Dangers of rain, and snow!!!! ohhhhhhhhh!

[MyIronLung]

How dangerous is it to drive in the rain? what about snow?
have any advice?

[RichD]

Rain isn't such a big deal, realy... just like a car you want to leave extra room to stop and slow down some in corners. Hydroplaning doesn't seem to be that much of an issue (i've done better than 120mph in a total downpour and never slipped) but painted lines on the road do get slick. Wet manhole covers can be like greased ice...

Snow... well... it doesn't scare me, but, like a chainsaw -I do treat it with a lot of respect. How much dirt track/dirt bike experience do you have? If you're not comfortable on a bike that is "loose" under you you might want to skip it...

[Bill_Anderson]

Another problem with riding in the rain is visibility. I flash my brake lights intermittently when I am being approached from the rear by cars on a rainy day just to remind them that there is something in front of them.

[Jake99x]

i got caught in a severe storm with 100kmh+ wind gusts which then changed to hail about 10-15mm in size
i had my day tinted visor on as it looked fine when i left work. Riding with a tinted visor when the wind whips the rain into gray fog gusting all over the place at 100kms sucks. You cant see s**t. I was following the brake lights of cars while keeping an eye out for falling trees and power lines.
I was going to pull over under a shop awning but the one to the right of me promptly lifted up and got ripped off the building. So i kept going which is when the hail started. Of course i had my light weight summer jacket on. Which doesnt do much to stop rain so i was already as wet as i could be when i hear the plink plink plink plink roaaaaaar of hail.
hail hurts, its at that time 500m from home when i wish i wore my normal bike jacket. Still driving down the main road dodging driveway gates lying in the middle of the road. i turn into the street where i live and the hail is so bad i cant see the side of the road, im in the middle (i think) and the roads only 10m+ wide.
so its a complete white out and im getting pelted like i was a paintball target. Managed to duck under a neighbours house 60m from mine. Man what a joke.
no hail dents on the bike, but the wind and rain took all the polish off the bike around the changes in direction in the fairing.
Definitely the worst ive ridden in. 10 minutes later its clear blue skies with white clouds WTF?!

FWIW The Pilot power race mediums gave plenty of grip in the wet and the hail.

so yeah, ride in the rain and the hail/snow no probs

oh yeah if youre on a 9 series dont stop in the rain as it will flood the rear cylinder plug and youll need to replace it (shame on you ducati for such a poor design)

[Jake99x]

oops forgot the moral of the story

dont wear a tinted visor in rain
be prepared for the type of weather with your riding gear
leave extra braking distance
dont go near white lines or man hole covers avoid centre of lane (misc slipper car fluids deposited here) thats if you can see them of course

use car lights in front of you as a guide to where the hell the road is if you cant see it. Watch for them disappearing rapidly as it could mean they missed the road or they are submerged.

watch for falling trees, powerlines and shop awnings, oh yeah, driveway gates.

be prepared to get wet.
dont have your mobile phone in your back pocket (dont ask)

[dug]

I think the best advice for riding in inclement weather is to be dressed for it. Years ago, before I was smart enough to spend the cash on good gear, I was riding in the dense NorCal fog in the winter and had to stop at a 7-11 just to get feeling back in my extremeties. If you've got good gear suited for the weather, you're more comfortable, more aware, and better suited (ha!) for whatever idiots are around you.

If it hasn't rained in a long time, realize that all the muck in the streets will float to the top of the surface and make it even slipperier (?). After the rain has washed the roads clean, you just have to be easier on all your inputs: steering, braking, accelerating. Give the fools in four wheels extra room, as they seem to get dumber with the addition of moisture.

If you experience high winds with your precipitation, you might want to check the weather report before you leave. I have found my personal safety-comfort level is a max of 25mph gusts with rain. After that, I start experiencing unintended lane changes.

Like Jake and Rich said, watch out for normally grippy surfaces that become slick when wet. Manhole covers, painted road lines, bridge expansion joints, railroad tracks, and road debris all become pucker inducers when wet. You'll want to watch your throttle control around these items, because if you roll off the gas too drastically, the engine braking of a twin can lock the rear pretty quickly.

The most important thing, I guess, is just be aware of what's out there. I ride year round in NorCal (not too much of a chore, I know) and find there's not as much difference as you might think. Plus, it's great to get all the stares from the rest of the population as they realize how "crazy" you must be. My favorite are the fair-weather riders who are in total awe that you ride when it's not sunny and perfect out.

Try it and see if it's your bag. If it's not, don't sweat it, it ain't worth it if it's not fun.

[LiquidSilver]

Originally Posted by RichD

Snow... well... it doesn't scare me, but, like a chainsaw -I do treat it with a lot of respect. How much dirt track/dirt bike experience do you have? If you're not comfortable on a bike that is "loose" under you you might want to skip it...

+1.

Rain, no problem. Snow isn't as bad as accumulated hail!

Deep snow? Fuhgettaboutit!!

Be sure to lube the chain. Snowy weather will have it naked and rusty like *snap* that!

[desmofetish]

I love riding in the rain... at least on the occasions in which I remain dry. Just remember, if motorists didn't notice you in sunlight, you don't exist in rain! It is a much greater obstacle corse out there!!!!

[JEC]

Someone from Kentucky worried about snow?

Around my country, we put the bike away around right now or earlier and it doesn't come out until spring. I've ridden in sub zero weather, I've ridden in snow. The cost far outweighs the benefit, and if the salt the road like they do here, you spend more time washing the bike after than you do riding it - otherwise everything will corrode, big time.

Good point on painted lines, people don't realize how slippery they are - even in the dry. I watched my dad lock up his K-bike stopping at an intersection on a sunny day, just because of the paint on the stop line. If you pay attention, you can actually feel the median when you cross over it too.

[grinder96]

I just attended reg pridmores 'CLASS' school and I knew that he prefers the rain and said so as well. He feels people really start to get to know a bike and know its limits in the rain.


Rain Good!
snow bad!
dress for the ride!