Becoming a real motorcycle rider.

[Nerobro]

This weekend a lot of time was spent on the bike. Lots of very plesant time. I think I earned my "I'm a real biker" card. Let me explain.

Friday night I went to a friends house. I got home from my office so I could get my bike, and pack a few things. I was sure to grab a tool or two so I could get the bike rolling again if something really screwed up. I'm glad I did....

The night was distrubingly humid. 90 something percent humidity and somethhing like eighty degrees. I checked the weather forcast and there were a coupple of wonderfully large banks of thunderstoms coming. I started to chicken out. I got everything packed, anything water sensitive I put inside a plastic bag, and then went out to my bike. I looked up at the sky and decided that riding the bike would be a bad plan becuase I'm still a new rider and the prospect of 70mph in the rain wasn't sounding so good to me.

I hopped on the bike and rode around the block. When I got back to the house I decided that I'm going to ride, rain or no rain. I shutdown the bike and went in to get my backpack and a few other things to go. I went out to the bike, and much to my suprise, I had no headlight. The tach and speedo were unlit as well. I took the time to do a little troubbleshooting. I had blown the headlight fuse. Thankfully the bike had a spare fuse in the fuse cover and I went ahead and swapped out the fuse.

I had packed everything water sensitive in plastic, so the rain held off. However just as I passed under the flyover that goes from 355 to 88 my headlight died. This time I had to pull my turn signal fuse to replace the headlight fuse. So I rode half the way to my destination with no turn signals, no gearshift indicator, and no oil light.

That night my bike saw rain. Lots of rain. I was in the house, and I was worrying about my bike. But.. it seemed to shrug the water off. Other than a LITTLE water pooled around the plugs the bike was unaffected. It started right up the next day. The ride home was somewhat more eventfull. My plastic baggies magic wore off and the rain came while driving home. Really just a little drizzle, but pleanty to make things damp. And to make those rubber asphalt sealing strips a lot like a slip-n-slide.

Coming out of the first toll on 88 I ran into my first "real" problem. I ran directly over a 30-40 foot long eight inch wide strip of that icky, nasty black rubbery stuff. The bike danced back and fourth as it tried to find traction. Thankfuly, both the bike and I are ok. And a huge lesson was learned. I was very carefully avoiding anything that might not let water runoff easily the whole way home.

So despite being a little damp when we got home, my friend skreemer and I went off to have lunch at dennys. This time, voluntarily going out for a ride in the rain. The temprature was good, and the rain felt good. Helmets do an amazing job of self clearing water off the visor. This is the mark that I think differentiates the casual rider from a real rider. It's what seperates real paintball players from the casual ones. Being willing to go out ininclemat weather, and not thinking anything different of it.

Riding in the rain is just as nice as any other time, it's just a slightly different set of challenges. However, I am buying a rainsuit ;-)

[skreemer]

all in all riding in the rain is just fine. I've done it a few times now (note to everyone riding in a heavy rain at over 30mph with no front fender sucks). I can handle the wet clothes and the water wicking off my helmet... I can do without the wet crotch though. Rainsuits deem to be a worthwhile investment.

[bwringer]

Riding fast and far in hard rain is a great way to clean off the bugs!

Seriously, it's about the only way I've found to clean bug guts off a Cordura jacket.

I think being comfortable riding in rain is a big milestone in the evolution of a motorcyclist. Being properly equipped (rain gear, etc.) is important, but I think the attitude that riding is still fun when it's raining is the key.

You have to accept that the rules of traction and vision are different, and that while you may not be completely dry or comfortable, you're not going to die. I rather enjoy the challenge to my skills. It's also fun to see the surprise and awe in people's faces when you pull up on a motorcycle during a downpour.

On the other hand, my wife won't get on her bike unless:

1) the temperature is between 76 and 80 degrees
2) it's late or early enough that the sun will not be in her eyes during any phase of the planned ride
3) there are no more than four small clouds in the sky
4) the weather radar map is clear out to western Nebraska
5) her bike isn't too dusty (see rule #8)
6) the bugs are all cleaned off her jacket
7) the wind speed is less than 5 mph
8) her bike must start instantly and run perfectly at all times (despite sitting in the garage untouched for six to eight weeks at a time)
9) the route must be guaranteed not to pass through any areas where there is too much or too little traffic, construction zones, roadkill (especially cute kitties, raccoons, or dogs), livestock farms, or curves demanding more than 1.3 degrees of lean.
10) headaches, PMS, pre-PMS, post-PMS, and bad hair days are all grounds for immediate cancellation of ride plans.

