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At some point you are
going to get caught in the rain. If you ride regularly it's
unavoidable. If just a shower, you'll only find it a
inconvenience, but if a downpour, then it's normally best to
park until it passes. If a thunderstorm, take shelter so you
don't get hit by lightening. In all these cases there are a
few factors to consider. Knowing how it will affect you and
your bike should help you change your riding style to manage
the wet conditions. The first and most important thing with
regard to riding in the rain is to maintain your vision. If
it's raining too hard to see, get off the road as soon as
you can.
Traction
The second most
important factor when riding in the rain is your traction.
As a motorcyclist it's hard to ignore the changing road
conditions, both you and your bike perform very differently
in the rain. The reduction in traction will be the most
obvious difference, typically around 50% - but it can be
significantly more with soft compound sports tires.
Although this is not to say that a hard compound touring
tire will necessarily produce more grip, just that the
change will be less noticeable. If your tires are badly worn
or bald they can't get rid of the water. You'll be
hydroplaning before you realize it, with two only two wheels
it's like riding on ice, and you'll be down before you know
it. Even with good rubber you'll find the road slippery in
places, especially right after the rain starts and before it
has time to wash away the accumulated traffic oil and
grease. Painted lines and rubber intersection markers can be
as slick as ice. When accelerating through a corner your
back wheel will spin out if you don't go easy on the
throttle.
We are all taught that
braking distances are doubled in bad weather and that we
should compensate appropriately, but it is easy to forget
how it also affects acceleration and cornering. Be
conservative on speed, lean angle, and braking, and you can
keep riding in most rain conditions.
Control
This is not just about
being gentle on the brakes and throttle, but also ensuring
that you balance your need for traction. On dry roads it is
easy to accelerate away from a turn even when the bike is
leaning over, but the risk of a slide increases in the wet
as your available traction is split between cornering and
accelerating. If you try to complete the turn before you
accelerate, your demand for grip will be reduced. The same
applies to cornering, if you slow your entry speed early,
you will be less likely to need to brake mid corner.
Plan and Look Ahead
Last minute reactions
should always be avoided, particularly on a wet road. If
you plan ahead you should be able to anticipate where you
need to brake, position and accelerate. This will enable
you to make better use of engine braking for corners and
intersections, rather than just relying on the brakes.
Engine braking reduces
the risk of skidding, as your wheels are unlikely to lock
up. However, it is important to be sympathetic to your
bike, by allowing the revs to drop before changing to a
lower gear. If you change down too early, you risk
momentarily locking the back wheel and could potentially
strain the engine, gearbox and chain. It's also important
to note any following traffic, which may be expecting to see
a brake light before you slow down.
How does rain affect the rider?
If you were lucky
enough to remember your rain gear, then you will be able to
proceed in relative comfort. If you didn't, then after
about 10 minutes or less, you will be completely soaked .It
becomes a safety issue when the temperature drops and you're
in danger of rapid hypothermia. Besides being
uncomfortable, you will after a while start to feel cold and
will be more reluctant to move about on the bike. It is
important not to underestimate how this affects you.
The visibility of
others sharing the road is also reduced in bad weather, so
riding with your lights on and wearing some high visibility
clothing is also important.
Wet weather riding
doesn't have to be avoided, and sometimes can't If you give
yourself more space, compensate for other drivers who don't
adjust and focus on smoothness and planning, you will reduce
the risks. Additionally, keeping an eye on how the rain
affects you will also help prevent you from making mistakes |
