Rain riding

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mcwbyu82
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Rain riding

Post by mcwbyu82 »

Looks like i am going to have my first ride in the rain on the way home form work in about an hour. Any advice or things i should know?
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Elm Creek Smith
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Post by Elm Creek Smith »

If you don't have one now, it's a little late to get a rain suit. I also recommend a windscreen. The motorcyclist I followed on my Budd through the hailstorm last night had neither. HE was one miserable biker.

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mcwbyu82
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Post by mcwbyu82 »

rain suit i have and with me luckily (actually not really luck, I gotta take credit for being prepared!). no screen yet. I am more concerned with saftey issues than getting wet.
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Keys
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Post by Keys »

Don't ride in the center of the lane...that's where the cages leak their oil. Avoid painted lines. Both are very slick when wet. Other than slow down a bit, be even more vigilant and aware of your surroundings and use your front brake a little more carefully, that's about it...

Ride smart.

--Keys 8)
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brat
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Post by brat »

remember just like a car it takes more time to stop. So, you need to watch for other people even more than you do now!! Slow down, watch for puddles, don't drive down the center of the lane, watch painted lines. Anything metal is very, very slick. This is manhole covers, large metal plates, railroad tracks and so on.

Susan
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mcwbyu82
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Post by mcwbyu82 »

Thanks. those are great basic tips. Other than that people have found the tires to grab pretty well on wet roads?
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Keys
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Post by Keys »

I rode some 50 miles from Prescott to Cottonwood over Mingus Mtn (7050 ft. elev) in the rain last fall with no serious wiggles due to the tires. I've found them to grab well enough in the rain if you don't get over-confident and cocky.

--Keys 8)
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mcwbyu82
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Post by mcwbyu82 »

Thnaks everyone for the input. Ill take it easy and play it safe. I'm in no hurry as long as i am home in time for The Office(i can see Dwight on a Buddy, no?) Can I just say I love this forum. everyone is so helpful and quick to respond.
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captaintg
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Post by captaintg »

I rode in the rain one time so far, and the only problem was with my visor. I had to wipe the droplets off it constantly so I could see. Is there a better way to deal with this? Mini windshield wipers?
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Post by gt1000 »

Wet roads translate to a reduction of traction. Braking and cornering compete for traction so always avoid doing both at the same time, but especially when it's wet. If it's also cold it's even worse. Take it slow until you get the feel of it and keep your bike as upright as possible.
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Post by Corsair »

captaintg wrote:I rode in the rain one time so far, and the only problem was with my visor. I had to wipe the droplets off it constantly so I could see. Is there a better way to deal with this? Mini windshield wipers?

RAIN-X
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Post by San Francisco »

Well too late to chime in before your commute home, but for future
reference, in addition to all that has been said:

1. If it's a first rain, it takes about 24 hours for the rain to wash off surface
oils, etc. so you have to be especially careful. If it has been raining for
a few days, then there is less concern about oil.

2. Remember that it's the cars who are going to screw up. There are
always cars whose drivers don't change their bad habits just because
it is raining. You can pick them out in a crowd. They are the ones
going 20 mph over the speed limit, even though it is raining.

They speed, they jam on the brakes and they make sharp turns,
all as if the road is bone dry. But it is not and they get into trouble.
So you have to be extra defensive and on the lookout for those
fools.

3. Basically when riding the scooter in the rain you have to remember
that the scooter becomes extremely unstable. So you have to operate
the scooter in slow motion, so to speak. No sudden acceleration, no
sharp turns, and no sudden braking. Above all else, stay in the slow lane
and go the speed limit or even 5 to 10 mph slower than the posted limit.

4. Too late for now, but put some Rain-X on your shield so the water does
not form drops on the shield. Also, your shield might fog up from the
temp variances, so what I have done is open the vents and lift up the
shield slightly so the inside of the helmet does not fog up. You can also
try to control your breathing so that your warm exhale does not contribute
to fogging up the shield.

Let us know how it went.

