Riding in the rain
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 335
Likes: 14
From: Baltimore
Many years ago I was riding my 750 Honda with my wife on the back heading for the Skyline Drive to spend the night. Money was tight back then and we had no rain gear. Got caught in a downpour so heavy the trucks were parking on the shoulder of the road to wait it out. With our camping gear wet, since we only had it in a plastic garbage bag, we turned around and headed home. I slowed down to about 30 mph but kept riding since we were already soaked to the skin. I was wearing western boots and had to lift my feet every 4-5 miles to dump the water out of my boots. This was many years before you could pull up the weather on a computer. Now I check the forecast in the cities I'm going to be traveling in, and have good raingear. Rode 3000 miles in June to Arkansas and in all that distance only rode 30 miles in the light rain. I always have my rain gear with me.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 247
From: Tulsa, OK
When your only transportation is a bike you ride in rain, sleet, snow and bitter bitter cold.
Can't see? Get a helmet with a pnlock insert for the visor.
It only takes a few minor adjustments to ride in the rain almost as fast as you can when its dry.
Can't see? Get a helmet with a pnlock insert for the visor.
It only takes a few minor adjustments to ride in the rain almost as fast as you can when its dry.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,114
Likes: 119
From: NC
Yeah, the rain sucks especially at night. If it's bad enough I usually just pull over at a safe spot until things lighten up.
Reminds of a guy I saw at a gas station years ago...he was admiring my bike and asking me some questions until this zinger came out, "What do you do when it rains?" My response, "Get wet." And that was the end of the conversation -
Reminds of a guy I saw at a gas station years ago...he was admiring my bike and asking me some questions until this zinger came out, "What do you do when it rains?" My response, "Get wet." And that was the end of the conversation -
Cruiser
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 242
Likes: 9
From: Gibbsboro NJ
Been There, Done That. I'm old now and choose to wait it out or avoid it altogether.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 247
From: Tulsa, OK
Now that I'm older and own vehicles other than a bike yeah if it's going to storm I take the truck to work, but if I am on vacation and it starts raining, or it's raining when I go to leave I don't let that stop me. I ride through it all the time. People who are afraid of it need to watch some MotoGP "wet" races.
Tourer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 353
Likes: 7
From: East Tennessee
Yeah, the rain sucks especially at night. If it's bad enough I usually just pull over at a safe spot until things lighten up.
Reminds of a guy I saw at a gas station years ago...he was admiring my bike and asking me some questions until this zinger came out, "What do you do when it rains?" My response, "Get wet." And that was the end of the conversation -
Reminds of a guy I saw at a gas station years ago...he was admiring my bike and asking me some questions until this zinger came out, "What do you do when it rains?" My response, "Get wet." And that was the end of the conversation -
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Advanced
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 83
Likes: 1
Being able to see the road, and other things (vehicles crossing from the side, animals), is of utmost importance, to overstate the obvious. I've ridden in a lot of rain, most of the time it's not horrible. Good raingear helps comfort. I don't have a helmet with a visor, only glasses, which sucks. A couple of friends have three-quarter helmets with visors, and use Rain-X or similar. They swear by it. I've ridden a few trips on highways where if a truck passes you, you don't see anything. Say there's a piece of tire shrapnel or 2x4 in the road......