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Tonight was out riding, didn't think the rain would come and sure enough got caught in the major deluge 5 miles from home.

The bike handled fine in the rain (stopping, starting, riding, etc..) except for two times, once when the cross wind picked up (got slippery) and when I crossed a metal train track crossing. BE EXTRA CAREFUL GOING OVER THOSE WHEN THEY ARE WET!!! Caught me off guard when the rear wheel slid to the left, but my dirt bike experience and slow going saved me. Whew!

My leathers kept me partially dry and the full face helmet was a blessing. Boots were soaked from the rain pouring down from my jeans.

After that experience, next time I will stop at the closest place to hang out until it stops. (for coffee, remember MSF) Just not worth dumping the bike to save myself an hour of trying to get home. And sure enough Colorado rains always pass thru in about an hour.

Hope this info helps someone.

Always bring your rain gear!!

Any other tips/questions for the new riders are welcome on this forum posting... Thanks for your input!

Thanks for your advice M109..... I will take it when it happens to me, for luck, there is a few rain days here en Baja California Sur....

Except for local rides close to home, my rain gear goes everywhere I go.

You also need to be careful on the painted lines.

You would honestly think that in the 21st century someone could come up with a road paint that did not become slippery as ice the moment it got a little damp.

Oh well, at least our refrigerators have internet connectivity.

Paint or metal gets very slippery when wet, and watch out for raised oil patches or deep puddles. Other then that, enjoy yourself in the rain. It's actually rather pleasant if you have 1/2 way decent raingear.

M109R wrote:but my dirt bike experience and slow going saved me.

Could not agree more. Coming from dirtbikes myself I find riding on the road to be a breeze. Yes You have to watch out for other idiots but there is allwyas that one A$$HAT going the wrong way on a trail too.

Glad you made it okay. Like Blues, unless it's a quick trip I always take my rain gear. The best advice is to pull over and wait it out especialy if it's really bad conditions. Don't tense up on the wet roads, stay relaxed and just remember to keep away from the stuff mentioned above. Tar on the road is another one that'll get you especially if its wet or really hot. Which here in Florida is about 90% of the time.

Is there any testing on tire types and hydroplaning speeds? If so where could I look it up.

And as we get into fall... a SINGLE wet leaf can wreck your day too.

The contact patch on MC tires is so tiny, that getting a leaf underneath either tire in a curve can send you sliding.

P

Mintbread wrote:You would honestly think that in the 21st century someone could come up with a road paint that did not become slippery as ice the moment it got a little damp.

Oh well, at least our refrigerators have internet connectivity.

Ahh see, now the problem is we're going backwards. You'll notice that Lucky Goldstar have stopped selling their internet fridge, and returned to a traditional one with just an LCD tv in it. (uk.lge.com)

Before long, we'll be back to good old cobbled streets.