Bonus Tip: One of the most common ways riders lose control in the rain
is when they suddenly accelerate or brake. So make sure you control
the scooter in this regard, e.g., keep enough distance between you and
the car in front of you so that you will not have to brake hard. And
it's obvious, but in the rain you have to be especially careful to apply
both the front and rear brakes slowly and evenly. There's better ways to
ideally work the brakes in the rain, but I won't go into that in this
"beginner" how to. Just remember that riders get into trouble when in a
panic they apply too much rear brake.
Last edited by San Francisco on Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:16 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Post by San Francisco »

mcwbyu82 wrote:Thnaks everyone for the input. Ill take it easy and play it safe. I'm in no hurry....
That is the best thing to do, above all else, take it slow and easy. If
nothing else, going slow and doing nothing radical will keep you safe.
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mcwbyu82
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Post by mcwbyu82 »

All went smooth coming home. Funny as it may sound i was actually a little bummed out caused the rain had let up to just a drizzle. Oh well Im sure I will have plenty more opportunities to ride wet. Gonna pick up some rain-x for sure. Also think I am going to start keeping small rag iunder the seat so i dont have to use my sleave to wipe of the accumulated water (no covered parking at work).
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Post by birdmove »

Come on up to the Pacifc NW/Puget Sound area.If you don't ride in rain here, you don't ride at all.

jon
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Post by San Francisco »

mcwbyu82 wrote:All went smooth coming home. Funny as it may sound i was actually a little bummed out caused the rain had let up to just a drizzle. Oh well I'm sure I will have plenty more opportunities to ride wet. Gonna pick up some rain-x for sure. Also think I am going to start keeping small rag under the seat so i don't have to use my sleeve to wipe of the accumulated water (no covered parking at work).
I always keep a towel in my scooter's storage compartment to wipe off
fog that settles on scooters pretty quick here in San Francisco.

You might want to get one of those orange super moisture absorbing towels too.

And lastly, keep the towel[s] into a plastic freezer or shopping bag.
That comes in handy when looking for a place to put your soaked towel
for the ride home.

Bonus Tip: You want to make sure to wipe down the gauge area where
moisture can accumulate. Also wipe down the controls, headlight and
front signals.
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Post by sunshinen »

Congrats on your first rain ride. For next time, if it is just starting to rain, wait 10-15 minutes for the rain to wash some of the oil away. If you're on the road, consider a good time for a coffee break. That first bit of rain mixing with all the oil can make things very slick.

On windshields
As far as the cold is concerned, the taller the better. But... I rode home Wednesday in the rain (about 45 minute ride), had a huge backpack on, and had to really stretch to see over my tall (but cutdown by someone else) windshield. My back is ridiculously sore/strained. So everyone thinking about a windshield or has the tall one, if it's pouring rain, you're probably going to want to be able to see over the top of it. So you might want to trim yours to fit your height. :D
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Post by planowayne »

I was feeling like a wimp for bringing the cage to work this morning because of some storms in the forecast, not to mention 10 to 20 mph winds. Now we have tornado warnings out. Maybe discretion IS the better part of valor :roll: .
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Post by San Francisco »

planowayne wrote:I was feeling like a wimp for bringing the cage to work this morning because of some storms in the forecast, not to mention 10 to 20 mph winds. Now we have tornado warnings out. Maybe discretion IS the better part of valor :roll: .
While I can handle getting stuck in the rain, if it is forcasted or actually
raining before I travel, I don't take the scooter or my bikes. In other words,
I never ride in the rain, even if it's only a drizzle.

I don't like wet roads, end of story.
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Post by polianarchy »

Great responses! Do check out this very helpful thread:

viewtopic.php?t=967
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jgalar
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Post by jgalar »

You can buy riding gloves with a shield wiper on the left glove. Also you can buy little wipers that slide onto your finger or thumb. I keep a piece of chamois between my windshield and fairing for wiping off my helmet shield.

I posted an excellent weather source in a new topic.
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Post by ericalm »

jgalar wrote:You can buy riding gloves with a shield wiper on the left glove. Also you can buy little wipers that slide onto your finger or thumb. I keep a piece of chamois between my windshield and fairing for wiping off my helmet shield.

I posted an excellent weather source in a new topic.
You can also buy a thumb wiper:
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aer ... 16506.html
Image

Aerostitch also has an elkskin glove with a built in wiper:
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aer ... 16818.html
Image
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merlin
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Post by merlin »

could have used that today.
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