Rode my bike in the rain for the first time
 

Spent the thanksgiving weekend with family in Fresno Area, then afterwards, rode on highway 41, which is the intersection with highway 46 where James Dean died.

Rode to Pismo then jumped on PCH to Lompoc and stayed at the Embassy Suites. They had a Happy Hour with free hard liquor!!!

Next day, Sunday, the rain was just a drizzle, but needed to head home. It rained on us from Camarillo to Van Nuys and it got pretty cold on the legs.

Bike did great, didn't feel safe to drive over about 65, got home and had a cup of water in both boots.

What I learned, get better riding boots and better gloves, My summer gloves suck when it rains.

LOL, there truly is a first time for everything. :D

I recall back in my biking days wishing I had a little windshield wiper on the front of my helmet.

Living in Florida and riding a bike meant staying late at work during the rainy season or making the 1 mile trip in the rain.

I got over the rain pretty quickly.

Wait, one whole mile in the rain? How did you survive?

I rode in the rain from LA to Daytona, a week in Daytona and back to Phoenix before I had a rain free day. All without a windshield or full face helmet

Cool Facebook update bro

ouch. rain hurts at 60+mph.

git back out there in that rain today mofo! :1orglaugh

I used to ride my Yamaha XT in the snow... no windshield.

Yeah, I had goggles on and I have a windshield, but my face is above it

Really, a mile you say?

I think I could do that now, just would get better rain gear. I had a half helmet on with goggles, but I had a windshield

Nice to know you are following me

Yes it stings a little

Working on my truck this morning, girl has a cold and I take her to work every day

Do snowflakes hurt?

Haters be hating!

And it was the dead of winter so it was fucking cold too. Being a California native my "rain gear" was limited to my chaps, leather jacket and gloves. Some places were so damned cold I would buy a newspaper and stuff it under my jacket and bought cayenne pepper to put in my boots for warmth.

It was raining when we left, rained every day on the way there, every day we were there (camping at the Cabbage Patch), and every day on the way back except my last day in AZ which was beautiful.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...5a6efc179687d9
My typical rain/cold weather gear

Just remembered the hail storm in New Mexico with no windshield; that really sucked hard

Hail? damn, that would suck!

My windshield clips on, I keep it on most of the time. My Dyna has no windshield and never will. Still haven't bought chaps, don't know that I will ever need them. But I do have to get better boots.

any tips for riding in wet weather? don't think i'll be doing much other than the office and back but figure its good to know.

(no my course didn't cover this or a lot of other things!)

You rode right past my place, I probably heard you but so many Harleys go by on PCH I don't pay attention to all of them.

Years ago in Florida a bike was my only transportation for a bit and riding to work in a Florida thunderstorm was no fun, especially when it's a cloudburst and there is six inches of water on the road, every car going by the other way is like getting god's own bucket dumped on you. :1orglaugh

I'm a pussy now in my old age, if there's even a hint of rain the bike stays home :winkwink:

I went through that Highway 41-46 interchange probably 100 times in my life, I only found out maybe 15 years ago that that's where Dean was killed, there's a little road going north from the interchange called Cholame Valley Road, it takes you to Parkfield CA, (population 15)
https://goo.gl/maps/5SDbB

A favorite of riders and well worth the 15 mile side trip to get a bite to eat, check it out next time.

I figured don't lean too much, first rain will leave the roads oily. That and good gear

I remember you saying you lived up there. Thanx for the tip, we don't get much rain in So Cal, so we tend to get out a lot on the bike. My Dyna is for when it's just me and I want to go really FAST! At 54, I guess I should be slowing down, but just can't seem to do it, LOL Doctor gave me some news that will slow me down for a little while, but I will be fine after a few months

Well, I guess a lot of my suggestions would depend on the area you are riding in. I have been in thunderstorms in the middle of nowhere Wyoming that my only advice would be, ride in the center of the lane as it is the highest part of the road and the water will be the shallowest, then when you find a highway overpass, hole up there.

I have been in monsoons in Phoenix which I would say, turn around, get a car.

Goggles are a good backup to windshields; slow down, get a bright colored rain slicker as leather does absorb water and black leather pretty much matches the highway, so a slicker will keep you dry and increase your visibility.

Best idea is don't if you don't have to.

I used to loop this song on rainy afternoons riding my bicycle on the way home.. :pimp

nothing better then a fresh rain air on the road

I do enjoy the aroma coming off the road, but I prefer to ride it after the rain ends rather than in it.

remember that the road is slickest right after rain begins to fall and in very light rain as opposed to a wetter storm. also, instead of riding right down the middle of the left or right tire track in the lane, it's best to skirt the outside edge of either one of those, don't stay in the middle of that tire track since the opportunity to hydroplane is greater and also don't get on the inside of the tire track or in the middle of the lane, the grease and oil there are slicker than on either side of it.

