Riding in the Rain

[Mr Jensee]

Over the years I have become skiddish about riding a motorcycle in the rain. In my youth I have mentioned I owned a Yamaha YCS1C street scrambler that I rode every day barring none all through the last 3 years of high school. Rain or shine, cold or hot I was on that bike. I had my share of going down on a wet street but being young and fearless it never got the best of me. Maybe it was my coming of age that got me. The wife and I got a pair of Honda 200CMT's when the kids were little. When I mean little, my daughter was 7 and my son was 4. I had specially modified foot pegs to fit him and we rode on weekends within a 60 mile radius of our country home at the time. Only when we rode in the rain did it suddenly dawn on me that I was putting their lives in jeopardy by doing so. Years passed and the Hondas were each sold. The riding stopped and I got away from motorcycles.

Then some years ago back in the 90's, I got together with an old riding acquaintance. We rode all the time as kids on little 50cc bikes back in the 60's. Not having a bike anymore he would loan me an old beat up 79 GS to ride while he had a nice Suzuki 1200 Bandit. The electrical system was shot and you had to start out on a fresh battery and I could ride until the plugs stopped firing. It always hiccupped before it gave out so we always knew when to head for his house. I came to like that big 1000cc bike and one day he offered to give it to me. I said yes and then began a 4 year trek to get back to original. That was the story for another day but along the way I discovered that even big 1000cc bikes didn't fair well on gravel. One day after chasing my riding buddy on it I failed to negotiate a tight turn on a road strewn with pea gravel. I lost it in a ditch breaking my wrist and my nose in the process and granting me a free ride on the company helicopter to the hospital. Weeks later I retrieved the old girl from his house and repaired the damage which wasn't as bad as I expected. The handlebars were replaced with a set of GL 1000 after market bars. The windshield which was too large was replaced with a better one. However it never dawned on me that I should replace the Chinese tires I had put on it. These things were treacherous on wet streets. Too many near misses forced me to give up riding when the streets were wet.

This brought me to last Saturday and a ride and boucherie for St. Judes Hospital. The weather said 100% chance of rain and I should have paid attention. However when I got ready to go the sun was shining in Lafayette. I missed the start up of the ride but managed to catch up to them some 30 miles down the road. One good thing about a group ride, they never do more than 40 miles per hour at any given time so catching up was no problem. The problem began once I did catch up. The sky opened up and me without my raingear was soaked for the next 60 miles. My windshield on the Voyager is 2 inches higher than stock and did so intentionally to see through it. Well forget that. The entire time i wished I had a wiper on it. The rain never stopped even after we had arrived back at the starting point. I was too cold and too wet to enjoy myself so i slowly rode home vowing NEVER to do this again. Ok Kerrville, you better be bright and sunny or I will be the only one watching TV in my room while the rest of you get soaked.

[cranky]

... step 1 - buy good rain gear...
... 2 - WEAR IT!!! When needed..
... 3 - do NOT get cheap crap!!!


I bought some from an ex-state PGR ride capt that had a store 10 years ago
and I have yet to get wet IF I put it on!!!! ... me... ever... naaaa it ain't gonna rain!!!
BTW, it makes a GREAT set of wind breakers in the cold too!!!!!!

Friend told me once he talked to a tire dealer at a show, asked
him about riding in the rain.. dealer said ya will lose @20% traction in it...

Don't know about you, but I normally ride at about 20% of my scoots
capability.. yeah, real skittish.. slow as she goes...

You have tons'a storage, carry it and EVERYTHING else you might need!!!
I do NOT believe in empty saddlebags!!! Mine are packed!!! Tools, pump,
extra gas/oil... etc.... I run self sufficient all the time.

Comes from peddling a bike thru the mountains... must be able
to ride out... er.. you'll be pushin' it out!!!!!

Just imagine sittin' by the road on rt 50 in the middle of the Nv
desert... it is fondly referred to as the "Loneliest Road in America",
and ask yer'self.. "IF I only had_______" ....personally, I prefer that road to a freeway!!!!

Ride safe and at YOUR comfort level... and carry enough to make yer'self
secure that you are GTG!!!! Very Best to Ya!!!!!!

[SgtSlag]

Back in 2009, wife and I rode on our first real tour... Circling Lake Superior. On a 1979 Honda CB750K -- 30 year old bike, overloaded with us, and (poor quality) gear. It rained the three days we rode across Canada, temperatures around 55 F, each day -- we were soaked to the bone each day, with our rain gear on, suffering hypothermia each day. It sucked! We would do it again, in a heartbeat...


Today, we've spent money on decent 3/4-jackets, with waterproof liners; waterproof boots, gloves, and Frogg-Toggs. The Frogg-Toggs are somewhat inexpensive, work superbly, until you tear them (happens too often). They are amazing for keeping you dry, and they breathe... Did I mention they are delicate, and tear easily?

