What do I need to know about riding in the Rain

[dave_xb12r]

Do not use your front brake in a turn.

Do you normally? Using your front break when ENTERING a turn is ok, but not during. It helps to drop the bike into a lean.

 

[snapper]

Upthemaiden said it best, Avoid the first 10 or 15 mins of rain storm. (will take u that long to get your rain gear on anyways). I wore runners on a trip once, wet feet are the worst!! I wont do that again, boots all the time , Anti fog of some sort is needed in my opinion.

 

[winnetka]

If you follow the clutch cable from the lever down to the front of the engine, you'll see the rubber piece that covers where you can adjust the clutch. Seal up the top of the rubber piece so water doesn't get in the cable and go into the primary. I had it happen to me. Use a zip tie to seal it up, it's as easy as that.

 

[rishardh]

Thanks for all your input. It rained here in Plano yesterday in the evening. Not heavy but it was a steady downpour. I put on my rain gear and went for a ride.

1. My visor got fogged. I will look for an anti fog spray. I could still see but not clearly.
2. My jacket which I thought was waterproof is really not. It was ok for half an hour but once soaked the draft got in to my arms. Chest area was ok since the visor blocked the rain.
3. My hiking pull over rain pants worked. I will put on my bicycling rain jacket which I know works under my motorcycling rain jacket.
4. Gloves, Boots, Helmets, Luggage covers all worked.
5. You feel rain pellets at 50+mph. I felt it on my legs where I only had my rain pants. Denim under that would soften the blows I guess.
5. Bike did not stall. I was worried about that. Then again it was not raining heavily. I will cover the clutch cable entry point. Any other areas?

I will take all your advise and take it slow and easy. Will try to avoid all the hazards mentioned here. Hopefully I will see them. With the visor being fogged up and the water covering them it's not going to be easy.

 

[oisterska]

And yes, you can hydroplane, so keep the speed down. Riding year round in Portland OR, it has happened to me a few times during downpours with little rivers running down the ruts in the freeway. Scary as sheeiit.

All in all, it's not that bad though. Oh, keep the bike upright in the turns by shifting bodyweight. This allows for more reaction time if it slips, and reduces chances of losing traction.

Have fun, stay dry!

 

[crystal]

crxtasy169,
you said only Icon raingear proved to be really waterproof to you. Can you recommend what exact type/model to buy? Is this a rainsuit or jackets/pants promised as waterproof, like so many others?

I trust you, been there/done that. Like our original poster, rishardh, I tried to only ride to work on a nice day. That's probably 4-5 years ago due to personal problems, but I remember a Joe Rocket jacket promised as waterproof, breaking through within 20 minutes on the way home once the rain got heavy.

So, if you've found some good stuff, let us know..

Wow, all great info on this thread. Waiting 15 minutes after it started raining for the oil to wash off was what I was told 20 years ago in an MSF course.
It is hard not to just keep going, though!

p.s. crxstacy, did you used to own a CRX. I did too, wow, what great cheap cars. The CRZ hybrid sounds like a big disappointment. But.. maybe your handle just means something else...

 

[winnetka]

I'm looking for some good 100% waterproof gear, especially the pullover pants. I got some cheap "waterproof" pants that are waterproof everywhere except the crotch! By the time I got in to work on the first heavy rainy day, it looked like I peed my pants.

BritishMotorcycleGear.com is not cheap, but maybe it's better to pay a little extra and get really good stuff I can use for many years. I'm going to buy some waterproof pants from them and see how that goes.

 

[strmvt]

Froggtoggs Rain Gear

 

[fwkapaun]

I love my Columbia rain suit. We get a lot of rain in Florida and just want to add keep the speed down, give yourself plenty of space between vehicles and brake very carefully. Enjoy your vacation!