I just got a new front Dunlop tire, they just came out with the new design that's suppose to push the water better and track the freeway grooves better. I have to say, as far as the rain and th grooves, it did very well

Best Answer

really? man, i used to love riding in the rain. when i lived up in the bay area i rode my bike many times across the bay bridges in the rain and wind, nothing like a rainy crosswind while going across 2' wide metal expansion joints at 55mph in traffic on a bridge to make your stomach jump into your throat!

we used to ride side by side on the freeway in the rain too, good times!

if i did it most likely would just be to get to the nearest hotel to stop for the night, if i wasn't close to home anyway.

sweet shovel in the middle there.:thumbsup

Try picturing Baddog in chaps....

http://akiwood.com/wp-content/upload...-chaps-man.jpg

It burns.

Of course you do; that's a little scary.

Where did you live in the Bayarea?

Riding on the Bridge is pretty wild when its raining and the wind is going sideways.

Tips for Riding in the Rain: Double Pane Shield for your helmet (anti-fog capabilities due to the air pocket between the two layers). You dont want your helmet fogging up when the rain is already making it difficult to to see. Get some nice rain gear to ride in and nice boots. Dont ride in the middle of the road. Stay to the right or the left where car tires are. Slow down. Also, if you havent bought a motorcycle yet consider one with an anti-lock braking system...its a game changer. Ive got it on my bike and love it for rainy days.

Rain on the highway doesn't bother me that much. What I dislike is riding in heavy traffic where the loss of mobility and braking can make things a little scary.

I remember riding through Houston during rush hour with a decent amount of rain coming down. That was the easy part, it was the water that the traffic kicked up that sucked.

I realized fast that the water kicked up by cars was pretty intense.

hah, oh yah, you're in SF right? So you know, those bridges can be nutty. I lived all over, I lived in the city and rode the bay bridge commuting to Cal for several years, then all around the other side of the bay, I forgot what y'all call that side anymore, lolz, this was 1990-2000. that is where I learned how to dress to ride in all kinds of weather.


good tips too!

I lived in Wales in the UK when I first started riding at 16, until I left at 19. It was raining 2 days out of 3. If you didn't ride in the rain over there, you didn't ride at all. I got so good at riding in the rain, I actually enjoyed it.





.

Yes, I live in SF. Maybe we saw each other on the road back in the day. I used ride an FZR 600 around the time you were here and I was always commuting into the city from Fairfield or Concord.

http://home.comcast.net/~novotny.family/fzr.JPG


Where do you live now? You miss riding in NorCal. We have some great rides here.

well, if you were riding that fzr, I prolly saw ya, I'm a big big fan of that bike, never had one, ridden several over the years. always wanted to snag one of the original fz600 and track it. fantastic bike really.

I had moved to cruisers by then though, I had gone with gixxers but snagged a virago then went harleys mostly, then the ducs, ahh the ducs!!

I'm in socal these days, the beaches and warmer water and waves are here. I had a surgery a while back and haven't been back on bikes since though, maybe later.


:thumbsup

Yeaaa it was a great bike. I had D&D exhaust on it and rejetted carb. That lil bike could move and scream.

Sorry to hear about your back. Do you still have your Monster?

nice. actually, it was my foot + knee. I went ahead and sold all my bikes since I knew the recovery would take a while. WHile I miss riding tremendously (we all know there's absolutely nothing like it), this all has allowed me to pick up surfing, it's great exercise for my recovery and well, it's surfing! lolz. So I'm grateful for that.

I always think about bikes though and wonder what and when my next bike might be.

ride the fuck outta your's mang! :thumbsup:1orglaugh

D&D makes killer exhaust man!!!

I'ma fan.

in fact, this was the last dyna I had (the bike in front), I tricked out that D&D exhaust
http://i.imgur.com/k9VEjUP.jpg

check out those bars! where are all the cables and reservoirs??

Spoken like a true So-Cal dude Vend!

That said, I have driven more IN rain than in the sun. Norway rules and sucks for bikers.

what the flimflam!!! typical BMW driver.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh thats me!

seems about right for you.

That is a sick ass bike and exhaust system. I think i just came in my pants.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Thanks gljeff, sounds like you're an overall bike guy and appreciate all kind of scoots

hah, diggin up that pic made me think of another tip for riding in the rain-

make sure your bike has a front fender! :1orglaugh

if I recall right, I took that pic on a day we were supposed to ride with BD but timing and all that day, it didn't happen. never rode with bd. :mad: