Racing in the Rain | EXPLAINED

Racing in the rain, what's the deal? Why is it so hard and what skills are needed to be fast in the rain?

[@AlexTheFou]

So to sum up: 1) Temperature of the tire is very important, it has to be warm. 2) Breaking hard in a streight line is the same on wet and dry. 3) Throttle control is very important. It has to be just before the threshold between staying up and falling of the bike. You have very little time to correct the tire if it starts slipping. 4) In order to drive fast on wet, you need to have wet tires. One of the reasons for that is that wet tires are softer and gets warmer faster. If anything else, please correct me guys and i will add it to the comment! Great vid btw, thanks a lot!

[@fabioaguiar5936]

Forgot about the more conservative lean angles and weight placement.

[@SI0AX]

You forgot about the water channeling groves in the tire, this makes sure you don't hydro plane.

[@patternview]

2) Breaking hard in a straight line is the same on wet and dry. Yeah thats what he says but its complete bullshit. You need to break way more gentle otherwise youll just slip out and go flying.

[@RodrigoLopez-fd4kq]

@@patternview pressure between the front tire and apshalt, provides the force for the grooves to Splash the wáter. So it's a good factor here too

[@views-re2om]

okay no rubber tire we need rough steel tire

[@deploy_leroy]

I hate riding in rain, let alone racing. Huge respect to those who race in rain

[@gizaha]

While competing the best drivers in the world and must win. In rain, it must be the worst job for someone to do.

[@deploy_leroy]

@@gizaha haha true

[@deploy_leroy]

@Arham Irfan good for you

[@kshitijgenext]

noob

[@aravindhanveeramani]

And WIN

[@pedrocaseiro95]

Mike on Bikes: Explaining how racing in the rain works and gives tips to real riders Me who only has a car driving license: Using the tips he gives to play MotoGP 20 in the comfort of my bedroom while it rains outside

[@stiffcross]

I used to tell people that racing in the rain was like running from the police on ice

[@playnogames8499]

That shit don’t even make sense

[@callumthorsen5474]

😂😂😂😂😂👍🏻👊🏻

[@jeroen0011]

@@playnogames8499 Be just careful enough not to fall, but try to be as close as possible to that limit to go as fast as u can. I do think it makes sense actually

[@playnogames8499]

jeroen0011 that ain’t what the fuck he meant 🤣🤣 he meant that shit slippery af and basically asking for something to happen try again 🤣🤣 and all I was saying is that racing in the rain ain’t got shit to do with running from the police on ice and since you know so much then you would know motorcycles really don’t lose that much traction in the rain geek 😂🤣🤣🤣

[@Luftbubblan]

Haha. That brings back a fun memory from when i was young and stupid. Was out in the snow on a dirtbike in the city, when i saw that the police noticed me i went through all gears and traveled like 2 meters.

[@vannie27]

I truly don;t understand how people dislike something like this, its informative, its not offensive, why dislike?!?!?!

[@abhaschandrakumar]

Another 5 minutes video providing unusually high amount of Knowledge. Thanks Mike. You answer all my questions that pops in my brain while watching MotoGP. and also thanks for Introducing Sylvain Guintoli's channel to us

[@metakmoto]

Everytime I watch here I learn something new. Thank you!

[@mgpvii]

I’ve recently been watching videos on this channel and find all the science and intricacies of riding professionally amazing. I graduated from engineering school and still have a hard time wrapping my head around what is being explained in some of these videos. New respect to the professional riders. You gotta have balls, be in top physical shape, incredible reaction time and be smart af. A combination of all these quantities is difficult to come by. Great videos!!! Thanks.

[@nick4506]

reminds me of a story that my dad used to tell me. he used to endurance race in the late 80's and his team drove all the way out for this 6-hour race, and it was pouring. they weren't going to quit because they banked on the price money for gas to drive back. they campaigned two bikes and just did parade laps the whole time just doodling around (they couldn't afford new plastics if they crashed) and during the race, my dad thought they were dead last, everyone was passing them like they were standing still(no live timing for those races back then). but the race ended they almost didn't show up to the ceremony, but then they learned that their bikes had gotten second and third. the rain was so heavy they couldn't see that the runoff was just littered with bikes that passed them. wonder why they didn't call off the race. with that money, they were able to get new bikes for the next season.

