Riding in the Rain and Dark

[Mr. Invisible]

Hey, I like Starbucks.

One thing is for sure, and I beleive it is what most are trying to get at. To find yourself in bad driving conditions is not the best way to better your skills.

The best way to improve on your skills is to find the conditions you need to improve on in a controled invironment and practice there, like a dirt track.

[flynrider]

so was my bike a dirt bike when I took it down a sandy road (yes sandy)? Hey I didnt want to take the 4 mile detour and instead took the .2 miles of sand lol.

Kind of Getting some experience riding a street bike on a slippery surface can be even better than doing it on a dirt bike. Street bikes react to such conditions much differently.

Many years ago I took a long ride to a secluded camping spot in the mountains, where a group of friends were having a party. What they didn't mention was that the last 15 miles of road was about 4 inches deep in fresh pea gravel. My old Kaw 750 (loaded with camping gear and a case of beer) didn't like it one bit. I fell over twice in the 1st five miles, but eventually figured it out. I've never had a problem with gravel since then. This summer I encountered several secondary roads in the mountains that had just been freshly covered in gravel (with "motorcyclists use caution" signs every mile) and didn't have any problems with my loaded down Nighthawk.

[ofblong]

so was my bike a dirt bike when I took it down a sandy road (yes sandy)? Hey I didnt want to take the 4 mile detour and instead took the .2 miles of sand lol.

Kind of Getting some experience riding a street bike on a slippery surface can be even better than doing it on a dirt bike. Street bikes react to such conditions much differently.

Many years ago I took a long ride to a secluded camping spot in the mountains, where a group of friends were having a party. What they didn't mention was that the last 15 miles of road was about 4 inches deep in fresh pea gravel. My old Kaw 750 (loaded with camping gear and a case of beer) didn't like it one bit. I fell over twice in the 1st five miles, but eventually figured it out. I've never had a problem with gravel since then. This summer I encountered several secondary roads in the mountains that had just been freshly covered in gravel (with "motorcyclists use caution" signs every mile) and didn't have any problems with my loaded down Nighthawk.

hehe well I did it with my wife on the back and found an exit that was "uphill" into a parking lot. I was surprised at how easily my bike actually moved through the sand as well as up the bout 6 foot hill lol.

so was my bike a dirt bike when I took it down a sandy road (yes sandy)? Hey I didnt want to take the 4 mile detour and instead took the .2 miles of sand lol.

Lol. Was this a closed road but you went through it anyway?

I would never do something like that .

[Shorts]

Road an unpaved mountain road, up one side, down the other. 19km long. That sucked. Dropped the bike once when I lost the front tire in a rut coming on a switchback in the descent.


Rode through the flooded roads of Oirase Gorge leading to the lake. That sucked. It was still raining too. My toes on the pegs were dragging in the water, oncoming buses trying to squeeze one lane into two, first ride out of the city...ahh, memories.


Good times it is riding in adverse conditions

[JC Viper]

Yes absolutely, positively, riding in a less than ideal conditon will make you a better rider.....assuming one has the mental and physical ability to process the info and learn from it.

Dirt riding is a perfect example. You can gain invaluable experience and skills from it. It will make you a better rider by teaching you perfect clutch control, brake control, throttle control, weight control, etc etc etc. Riding in different conditions like mud, rocks, sand, etc will teach you skills you will never learn on the asphalt.

I have ridden in torrrential downpour and even got caught(unintentionally) in a snowstorm that was so severe that they were shutting down lanes on certain highways. I went as far as I could before I parked the bike. When I was coming off the highway offramp I could feel the rear losing grip and and starting to slide but somehow kept the bike up. This was about 20 years ago and at that time, I had only been riding for about 2 years and I would certainly say I learned good rear wheel slide control that day.....real fast!

I certainly don't advocate riding in dangerous conditions on the street. Not even for one second. But to say you won't learn from it is silly. I would bet a veteran Bloke from rainy England that rides every single day is a lot better rider than some weekend "warrior" in the US who's bike has never seen a drop of rain and spends more time admiring his bike from inside a Starbucks cafe than riding it.

That being said, it is stupid to go out of your way to seek unfavorable condition on the street, that's what the dirt is for. Get a dirt bike, enjoy and learn!

For those of us who commute with the bike rain doesn't really stop us, not even a torrent.

I have to admit I feel like a WW II pilot on a bombing run when riding in such conditions. The rain falling the down and I'm trying to navigate without any fancy computers and only a few LEDs with an analogue gauge all the while I'm keeping the machine stable. The humming sound of my engine also adds the much needed propeller effects.

[Lisa]

Many years ago I took a long ride to a secluded camping spot in the mountains, where a group of friends were having a party. What they didn't mention was that the last 15 miles of road was about 4 inches deep in fresh pea gravel. My old Kaw 750 (loaded with camping gear and a case of beer) didn't like it one bit. I fell over twice in the 1st five miles, but eventually figured it out. I've never had a problem with gravel since then. This summer I encountered several secondary roads in the mountains that had just been freshly covered in gravel (with "motorcyclists use caution" signs every mile) and didn't have any problems with my loaded down Nighthawk.

How did the beer fare?

gravel makes me more wary than torential rains. need more practice.

[flynrider]

How did the beer fare?

gravel makes me more wary than torential rains. need more practice.

I knew someone would ask that As I recall, 3 or 4 cans burst in the box when I went down. They just dribbled all over the bike until I got to where I was going. Fortunately, the beer was on the bottom of the pile of gear, so only the bike smelled like a brewery. It's a good thing I didn't get pulled over