Wet Roads

[DIGGER]

Unusual temps in Houston area lately...in the 80s couple days ago....0% rain forcast so I left my house for a ride around 8am.  Got in around 160 miles.   Do id i mention forcast 0% rain????....sprinkled heavily first 40 miles.  Road was wet...I was wet.....poor ole weatherman.

Now to my concern...riding on wet 2 lane curvy asphalt roads...not fun for me.   I leave lots of stopping room twixt me and any vehicles...God forbid anything running out in front of me.    I also slow way down on sharp curves....not fun for me.  I run 35 lbs in my Elite 4 tires.   At one point on the ride I had to make a quick stop for a car turning left waiting on traffic to clear.  Not a crash stop...just a quick slowdown...i had plenty stopping room and was not in danger.  However...when I tapped my rear brake the rear tire broke loose and the bike got squirrelly for a second....I HATE THAT FEELING!  When the tire broke loose I swear it felt like the bike sped up.    I try not to ride on wet roads but sometimes its unavoidable.   Plenty of stopping room is the key.

[..]

Cold be that your rear brake "tap" is a bit too heavy.

OR

A bit of slick on the road thanks to new wet on the road.

Tires do grip well on "clean" wet road.

[DDT (12)]

I can relate to all of that! Forecasts are unreliable, roads are treacherous when wet, 'feces occurs' that scares the 'beegeebers' out of us! All that and we have to share the roads with texters and other folks who don't know to adjust their own driving for changed conditions!!! It's enough to make us plum timid if we think on it very much!!! "There are old riders, and there are bold riders... There are no old, bold riders..."

DDT

[Chrisj CMA]

Cold be that your rear brake "tap" is a bit too heavy.

OR

A bit of slick on the road thanks to new wet on the road.

Tires do grip well on "clean" wet road.

My thoughts exactly. Trust the front brakes

[DIGGER]

Cold be that your rear brake "tap" is a bit too heavy.

OR

A bit of slick on the road thanks to new wet on the road.

Tires do grip well on "clean" wet road.

My thoughts exactly. Trust the front brakes

I dont use my front brakes at all on a wet road.  If that front tire locks you are down.   I try to slow way down and allow plenty stopping room when on wet roads.   Im 72 yrs old and I dont bounce like I used to.

[Sorcerer]

Maybe just maybe you should practice your emergency breaking on wet roads so as not too ride with anxiety of wet surfaces.

[DIGGER]

Maybe just maybe you should practice your emergency breaking on wet roads so as not too ride with anxiety of wet surfaces.

Only motorcycle wreck I was ever in was in 1998 on a BMW k100.   Wet road.... 50 mph in a 55 mph posted curve.   Nothing to do with the brakes but the front tire slid out... grabed again and thru me over the handlebars.   Was all broke up and nearly died.  Helmet saved my skull...doc told me with the other injuries I would not have survived with a head injury too.  Soooo...yes I do have a lot of anxiety on wet roads...and probly will always.   

[Serk]

I get the anxiety, my first laydown was on my "starter" bike, 1981 Yamaha XS11 Special, wet roads, coming up to a stop sign I forgot was there, gave it too much rear brake avoiding that front brake and locked the rear tire up, low siding the bike....

Luckily a few bruises, some busted pride and a bent mirror were the only damage.....

And an important lesson - Yeah, the inclination is to get on the rear and avoid the front, but the opposite is best practice. Hitting brakes shifts the weight forward, lifting weight off the rear wheel, making it more inclined to break loose, however it's shifting that weight onto the front wheel, making it dig in and LESS likely to break loose....

Not saying do a panic stop all the time, but definitely, even in squirrely conditions, use that front brake...

As was suggested, next rain time might even find an open parking lot and practice some of it under semi-controlled conditions, build up the muscle memory so in a real situation the right thing "Just happens".....

[Rams]

I won't share any wet road stories (although I have a few).    All I'm going to say is, ride (or drive) as appropriate to the conditions.   I constantly see folks going way faster in less-than-optimal conditions only to see some wreck on down the road.   It doesn't always happen but, similar to other folks, I've learned that falling down hurts, chrome and paint are expensive.  