She's a very good and well-trained rider, but she's put maybe 300 miles on her bike this year. Just one more item for the list of things I don't understand...

[Nerobro]

I did get a few funny looks from people while riding home. When we were at dennys the guy in the booth next to us asked "Do you guys have rainsuits" It turns out the guy just sold his CB900 with 13k miles on it thinking it was just about worn out. I told him my bike at 56k miles on it and his jaw dropped :-)

[bradleymaynar]

Wait until you ride in the snow!!! That separates the men from the boys!

Brad tt

[lhanscom]

Wait until you ride in the snow!!! That separates the men from the boys!

Brad tt

While riding in the rain can be fun, riding in the snow never is. I've done it once, and it took me a while to relax after getting off the bike.

[Nerobro]

I do intend on riding in the snow at some point. I figure if the brittish can do it, so can I. *shrugs*

[skreemer]

I'm not too keen on riding in the snow myself... riding after the streets have been plowed and dry... maybe... but definitely not whilst there is snow on the streets...

[bradleymaynar]

Actually, I've never purposely ridden in the snow. However, Firsttimer (Ryan), Planecrazy (Steve), and myself ran into a snow squall last May. We stopped under an overpass and waited 10 or 15 minutes, then decided we'd try and make it to a gas station or something. We limped along the highway for a couple of miles until we came to an off ramp. Then stopped again under another overpass for a couple of minutes, wiping the snow from our visors and glasses. It had become impossible to see through our visors because they were fogging up on the inside. We then went about a half mile and parked under the awning of a store next to a McDonalds. We got some breakfast and had some coffee. While we were there another group of bikes showed up and we sat and chatted with these guys. After an hour or so we headed back out in a beautiful sunny day.

Hey Ryan, are you going to put anything about the October CRUD run in the meeting place soon?? I'll definitely be riding something by then.

Brad tt

[first timer]

i'll look into it, maybe the 1k will be up and running by then ......followed by evil laughing


-ryan

[fast eddie]

Nice to read these posts... makes a change from the "you must be crazy" reactions I usually get as I pull on my rainsuit.

A bike shop here in Montreal had a poster up that said (translated)"there's no bad weather, only bad equipment" which I have found to be true. After several years I finally bought a real rainsuit (not expensive, but hey, when you're a student...) and after many years I still enjoy riding in the rain; once you get over the initial small discomfort, you get down and enjoy the ride. I like to think of it as technically more challenging.

On a similar but more technical note: I remember seeing a while back some "friction coefficient" figures, showing traction between tire rubber and road surface; the difference between dry and wet road surface was minimal (maybe 5% or less). Has anyone else seen this?

[lhanscom]

On a similar but more technical note: I remember seeing a while back some "friction coefficient" figures, showing traction between tire rubber and road surface; the difference between dry and wet road surface was minimal (maybe 5% or less). Has anyone else seen this?

Yeah, I've seen that. It only applies after the initial hard rain fall, to get all the oil off the road, and obviously it just applys to wet pavement, not puddles.

It also may be a little greater effect due to the water cooling the tires off, making them a bit less sticky.

[mdole]

Welcome.

I also have a squeegee built into my gloves on the left thumb and it helps when I get splattered with muddy water or snow. I have also seen them adverized somewhere that slip over your thump as an add on.

Just thought I'd mention them because you are riding in the rain.

[Dink]

I find the only difference for me when riding in the rain is to lengthen my braking distances to allow for any slippery bits. I agree that there is minimal loss of traction in the rain, except anywhere where other vehicles slow down as this generally allows there leakages to build up somewhat.
I ride regardless of weather, I have even riden in snow,BTW this is a LOT harder to do in Australia; we dont get much snow.
Dink

[Anonymous]

I've ridden in rain a few times, and it isn't that bad of an idea, but if I didn't PLAN to ride the bike that day, and it starts to rain. I hop into my Grand Prix GT instead...I just don't trust other people around HERE in the rain...and I'd prefer the protection of the cage in that case.