[@blipco5]

I actually had a nice time riding in the rain, once. I had the right gear and it was warm with a bright sky. The rain was heavy and the highway not too curvy. I had to maintain 85 mph to stay ahead of the spray coming off the cars. Normally I don't ride that fast in the rain but that day I did.

[@SIMSPHERE]

Never raced, but I enjoy rainy days the BEST! As stated in the video, most tires, ( even from 20 years ago,) can handle most lean angles, that you do in the dry. The KEY, is time, and smoothness of input. Most prominent times, my tires lost grip, is because I chose it to, and wanted to drift out, in the wet. Very possible, very controllable. Just have to know your equipment, and input on the throttle, lean angle changes, and/ or braking. You can do it damn near the same speed/angle, just much slower input. Plus, it helps to embrace the rain. If you never ride in the wet, you won't know how to handle the wet, when you get caught in it. Everyday is a beautiful day to ride.

[@robertmoore2527]

Tyre

[@handgunpro3195]

2:07 Mike you are insane, I hope you know that lol

[@mbchannel1037]

2:07 Genius! 😂

[@mnnic4292]

The clarity and quality of your explanations is great. Cheers!

[@nnik4925]

yeah! i’m so impressed of the simplicity of the explation.

[@swyyou9958]

Gonna try this advice in motogp20

[@akashj8204]

Haha.. same reason ✋

[@AB-hs9pw]

AkashJ me as well

[@dougwoellner9216]

Corona virus ruined the 2020 moto go season CHINESE COVID 19 hope they pay for what that arrogant country has inflicted on the rest of the world

[@connorhoyle2926]

@@dougwoellner9216Just because the virus started there doesn't mean they are responsible for how poorly the US and the rest of the world dealt with it. China is definitely far from a perfect country but we cant blame all of our problems on them. Also they are referring to a video game not the 2020 moto gp season. This is not where moto gp riders learn how to ride.

[@ericoschmitt]

Doug Woellner analysis of frozen sewage material in a few parts of the world showed the presence of the virus before the wuhan outbreak. In Spain it has been found in early 2019 samples. Where I live in Florianópolis it has been found in november. So it may as well have started anywhere else, only Wuhan medics were the first to notice and sound the alarm.

[@codypendant6745]

Interesting explanation of rain grip. Thought I recognized that track. Was the first track I saw as a child of the '60's, when my friends got their McCulloch powered Go-Kart. Track has been around more than half a century. They have added the dirt berms for rally racing fairly recently. My brother still lives in the city and I still get their newsletter.

[@danielfalin]

my favorite moto channel :) thank you for all the great content !

[@jamesholt7340]

I used to love putting it to the stop in the rain,the back end would brake loose and come around,especially through corners!!!Used to be so much fun!!

[@baravinds]

👌🏼Perfectly explained with videos of it, love this!

[@kikobruni]

Excellent Video!!! Thanks for making and posting it!!!

[@foofighter1790]

So much to learn from your videos. Thanks!!!

[@megcsa]

Brad Binder winning the Austrian GP 2021 in the rain on slicks...epic win with no brakes and no grip. 🇿🇦🏆

[@pandasracing6984]

Great explanation, thanks! I noticed the same issue that regular street tire simply does not get any heat riding in the rain on a track. So at any lean angle it behaves basically as a cold tire. Personally, I found it easier to understand the traction in wet on 4 wheels e.g. go kart or a car just to feel different levels of grip and then master it on 2 wheels.

[@robertmoore2527]

Tyre

[@jeremyblack4290]

More great content from Mike! Keep it up man. I’ve had a grand total of 1 track day in the rain. (What can I say, I live in Arizona.) It was miserable from start to finish. Major props to any cat who legitimately pushes hard in the rain.

[@IosuamacaMhadaidh]

The Chaun Davis jam in the intro is a great song. Good choice!

[@codeN1NE]

The most underrated channel 🔥🔥🔥. The content created here are Awesome..

[@joshlewis5065]

A lot of MotoGP bikes also have many buttons on their grips. I have heard that there is a momentary switch often used to pull timing for as long as that button is depressed. So that when slipping or oulling the front wheel up, its like a safety button

[@bernardoestevao398]

Your videos are amazing. Thank you and good job!

[@crashdummysm]

Great video, as usual. Big thanks!

[@happycamper4429]

My only 4 victories in D production class were in the rain. I loved it.

