Best Western's Travel Blog - You Must Be Trippin'

Riding in the Rain

July 8 2010 by Jason Fogelson

There's an old maxim about motorcycling: "If you don't ride in the rain, you don't really ride."

If you're going to travel by motorcycle, eventually you're going to have to ride through the rain. It's not the end of the world. It's not even the end of the fun. If you take precautions, prepare properly and practice, riding in the rain will just become part of the story.

Precautions: Before you consider riding in the rain, you have to apply some common sense to the equation. If the weather looks really, really bad -- if hail, lightning, freezing temperatures, tornadoes or high winds are forecast and look imminent, you don't want to be caught out on two wheels. Heck, you probably shouldn't be out on four wheels, either. If you find yourself riding through weather that is too severe, pull off the road immediately. Find shelter -- under an overpass, at a gas station or restaurant, or in a friendly garage. You are very vulnerable on your bike, so let discretion be the better part of valor. Pay attention to forecasts, weather maps and other resources, and don't get caught unaware.

Preparation: Make sure that your bike is ready for the rain. It's always important to check your tires before a ride, but it's especially important when the pavement is wet. Proper inflation is essential. Worn treads may lead to hydroplaning, when the grooves in your tires fail to channel water along your path and the meat of the tire doesn't make contact with the pavement. Don't ride on bald tires; never ever ride on bald tires in the rain.

If you're traveling, you've probably got luggage on your bike -- either hard bags or soft bags. Don't take for granted that your bags are watertight. They might be, but even a small leak can really do some damage, especially if you carry a camera or electronic equipment with you, like I do. Take precautions. Load your delicate gear inside a dry sack, easily purchased at any camping or Army/Navy store. If you get caught in the rain in a pinch, the old standby garbage bag does a decent job for a short haul, as a liner inside your luggage. Don't use garbage bags on the outside of your luggage -- they'll just rip in the wind, and you'll look like a hobo.

If you're traveling overnight, make room for the rain gear. A decent set of rain gear is worth its weight in gold, but won't cost nearly as much. Even better is a high tech riding suit, like the Harley-Davidson FXRG Jacket and Pants, which are made of waterproof leather and textile, and lined with Gore-Tex.

Waterproof boots are essential. If your boots are not waterproof, you'll want to carry overboots or gaiters. Wet feet are miserable.

Same thing for your gloves. Check to make sure that your gloves are waterproof, and if they're not, bring some glove covers. I failed to follow this advice on a recent trip, and wound up with my hands stained blue from my soaked leather gloves. It took a couple of days for the dye to leave my skin. Good times.

Practice: The very best practice for riding in the rain is to slow down. Smooth inputs, slower corner entry and exit speeds and gentle braking will help with control in the rain. Traction will be reduced in the rain, but it isn't as dramatic as you might expect. If your tires are good, and you're riding sensibly, you'll be surprised at how little changes in the rain.

The most dangerous part of a ride in the rain is when the rain first begins. Oils and debris on the road surface may make surfaces slick, so read the road and pay attention. Ride in the wheel tracks, and avoid the center of the lane as much as possible.

All of the skills that you've learned on dry roads will apply in the rain: Keep your eyes high, look where you want to go, smooth and gentle inputs, and keep a light grip on the bars. Stay relaxed, and ride within your comfort zone. It's going to take you a little longer to get where you're going, and that's okay. It's the journey, not the destination, that makes motorcycle travel.

If you've never ridden in the rain, I would suggest that you watch the weather at home, and after the next rain, get your bike over to a wet, empty parking lot for some low speed practice. Explore traction; practice straight line braking; swerve through some cones and imaginary obstacles. Build experience, build confidence, and then the next time it rains, you'll be ready to add the actual falling water part to your exercises. It won't take long for you to be ready to ride in the rain.

Maybe you'll even be like me -- eager for a nice rain shower to clean the air, clear the roads, and enhance the ride.

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