Wet Weather Riding/Handling Advice Needed!!!

Sum Beach

Sum Beach

Registered
Hey there y'all!!! Just had some questions for some more experianced riders.
I started school again and I am using the Busa for the commute since it gets way better gas milage than my truck does. (60 mile round trip 2-3 times a week)
Well last week I got caught in a thunderstorm on the way home. Downpour for the first 10 miles, wet roads for the rest. Traffic was actually really light so I did not feel the need to pull off due to my own safety of not being seen. However I realized that I really dont have much experiance riding in the rain!

Some questions and concerns:
What are some riders experiances riding in the wet stuff?
How does the wet roads affect the performance and handling of the tires and bike in general?
I am currently runnig PP 2ct's however, leaning the bike over on the water made me very nervous, as did braking. Just had the fear of the tires washing out from under me.

I know for the rest of the summer and fall I am going to run into rain again soooo . . .
Any tips, tricks and advice would be very helpful!!!!
 
I ride most of the time, and some times in the rain. On the way home on Thursday it was a downpour for about 10 miles. It happens, just stay out of the oil spots, slow down and start stopping twice as far as you would. Take corners much slower trying to keep the bike more upright, accelerate at a smoother and slower pace as tire spin is your enemy. Keep an eye out for painted lines and tar lines/repair spots as they will be slick as well.

Just slow down and be aware of your surroundings and you will be fine.
 
I can remember coming back from the spring bash this year and taking the Cherohala Skyway back climbing the mountain in the rain to the top to find rain turning into sleet. As long as you have good tires you wont have an issue. I wouldnt try dragging a knee on wet roads but I dont mind leaning over.
My Pilot Power Ct2s can lift the front wheel under power in the rain. The traction is great!

Youtube search GP racing in rain. You will be amazed at the racers on a wet course ripping it.
 
Keep yourself as dry as possible. Riding with wet clothes is terrible.

Watch for large puddles at speed. They are not a fun thing to ride through to see how big a splash you can make.

Visibility is key. If your visor is wet on the inside, pull over and dry it off. If you can see, you can react.

If you have poor tires, slow down a bunch more. The bike will out perform your skill level in wet conditions.

Riding in the rain is no big deal on the freeways, but not much fun on city streets. Bike get's dirty as hell too.

Don't let the rain stop you from riding. It's a quiet confidence to not fear the rain. :thumbsup:
 
One thing to keep in mind is as the rain starts it washes all the oil from the center of the lanes to the side gutter or into the tire ruts. This is one of the most dangerous times to ride In the rain. I tend to ride in the rut until the center areas look cleaned of most loose oil, then transition to the center area of the lane. Another thing to look out for is the paint will be more slick than before. Like riding in the snow if you are ever so lucky. :p. try and keep the RPMs lower. Tire. Technology is amazing and really performs
Well. Do the video search for moto gp in the rain and it will blow you away... Those guys are amazing.

Keep that visor clean and watch out for the idiot cagers who are too busy gawking at the guy riding in the rain to stay going straight.
 
Like the other replies said, the rain will float the oil around on the road. The first few minutes of rain make the road the slickest, all the oil and crud floats around making it slick. I usually pull over and wait if it is going to be a thinderstorm. If the rain is going to persist, I still wait for the road to get washed a bit then continue. Also as others said, I have always found the tar snakes and painted areas to be really slick. Also be careful of any wide metal transitions near bridges. We have a few steel deck bridges around here that are like ice when wet. I dislike riding in the rain and avoid it.
 
Just watched a few vids on youtube. Yep, I am certain that I am worrying about tire traction for nothing. (and NASCAR is a bunch of pu***es!! Stop a race at the first drop)
Thanks so far for the advice!!! I guess I can plan to get wet more often!!!
 
I try to avoid the wet stuff, but you really need to slow down, and pack the aggressive away if it's wet IMHO. Your tire patch front and rear doesn't equal the surface area of a dollar bill. My wet / rain riding style is 180 degrees out from my dry pavement riding.
 
I have done two track days in driving rain. Great experience. Bikes will hook up much better on wet pavement than one would imagine. as always, be easy on the rear brake if you use it at all.
 
I got caught in a bad storm a while back. For me I stayed away from cars as much as I could. If you run up on them go around them as quick as you can and if you see one coming up on you move over and let him go. Most drivers do not watch out for bikes at all in the rain. I would run at or a little above the speed limit. As long as you have good tires you will be fine. Get you a good rain suite and cover your shoes with plastic bags :laugh: unless covers for your shoes come with the suite. You can buy them separate. I wish I could get my suite folded up small enough to get under my seat. I will never leave my house for a long bike ride without my suite in my tank bag again. Getting wet sucks and makes for a very long day. Best of luck and be safe.
 
As said watch for painted lines, allow extra room for stops and maneuvers and be smooth with throttle and brakes.

Good tires make all the difference:thumbsup:

From my dunce stool :cookoo:
 
lankeeyankee said:
I can remember coming back from the spring bash this year and taking the Cherohala Skyway back climbing the mountain in the rain to the top to find rain turning into sleet. As long as you have good tires you wont have an issue. I wouldnt try dragging a knee on wet roads but I dont mind leaning over.
My Pilot Power Ct2s can lift the front wheel under power in the rain. The traction is great!

Youtube search GP racing in rain. You will be amazed at the racers on a wet course ripping it.
Click to expand...

True to the GP performance, however, they are on very specific wet weather specific tires and can keep a pace of about 85-90% of what they normally do. I wouldn't try nearly 50% of what I could do in the dry on the tires I currently run.

Give yourself lots of extra room for braking and increase following distance. That being said, don't expect your fellow travelers to be any more astute in the rain as they are in the dry. You will become more comfortable with your bike and it's set-up as you ride more in the wet. Practice, practice, practice. If you are going to do it on a regular basis, invest in some quality wet weather gear! It'll make it a whole lot more enjoyable. Test the brakes in a controlled environment and find their limits, same for the throttle. You will be amazed at the performance of modern tires in the wet/rain. Downpours are a whole different story, I usually find a safe shelter and let it pass or subside before moving on. Have fun and be safe/smart. Good common sense will go a long way.
 
One thing to note about getting caught in the rain... The 1st few minutes is when all the road oil is mixed in with the rain water on the pavement. Be a little more cautious then. Just takes getting use to.
 
USE THESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1:thumbsup::thumbsup::bowdown::bowdown::please::please:

MICHELIN Pilot Road 3 - MICHELIN Pilot Road 3 | Sport Touring Tyre for Motorcycles

and

Moto Solutions

I use these tires and they work awesome!!!!!! Ogre and I went on a ride the other day and it rained a little and he said he kept fishtailing all over the place, but I didn't even notice at all when I hit the throttle. Check out the tread on these things. My dealer claimed they would last 10,000 miles. I have ridden 1,500 and haven't seen any tread wear yet. I also have very small chicken strips.:whistle:

Rainguard, USE IT!!! It IS rainx for helmets!!!! Also, it works amazingly well for bugs!!!! I wiped tons of those little buggers off my helmet today like they weren't even there!!!!

Rain!!!! I live in the wet side of a WA so I know about some rain!!!!! Giving yourself room is the biggest key to not dying with all the road wash coming at your. Keep your visibility by staying back from other cars and hit your brake lights periodically so people behind you know where you are when visibility sucks balls.

Crashing!!!! Don't do it in the rain or you will probably get run over!!!!!
 
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