[@NiceGuyPCTV]

I have raced on wet tracks with standard slicks and had no problems with grip. Riding in rain definitely requires a different approach to braking, throttling, and body position (it is called the "great equalizer")...but as long as there wasn't any standing or flowing water on the track, slicks were fine. Then if it dried up mid-race...you were flying.

[@Brianmoto49]

keep up the good work.. always something to learn

[@fabzrustrider9838]

Amazing informative video 👍🏾💯🇯🇲

[@freddererik9572]

i love riding in the rain. But racing in the rain is a whole new level

[@Ojs_channel]

Just discovered ur Chanel and i love ur work, thanks for the share..

[@pickelsvonbrine]

You know, I dont race bikes. hell, I have never rode on one. However, this is some cool stuff man! Learning a lot on something I don't know anything about. :)

[@migmagingenieria]

Great vid and channel!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@shashikaushal7127]

I like your channel dude. Good Work.

[@abtking91]

Everything looks easy unless you try yourself once. I was in my car and the first time I drove past 130 kmph on a two-lane road, I suddenly developed a lot of respect for the racers, who drive at more than 2x this speed. Everything comes at you like a bullet and you have very less time to react, you can't even blink, as it will turn you blind that long.

[@Bigtexbbq]

Haha in Texas we drive over 130kmph just to get to work

[@katie_otoole]

very informative, thanks!

[@treeguyable]

Cool! I high school, they called me" Mike on the bike". I rode a RD 350 yamaha. In the rain, and in the snow. Also while high, drunk, and on acid. Ok it was the 70s. Rode my 06 R1 home in the rain last night. Just gotta pay attention.

[@thomasschwarz6746]

Great Video! Can you explain us more about riding in the rain... e.g. throttel control, breaking technique, leaning...

[@AndrewOborny]

Great video

[@cody9919]

Good to see my crash living on :p

[@tlvidriss5806]

Which one ? 😅

[@cody9919]

@@tlvidriss5806 the lowside in the rain from Mike's POV

[@tlvidriss5806]

@@cody9919 1:27 ?

[@ultralinx200]

1:28

[@cody9919]

@@tlvidriss5806 That's my footage from my POV actually at 1:27, me crashing is at 0:40. I'm on the WR450 w/ 330. I ride w/ Mike and send him some of my interesting footage

[@vijaypratapsingh6716]

Nice video.. Loved it

[@jtab5392]

Between this guy and the french MOTO gp test rider you guys give some good Information on motorcycle and how everything works

[@GatorsFan2138]

Probably the only bonus of being a Floridian is we are forced to learn to ride and drive in the rain at a young age. Severe thunderstorms appear out of nowhere and you better learn quick because more experienced Florida drivers don’t slow down. Usually you see all the snow birds and northerners turn on hazards and go 5 mph which is super dangerous.

[@mrnice2994]

Keep it up Mike!

[@sunuk1915]

Great presentation 👏 👌

[@kolaAlakija]

Mike, you are a boss.

[@shaf18]

Nice content mate. Love ur post

[@edwinkarani5593]

Thanks man great infor.

[@jt3742]

That suit is stunning

[@dangerm2156]

There was a time when riding in rain was nothing short of a nightmare but now after changing to a set of diabolo rossos, it's another story.

[@tenzinsonam1005]

We have got a long monsoon here in Himachal. Lots of rain n foggy most of days. Ride all the time. Never try to give full power, more u pull harder u will hav to brake this slides n run out of corner. Use throttle n brake about 70:80 percent. Try to run it smoothly with gear control(engine brake) as we say in Bir. Rider's town. Best bikers.

[@elbu2968]

I have a different view on the weight transfer. Moto GP bikes need around 70 30 weight distribution to be well balanced. This is done through throttling up through corners. When it is wet, this powering up is a bit less so part weight transfer must be achieved through the set up. What is your view on this?

[@ianlanford6922]

Motogp qualifying brno 2019. Marc used slick tyres in wet track. Absolute demon.

[@gabry9044]

also Rossi did it in Le Mans, but at 40 years old

[@akupehsluarketatAR]

My dad gave some tips on riding in the rain. You cant force the bike into doin wat u want, another words u gotta b gentle n smooth. And when u r smooth u can b fast in the rain

[@R2_D]

THE best outtro clip in any of your vids I've seen. Nicely cut to the music too😉Hella classay Mike on bikes🎩🍻

[@demisx]

SoCal Supermoto 👍🏻. Been there a couple of times myself.

