How to Ride in Wet Weather

[@speedfinder1]

I rode 70 miles in the pouring rain in rural France last weekend. At one point, just over half way there, I opened my visor just a tad, to let some extra airflow in. A small bee flew in and stayed there for the next 40 miles. He didn't sting me and flew out again when I got to a section where it was safe enough to open my visor again. "Hitch hikers eh?" 😮.

[@mikeroberts]

I'm a bit strange but if I have a decent distance to cover I don't mind getting togged up and riding in the wet, and have done a couple of videos in the wet but you loose a lot of footage to dirty lenses.. Riding in the rain/wet makes you refine your throttle inputs and helps make you a much smoother rider (even in the dry). I'm a big advocate of Pinlock and wouldn't have a visor/helmet without one. Once you've had one, there's no going back. I don't know what you sprayed on yours in the video but you are only supposed to use soapy water and not rub the the back surface. It should be pat dried with a towel and left to fully dry by itself. Polishing/rubbing the surface that faces your nose/mouth with seriously reduce its effectiveness. The thing we now have to contend with now is wet roads that the councils have covered in salt/molasses. Great fun!

[@hdan1867]

Very educational video with many practical tips! Thx and keep making these. Cheers, H.

[@rcraven1013]

Manhole covers or inspection covers were put in when that road was being built many decades ago. They were specifically put in the middle of a carriageway as that mid section or sump line, position 2. takes less of a beating with less weight of lorries etc. So that's why you find them in the middle where motorcyclists are trained to be, well one of only now three position. That said one can ride over them in the straight even when wet. That mid tarmac section, position 2 has more available grip than positions 1 and 3 as those have been ground down by normal wear and tear and as such they are a lot slippier than position number 2 the sump line. They also reflect sunlight when wet and that can cause a problem to ones forward vision so one must slow as a result. . One of the dangers not mentioned when riding over such covers is how low it has sunk. Many a man hole cover will eventually fail on its surround due to normal wear and tear and it may sink. A few centimetres is no problem but some sink deeper and it you hit then at speed its like mounting a kerb so be aware of sunken ones and if necessary avoid them. Thanks for that information Reg.

[@Sy-T007]

Extremely useful information. Thank you

[@rianventer1834]

Release clutch slowly changing to a lower gear to prevent rear wheel locking up under engine braking and not to go into a possible skid especially in the wet.

[@ThePorts77]

Thank you for this. I’ve always been very nervous in the rain and some really useful tips for me.

[@geecee4746]

I enjoy riding in the rain, as long as i have the right kit on, and i can see where im going, great post, thank you 👍👍👍👍

[@calbrock6302]

My commute on the bike is 20mile round trip so if it’s wet it’s no big deal..BUT I’ve just moved and my commute is now 110 miles so rain now feels like a bigger issue. Thanks for the video mega useful for me

[@paulcoyne7646]

Good video, thanks. Two other things that I would have added are 1) adjust your screen if that's possible. Recently my brother and I were caught in a deluge in France. My screen was at full height, but his was not adjustable. He could hardly see a thing and I was fine (and a lot drier, to boot). 2) I find that no matter how clean my visor (and TBH it's never as clean as it should be) if I turn my head a few degrees to one side for a few seconds, then the other, the drips of water run off rather than hanging round on the front blocking my view. I'm only talking a very few degrees, maybe 5-10.

[@davesmc1]

Very Good. Living up North very common I am afraid to be out in the rain.:-)

[@karan2shane]

my biggest problem driving in rain is that even in day time its often very hard to see the road marking. This is particularly an issue on spiral roundabouts or when trying to keep out of bus lanes - sometimes its just not possible to see the road markings properly...

