Anyone ride through rain storms?

[rafiki911]

Got stuck in two rain storms while on the highway last summer, was already wearing rain gear cause I knew it was going to rain so it wasn't bad at all. Once you move your head side to side the visor clears up. It actually feels pretty cool feeling the rain hit you when your going highway speeds.

I wouldn't ride in the rain if it was cold out though.

[jooce]

I once rode in a really bad storm from Pickering to Hamilton and at night. Took about 4-5 hours since I took some breaks to ask for directions. Was way too windy for Highway and rain was stupid. Just be smart about it!

[MacDoc]

Quote Originally Posted by Griffin View Post
I've had a lot of experience riding in heavy rain. Visibility is my biggest concern - both being seen and seeing. No good solutions to either one. Extra caution is obviously called for.

One comment about waiting under bridges for the rain to clear is to be aware that is about the most dangerous place you can be. Every year cars and transport trucks kill a number of riders under bridges waiting out the rain. You need to be WELL off the roadway to be safe. I often see unprepared riders sitting just off the road under bridges merrily waiting out the storm with no inkling of how close they are to death.

got any stats for that - have never heard of a rider killed under a bridge. If the rain is heavy enough being out with idiots who don't slow down I'd say is a far greater risk.
That said I keep signals on a try and tuck around the end of a rail or barrier if there is one.

I only pull off in extreme conditions ( downburst/near tornado ) and then try and use other vehicles pulled off as shields...but I've still never heard of a rider killed that way.

Anything lighter I'll just ride it or hit an exit with a Timmies

[unL33T]

I've done it a bunch of times but I really don't trust the traction in the rain after a spill. I'm especially worried when I'm on the highway because no one will let you leave a safety buffer in front of you (space gets filled with a car if you try). 120+ kph with like 1 car length in front of you with wet roads makes me WAY nervous. Even worse if it's kind of chilly. I'd feel much safer with ABS since you don't need to worry about locking the front when it's wet but it seems to be the opinion of many on here that ABS only helps if you don't know how to ride.

[kamikaze]

I've got caught in a couple nasty rainstorms, one of which was on the way to PA, in the dark. That really sucked. It's one thing to ride in familiar territory in adverse conditions, but I had no idea where we were LOL

[unL33T]

got any stats for that - have never heard of a rider killed under a bridge.

I had potential to hit one once when I pulled off under a bridge to put the sunroof back on my 944. I made the mistake of not doing a shoulder check because I assumed no one else would be pulling over onto the shoulder. Guy had enough room to stop first but I probably still made him break harder/faster than he expected. I felt like a tard. Never assume and always check. Ironically that's why I ALWAYS signal even if no one else is around me (because maybe there is but I didn't see them).

[jsv650]

got any stats for that - have never heard of a rider killed under a bridge.

No stats, but some of it comes from tornado preparedness (where there are stats) - during a tornado, you are much more likely to die since the debris it's kicked up has fewer places to go.

Under a bridge isn't safe, but neither is any shoulder on a highway during inclement weather. Simply put, any time you are near a vehicle going 100+ km/h faster than you (you're stopped so you are doing zero), you're not safe. The safest place is getting off the highway via a proper off ramp, or waiting it out in a truck stop/weigh station - anywhere that you can get away from fast moving traffic.

However, if it's really bad and visibility is near zero, people have been known to hit cars that had their hazards on at the side of the road - many people will drive with their hazards on and some mistake the car at the side of the road with one that is moving (or get fixated on the blinking lights).

[MacDoc]

Unfortunately this tight sucker of TCell came in too fast ( was a tornado seen ) and the ONLY shelter was that over pass or risk being 6 stories up on the 407 to 410 ramp.
Sun was shining when I got home 30 minutes later - wind so bad even under the rather substantial bridge I could barely hold the bike up - had dozens of vehicles around me. Could not hear, could not see between storm and traffic.

Only other time as bad was on 7 outside Ottawa - pulled off in ankle deep water on the gravel shoulder behind a cube van that was rocking in the wind like crazy. Gave us some shelter but once again could barely hold the bike up and that was a light RD400.
Sometimes there is little choice.

[regder]

Don't sweat the rain, be conscious of the effects on traction and visibility of course, but it's really no big deal. The worst is light drizzle that brings oil up to the surface, that stuff is slick, if anything watch out for that! I've ridden in rain way more times than I care to remember without issue. Key is to stay as dry as possible, the dryer you are, the more alert you are.

Most memorable is riding from Bar Harbor, ME to Rochester, NY. Absolutely poured the whole day from Portland, ME to just outside Rochester, tried to hit as many nice roads as possible too. There was also last year when it started pouring just outside Deals Gap, and I booked the hotel in Robbinsville, on the other side of The Gap. Going through The Gap in pouring rain at midnight is far from fun, during which a gigantic mutant rat (technically a possum) decides to run out in front of the bike in a switchback, oh and that was after riding the ~1400km from Toronto earlier in the day. Fun...