[@searching616]

Good vid lots of info

[@Qwerty_134]

All i know when u got wet race that is the suspension should be soft, rebound fast and compression should be perfect even for the rear! Just like this guy explained

[@DaBinChe]

Riding in the rain is sooo fun.

[@williamhjarner4671]

great video!

[@zounds13]

Hey, that's Adams Kart Track! I have fond memories of that place.

[@PerfectlyFreedom]

You did great with the thumbnail there.

[@wienerguy7822]

I heard a long time ago that tires now have more grip in the rain than tires in the 70s had on dry pavement. That made me a lot more confident riding in rain.

[@robertmoore2527]

Tyre

[@wienerguy7822]

@@robertmoore2527 incorrect

[@robertmoore2527]

@@wienerguy7822 Tire is to lose energy or weaken. To differentiate between the band of flexible material that grips the road and the above, tyre is the correct word.

[@youwantmyname9208]

This is very helpful

[@CristianoRonaldo-qn3sc]

Now time to apply this on my little honda cg 125cc

[@skbcid]

I was actually waiting for this topic. I didn't know about braking as hard in straight as on dry surface. But can't really do that as I ride only on public roads. As always informative video. :)

[@gogglesfpv7986]

i currently ride a 2018 busa. ive been riding for about 9 years. its common sense to ride more straight up and down through corners when its wet. but i only ride street. i usually tend to engine brake a little more, less rear brake with a little smoother throttle in the rain. how ever ive never taken into consideration of tire temp,and pressure in the rain. good vid, lots of info on this channel!

[@marcusgeorge1825]

The principal on a race track is exactly the same on the roads. You can still brake as hard upright in the wet.

[@skbcid]

@@marcusgeorge1825 I am worried about oil on the road. Lost traction because it while accelerating and braking in straight line.

[@cdnbcn6164]

@@skbcid it gets a little slick at the start of a rain, it doesn't stay that way for long tho.

[@RaiseaThoughts2008]

Now i know! Let's GO! Let's GO! Riders Rock!

[@ilrompiscatole5414]

He: Manually grooving slick tires. Me: Subscribed.

[@piccoloatburgerking]

What is that music you use in your videos? This is a pretty good channel, highly underrated.

[@Pradeep-ve5os]

finally found it. It's 'watch out' by Chaun Davis. thanks to this reddit page: www.reddit.com/r/listentothis/comments/aqz4ce/chaun_davis_watch_out_60s_inspired_pop_soul_2018/

[@sparkme123]

@@Pradeep-ve5os Thank you!!

[@markklinkert3477]

I did a track day once and it wasn't really even raining properly but it started to rain.... and then I decided to lie down for a bit :)

[@prabhatsinha196]

Tell more about the tyre pressure of the racing what are the pressure maintained during racing does it changes continously and how did they control it

[@thegoldenchild7527]

My favorite riding in the rain. Racing in the rain

[@Daltonalex25]

Can you explain more about braking in a straight line just as hard in the wet as in the dry? That doesn't make sense to me. There would still be water under the contact patch reducing traction, and there could also be brake degradation due to water on the rotors? Am I thinking about this wrong?

[@akfernandez4732]

Dalton Alexander definitely not as good as dry but around 80-90% as good

[@jme3752]

this is just an assumption but i think its because the contact patch on the front doesnt change a whole lot also because its pretty thin it doesnt aquaplan as much since it cuts trough the water more. i guess you would need to be more carefull with the rear slipping out in entry. again dont take my word for it i dont even ride bikes.

[@markettradinggenius]

I have a question. If a person stretches their motorcycle and puts a fat tire kit(330 mm tire) will they have issues riding in the rain when it comes to the water spraying them on their backs?

[@KangarooSkateboards]

0:07 same spot I went down at socal supermoto too

[@nev963]

I already knew i can brake hard but still thanks...even tho I'm still fast in the rain but I'm still scared any sudden moments I'll go down..

[@nunyabusiness896]

What about lines? In 4 wheel rain racing you avoid the normal line because the rubber from dry lapping gets into the asphalt and seals the surface. Is this still a problem for a motorcycle? I would imagine so.

[@jacobhendrickson8935]

Racing in rain I went from my local tracks top rider to top 15ish. I so sucked in the rain.

