Do You Trust Your Tires In The Rain?

[Andrew Shadow]

I like riding in the rain

Unusual for a biker I would think. Why so?

 

[Kevcules]

Biking in the rain isn't fun for me. I only do it if I have to. Similar to golfing in the rain, not enjoyable at all.

 

[dduelin]

Unusual for a biker I would think. Why so?

Maybe for a biker but not for this enthusiast. It's another flavor of riding to enjoy. With the right gear it's fun and keeps skills honed. If you ride any distance touring you will ride in rain eventually and it makes sense to me to be well experienced with it both in skills and gear. No need for white knuckles or holing up in an hotel until the weather is perfect again.

 

[OkieRider]

Glad you are ok!

 

[Larry Fine]

The problem with rain riding is that you learn the limits of traction the hard way.

 

[Erdoc48]

Wow, sorry to see those 2 recent entries of the low sides. My experience with riding in the rain is pretty limited (I’m mostly a fair weather rider unless I don’t have a choice). When I took the group ride (10 of us) out to TN and NC from SC on the Cherohola, Blue Ridge Parkway, and even the Tail of the Dragon, well, I did a majority of that riding in the rain. Prior to this, a ride I took just locally from Georgetown SC to home made me quite nervous and skittish, so the longer ride (I think overall 1600 miles round trip) gave me a fair degree of confidence in myself, the bike and tires (Angel GTs with just a few thousand miles on them). I was able to explore the handling limits (not pushing it of course, but not feeling at all like I’d lowside the whole ride). So I feel better about riding in the rain. I will keep my distance, brake and accelerate easily and not push too hard in the corners, but also not be afraid of the conditions when they come (which I believe is a very big riding handicap).

I’m taking another 4 day ride to those states as above as well as Kentucky (in May), so soon, I have to get some rain gear. The gear I had in 2020 was a cheap set I got second hand (sold on Amazon, so I’m sure not the best quality). My boots were terrible then as well. I now have much better boots (waterproof but I’ll still get boot covers) and I still need to get a rainsuit (and I’ll take suggestions if you have them or research a bit more).

Hope everyone stays safe!

 

[Obo]

The only downside I have riding in the rain is if I need to arrive somewhere dry. Even with rain gear on that's not always possible, and I prefer to ride without rain gear whenever possible (at least for regular commutes vs long distance riding.) And changing clothes when you get somewhere is sometimes impossible at worst and a pain at best.

Sorry to hear of your recent mishaps @dduelin & @paulcb , but glad you are both ok.

 

[ibike2havefun]

What bothered me about riding in wet conditions was:

• The effects of dust, lubricants, other fluids, and highway paint on reducing grip are greatly intensified
• Reduced comspicuity. Although it had high vis accents my rain gear was mostly black.
• Cars are even less likely to be aware I am out there, improving the odds they are not expecting to see a bike.
• Slowing down to match conditions only works when all other vehicles do the same. It only takes one idiot to ruin your day.
• Harder for me to see what was going on around me.

There were times it was unavoidable but I never enjoyed it.

 

[ad.hom]

Unusual for a biker I would think. Why so?

I also like the rain, with the caveat being that I'm actually warm/dry... even if wet, being warm makes all the difference. For me, it's more about the technical challenge, in the dry, you don't care so much about metalwork/paint... nor do you in the wet in a straight line.

Sure, there's reduced visibility, there's less chance of car drivers looking for other road users, let alone seeing a bike, but that's all part of the challenge.

@dduelin & @paulcb - glad both you & bikes are unscathed. @dduelin, if it helps with the pride, I did exactly the same thing in a camp field (inside of a BSB circuit) after a nights rain... a few hundred bikers and at least half a dozen friends laughed/clapped and then watched me pick the bike up (not the ST).

 

[Al Gully]

I'm like Duelin and have to tell myself to like riding in the rain. I live on the west (wet) coast and have been riding my ST1300 daily to work since 2010, rain or shine. Once you have the proper gear and can ride without getting wet, it's a breeze once you develop confidence on your bike. And yes, I look like a banana in my yellow reflective rain gear.
As said before, you'll be amazed how far you can lean your ST with good tires on board in the rain.
I always use a tire with duel compound.

 

[JimTid]

Glad you are OK Dave. This thread has inspired me to take a rain ride today on the Africa Twin.

 

[dduelin]

Glad you are OK Dave. This thread has inspired me to take a rain ride today on the Africa Twin.