Rams

[Chrisj CMA]

Cold be that your rear brake "tap" is a bit too heavy.

OR

A bit of slick on the road thanks to new wet on the road.

Tires do grip well on "clean" wet road.

My thoughts exactly. Trust the front brakes

I dont use my front brakes at all on a wet road.  If that front tire locks you are down.   I try to slow way down and allow plenty stopping room when on wet roads.   Im 72 yrs old and I dont bounce like I used to.

To each his own. If your tires are good they will hold with careful front braking. Back braking on wet roads is way more dangerous. It’s even dangerous on dry roads. I’ll say again. Trust the front brakes

[f6john]

Count me in on the front brake crew. Especially notable on the Valkyrie, I found the fronts to feel like the difference between power brakes and standard braking on a heavy car. I remember locking up the back tire early in my ownership, and while the rear did slide out a little, the most notable thing is I didn’t slow down that much and I was only going 35-45 mph. All this on dry pavement.

My Wing has ABS brakes and I have not had any emergency braking situations but I have gotten on them hard in some questionable situations on the interstate, notably while on my first road trip to the Spring Fling. Once again on dry pavement but  the Wing being heavier than my Valkyrie, inspired confidence. I probably have less than 100 miles in the rain on the Wing, but many, many rain miles on the Valkyrie, and while weather protection wasn’t great, I never felt uneasy because of the rain.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Cold be that your rear brake "tap" is a bit too heavy.

OR

A bit of slick on the road thanks to new wet on the road.

Tires do grip well on "clean" wet road.

My thoughts exactly. Trust the front brakes

I dont use my front brakes at all on a wet road.  If that front tire locks you are down.   I try to slow way down and allow plenty stopping room when on wet roads.   Im 72 yrs old and I dont bounce like I used to.

You are making a huge mistake, and setting yourself up for disaster.

[sandy]

One of the ways to prevent rear lockup is to leave the clutch engaged. If the engine is engaged with the wheel, it probably won’t lock.

[hubcapsc]

Ida know... I use my front brakes in off camber gravel...

-Mike

[..]

https://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-braking-tips/

[..]

Unusual temps in Houston area lately...in the 80s couple days ago....0% rain forcast so I left my house for a ride around 8am.  Got in around 160 miles.   Do id i mention forcast 0% rain????....sprinkled heavily first 40 miles.  Road was wet...I was wet.....poor ole weatherman.

Now to my concern...riding on wet 2 lane curvy asphalt roads...not fun for me.   I leave lots of stopping room twixt me and any vehicles...God forbid anything running out in front of me.    I also slow way down on sharp curves....not fun for me.  I run 35 lbs in my Elite 4 tires.   At one point on the ride I had to make a quick stop for a car turning left waiting on traffic to clear.  Not a crash stop...just a quick slowdown...i had plenty stopping room and was not in danger.  However...when I tapped my rear brake the rear tire broke loose and the bike got squirrelly for a second....I HATE THAT FEELING!  When the tire broke loose I swear it felt like the bike sped up.    I try not to ride on wet roads but sometimes its unavoidable.   Plenty of stopping room is the key.

And you might want to pump  a bit more air into your ties.

40 front and 42 rear.

[RNFWP]

Ida know... I use my front brakes in off camber gravel...

-Mike

That's funny... but true. 

There's some good advice in this thread... not sure if that is...

Neither is this...  When I back my bike out, it's down hill through a chiccane to avoid two parked vehicles. So going backwards downhill through a double curve with my feet down... I use ONLY front brake.
With the weight shifting to the rear they can be locked up easily.

[scooperhsd]

I use both brakes all the time now. Just don't slam them when on slippery surfaces - modulation is the key to safe braking.

[DIGGER]

Looks like I am way outvoted on using the front brake on wet roads.   I will have to practice using the front brakes in the rain and learn to trust them more.....but for a while I'll be holding my breath!!!    And I will still slow down and leave lots of stopping room.  Glad I brought this subject up....good info here.

[Oss]

My MSF course was on a rainy day

They drilled us on 70% front brake and light rear brake

Dont grab em hard just gradual increasing pressure and you never lock up

Use the rear brake when in lowest gear only and as has been said often have input on throttle at same time

Need more practice in parking lots, it has been awhile and I must be rusty by now

There was one rear brake only drill  I recall a few harleys going down as they released too early

I run 40 front 44 rear on my motorcycle tires on the Valkyrie

[msb]

"There are old riders, and there are bold riders... There are no old, bold riders..."

DDT

Unless they are old, bold, and LUCKY riders, who's number may not have come up yet
I call my pre-30's motorcycling life one of my "Thank Heavens I Survived Periods" 

[Jess from VA]

All I do in rain is go slower, turn/lean less sharply, brake sooner and lighter, and leave more room ahead.

I was on an interstate freeway that got such a load of rain it was 6-7 inches deep.  Hydroplaning on a bike is a real butt tightener.  I was throwing wake like a speed boat.... so I slowed down to be a row boat.

The worst thing about rain for me is loss of vision (glasses).  There have been a few times where the only thing I could see (at all) was the dim tail lights on the slow car in front of me.

My trick for rain riding (in a half helmet with half visor) is to lean up behind the shield so only my eyes are above it.  As my visor and glasses get fowled, I raise up and let the wind clear them, then get down again.  And repeat.       

[The emperor has no clothes]

"There are old riders, and there are bold riders... There are no old, bold riders..."

DDT

Unless they are old, bold, and LUCKY riders, who's number may not have come up yet
I call my pre-30's motorcycling life one of my "Thank Heavens I Survived Periods" 

I feel the same. When I think back at the near misses I had in my first decade of riding, it’s by the grace of God I’m alive. I was just retelling Brenda a story the other day of a HUGE garbage truck running me over when I was 16.

[Robert]

Glad to see how many get that uneasy feeling in the rain, I thought I may have been one of the few.

I wanted to ride in the rain with my 1800 since it cleans pretty easily and you could go the next block here and its raining, sometimes heavily. So I did what others did here, practiced and pushed me and my bike to see where the limits were. I also found the best tires I could which made a big difference also. I rode till I felt comfortable and retrained my thinking to what was ok to do and what was not.  

Practice, practice, practice.

I do allow more distance, I am cautiously comfortable and now really enjoy for the most part the rain, except if its just to cold or I'm wet but otherwise its ok.

I love the smell and the quiet except for the tires splashing in the water. There is nothing quite like looking over the farmland and seeing the rain coming down. So many sights on a bike that are so memorable and fleeting.  

[Oss]

I like riding just behind a thunderstorm, the smell of the air and the clean road

Riding to Gig one year I got to spend quite a bit of time on 23 north and watching the storm to the east
The few leftover sprinkles on a hot day are a welcome friend

I do not enjoy riding into a storm.  Myradar is my defense but sometimes you just have to face the fact it is gonna get fugly

[hubcapsc]

I like riding just behind a thunderstorm, the smell of the air and the clean road

Riding to Gig one year I got to spend quite a bit of time on 23 north and watching the storm to the east
The few leftover sprinkles on a hot day are a welcome friend

I do not enjoy riding into a storm.  Myradar is my defense but sometimes you just have to face the fact it is gonna get fugly

I remember riding the Shenandoah Parkway on my way to the Gettysburg ride and looking
down into the valley at the outrageous storm going on down there. And then I had
to go down there to meet up with the group...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRnLKqCkTCI

-Mike

[Jersey mike]

Glad to see how many get that uneasy feeling in the rain, I thought I may have been one of the few.

I wanted to ride in the rain with my 1800 since it cleans pretty easily and you could go the next block here and its raining, sometimes heavily. So I did what others did here, practiced and pushed me and my bike to see where the limits were. I also found the best tires I could which made a big difference also. I rode till I felt comfortable and retrained my thinking to what was ok to do and what was not.  

Practice, practice, practice.

I do allow more distance, I am cautiously comfortable and now really enjoy for the most part the rain, except if its just to cold or I'm wet but otherwise its ok.

I love the smell and the quiet except for the tires splashing in the water. There is nothing quite like looking over the farmland and seeing the rain coming down. So many sights on a bike that are so memorable and fleeting.  

For some reason I never has an issue riding in the rain except for getting wet, being wet and the bike getting filthy. I just slowed down and paid attention a little more and definitely stay out of the middle of the lane.

The part I don’t like about the rain is that first few minutes, the transition from dry to wet.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Glad to see how many get that uneasy feeling in the rain, I thought I may have been one of the few.

I wanted to ride in the rain with my 1800 since it cleans pretty easily and you could go the next block here and its raining, sometimes heavily. So I did what others did here, practiced and pushed me and my bike to see where the limits were. I also found the best tires I could which made a big difference also. I rode till I felt comfortable and retrained my thinking to what was ok to do and what was not.  

Practice, practice, practice.

I do allow more distance, I am cautiously comfortable and now really enjoy for the most part the rain, except if its just to cold or I'm wet but otherwise its ok.

I love the smell and the quiet except for the tires splashing in the water. There is nothing quite like looking over the farmland and seeing the rain coming down. So many sights on a bike that are so memorable and fleeting.  

For some reason I never has an issue riding in the rain except for getting wet, being wet and the bike getting filthy. I just slowed down and paid attention a little more and definitely stay out of the middle of the lane.

The part I don’t like about the rain is that first few minutes, the transition from dry to wet.

Why stay out of middle lane ? On Freeways of at least 3 lanes I find the middle safer. You don’t have the constant slowing of vehicles exiting and merging in the right lane. And the far left lane has more people going at a higher rate of speed than the flow of traffic.

[..]

Glad to see how many get that uneasy feeling in the rain, I thought I may have been one of the few.

I wanted to ride in the rain with my 1800 since it cleans pretty easily and you could go the next block here and its raining, sometimes heavily. So I did what others did here, practiced and pushed me and my bike to see where the limits were. I also found the best tires I could which made a big difference also. I rode till I felt comfortable and retrained my thinking to what was ok to do and what was not.  

Practice, practice, practice.

I do allow more distance, I am cautiously comfortable and now really enjoy for the most part the rain, except if its just to cold or I'm wet but otherwise its ok.

I love the smell and the quiet except for the tires splashing in the water. There is nothing quite like looking over the farmland and seeing the rain coming down. So many sights on a bike that are so memorable and fleeting.  

For some reason I never has an issue riding in the rain except for getting wet, being wet and the bike getting filthy. I just slowed down and paid attention a little more and definitely stay out of the middle of the lane.

The part I don’t like about the rain is that first few minutes, the transition from dry to wet.

Why stay out of middle lane ? On Freeways of at least 3 lanes I find the middle safer. You don’t have the constant slowing of vehicles exiting and merging in the right lane. And the far left lane has more people going at a higher rate of speed than the flow of traffic.

Middle of the lane. 

[msb]

Here in SW BC, there are about 3 months of what we call "real" Winter (gotta be careful using that term...the rest of Canada laughs at us when we do), where riding days can be far and few between. On either side of that period are a month or two where we can get a lot of mild but wet weather, so if one is too adverse to riding in the rain, they'll have a pretty short riding season. I don't mind riding in the rain at all...I've been on motorcycle rear tires for all of my now almost 22 years on my Valk, and it's handled pretty well in wet conditions, with only a few hairy instances here and there. The biggest problem I have is my rain glasses or goggles fogging up, otherwise, slower and easier gets the job done.

[Jersey mike]

Glad to see how many get that uneasy feeling in the rain, I thought I may have been one of the few.

I wanted to ride in the rain with my 1800 since it cleans pretty easily and you could go the next block here and its raining, sometimes heavily. So I did what others did here, practiced and pushed me and my bike to see where the limits were. I also found the best tires I could which made a big difference also. I rode till I felt comfortable and retrained my thinking to what was ok to do and what was not.  

Practice, practice, practice.

I do allow more distance, I am cautiously comfortable and now really enjoy for the most part the rain, except if its just to cold or I'm wet but otherwise its ok.

I love the smell and the quiet except for the tires splashing in the water. There is nothing quite like looking over the farmland and seeing the rain coming down. So many sights on a bike that are so memorable and fleeting.  

For some reason I never has an issue riding in the rain except for getting wet, being wet and the bike getting filthy. I just slowed down and paid attention a little more and definitely stay out of the middle of the lane.

The part I don’t like about the rain is that first few minutes, the transition from dry to wet.

