Rain

[mcycle-nut]

Ok, so my wife phoned me at work today saying she'd meet me at the grocery store. We'd have a bite to eat at the local feeding trough,(buffet), and then do our grocery shopping. I was a reluctant, saying I'd rather come home first as the sky was looking a little dark, and I expressed my concerns over rain. "Oh no, it's not supposed to rain," she said. Well, I took her word for it as she's been glued to the weather network lately. Well, we're at the check-out and she says, "Uh, don't look outside." Sure enough, RAIN!!! I was choked. I spent HOURS last Thursday cleaning my bike, in fact on the way over to the grocery store I had a guy in a van compliment me on my bike. That's the second compliment in less than a week!

Anyhow, on the way home I realized I hadn't ridden this bike in the rain since I bought it last year! Pretty sad huh? Actually, as you can tell, I HATE CLEANING MY BIKE!!! That's why I haven't had it out in the rain.

I didn't realize how easy it is to break the wheel loose in the wet! 8O Just a
small application of throttle lights up the tire! :twisted: Lots of fun, but I think it could be dangerous if one doesn't have their excrement together!

In case anyone is wondering, the tire is a 4 year-old Avon Roadrunner with 20,000 Km (12,000 mi. ) on it, if the PO's records are correct. Lots of meat still left on it and no cracks. 8)

[bradleymaynar]

Glad to hear you didn't melt, Kevin.

Brad tt

[Anonymous]

I leave my rusty ol' gal in the rain all the time.

I ride in the rain and get soaked; but have you ever noticed how great you feel when you cheat death once again when you drag your sopping wet bones in the house after a downpour?

That "warm your innards" coffee sure tastes great after that too!

-istp

[earlfor]

Re: Rain

Sounds like both of my bikes. Riding either of them in the rain requires precise throttle management.............unless you prefer going down the road sideways all the time. :-) :-)

Earl


[quote="mcycle-nut"]

I didn't realize how easy it is to break the wheel loose in the wet! 8O Just a
small application of throttle lights up the tire! :twisted: Lots of fun, but I think it could be dangerous if one doesn't have their excrement together!

[Anonymous]

Hydrometeorites

When I had the 1000 I would spin er up all the time..the 1150 of today I'm sure would be a handfull. Back in the day when I rode the 1000 daily the ride home was allways entertaining as there was a train crossing with two sections of brand new brick 'trim' at the rails in the road. Stopped at the light prior to the crossing, a little extra power off the line in the rain would spin-up the rear when it hit the bricks...stop spinning at the asphalt & then spin again when it ran over the second set of 'brick' tracks. Applying a bit more power on the first would spin up on the first & carry over on the asphalt to the second set......Over time I got this thing down & experimented with all different power settings & bike line up....I could get er to do the most excellent fishtail action. After awhile the tire picked up that familiar squared profile & the tread was getting thin.
On a rain soaked road late night some 150 feet from my work pulling out of the local gas-station I decided to show-off to a gaggle of girls & pulled onto the slick road....I had the angle of attack down pat & powered er up she started spinning & I wound up fishtailing some 150 plus feet slightly uphill past my work...perfectly under control & probably looked kinda cool from an outside observer.
_____________________________________Rick......

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I don't like riding in the rain either. Unless I somehow get caught in it, (about as likely as hell freezing over) I just don't do it. Too easy to go down.
I've put too much time and effort into my bike and I don't like pain. Laying it down in the rain, when I could have just drove my Blazer? No thanks.

[Carter Turk]

I say ride in the rain more often, especially if you live on Van. Is. Riding in the rain is a given in the Northwest unless you're a fair weather rider, which seems a little silly living where we do.

I was up in Tofino last week wishin I coulda been on my bike riding Hwy 4. It rained the whole way out there, but on the way back it was dry. 100 plus miles of curves and bumps of all shapes and sizes.

Rain riding is a whole new facet of motorcycling. I find it tests my awareness and ability to be smooth. The more you do it the less daunting it is.

When on a road trip and the rain appears, confidence from experience will be there to get you through it.

I prefer the dry but don't mind the rain. It builds character.

Compliments are nice but expanding riding skills are more important.

[mcycle-nut]

My wife and I did a little jaunt through BC and Alberta a few weeks ago. We had our share of rain. In fact, we were so wet, we picked Dairy Queen to eat our lunch one day because they had plastic seats! I REALLY hate cleaning my bike. In fact, I spent 5 HOURS cleaning it after that trip, and it still isn't perfect! :?

On the other hand, the GT250/T350 I built over 12 years ago has NEVER had a bath! It's my winter bike, so I really don't care about it. It's ancient, and I actually had to spring for a tire last winter. That's the only thing I've bought for it since I put it together from a pile of parts 12 years ago! It thrives on punishment! :twisted:

And yes, I am a fair weather rider. I have a truck with a roof, heater, and stereo, so why should I suffer? I did that when I was younger. I thought I was being some type of hardcore. Not required. 8)

Besides, with insurance rates such as they are up here, insuring a 1100 year-round is cost prohibitive. :?

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Compliments are nice but expanding riding skills are more important.

To each their own. I prefer being out on a dry day soaking up sunshine and compliments to being soaking wet and raking my bike off the pavement.
And I understand the riding skills thing, but it won't help in many situations such as a cager who didn't see you because his wipers are bad.
This ain't no argument with any rain riders you know. I'm aware that some people have to adapt to riding in the rain because of where they live. I imagine I would to because I can't imagine not riding. But that's what it is, adapting.
I don't need to adapt here. I can wait for a nice day and it always comes soon. To go out in the rain, for me, isn't enjoyable and I don't want to get hurt or wreck my bike. Easy decision to make.

[Carter Turk]

In a panic situation having ridden in the rain would help with regard to the cager with bad wipers. It could be an over reaction to a harmless situation where the rider overcompensates and crashes on his/her own accord from lack of knowing the limits of traction in the wet.

Besides, you are supposed to be predicting what cagers do before they do it anyway so I would have to disagree with that point.

Riding your favorite road in the rain is a whole new experience. It may not be pleasant, but its worth doing for the enlightenment alone.

I guess not really much of an issue in SoCal and who am I to tell people what to do.

I'm just commenting on my rain experiences.

[arveejay]

I too avoid riding in the rain anymore. Got caught in rain for 300 miles in kansas years ago and I've hated it since. I can wait for nice weather to ride. I ride for the enjoyment, and I can't enjoy it in the rain.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I too avoid riding in the rain anymore. Got caught in rain for 300 miles in kansas years ago and I've hated it since. I can wait for nice weather to ride. I ride for the enjoyment, and I can't enjoy it in the rain.

That's how I feel too.
I know how to ride in the rain...I just prefer not to.

[beby99]

I too avoid riding in the rain anymore. Got caught in rain for 300 miles in kansas years ago and I've hated it since. I can wait for nice weather to ride. I ride for the enjoyment, and I can't enjoy it in the rain.

That's how I feel too.
I know how to ride in the rain...I just prefer not to.

Keith.....if my bike was as shiny as yours I would'nt ride in the rain either.
:P :P :P

[earlfor]

With living in south Florida, if I wouldnt ride in the rain, I probably wouldnt be riding 3/4ths of the year. :-) I dont normally leave the house on the bike if its pouring rain, but if I run into rain, its not a big deal. The rules are different for rain and dry riding. The most exhilerating ride I have had was a return trip home into an approaching hurricane under black skies, lightening, high winds and horizontal rain. It was great.

I wrote a description of the ride and posted it in GS stories afterwards.
The post is at

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=25727&highlight=storm+ride

Earl

In a panic situation having ridden in the rain would help with regard to the cager with bad wipers. It could be an over reaction to a harmless situation where the rider overcompensates and crashes on his/her own accord from lack of knowing the limits of traction in the wet.

Besides, you are supposed to be predicting what cagers do before they do it anyway so I would have to disagree with that point.

Riding your favorite road in the rain is a whole new experience. It may not be pleasant, but its worth doing for the enlightenment alone.

I guess not really much of an issue in SoCal and who am I to tell people what to do.

I'm just commenting on my rain experiences.

[joeadams]

I got caught in a storm this afternoon right after work. I have to drive through town to get on the highway to go home. By the time I'd made it 7 blocks I could'nt get any wetter. After block #9 and the highway enterance ramp the rain had all but stopped and 2 miles down the road was dry but I really couldn't get much wetter. I felt like there was water ponding the the toe of my shoe. Crumby luck or perhaps I should have just waited it out.