[@petervautmans199]

As I use my s1000xr (with all the nannies) to commute, in Belgium, all year round, i do quite some riding in wet an cold and dark. Gear for bad weather: Stadler laminated suit, Daytona roadstar boots, richa goretex gloves and Neotec 2 in high viz Yellow. This is as good as it gets, i think. Then i use a Givi Vario Spoiler, which gives quite a lot of extra wind protection and helpes to keep my helmet visor clean. Tyres: Metzeler Roadtec 01SE For visibility, i have Denali D2's on the canbus. I wouldn't ride without the nannies, because it frees 'brainspace' for road strategy.

[@rcraven1013]

Nice ride, once again around the outskirts of Chorley and Rivington way. However I understand that the roads surface is at its worst when just wetted and it improves when some lubricants have been washed away such as in fuller rain. The trouble with that is we will not really know how long its been raining for so we must always assume the worst and ride as if its only just rained and the roads surface still has slippery bits to it that have not been washed away yet. . Also if their is a dew on the roads surface first thing in the morning be aware of its slipperynes. Then we have a road that is partially wet and dry and we ride primarily on the drier bits but may be required to brake on the wet as well so be careful when and where you brake and make allowances in terms of positioning, speed and distance if there are damp or wet patches at all.

[@mybighonda]

Thank you for this video Reg. I live in the Scottish Highlands where rain is inevitable. I will be applying your advice on my next planned wet ride. I frequently opt not to go out in the wet for fear of losing grip on a bend etc. I want to overcome this and will start with putting into practise your tips. I am looking forward to getting home from work next week and reading your book that has arrived. Thanks again.

[@preston2adelaide]

Interesting video John - I grew up in Chorley and love seeing some old familiar roads. I now live in Australia and an additional hazard to contemplate is we can have weeks or even months without rain. We get a build up of rubber and other debris on the road that isn’t washed away by regular rain - that also turns to slick like ice in the wet. All the adjustments you suggest still apply, although I do get more nervous tipping it in in these conditions.

[@cliveadams7629]

Same in the UK after a dry spell. All the crap & grease gets lifted out of the road surface on the first fall of rain after a dry spell and, surprisingly, we do have them. But occasionally, which is what catches people out.

[@kznmotorworld395]

Lovely video enjoyed🏁. Love riding in the rain... Amazing what these bikes can do... I ride 2020 1250 Gs Adventure....just loving this bike 💕

[@BlokeOnAMotorbike]

there are two manhole covers at the midpoint of a hill in Nottingham above a four way junction, I hate that stretch of road. Every time I've been down it on my pushbike I've hit those covers - in whatever weather - they've put me over. The first time it happened I completely avoided riding that entire road for two years afterward.

[@jb1876]

Hope you do a motorcycle book, I would be the first one to buy it👍

[@SL-ky3jq]

Rainy in Chorley that day!

[@rcraven1013]

I would agree that tyres nowadays are good providing you get the right ones for your bike and they are not say track/racing types. A good touring tyre has plenty of grip. However tho in general one loses about 10% of grip in the rain or not forgetting on just wet or damp roads.its not just when its raining its any damp or wet road. At higher speed with standing water and or reduced tyre tread depth maybe 2mm.or below one can very easily lose all grip by aquaplaning so that's one reason to have good depth of tyre tread and the correct tyres and maintain them well. If out and as if on a blast on a fast bike setting remember top change it on any wet road surface .It doesn't have to be raining but that applies as well as the bike will be too twitchy on the wrong setting and your bound to have difficulties steering and controlling the bike when on the wrong setting and in the wet. Whilst one still has some 90% of grip left on with the tyres remember that on bends if you use some 30 deg of lean you are using some 30% of grip also. Add wet roads and tyres and that usage increases to 40 % of use of grip. on a bend. So that's why we should all perhaps reduce speed accordingly. . Grip is a co efficient of both tyre and road surface and on many roads outside of and even inside towns you will find shinny lines where cars tyres have worn away the aggregate that was originally laid there. These tyre tracks are about positions 1 and 3 for training advanced riding and so they are regularly used by advanced rides and other who believe that if riding on these tracks there is less water to contend with. Two things wrong with that, first if you are following a vehicle and riding in his tyre tracks and they appear to have less water coming from them then unfortunately you are to close to that vehicle in front as on a wet road you should be twice the safe stopping distances and therefore any suppose benefit you believe that you have to make you safer by riding in those tracks left by a vehicle in front you are in fact placing yourself in greater danger through tailgating and remember that you cannot brake in the same distances as those recommended in the H. C. of by the DVSA. Our stopping distance will be longer. Further if you are well back behind other vehicles or on an empty road if you take the shinny line again that has no or little grip afforded to you anymore. . When road is laid it has to have a qualified grip level lets say 0.5 but when its well worn down just like these shinny tyre lines then its probably got only 0.1 left of grip or even less. It would be like riding on painted white lines or tar snakes or bitumen seams and we all know that at times we should avoid them particularly in the rain or just a wet roads surface. Best stay away from the tyre tracks and perhaps use the sump line, anywhere between positions 1 and 3. being position no. 2. which is not as worn and will still have a better and thus safer grip level.