Why stay out of middle lane ? On Freeways of at least 3 lanes I find the middle safer. You don’t have the constant slowing of vehicles exiting and merging in the right lane. And the far left lane has more people going at a higher rate of speed than the flow of traffic.

Ok, how about the center of the lane…that you’re riding in. Stay in the tire tracks in other words.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Glad to see how many get that uneasy feeling in the rain, I thought I may have been one of the few.

I wanted to ride in the rain with my 1800 since it cleans pretty easily and you could go the next block here and its raining, sometimes heavily. So I did what others did here, practiced and pushed me and my bike to see where the limits were. I also found the best tires I could which made a big difference also. I rode till I felt comfortable and retrained my thinking to what was ok to do and what was not.  

Practice, practice, practice.

I do allow more distance, I am cautiously comfortable and now really enjoy for the most part the rain, except if its just to cold or I'm wet but otherwise its ok.

I love the smell and the quiet except for the tires splashing in the water. There is nothing quite like looking over the farmland and seeing the rain coming down. So many sights on a bike that are so memorable and fleeting.  

For some reason I never has an issue riding in the rain except for getting wet, being wet and the bike getting filthy. I just slowed down and paid attention a little more and definitely stay out of the middle of the lane.

The part I don’t like about the rain is that first few minutes, the transition from dry to wet.

Why stay out of middle lane ? On Freeways of at least 3 lanes I find the middle safer. You don’t have the constant slowing of vehicles exiting and merging in the right lane. And the far left lane has more people going at a higher rate of speed than the flow of traffic.

Ok, how about the center of the lane…that you’re riding in. Stay in the tire tracks in other words.

(I misunderstood again) 

[Robert]

For some reason I never has an issue riding in the rain except for getting wet, being wet and the bike getting filthy. I just slowed down and paid attention a little more and definitely stay out of the middle of the lane.

Old habits die hard, like when I was a kid and rode my bicycle in the rain and it would slide all over the place. Thats why I said train the brain, I used to ride for miles and miles on my bikes. Even though I have thousands of miles on the Valks it had not been in the rain that much. So the old programing was still in the brain.    

The 1800 is pretty easy to clean the 1500 was a bit more time consuming. So now I just enjoy what many have already said, watching the storms in the distance and riding around them when I can.

There have been times when I was sure I was going to get wet and looked like I was heading into a monsoon, but as I got to the point I thought the storm was there was no rain at all. Didnt figure I could have been that far off.  

[Jersey mike]

For some reason I never has an issue riding in the rain except for getting wet, being wet and the bike getting filthy. I just slowed down and paid attention a little more and definitely stay out of the middle of the lane.

Old habits die hard, like when I was a kid and rode my bicycle in the rain and it would slide all over the place. Thats why I said train the brain, I used to ride for miles and miles on my bikes. Even though I have thousands of miles on the Valks it had not been in the rain that much. So the old programing was still in the brain.    

The 1800 is pretty easy to clean the 1500 was a bit more time consuming. So now I just enjoy what many have already said, watching the storms in the distance and riding around them when I can.

There have been times when I was sure I was going to get wet and looked like I was heading into a monsoon, but as I got to the point I thought the storm was there was no rain at all. Didnt figure I could have been that far off.  

In hazardous conditions there really isn’t a *set of rules* at least not for me except for ride to your comfort level and experience.

Worst rain experience I ever had was a 1987 pre planned trip up into New England and over the boarder into Canada. I was on an ‘83 Aspencade w/gf and a friend on his ‘87 Wing. First day we left was torrential rain. We went through a section of NY after leaving NJ where we had to go under an overpass and it was a steep downgrade which leveled out. The water was up to the floorboards of the bikes. The wake was getting my gf’s boots soaked, that’s when we were able to actually move and not stand with our feet in the water. First 2 days was nothing but rain. Driving rain w/wind. It was miserable.

My gf had wanted to wear her brother’s motocross helmet and goggles but I told her I didn’t think she’d need it. So she had to wear an open face, no shield, only visor and sunglasses. There were a few times I checked on her via the mirrors and I think I caught her crying, it was hard to tell with all the water on her face.  All I could think of was she wanted to come and she’d be fine.  She was a good gf we had a lot of fun. Man where does time go.

Another time around ‘90 I was riding dow to FL on the Aspencade. I was on I95 at the top of FL. I had decided to make the trip from NJ in off peak hours meaning I was riding at night, late night. Well about 20-30 miles into Florida, I hit a fog bank. Thick as can be imagined. I had just filled up before leaving Georgia so I had a full tank, the road was empty and dark and I was cruising *slightly above the speed limit* when suddenly I saw a whisp of something and then NOTHING but my headlight reflecting on a white sheet. That was it. I looked in my mirrors saw nothing and let go of the throttle and turned the radio down. I flipped on my hazards and limped along at about 40 and less at times. It was silent and went on for miles, I think it was an hour to get out of it. I’d see an occasional car coming from the north side and every once in a while I’d get a car slowly driving up on me and slowing down to see the idiot on a bike in the early, early am hours, hazards flashing listening to the radio. Ahh, good times.

[..]

My trip down memory lane as a bike messenger in London another life time ago.

Soon moved on to high tech Belstaff waxed cotton jacket and pants. What a load of crap that was. Wore Wellington boots everyday and thick wool socks. No frickin Gortex back then. Feet so hot and sweaty the weave of the sock would get embedded into the sole of your feet. Your feet looked like white playdough at the end of the day. Closest I’ve ever come to getting trench foot. The Belstaff had to be treated nearly every day otherwise it would leak like a sieve at all the creases like your elbows.

Handlebar muffs that pushed back onto the brake and clutch levers at over 40 miles an hour so you had to ride with your left fingers extended straight to stop the clutch slipping. They would fill up with water when parked in the rain. And of course it rained. It was London. Rain, rain, rain. After a few months you became immune to it. Cause then it got cold and it rained. Wore so many layers I could have steamed a piece of fish in my armpit.

[Robert]

My trip down memory lane as a bike messenger in London another life time ago.

Soon moved on to high tech Belstaff waxed cotton jacket and pants. What a load of crap that was. Wore Wellington boots everyday and thick wool socks. No frickin Gortex back then. Feet so hot and sweaty the weave of the sock would get embedded into the sole of your feet. Your feet looked like white playdough at the end of the day. Closest I’ve ever come to getting trench foot. The Belstaff had to be treated nearly every day otherwise it would leak like a sieve at all the creases like your elbows.

Handlebar muffs that pushed back onto the brake and clutch levers at over 40 miles an hour so you had to ride with your left fingers extended straight to stop the clutch slipping. They would fill up with water when parked in the rain. And of course it rained. It was London. Rain, rain, rain. After a few months you became immune to it. Cause then it got cold and it rained. Wore so many layers I could have steamed a piece of fish in my armpit.

Wow what a time, I must admit that requires a special fortitude to endure that day in and day out. Great story!! I could feel the pain and discomfort in your description, partly because where you went on is where I quit. The fish in the armpit was particularly descriptive  unfortunately I can sympathize with that.

[Robert]

The wake was getting my gf’s boots soaked, that’s when we were able to actually move and not stand with our feet in the water. First 2 days was nothing but rain. Driving rain w/wind. It was miserable.

My gf had wanted to wear her brother’s motocross helmet and goggles but I told her I didn’t think she’d need it. So she had to wear an open face, no shield, only visor and sunglasses. There were a few times I checked on her via the mirrors and I think I caught her crying, it was hard to tell with all the water on her face.  All I could think of was she wanted to come and she’d be fine.  She was a good gf we had a lot of fun. Man where does time go.

She had guts if nothing else 

[scooperhsd]

Oil oozing out of the road is a problem anyway - but it's much worse in the middle of a lane.

My worst "riding in the rain" experiance - I was riding from Raleigh to DC on I-95 ( around the Richmond VA area) when I got hit with a thunderstorm so much in intensity that CAR drivers were pulling over for a bit (this was on my PC800). My next worse was a similar experiance in Raleigh riding my Valk to my car mechanic to pickup one of our cars being worked on.

[Rio Wil]

One thing to take a look at is the rear brake pedal pivot bolt. If it is corroded up it removes the ability to finesse the rear braking pressure and can more easily break loose the rear tire.