Info on riding in the rain

[Papalazabuns]

So been in the UK we know its always pissing it down. I'm a new rider 1 month now and I've come off 3 times. Once gravel, lesson learned. Twice turning a corner in the rain and just sliding! I've figured out that the back brake seems to make the bike extra slidy but my question is the clutch, on my way home today I tried to not use clutch round corners and I didn't seem to slide. Am I misguided or does using the clutch round corners make the bike extra slide?

Please go easy on me I'm loving the biking experience but am learning thanks

[Justarn]

Probably just need to slow down, clutch in the corner with proper nice smooth action shouldn't be too much of a problem but harsh actions will unsettle the bike.

In the rain be super smooth and knock it back to 5 outta 10, imagine your riding on gravel.... Imagine oil-fuel rising up in every bend and rounder bout. Before you get hurt.

Try to be in the right gear before you tip it in, maybe easier said than done on a 125 if that's what your riding?

Three crashes already is a bad sign, most have one early on and learn from it.

Check mechanicals

Do your tyres match? Are they in date and a modern spec? Are the pressures right and is the suspension good? Swing arm pivot smooth and free of play?

[Bender]

3 times in a month

Check tyres,pressure and condition, age and make, shit rubber is just that and dangerous.

All your braking should be dome smoothly before the bend, it's not great to be playing with the clutch mid bend, allow extra stopping distance and be smooth.

[skyrider]

in wet slippery conditions you are better being in a too higher gear than too low because if you wind the throttle on too fast it wont bring the back end round on you especially on bends

[Bungleaio]

Have you just done CBT? I think you may be a lot better off getting some additional instruction.

[fastbob]

Go round corners in the wet like you don't want to fall off . Works for me .

[Guest Richzx6r]

Why would you use the clutch in a corner?? Using the clutch in a corner is a big no-no on a bike as it prevents you from controlling your speed accurately and unsettled the bike even in the dry it's bad practice, as has been said check you tyres as shite rubber is suicidal on a bike, in terms of riding in the wet just do things at half the speed you would in the dry obviously you can still change gear in the normal way ie not in corners but braking and turning should be done smoothly as possible to give the tyres the least work to do

[BIKERDAD]

Tou have to learn your own way but one thing that I learned when I was driving a lorry for work was get the vehicle in gear .. read the road .. if your coming to a corner do you want to be changing gear . slowing down .driving .turning . Set the speed .. Get it in to gear before the turn and turn the corner using the gas to speed up or slow down ..

I do the same thing when I'm riding I see the bend get the speed I feel is about right then get it down a gear the you can power in to the bend or just coast round it . That way the wheels are gripping not having the brakes pulled on the clutch gripping .just a str8 smooth turn .

I'm for ever telling the mrs when she drives the car going up a hill .. turning ... roundabouts.. read the think what gear will be ok one your in or one down if you need to change up wait till you done the manover .. .

As said on here check the tyres .. might have Chinese tyres bin them put well know brand on ( my wife's sinnis 125 there was a thread about shite.tyres on them ppl.said change them str8 away ) so we got Bridgestone on them . .

Take your time in the rain i hate riding in the rain. I think the bike is going to slide away. Just learn ..

[One Ball 1971]

As has been said "prepare" the bike as much as possible before going into the corner. So no gear changes, harsh throttle changes or hard braking in the corner as these will all encourage the back wheel to break traction with the road especially in the wet.

[Sparkzz]

Sounds to me that you're just going in to the corners too fast...

I adopt the method slow in, fast out.. so basically do all your braking and gear changing before the corner, then pick your line and concentrate whats in front of you, then looking ahead as your going into the corner to find when the corner opens up and you can accelerate.

I commute most days and i am a new rider, and also i pick the back lanes rather than go main road along my 22 mile route, so the these tight country roads are covered in farmers mud, gravel, potholes etc... and in the wet get proper messed up.

But all i do is lower my speed and ride to road and weather conditions. In 3 months on my 125, and now a month expereince on my first big bike which is a 900cc, i havent had one moment where i thought "oh god, that was close"

"Slow in, Fast out".. and when i say fast, i dont mean pinning it!.. just picking up speed.

Hope this helps,

[Guest Richzx6r]

Tou have to learn your own way but one thing that I learned when I was driving a lorry for work was get the vehicle in gear .. read the road .. if your coming to a corner do you want to be changing gear . slowing down .driving .turning . Set the speed .. Get it in to gear before the turn and turn the corner using the gas to speed up or slow down ..

I do the same thing when I'm riding I see the bend get the speed I feel is about right then get it down a gear the you can power in to the bend or just coast round it . That way the wheels are gripping not having the brakes pulled on the clutch gripping .just a str8 smooth turn .

I'm for ever telling the mrs when she drives the car going up a hill .. turning ... roundabouts.. read the think what gear will be ok one your in or one down if you need to change up wait till you done the manover .. .

As said on here check the tyres .. might have Chinese tyres bin them put well know brand on ( my wife's sinnis 125 there was a thread about shite.tyres on them ppl.said change them str8 away ) so we got Bridgestone on them . .