[@steve00alt70]

But as soon as you increase your stopping distance you then have to contend with tailgaters behind you.

[@rcraven1013]

@@steve00alt70 There in lies the rub. No one should be Tailgating anyone. If every driver kept safe distance we would reduced the risk of collisions dramatically. There is absolutely no need for Tailgating at all. I have lived a long time and driven cars or ridden motorbikes for more than half a century and I have always practises the keeping of safe space. Yes I have gotten closer to others as we all do when entering roads or motorways etc. but in the main I have kept myself far safer by the giving of the following on or full stopping distance. Too many road users see Tailgating as being all the way up close to the vehicle in front ie just a couple of yards and that all rear end collision are of a minor nature and that is not the case. We only have to look at pile ups on major roads and they cause death and permanent disabilities and there really is not need to drive so close. By being so close I mean anything less than the recommended safe stropping distances. I too often see vehicles being driven some 50 or 60 ft apart or less but at 50 mph. Even being 100 or 120ft behind a vehicle at that speed is dangerous as one cannot guarantee stopping in at that speed and in such a shorter distance. Particularly when its damp or wet. I have always said that no matter what distance that we think that we should give to the vehicle in front we should at all times give safe stopping distance. However if we don't extend to that distance or we even giver mire distance or we ride by our selves, we may always suffer from others Tailgating us. Its almost a requirement to do so by I would say at least some 40 % of all motorists to Tailgate. They see that you are not keeping up with traffic and therefore you are slowing them down. They may drive even closer to you in order to push or force you to speed up. The danger is that they wont see the danger that may be happening in front of you, That something may cause you to emergency brake or stop unexpectedly. So the best thing that you can do in those circs. where you are being Tailgated is to get rid of him as soon as is safely possible. Then he will be required to overtake you and that increases your safety no end as it alleviates some degree of concern and your attention to them. Then just watch him drive on and Tailgate someone else.

[@richardnicholson3912]

Another great video with very useful information. Will there be a motorcycle in icy conditions to follow this winter or do you draw the line at that?

[@RegLocal]

I might do Richard, but it’s a difficult judgement call. I would normally advise you not to ride in ice/snow unless you get caught out by accident, so I wouldn’t be following my own advice if I chose to go out in winter conditions. On the other hand, I’d like to demonstrate that you can ride in some (not all!) wintery conditions if you make appropriate adjustments to your riding. Lets see how this winter pans out!

[@richardnicholson3912]

I understand. Personally I share a car with my wife and commute by motorcycle. Sometimes I just don’t have a choice and have to use the bike and I’m sure others are the same. Of course if it was treacherous I’d be calling for a taxi but I’m sure a riding in mild wintery conditions video would be interesting and beneficial. Thanks for continuing to produced these videos, I always enjoy watching them both car and motorcycle.

[@cliveadams7629]

Carefully?