We should have gone together Jim. I rode to St. Augustine for coffee and got back home at 9:30.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Maybe for a biker but not for this enthusiast. It's another flavor of riding to enjoy. With the right gear it's fun and keeps skills honed. If you ride any distance touring you will ride in rain eventually and it makes sense to me to be well experienced with it both in skills and gear. No need for white knuckles or holing up in an hotel until the weather is perfect again.

I can appreciate that, it makes sense.
I agree completely in that riding in the rain is not something to fear or to go to great lengths to avoid. I have full wet weather gear and I have never interrupted or drastically altered any of my trips because of rain. I actually find getting my rain gear on to be more of a nuisance than riding in the rain. Once I am suited up I stay completely dry and I am just as happy riding in the rain as I am in nice weather. Being away from home on a trip aside, I wouldn't say that I enjoy riding in the rain to the point that I will intentionally go out just to ride in the rain.

Part of the different outlook might be where each of us lives. I have ridden in lots of rain storms in the South. Sometimes I didn't bother with the rain gear because the rain is not cold down there and once the rain stops you dry off quickly without freezing. It actually can be refreshing. Up here, even when the temperature is well in to the eighties, the rain is usually quite cold except for a few weeks during the hotest part of the summer. Getting wet while riding up here can be dangerous. Rain gear eliminates that danger but I never really considered searching out rain rides- except when I am testing new rain gear.

 

[OkieRider]

I haven't done any long range touring in years, although i tried a 2k sprint last spring. I'll make another attempt this spring. Even so, I can recall stopping under an overpass many times to add rain gear.

Wet pavement is usually fine. Standing water is to be avoided. When I competed, we didn't switch to rain tires unless there was standing water on the raceline.

 

[Al st1100]

Don't mind the rain while on the road but in the city you have no idea what the pavement is like and how much oil is leaked there especially at intersections.

 

[Larry Fine]

There is one thing worse than taking off wet clothes: having to put them back on.

 

[Obo]

As said before, you'll be amazed how far you can lean your ST with good tires on board in the rain.
I always use a tire with duel compound.

Racing slicks aside, look at any tire. There's more siping on the sides than the center of the tread.
The siping does absolutely nothing to aid in the tire sticking to pavement other than to evacuate the water from under the tire tread.
As a result in some ways leaning the bike over gives you better traction in the wet - until the lateral forces overcome the vertical forces and the rear tire slides out.

 

[Tor]

Bridgestone G704/G709 tires are still very competent on the 5th generation Wing.

Thats a great shot of you two, Dave ....

 

[Tor]

The problem with rain riding is that you learn the limits of traction the hard way.

The beauty of riding a bike with highly sensitive Automatic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control and ABS Pro is that you'll learn the limits of your traction,,,,,,the......soft.......way, 90 % of the time, if you listen to what the bike is telling you. The last 10% is just ignorance.

 

[Moto-Charlie]

I've had a variety of rain riding experiences. As for physical comfort I agree with other posts that good gear makes a big difference. If you're warm and dry it's alot easier to deal with extended rain rides.

I also attended quite a few track days when I was younger - rain or shine. As someone else mentioned you come to understand how much traction is available if you get to go around the same loop over and over again and can expreiment incrementally with speed and lean. My one word of caution regardless of street or track is to make sure your tires are mounted in the right direction. When I was younger I was more trusting of motorcycle shop mechanics and had my first serious accident on a rainy track day because I did not realize the front tire was mounted in reverse - so have good tires and make sure they're mounted correctly.

As for street riding - For me it also depends on where I am and what I'm doing. Here at home I usally won't go out for day ride if I know it's going to rain from start to finish. I'll wait for a rain-free day if possible. If I'm touring in the US and in no particular hurry I evaluate the need to ride all day based where I want/need to be and alternate options are available for whiling away the day.

In the Alps I ride every day all day rain or shine. That's partly because I'm paying all that money to be there (I have good rain gear) so I might as well go out and ride. Plus the mountains can be very beautiful in the rain and the roads are usually much less traveled. With the modern convenience of the internet I can check the copius mountain webcams to see how bad the visibility is in the clouds and/or if there is snow in the higher elevations and then adjust my route accordingly.

Many years ago I did a solo 3-week Fall (September) tour of the Alps. It rained every day, all day for 20 of the 21 days I rode, many times with slushy snow at the tops of the passes. I had one 1/2 day of overcast riding on partially dried roads. The local news complained about how it was close to a record for prolonged rain day after day. I still had a great trip.