Anyone ride through rain storms?

[油井緋色]

I may end up getting myself killed this year but my motorcycle is my main form of transportation. While I don't really care about getting wet, I'm wondering if anyone has gone through massive **** storms regularly or is it just too dangerous?

Just looking for a second opinion. Please post ONLY if you go through rain storms here and then; not if you refuse to.

[mmmnaked]

Been through a few hard ones. If theres a lot of standing water on the road, or visibility is severely degraded, pull over and wait it out. Otherwise just motor on...

Protip: after about 140kmh, the visor wipes itself

[TekNinja81]

While I do try to avoid them, I've been caught in some pretty nasty downpours over the last 3 years; though somehow I almost completely missed them last year on the 650R, I rode through varying degrees of rain on the 250R back in 2010.

As long as you keep your wits about you, and remember not to do any sudden/jerky movements or go crazy on brake/throttle actions, you should be fine. I rode quite regularly on the highways to & from Port Hope area and such, and never had an issue in the rain. Watch out for stuff like train tracks or other metal surfaces, especially while turning, but otherwise ride as you usually would (perhaps a bit more conservatively) and you'll be alright.

That said, it can be scary, mostly because of other traffic on the road or other hazards. Had an 18-wheeler whose back-end was fishtailing scare the crap out of me on the 401 coming around a bend. I was in the passing lane trying to get by him, but the 250R lacked the acceleration I needed to GTFO when it happened -- I wound up having to ride along the left edge of the lane to avoid being sideswiped by his trailer.

[油井緋色]

Been through a few hard ones. If theres a lot of standing water on the road, or visibility is severely degraded, pull over and wait it out. Otherwise just motor on...

Protip: after about 140kmh, the visor wipes itself

Yeah I will likely be speeding around that speed. There will only be around 5-10 mins tops of regular road travel, rest is highway travel.

[油井緋色]

While I do try to avoid them, I've been caught in some pretty nasty downpours over the last 3 years; though somehow I almost completely missed them last year on the 650R, I rode through varying degrees of rain on the 250R back in 2010.

As long as you keep your wits about you, and remember not to do any sudden/jerky movements or go crazy on brake/throttle actions, you should be fine. I rode quite regularly on the highways to & from Port Hope area and such, and never had an issue in the rain. Watch out for stuff like train tracks or other metal surfaces, especially while turning, but otherwise ride as you usually would (perhaps a bit more conservatively) and you'll be alright.

That said, it can be scary, mostly because of other traffic on the road or other hazards. Had an 18-wheeler whose back-end was fishtailing scare the crap out of me on the 401 coming around a bend. I was in the passing lane trying to get by him, but the 250R lacked the acceleration I needed to GTFO when it happened -- I wound up having to ride along the left edge of the lane to avoid being sideswiped by his trailer.

lol damn.

I do ride through bits of rain here and now, usually I just straighten up and don't do idiotic things like making turns above 40 km/h (end up going like...10-20 lol). My only concern now is maybe I need to get a third set of gear....that I don't mind destroying in the rain.

[Baggsy]

Rain yes. Small hail yes. Thunder no.

[Michael C]

Good rain gear and an electric vest have carried me through massive prairie thunderstorms that included hail. For the hail or a downpour so heavy that you lose most visibility then you are probably at risk of hydro planning so wait it out under some shelter. If you are warm and dry your brain and reaction times will be at full capacity but if you are soaked and near hypothermic it becomes very dangerous. Tires today are so good that on my R1 I only begin to see much squirming above 145 kph so its pretty safe to ride in most conditions. Seeing and being seen are probably a bigger danger in heavy downpours.

[jsv650]

Rain isn't bad, even hard rain, you just have to change your methods...

Hard, driving rain, or pea-soup fog (think east coast or the north of superior) it's best to wait it out... if you are riding and caught in it - look hard for a SAFE place to stop - way off the road, don't just pull over - you'll get clipped. I'd rather ride slow, with hazards on to find somewhere safe to stop, than just stop. I've had to use the centre line on the road before to figure out if I was in my lane before...

Regular, hard rain, like we get in Toronto on occasion is nothing to worry about - crack your visor a bit to prevent fogging so you can see.

If it's been going for a bit, move to the centre of the lane. Yes, this is against what they teach you in school for dry roads... the tire tracks are likely to be sunken a bit, that's where the water will collect. By the time it's rained hard enough to warrant moving over to the centre, the oil has (pretty much) washed away and you'll have better traction.

For regular rain, watch out for man holes and streetcar tracks - rain soaked metal is like ice. Be gentle on the throttle till you get used to wet riding. Try and keep vertical as much as possible.

If you ride a bike without luggage where you can keep a rain suit, keep a couple grocery bags under your seat or somewhere else on the bike... Dry feet are awesome! Grab some rubber dish gloves from the dollar store for cheap rain gloves - they take up no space and are great in an emergency. Dry hands are warm(er) hands!

