

Rode in rain and 10-20 mph winds today.... visor fogging always an issue.
AND my rain gear developed a "leak", well maybe I didn't check all my cords, I got to work this morning with a nice line of water, from my middle top shirt, to my...uhh... yeah. Fortunately I threw the shirts in our burn-in chamber to dry, my pants however, a little hit with a heat gun just to get them back to damp...

[travstoll]

Originally Posted by dart1963

I threw the shirts in our burn-in chamber to dry

lol the best "clothes dryer" ever, I usually wear rain gear over my riding gear, with just undergarments on underneath, and pack my actual clothes in my backpack (waterproof) though I tend not to make a habit of riding in the rain.

[DragonBlu]

Back in the day we used to ride to the coast from our town. It is around 65 miles and coming back at night over the mountains in the fall of the year it would be foggy and in the 30's. Everything would ice up(the chilly factory) and you would have to give yourself a chop in the face shield to break the ice off. It made for an exciting ride. I prefer sunny days now.

[Roaddawg]

I avoid riding in rain as much as I can (checking the weather every morning before I leave). It's not so much about riding in the rain and the bike's handling in the rain as it is about the stupid cagers driving like the road is dry! With their visibility diminished and their traction diminished and talking on their phones and all that crap...I rather not risk it. They are bad enough when it's dry...rain just compounds that ten fold, IMO. And, it's just not enjoyable. I'm more stressed when I get to work if I ride in the rain. Plus, if you need to get out of the way, whether at a red light or their 'attack' path, when the roads are wet and you gas it, your more likely to lose it and go down. That's just my 2 cents about rain.