Rain Rider
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,922
Likes: 826
From: Toronto Canada
i've never had a problem riding in the rain and most of mine has been done without a fairing . i'm not saying i enjoy it all , in fact it pretty much sucks and i really really want a hot shower , a hot coffee , and some dry clothes at the end of the ride . i don't ride as fast as i do on dry pavement but i try to keep up with traffic
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,097
Likes: 4,676
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Wind makes a difference, too. If you're bucking a hard headwind, that extra power needed to hold speed will break the rear wheel loose a lot quicker. I've had the back spin up and go sideways when the front was doing fine. Roads aren't necessarily smooth, and hitting a spot a couple inches deep can break you loose even down around 45 - those are what makes the front end feel like it's loose and flying while the back is fine. In roller coaster hills you might be able to do 80 just fine on the hill, but it can feel like ice at the bottom where it's pooling. I learned all that from doing it in my younger days, don't push it in the wet any more.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 916
Likes: 12
From: NoVA
I ride in the rain, a lot. But since I live next to Skyline Drive making thousands of turns there and the BRP in the wet is fun. What I don't like is riding on I-81 or any highway in the rain. Why? The freakin' trucks. They throw that spray up and under your shield and you run blind when they are next to you.
I try to stay 100 yards behind them or anywhere in front but it never really works out very well. Out west it's not that much of a problem due to a lack of traffic. Here in the east, blah.
But riding back roads in the rain, no problem.
Oh, and it's a lot easier to hydroplane in a car with four wide tires than a modern bike.
I try to stay 100 yards behind them or anywhere in front but it never really works out very well. Out west it's not that much of a problem due to a lack of traffic. Here in the east, blah.
But riding back roads in the rain, no problem.
Oh, and it's a lot easier to hydroplane in a car with four wide tires than a modern bike.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,166
Likes: 1,801
From: Puget Sound, WA.
Like riding in any severe weather- rain, fog, ice, snow....I am more wary of the stupid cagers and semi trucks around me .
Having a good pace can ruin your day coming up on a Cager with bad wiper blades or a poor defroster limping along at 25 mph on any road.
Having a good pace can ruin your day coming up on a Cager with bad wiper blades or a poor defroster limping along at 25 mph on any road.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 222
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
I have done light rain, and pull over if it gets to heavy. Not a very experienced rider, did not ride when I was younger.
First bike in my 50's. I did take one riders course.
But back to my story
I was totally amazed by this guy, buzzing along aT 65MPH.I never seen anyone ride in rain that heavy. To tell the truth I was a bit scared for him...
I dont have the ***** big enough to do what that guy did or the experience.
SL
First bike in my 50's. I did take one riders course.
But back to my story
I was totally amazed by this guy, buzzing along aT 65MPH.I never seen anyone ride in rain that heavy. To tell the truth I was a bit scared for him...
I dont have the ***** big enough to do what that guy did or the experience.
SL
Last edited by straightleg; Feb 4, 2014 at 01:03 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,097
Likes: 4,676
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Ball size often tends to be in inverse proportion to intelligence and life span.
Riding in torrential rain is frequent in S Florida. There's no way to avoid it, a clear sunny day can turn to downpours in seconds. Rainex on your glasses, goggles or visor helps a little, but there are times when you can barely see. sometimes the rain is too severe to pull over on the highway so you just have to keep going.
Like others said, increase your gap between yourself and the next vehicle.
Like others said, increase your gap between yourself and the next vehicle.
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