[homme de fer]

I've been through some awful storms on my bike. I leave a lot more space around me and concentrate on being smooth on the throttle and braking. Your helmet is the most critical part of riding in the rain though; it needs to be able to shed water off the shield and not fog up. I apply a spray on "rainx" type of solution on the outside and an anti-fog agent on the inside.

[gcrouse]

Bang on right there and actually you would be surprised at the amount of grip even in rain....

I've been through some awful storms on my bike. I leave a lot more space around me and concentrate on being smooth on the throttle and braking. Your helmet is the most critical part of riding in the rain though; it needs to be able to shed water off the shield and not fog up. I apply a spray on "rainx" type of solution on the outside and an anti-fog agent on the inside.

[killerkeith]

Reiterate the anti-fog...that's going to to be your worst enemy right there. If you don't wear glasses than cracking open your visor will work, but I wear glasses for riding/driving and cracking open the visor just invites more rain into my helmet eventually getting on my glasses. If you can, I recommend using the Michelin PR2 or 3's tires...The difference in handling in rain is worth the money. Lastly your gear...Make sure you have gloves and boots that can withstand a good soaking...the Spring/Fall rainfalls are cold, and cold wet hands/feet suck. The rain gloves I use have a wiper on the thumb for wiping my visor which is awesome to have. If you can't get new gear, invest in latex gloves to go over your gloves and plastic grocery bags with rubber bands to go on your feet. A bright coloured frog suit isn't a bad idea either.
As for riding, just keep relaxed and leave twice as much space for stopping.

[wearelopey]

At speeds of 140km/h I would concentrate on being smooth if it is constantly raining. Also stay in a tire track don't ride in the middle of the lane just in case water pools or there is oil/grease.

I've ridden through many big, long puddles (think mt. pleasant and bloor under that bridge...). As long as you keep the bike upright, don't go too fast through it, and keep a neutral/slightly positive throttle, its not too bad (no stability issues etc).

As far as I know once your tire is locked to the ground it is locked to the ground, traction is definately still there.

I would also make sure your tires are in good shape and still have ample tread. My buddy is riding with a bald spot in the center and he is avoiding rain like the plague

[RedDogDarren]

I've ridden from Hamilton to Baltimore, Maryland in pouring rain (about 12 hours in these conditions). With waterproof gear and the tunes playing no big deal. Maintain as much distance around you as possible, and do everything smoothly and as gently as possible. No issues.

I did not own a car at that time.

[Flywheel]

Bang on right there and actually you would be surprised at the amount of grip even in rain....

Yep, that's what the sipes are for. That and rubber is an amazing compound. Still, expansion joints, streetcar/railway tracks, concrete, utility/roadwork covers (the larger rectangular ones especially), road paint/decals (brought me down at 10 km/h once), diesel, oil, roadkill, construction/farm mud and assorted debris become more hazardous when wet. Motorcycles are light, short wheelbase vechicles too, which doesn't help. Nothing to panic about, but something to keep in mind. As has been said before, smooth is the word.

[frekeyguy]

Rain Storms + Pilot Road 2's or 3'd = FUN! Slip and slide around.....you can still go 30K+ on most corners with those sport touring tires...

Funny to see people on sticky rubber doing -10K to -20K the limit when it starts to pour....


I've ridden back from NYC on Pilot Pure's for 3 - 5 hours through a rain storm....which was not too much fun or re-assuring...

[boooya]

Rode thru a massive rain storm last year in way back from WV.
There was literally about 2-3" of water on the freeway with rooster tails coming of the back tires, coulda had jet ski's out on there.
Got so back we ended up getting off the freeway when we could and waited it out under a bridge.
Had PR3's at the time and they performed flawlessly with no slippage at all, mind you we were taking it pretty slow.

[kiwi]

I may end up getting myself killed this year but my motorcycle is my main form of transportation. While I don't really care about getting wet, I'm wondering if anyone has gone through massive **** storms regularly or is it just too dangerous?

Just looking for a second opinion. Please post ONLY if you go through rain storms here and then; not if you refuse to.

Well, I have done so, of course its not planned... but hey, I deal with it if it rains. If its really heavy I will pull over and take a break, and also avoid the major highways. A reflective vest is helpful too. Theres a ton of people that only go out if there is no chance of rain etc. I guess they dont want to polish their chrome for the next timmies meetup

I carry spare gloves and rain gear in a topbox. (Backpacks suck)

[BLUE_KAWI]

Make sure your tires are not bald....who made this thread 5 stars?

Here is a vid of riders crashing at the Imola 2012 in the rain...no one got hurt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=firQSvp9TtA

I think the rider at 2:36 got abducted by Aliens...

[oomis]

Yes. Rain won't kill you, nor will it kill the bike. I've ridden through some epic storms in Nebraska and Kansas that put the occasional light moisture we get here to shame.

Get the right gear. Be hyper aware of traffic around you. Ride cautiously. Easy on the gas, easy on the brakes. Have tires in good shape.

Common sense goes a long way. If you think you should pull over, you should probably pull over.

[Stewart]

rain of any kind...no problem, just ride smart. now riding away from tornados, you really got a fight on your hands with gusts and debris all around you, that's terror i don't need to repete.