[@markzuckerberg6610]

I live in vancouver and insure my GSX650F all year round because i love the rain. My GS500 has no ABS either ;)

[@bryspeed2103]

New subscriber🔥👍.

[@caturlifelive]

I hate hydroplaning. Btw, thanks for share this

[@newpuroo920]

thank you

[@marcusgeorge1825]

Even without the computer controlled aids of today you can still adjust weight bias towards the rear simply by positioning your own body. Simple really. I miss the days when it all came down to the rider and not the reliance of computers. Modern racers have never had it so easy and they aren’t much quicker than the best from 20-30 years ago. Look at any GP track around the world and you are only talking about say 2 seconds a lap quicker. Even take away the tech side, if you put today’s Tyre compounds on say an old 500 GP bike I think it would be a different story!

[@John-vw4qz]

Good vid..

[@patrickscanlon7955]

Love riding in the rain no problem.

[@IRISHREPUBLIC1916]

On my way home from work ( I live in Ireland, Dublin ... always not far from being rainy haha I drove my k1 gsxr 600 to work and it has even raining all day ..... today coming home I went up a hill next to Dublin airport and the back wheel lost grip as I was mid throttle and power slid up the hill . Went up a gear to get some grip and it slid again. That gsxr 600 is a mad mo fo hahahaha

[@Tom-us8cg]

If you haven’t used proper rain tyres then you’ll never understand. They give you so much grip in the wet it’s insane

[@hamgivesyouwings89]

Hate riding in the rain, thats how i lost my first motorcycle to the salvage yard. Tire was cold, road was wet. Mid corner i go sideways n then high side... learned my lesson the hard way. Do not under estimate the power of tire temperature, and road conditions

[@lokeshsoni8832]

u r wrong, in rain one cannot brake as hard as in dry. Road-tire friction (Mu) is lesser, and this limits the braking force. Normally on dry roads braking availbale in straight line is upto 1.8g, extra 0.8 comes from super sticky rubber, tire temp, downforce, while on wet surface its max 1.2g only bcoz of lesser Road-tire friction (Mu). Everything like rubber compund, opertaing temp, body weight distruution, downforce....lead to maximum available normal force i.e. (Mu * Normal weight), but Mu is always lesser so ultimately lesser braking force in rain Basic friction and forces equations

[@cdnbcn6164]

You can brake almost just as hard

[@lokeshsoni8832]

​@@cdnbcn6164:)​thanks for replying... but "almost" is a vague word, i have put the equation, Mu is down from 0.95 to 0.65 and weight is same, so braking force is down by ~31%. In rain Mu is down by atleast 20%. U can apply force at lever just as hard but bike wont brake that hard

[@OneShotKill3r]

I do wonder if hydroplaning is a thing for bikes because the shape of the tyre pushes water to the sides

[@TheonlyrealChester]

Is this at Socal Supermoto? I'm in Temecula and ride a 2020 701! Let's go for a ride!

[@TheBalija1]

Can you explain differences between motocross and supermoto? How suspension differs? Can you make supermoto by just putting street tiress on cross bike? Ty

[@BLACKPANTHERFIGHTER]

Just forgot to mention the most important thing foot pegs pressure. Lean Left , push on the RIGHT . Lean Right , push on the LEFT .

[@redlinethin]

Mike, can you make a video explaining legal issues when racing. Do you need different insurance? Another type of insurance on top like some sort of liability if you damage track hence or something like that. Who is responsible if someone takes you out or crashes in to you and so on. That would be nice video I think

[@cody9919]

In short, you should have health insurance. If someone crashes you out, or you crash someone out, thats a racing incident. You're not liable for the other person's injury and they aren't for yours. You are also not financially liable for any damages to the bike. That would be a very difficult thing to go after legally UNLESS its gross negligence or criminal intent to injure, but you better hope you get it on tape. The Track has its insurance, but that is there to cover themselves against people suing them. Some trackday providers or companies sell trackday insurance if you crash the bike- and sometimes you can get your motorcycle insurance company to cover you for track days if they consider them "practice days" but be careful how you approach your company with that question. There are also some rare race insurances but I don't think that applies to small time moto racing, you're better off just saving your money in case of an incident.

[@killingfields1424]

During rain, be gentle with the brakes or better not use it more often, instead use momentum to your advantage and with less braking power.

[@abdulgani8432]

Grymt gjort!