Rain and Other Weather Questions

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Thu Mar 23, 2006 3:37 am

Is hydroplaning that big an issue on motorcycles?

I've never heard it as a precaution and I'd like to think I've read damned near everything about motorcycling tips and techniques that I could find.

I know that it's never going to happen on bicycles because of their particular tire size and the average body weight on those tires you'd have to do 80+ mph before you'd worry about it and I think the highest they got during the Tour De France was around 50 going downhill so I'd call myself safe there.

On a scoot though I haven't heard anything about it.

earwig · #22 Unread post by **earwig** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 3:50 am

If you go fast enough on a bicycle you can hydroplane

Anyway, here is some info: http://www.msgroup.org/TIP035.html

I don't care what people say about riding in the rain, it is way more dangerous than riding on dry pavement (see my previous post). You can come up with excuses and reasons for anything... Yes if ride very carefully and pretty much change everything you are used to about riding on dry pavement you can ride in the rain just fine, people do it all the time, but it is not for me... Anyway, yes you can definately hydroplane on a bike, although it doesn't happen as easy as in a car... many motorcycle tires are now as big or bigger than some car tires

storysunfolding wrote:Is hydroplaning that big an issue on motorcycles?

I've never heard it as a precaution and I'd like to think I've read damned near everything about motorcycling tips and techniques that I could find.

I know that it's never going to happen on bicycles because of their particular tire size and the average body weight on those tires you'd have to do 80+ mph before you'd worry about it and I think the highest they got during the Tour De France was around 50 going downhill so I'd call myself safe there.

On a scoot though I haven't heard anything about it.

safety-boy · Thu Mar 23, 2006 3:55 am

Definitely avoid standing water.

I think maybe hydroplaning is not discussed much because you are more likely to slip in road slop, because you are avoiding the standing water.

Hydroplaning is just like skipping rocks.

--David

bikeguy joe · Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:07 pm

I have never hydroplaned.

I have broken the rear tire loose a couple of times, but I was kind of pushing it to see where the limit of traction was.

I think riding in the rain is safe enough if you use moderate caution and I wouldn't NOT ride in the rain. If I only rode in good weather, I'd almost never ride......

#25 Unread post by **Kal** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:52 pm

I don't have a chioce about riding in the wet, I live in the UK.

There really isnt much to winge about. It's cold and miserable but no real biggy. I ride visor up, in bad rain conditions I drop my visor to the top of my eye level to limit the amount of rain I am getting in my eyes.

The first ten minutes in a downpour is the nerve wracking time, thats when all the rubbish in the road lifts and you've got diesel and oil to challange you. After that it tends to be fine.

I actually slow down a little in the wet, braking is done on both front and back brakes evenly and instead of keeping 2 seconds between me and the motor in front I make it 4 seconds. My acceleration and gear changes are smoother and less 'snappy'.

Riding in the wet is no problem. Aquaplaning - I've had it happen once. Large puddle of standing water after a turn that I accelerated into. I felt the wheels, front than back, become 'free' and rolled off the throttle. The wheels came back down and then I was through the puddle so I guess I did the right thing.

#26 Unread post by **Skier** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:03 pm

earwig wrote:If you go fast enough on a bicycle you can hydroplane

Anyway, here is some info: http://www.msgroup.org/TIP035.html

I don't care what people say about riding in the rain, it is way more dangerous than riding on dry pavement (see my previous post). You can come up with excuses and reasons for anything... Yes if ride very carefully and pretty much change everything you are used to about riding on dry pavement you can ride in the rain just fine, people do it all the time, but it is not for me... Anyway, yes you can definately hydroplane on a bike, although it doesn't happen as easy as in a car... many motorcycle tires are now as big or bigger than some car tires

storysunfolding wrote:Is hydroplaning that big an issue on motorcycles?

I've never heard it as a precaution and I'd like to think I've read damned near everything about motorcycling tips and techniques that I could find.

I know that it's never going to happen on bicycles because of their particular tire size and the average body weight on those tires you'd have to do 80+ mph before you'd worry about it and I think the highest they got during the Tour De France was around 50 going downhill so I'd call myself safe there.

On a scoot though I haven't heard anything about it.

I'll take Dunlop's R&D team's word over that guy's. He basically said "it looks like the front tire could cause problems." I'm fairly certain Dunlop has tested more tire tread possibilities than this guy has seen in his life.

You say rain riding is more dangerous than riding in the dry. I'll say it's a miniscule increase in risk, which can be mitigated with proper technique.

Pretty soon you'll tell me I shouldn't be riding on gravel with my motorcycles. It's obviously got less traction than wet surfaces, so I'm destined to fall down and go boom any second now! Sorry, but I just won't buy it, and will keep riding in the rain.

Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:12 pm

Nothing like riding in the rain. It's like being in a tent during a rain storm, so relaxing- the sound, the smell, the cold.

#28 Unread post by **Sev** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:20 pm

Skier wrote:I'll take Dunlop's R&D team's word over that guy's. He basically said "it looks like the front tire could cause problems." I'm fairly certain Dunlop has tested more tire tread possibilities than this guy has seen in his life.

You say rain riding is more dangerous than riding in the dry. I'll say it's a miniscule increase in risk, which can be mitigated with proper technique.

Pretty soon you'll tell me I shouldn't be riding on gravel with my motorcycles. It's obviously got less traction than wet surfaces, so I'm destined to fall down and go boom any second now! Sorry, but I just won't buy it, and will keep riding in the rain.

I am inclined to agree with Skier, seeing as I'v ridden on concrete, asphault, tarmac, fresh gravel, dirt road, scattered road gravel, and through heavy heavy rain.

The worst was gravel, the best was tarmac or asphault, but wet isn't that bad unless there is a ton of freestanding water.

#29 Unread post by **Kal** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:17 pm

The worst thing about rain is wrenching in it...

I don't often enjoy setting about a bike with tools at the best of times, rain just makes the whole process even longer and more miserable...

earwig · #30 Unread post by **earwig** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:36 am

Skier... I never said you or anyone else shouldn't ride in the rain

It just isn't for me. It's dangerous enough here in New Jersey without the added risk of having worry about cars running into me because of the poor visibility, the pot holes that are harder to see in the rain etc. I hope you didn't take my comments as trying to start an argument, because I wasn't... I was just giving my thoughts.