Take your time in the rain i hate riding in the rain. I think the bike is going to slide away. Just learn ..

If you're getting scared your going too fast unless its scream if you want to go faster

[Kikesin]

As already mentioned, all your breaking, positioning and speed adjustment needs to be done BEFORE the bend.

So you are going into the bend at a constant, appropriate speed through the bend.

There are plenty of signs in the road to let you know a bend is coming up, so adjust your speed accordingly and prepare for it before you arrive at the bend.

If you MUST break mid-bend, then use the rear break only.

3 times in a month is a lot!

I suggest you do a BikeSafe course and watch videos of advanced riding by RoSPA or IAM on youtube, since you cannot join these organizations yet (you need a full license)

Take it easy!

[Six30]

3 times in a month .... are you Evil Knievel

[fastbob]

3 times in a month .... are you Evil Knievel

Edited August 1, 2019 by fastbob

[fastbob]

3 times in a month .... are you Evil Knievel

 

Evil Knievel , is that Evel Knievel's bad twin ? I believe he was pretty nasty himself by all accounts .

[Six30]

3 times in a month .... are you Evil Knievel

 

Evil Knievel , is that Evel Knievel's bad twin ? I believe he was pretty nasty himself by all accounts .

 

Evils about right .... yeh he wasn't a very nice man , watched a documentary on him once .

[mecheic]

A waterproof bag, pannier, or backpack will ensure that all of your valuables stay dry even if you don't. You can put a rain cover over your bike helmet but avoid wearing a hood that covers your ears. You need to be able to hear traffic to stay safe, especially in rainy conditions.

[fastbob]

A waterproof bag, pannier, or backpack will ensure that all of your valuables stay dry even if you don't. You can put a rain cover over your bike helmet but avoid wearing a hood that covers your ears. You need to be able to hear traffic to stay safe, especially in rainy conditions.

 

What ? Why would you need to cover your helmet ? It's completely waterproof . I don't know what you mean. As for a hood that covers your ears , if you wear a hood inside your helmet you will distort the foam lining so that the helmet will become loose when you wear it without the hood . If you did wear a thin silk helmet liner it wouldn't make much difference to your hearing . I wear ear plugs at all times anyway and use my eyes to observe other road users . If you can hear another vehicle it's already too close . Sorry to demolish your post but very little of it makes any sense .

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

If by not using the clutch round corners the OP means being in the right gear before the bend and not touching the clutch or gears mid bend then that's fine, but if it means coasting round bends with the clutch disengaged then that's bad practice. You have more control with the bike in gear, the trick is to use the throttle correctly to only add sufficient power for the conditions and at the right time.

So I suggest it's more a case of throttle control that needs practice.

Also, watch where you are falling off. Manhole covers, road markings or road repairs will be slippery. Look into bends to check the road surface and plan a line to avoid hazards.

[Valko]

So been in the UK we know its always pissing it down. I'm a new rider 1 month now and I've come off 3 times. Once gravel, lesson learned. Twice turning a corner in the rain and just sliding! I've figured out that the back brake seems to make the bike extra slidy but my question is the clutch, on my way home today I tried to not use clutch round corners and I didn't seem to slide. Am I misguided or does using the clutch round corners make the bike extra slide?

Please go easy on me I'm loving the biking experience but am learning thanks

 

What bike and what tyres you've got mate?

Educated guess: your tyres are made of pure horse shit, not right size and/or not inflated properly.

If you want to ride bike get a license and proper bike with good tyres

[manxie49]

You've come of more times in one month than I have in a life time .... have a look at video attached, you may find some of the info useful, the two greatest skills I acquired for bad weather or crap surface riding were good forward observation and planning and bike empathy, listening to and feeling what your bike it telling you, good luck

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Edited August 11, 2019 by manxie49

[dynax]

[mention]manxie49[/mention] thanks for posting that vid , i really want to go out and ride in the wet, but before i do i want some advice on preventative measures regarding the bike, cleaning the bike after riding in the wet will help, but i was thinking of things like applying stonechip under the mudguards to help with premature damage, and generally applying a protective coating on other parts like a wax or polish

[manxie49]

@manxie49 thanks for posting that vid , i really want to go out and ride in the wet, but before i do i want some advice on preventative measures regarding the bike, cleaning the bike after riding in the wet will help, but i was thinking of things like applying stonechip under the mudguards to help with premature damage, and generally applying a protective coating on other parts like a wax or polish

 

I tend to cover my bike "minus the brakes"with ACF50 for the winter rides, one good coating lasts me the whole winter, its safe to spray all over your electrics and doesn't have any negative effects on rubber seals like some sprays. Come the summer I spend a morning cleaning it all of and the bike is as good as new! ACF50 seep's into all the nooks and crannies that you can't normally get to so I use it sparingly, its never let me down yet.

[fastbob]

I'll give you some info. It's shit !

[dynax]

I'll give you some info. It's shit !

 

I guess sometimes you just don't have a choice