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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.
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