We wear leather chaps over our jeans, with the Togg's either over them, or under, depending on their size, and our mood at the time we don them. We also apply Mink Oil to the chaps, which makes them waterproof for a couple of months (maybe that long?). Back in 2012, I took a low-side, with my son as passenger, at 40 MPH, on the Honda. I had a scratch on one knuckle, and nothing else, after sliding 100 feet(?) on blacktop. My son, sans chaps, had road rash on his upper thighs, and buttocks. I won't ride without leather chaps, regardless of the jokes.

I've had three crashes on motorcycles, over 40 years. I won't go cheap on tires. My bride and I ride on one bike, on 7-10 day tours. We ride in whatever weather we get, staying put, when it is pouring, or worse. We know the risks, we accept the risks, but we do what we can to stack the odds in our favor. Cheers!

[Mr Jensee]

I have a set of Frog Toggs now in my saddlebags. Unfortunately it will be some time before I can get back in the saddle again.

[Steverides5]

At 55 years old this year my biggest complaint about rain riding is that my eyes don’t focus under these conditions as well as they used to. I always wear a full face helmet and looking through both the windshield and the helmet shield can be tricky. That said good gear to keep you warm is essential. I always say that rain stinks but cold rain is debilitating and therefore dangerous. I feel my riding skills and experience makes me capable but becoming more cautious as the years go by. Good luck.

[Mr Jensee]

I know what you mean. But I can wipe my helmet screen with the back of my glove, cant do that with the windshield. And Cranky I agree with you. My saddle bags are full as well, tools, rain gear, extra fuel pump, Seafoam, a spray bottle of peroxide, tire pump and fix it tire kit. Also have a clear face shield just in case I need a backup. And I only ride locally!

[dsmmrm]

When I bought my cee bailey windshield I ordered it so I can see over it by a couple inches but also easily duck behind it if needed. I also always wear a full face helmet and if I can't wipe the shield sufficiently I will open it and just blink a lot. That's not as dumb as it sounds. The windshield will deflect most of the rain and wind over my head even when looking over the windshield so it's not like having no eye protection at all. I also always wear full gear and it is waterproof so rain gear is not an issue.

I have a strong aversion to not seeing where I am going so if it gets too bad for my simple solutions I will pull over. It's up to each of us to decide when that is needed, which is fine. Just make sure you DO decide when you are past your comfort zone.

[cranky]

... easiest way to clear 'ur face shield is to lean forward,
lift up a bit and catch the wind blast off 'ur windshied.. poof...
it's clear.... FWIW

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

... easiest way to clear 'ur face shield is to lean forward,
lift up a bit and catch the wind blast off 'ur windshied.. poof...
it's clear.... FWIW

Agree 100%, plus less chance of scratching the shield also. Let nature do the work for you!

[cjalaska]

After driving from Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon I went south and ended up in 100 Mile House in British Columbia. Just before I got to Williams Lake it started to rain. Not too much but you could tell that more was on the way. I stopped in a gas station to buy some Rain X but they also had a new product. It's Rain-X Plastic Water Repellent. I read the directions and under cover, I applied the stuff. Before I couldn't see through the windshield. Thinking all the thoughts about buying a new windshield and cutting it down a couple of inches so I could see over it. After applying the Rain x I could see through it. So I took my time and it rained the whole time I was heading south. By the time I got to 100 Mile House it was raining so hard I could barely see the road. I stopped for the night. In the morning it stopped raining for bit so I applied more Rain x. I guess I didn't shake it well enough the first time because after the second coating I could see through it while it was pounding hard raining. Just a thought. I don't usually promote products but for $5.00 or so it was well worth it for me. I have a full face helmet and a great jacket and bibs. So riding in the rain isn't an issue. Make sure you shake it really well. Hope this helps.

[Van Voyager]

Years ago, so many years that I don't care to recall, I went on an epic 16 day ride with a couple of buddies. We rode from Ontario to BC and down the coast to Mexico and back to Ontario. It poured rain for 15 of the 16 days - it didn't rain the one day we rode through the Mohave desert - where we would have welcomed it. We had a great time in spite of the rain but my days of being excited to go for a ride, rain or shine, ended with that trip. I'm a fair weather rider - and proud of it!

PS: As a fair weather rider, one couldn't pick a worse place to live than Vancouver - I'll never be a accused of being the tightest spoke on the wheel.

[Mr Jensee]

I am making a note to look for the RainX Plastic. In the past it was recommended not to use regular RAinX on plastic windshields like the Clearview.

[Gator Mike]

Just checked with my local O'Rielys and they have it. After reading the literature on the Rain X sight I'm definitely going to try it.
With all the rain we are having now and a poker run this weekend I'll see if it works.