Rainy season

[Emerehh]

if you have to ride in the rain, borrow a friends bike.

[Mixer Mike]

When the roads are wet & you're going about 70, drop dat bitch into 2nd and roll that 190 into a spin! Best done while passing hawt chix in next lane.

[95w_bTEG]

Originally Posted by Fauropitotto

1. Don't get scared. Riding in the rain is pretty harmless if you stay smart and stay smooth.
2. Get a cheap poncho to wear under your jacket, and a pair of rain pants. I got mine at cycle gear for 12 bucks. When you're cold, you cannot be smooth.
3. Don't touch the brakes if you dont have to. At all. Ride in such a manner that you can predict with confidence braking and acceleration. There is no room for error.
4. Taking off is just as dangerous and slowing down. Your rear end washing out in traffic is just as deadly as your front end when you're trying to brake.
5. You have both more traction than you think and less traction than you think. Braking to make that next corner could cause you to crash: dont do it. Whipping through the corner like it's dry will do the same thing.
6. No tailgating.
7. There's no need to slow down 10 mph. The shape of your tire allows the bike to cut through water much better than car tires. You won't hydroplane in situations where cars will dispite the smaller contact patch.
8. Don't speed. Cars are oft unpredictable.
9. Don't get scared. You can ride in the rain just fine just take more time to slow down and speed up. I've been a DD for about 30,000 miles now rain or shine. I havent had a problem. Dont let the other guys on here scare you out of wet riding.

couldnt have said it better myself. i also ride everyday, even when it rains real bad(ride to work and get off at 5, rain time), and all i do is throw my rain suit on, and do what ^ said basically.

[R6Mitsu]

Thank you to everyone that contributed an actual tip. hopefully new riders can view this and learn from it. Thanks again. CECIL.....any possibility we could get this thread stickied?

[98DOHC]

Watch out for the steel transition joints on bridges/ramps. Especially if it is curved. Those things are like ice. I was going around a curved one once at the speed limit. I started out in the far left side of my lane, when i finally came out of the curve i was at the far right. Nice little wwoooooow at each joint.

When the rain is light it can suck because it will stick your visor. Heavy rain is better, sheets right off. Everyone else will be doing 45 in a 60 because they can't see and you CAN be cursing along at 80. I do not condone doing that, but i've done it a few times now on causeway. With good tires and good tread, hydroplaning is hard. But oily roads will take you out in a heartbeat. Intersection are the worst when it comes to the road being oily. Also as you may guess. Rail Road crossings are worse then the steel transitions. God do i hate crossing them in the wet.

[trung]

Also be careful when you ride now a days...for some reason hail is falling. its been 2 in a row already..

that shit not only hurts but can cause serious accidents..

[racerraul]

Some one should consolidate all the good points to a single post. Lots of good stuff here...

Always leave yourself an escape route when parked at stop lights. Be it wet or dry... and if you ride in the city, you HAVE to have mirrors, if you take them off and want them off, buy a car and leave the toy at home...

[98DOHC]

Another thing i just remembered since i rode in the rain yesterday. I use the back brake to gauge how slick the road is. Obviously i do this in a strait line. Normally as i'm approaching a light i use more rear then front at first and try to make the back slide just a little to find the traction limit. This is not something you SHOULD do, but it's something i like to do so i have a good estimate of the traction i have on that particular section of road , in case something should happen.

[LiveKhaos]

speakin bout yesterday...it was fuqin crazy!! I got home so wet (had on all gear except rain deterrent pants...lol) water was dripping from my pants and shoes...I had to go through some flooded roads I couldnt avoid...that was a pain in the ass...

Oh nd try to avoid down shifting from VERY high revs becuase that could easily cause your front tire to "trip"/spin...

[Alberto411]

I rode from North Tampa to the Jacksonville area [Orange Park] between 2pm and 530pm.

i275 > i75 > Exit/SR 326 > 301 > 16 > Blanding/SR21.

Rain was torrential in Ocala and then intermittent on 301. Fairly clear skies in the Waldo/Starke area and sunny skies once on Blanding/21.

Stopped 2x and still made it in 3 1/2 hours when it normally takes ~3 hours in a car just cruising.

Best part is that it was a 180 mile trip and I still have ~1 gallon in the tank. Fuel light just started flashing.

I don't have any raingear, but I went in:
Joe Rocket Champion textile jacket
Icon riding jeans - got nice and heavy
Icon standard boots
Shoei RF1000 lid - switched from prism to clear lens, good I brought both
Joe Rocket gloves
...and a back pack strapped to my rear seat

Newer Michelin PPs held up fine in the rain, although I was just taking it easy.

First long trip and to top it off it was coupled with some pretty crappy conditions.

Yay rainy season sez this n3wb...!

[WTFchuck]

stay off of bayshore in the rain, going home one night from the base i down shifted at the corner near the tampa general and bout slid out the back.... bayshore is horrible in the rain. i find myself doin less then 30 at times in the rain... ATGATT

[keithrj]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this.
If it hasn't rained in a while or if its a busy road, there is a LOT of oil, tranny fluid, and just general grime on the road surface. When it first starts raining the water sits on top of all this, making the surface insanely slick.
However, if its a really good hard rain, all this junk gets washed away, riding after a hard down poor once the roads dry out is awesome, its like a freshly cleaned track.

[98DOHC]

Originally Posted by keithrj

However, if its a really good hard rain, all this junk gets washed away, riding after a hard down poor once the roads dry out is awesome, its like a freshly cleaned track.

After a hard rain you have to watch out for sand. Builds up in small patches. But if the road is free of sand then yes the road is very grippy.

[Turbo that SER!]

dont grab a handful of front brake....

[TypeSLO]

all good stuff but i'd like to add something about potholes. because we live in florida and it rains like hell when it does, sometimes, the rain water will cover portions of the road. if you're careful, you don't have to worry about hydroplaning but the water also covers up any road imperfections which can at the LEAST cause serious damage to your bike. be careful when you see these "puddles" and avoid them if you can, especially if you're not too familiar with that particular road. i try to remember road conditions on every road i usually take and it's especially helpful when raining. also, you can sort of gauge the "slickness" of the road by dragging your boot on the road when the road is wet but not raining. ride safe everyone.