Not a motorcycle specific tip but remember that roads are always slickest right after it starts raining

 

I also recommend Pilot Powers. Besides rainy weather, I rode them in the freakin storm for 30 minutes. Wind pushing me and rain drops hitting me li.ke a bullet, they did provide very good traction.

I try to leave more space with the vehicle in front of me that if the vehicle behind me fails to stop, i have an little extra space to run away. I try to think that I am riding in the crowd of stupid people. Any of them can do anything stupid at any moment. This keeps me more alert.

I better start shopping for winter too.

 

i've ridden in rain so hard that cars have pulled over w.hile i kept going. does that make me an expert, no, dumbass, maybe.

Fo me, no matter what kind of riding i'm doing in adverse weather (extreme low temps or rain), always assume your tires have no grip. follow that golden rule and you're, well, golden.

1) take turns at posted/reccommended speed limits. most crashes happen when turning (and intoxicated).
2) be careful when riding in the wheel footprint of the car in front of you. roads tend to get impacted, causing a collection of water... and trust me, hydroplaning on a bike is not fun. for me, in the rain, i always ride in lane position number 2. lane position 1 and 3 are bad news when on the highway.



3) be mindful of the type of road you are on. concrete roads don't get impacted as much as blacktop, therefore, not as much chance of hydroplaning.

4) if it does start raining when you're riding, be careful about traffic lights. lane position 1 and 3 are best for stopping, worst for cruising.

that's all probably pretty obvious, but those are my biggest areas of concern...

edit: i've got pilot powers too. i still don't trust them in the rain...

 

nice rain gear Hayden! i bought some but a different, cheaper brand. im kicking myself wishing i had gotten those though. i bought a 1pc suit. as far as what else to buy......i highly, highly, highly.....HIGHLY recommend some A* drystar gloves to go w/ that.i bought a pair for $35 off www.wickedthunder.com (unbeatable prices!). they got damaged in my accident/battle w/ the deer in May and i plan to buy the $75 pair which has a bit of impact protection. check'em out, i was 100% happy w/ mine. look into'em, brother.

 

All the advise above is really great but if I have the time and place to stop to wear a rain gear, I might just as well wait till the rain stop. At least I can have a puff or two.

 

always go slow when turning!

I a.lmost low sided twice when I:

1) was turning and crossed over the wet double yellow line
2) crossed a brige w.hile turning over the metal spar that allows the bridge to expand and contract

also, check out this link:

http://www.soundrider.com/archive/sa...ain_riding.htm

it lists the best hazards to look out for. mostly common sense, but some i've never thought about before. lots of good tips!

 

true, but im actually considering riding in the rain as i leave the house....even if it already raining...


FLYOU awesome advice i really appreciate it.

 

Hayden, no worries mang.... i didn't take it personal, kiddin around a lil, but im sure thirdgen knows 100,000 more miles of knowledge with tires than i do

 

I can say from my experience no tires can be deemed good or safe in the rain. Its just you have to be extra cautious especially in the turns, always be prepared to pull a brake smoothly and be reminded that the brake efficiency will drop in the rain too. Another important aspect is your vision. If the rain is very heavy that make your visibility poor, you might as well pull over.

 

I've riden in the rain a few time in the past year I've been riding...but it finally bit me two weeks ago. I was goinga little fast and tried to stop for a light that I should have just went through (it was still amber). But I ended up locking up my rear tire, low-sided and slid through the intersection....stopping about 60 yards away. My gear held up perfectly and I don't have a scratch...the bike does have a few though. But this was a great lesson to me to go a little slower in bad conditions...and that rear tire doesn't help nearly as much in the rain as it normally does.