So with this weeks weather in mind I thought it would be the perfect time to go over some wet weather riding tips! I haven't met anybody yet who actively likes riding in the rain, but sometimes its unavoidable. Before i cheated and got a car, my motorcycle was my only form of transportation, so riding in the wind, rain and even snow was one of the downsides of the hobby.
So here are my tips that I have picked up riding in the rain over the last few years.
1) Plan Ahead
Ok so just because the bloke in the German saloon is tail gating the poor unfortunate person who happens to be in the way, doesn't mean you should as well. This may seem like common sense to a lot of people but leave a sizeable gap between you and the vehicle in front, especially if you don't have vision to look past the vehicle. Another potentially life saving tip is to slow down for junctions, even if you think the driver has seen you. I do this in all conditions but its especially important in the wet, where the chances of you doing an emergency stop in time are greatly decreased and the visibility for the driver is likely to be poor. It can be hard to judge if a car is about to pull out or not, but if you watch the wheels of the car for any movement this can give you an extra few milliseconds to react.
2) Be smooth on the throttle
It doesn't really matter what bike you are riding, if you pin the throttle in slippery conditions you can break traction, on my previous Yamaha R1, which didn't have traction control, even moderate inputs on the throttle was enough to break traction when it was wet and cold. Being progressive and smooth on the throttle should be the difference between a safe trip and having a potencial accident.
3) Watch your lean angle
Its pouring down with rain, unless you have racing wets on, don't try and be a Moto GP racer and get your knee down in the wet. You have about 50% less grip in the wet, although that being said its surprising on a nice bit of tarmac how far you can lean in the wet on good tyres. However this is the UK, the road is full of hazards such as oil, manhole covers and potholes. Its not worth the risk. Again be smooth and progressive when cornering and don't over do it!
4) Careful on the brakes
This is probably one of the hardest skills to get used to especially if your bike doesn't have ABS. When doing an emergency stop most peoples natural reaction is to slam the brakes on as quick and hard as possible which is basically our survival instinct taking over. This usually means that the front tyre will lock up and not be able to cope with the input. I found this out the hard way on a cold December evening. Luckily when i locked my front wheel up and crashed it was just my ego that got damaged. I have found the best way to get grip on the front in wet conditions is to apply the brakes gently first, this then transfers the weight to the front of the motorcycle, then you can pull the brakes harder as the front tyre will have more grip with the weight already over the front.
5) Relax!
This tip is last, but its one of the most important. When riding in the train its crucial that you are relaxed. Having a loose body means that you can be smoother on the bike, and as I have explained above a few times, smoothness is key! Also if your bike does move around a bit, that might be under acceleration or braking or simply getting blown around on the motorway, any correction that you try to make when you are tense will be amplified, if you are loose and hold a relaxed stance on the bike, the motorcycle will normally correct itself without any major inputs.
These were my top tips I have learn't over the years, however I am not an expert, we all learn new things everyday. If you think I have missed something or got something wrong, please do comment on Bike Stops post!