Reminds me I need to look into a new set of waterproof boots

[油井緋色]

Well, my first exam is Monday which apparently has 10mm of rain; can't wait <_<

[silverbullet132]

Well, my first exam is Monday which apparently has 10mm of rain; can't wait <_<

If you do not have rain boots, put your feet w/ sock into a milk bag then slip your pants inside the bag and use an elastic near the top of the bag to hold it on then slip into your shoe/boot should help

[gjones4487]

Wouldn't putting your pants inside the bag allow the water to run down the pant and into the bag? Defeating the purpose of using the bag in the first place? :s
Correct me if I'm wrong

[silverbullet132]

Wouldn't putting your pants inside the bag allow the water to run down the pant and into the bag? Defeating the purpose of using the bag in the first place? :s
Correct me if I'm wrong

Should have said that haha my mistake

[Hi RPM]

ive ridden in a very very bad storm once, not the best time to be out riding, but i had nowere to hide, i was out in the boonies, no farm houses or gas stations... not a pleasant experience, but i lived

[Kibosh3]

2 years ago i rode through the worst storm 2nd worst storm i'd even seen... my rubbers were submerged in water on the highway- jacket didn't dry for 3 days.... with a fan on it lol.

[revrandy]

I got caught on the edge of a tornado about 5 years ago - in Missouri or Kansas I think. Weather turned nasty quick, winds howled - we managed to get off the interstate and found an abandoned buildiing. Leaned the bikes up against it and crouched on the leeward side. Rain was coming down sideways.

A couple of transport trucks also pulled in and parked in a way they sheltered us. Tornado never touched down where we were, but did less than 20 miles away. We ended up being stuck for 2 to 3 hours, after which we rode through bright sunshine. You could see the path it touched down, trees down, fences ripped up etc.

[Vlad]

I've ridden through some pretty incredible downpours, with wind gusts, lightning and practically zero visibility for hundreds of kilometers at a time. I try to avoid the rain when I can, but it comes with the territory, especially when you tour a lot or the bike is your only means of transportation.

- Rain gear is hit-and-miss, ineffective or completely useless in many situations. I have yet to see a rain suit that won't leak (up the sleeves, down the neck, at the crotch) after an hour at highway speeds in pouring rain. Gloves are the worst - after your hands are wet the rest is irrelevant, especially when it's cold. If it's hot, you'll be drenched in your own sweat. All in all, rain gear is better for unexpected cold weather, especially if worn under regular jackets/pants. I rarely carry my rain suit and when I do I avoid to use it unless I have to.

- Helmet fogging and visibility is another issue that's very hard to fight. I use Rain-X and it helps quite a bit, but sometimes water gets under my visor where it's impossible to wipe. Some people recommend rocking your head left-right to blow off the rain drops, but I've found that up-down motion works better. If it's relatively cold and not raining too hard it helps to keep the visor slightly open to prevent fogging. I have a piece of plastic edging that I stick on the lower edge of the visor for that purpose, leaving about 1-2mm opening.

- Adjust/adapt your riding. It goes without saying, but many people are unprepared and inexperienced to ride in the wet. Smooth throttle, clutch and brake operation is key, and so is careful maneuvering.

- Don't stop to wait it out. I'd rather keep rolling until I get out of the rain front or reach my destination than sit semi-drenched in Tims watching my bike getting rained on in the parking lot.

- Cold. The only thing that will stop me are prolonged rides in rain and cold. How cold and how much rain depends on a lot of factors. I gauge them and decide when/where I'm going to call it the day depending on the circumstances.

- Visibility. It can be greatly reduced, even to the point where you can't see more than few meters ahead. I adjust my riding accordingly by pretending there's a stopped car just ahead of me. I also augment the lack of visibility with my GPS zoomed in to the appropriate level.

- Traction/handling/aquaplaning. As long as you adjust your riding style to the road conditions there's not much to worry about. Aquaplaning is not as pronounced on a bike than it's in a car and not really dangerous unless you are leaned in a corner. Speaking of leaning, I try to keep straight whenever possible and slow down considerably when turning corners.

- Rain tires are for the track. Unless you plan on dragging your knees during the monsoon season in India it makes no sense to put them on. They won't help as much in the rain and they will wear in no time on dry asphalt. Good sport-touring tires provide the right balance between wet/dry grip/traction and wear/longevity.

- Braking. Give yourself a lot of room to stop, brake very carefully and prepare to release the brakes at the first sign of skid/slide/lock. ABS rules here, for those that have it.

All in all, don't rely on any equipment (although some will help to some extent) to keep you dry, warm and safe. Listen to your body and adapt your riding to the conditions.