Triumphrat

BlueJ

OK all you seasoned vets out there.... I've got just under 2000 miles on my '07 BBlack, first time back on a bike in... uh... 28 years since that summer I had a Kaw350. It's fun, rides great, stock except for AI removed (but not before blue down to the middle of the down pipe and a lovely gold all the way to the crossover). My darling wife on her Green has the TORs (she posted about that a while back), I love the sound but don't mind the quiet. But I digress.

The point is, I'm getting better at leaning thru curves on nice clean dry pavement but gravel scares me (I can see it sliding out from under me, yikes!). But what really makes me pucker up all 'round is rain. I slow wa-a-a-y down and am afraid to lean even a little bit, I pull over every time someone comes behind me to let them by.

Do these things really stick to the pavement in the rain? How far over can they really lean? I don't want to drop the beautiful thing but the folks at work are getting tired of me watching the weather radar all afternoon and leaping aboard for the ride home when it looks like I'll get sprinked on if I don't. Suggestions????

Thanks!

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Gone to greener pastures.

merlin

Caution is a reasonable response, but fear can be dangerous. Personally, I think staying with the flow of traffic is safer than pulling over to let people pass, excessive slowness, etc. If you gotta quit, pull over somewhere safe.
Realize that generally a bike can do whatever a car can do (on good surfaces, it can do it twice as fast). Stay in touch with the what the bike is communicating to you, which is easier if you relax and loose the death grip on the handlebars.
You mentioned 'sprinkles'. Do remember that a light rain is really bad because it brings up the oils without washing them away. The first minutes of a rain are the worse, after the oils run off, your just dealing with a wet road, which is fine. At higher speeds, hydroplaining becomes an issue, but it sounds to me like you'll not be pushing that particular envelope.
Just go easy -Nobody LIKES rain but lots of people do it.

BlueJ

I agree that staying with the flow would be safer, but when I don't have the confidence to stay with the coffins, pulling over is better. I have a back road commute so I don't have lots of cars to deal with. I knew the part about the first few minutes of the rain, thanks - good pointer.

It's that "on good surfaces it can do it twice as fast" part that worries me - I'm fine with the fast, when it's dry. Can it cut loose and skid in the rain twice as fast, too? I'd rather not find out by experiment, at least not on my bike.

Thanks!

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Gone to greener pastures.

Farnham1

Hi BlueJ, had my Bonnie for two years now after a return to biking after many years break. Like you I was not keen to get out in the rain in my case due to little experience. I booked myself on a safety course we have in the UK called BikeSafe which is run by biking enthusiasts in the local police and bikers who have completed an advanced training course (IAM). The day came and it was the worst weather conditions we had seen in months! It turned out to be one of the best biking days I have had as I was teamed up with an older guy who was a legend to say the least. He was a long distance tourer and had taken his bike several times to India and was heading for the Himalayas that summer. To cut a long story short he taught me to trust the feel of the bike and to ride smooth. I was amazed to find that it would handle and brake far better than I imagined and I finished the day with a long run through the twisties in our local hills. Did I get wet – yes to the skin. Did I have a great time and learn a lot about my bike – you bet. Don’t let the weather conditions put you off – sooner or later you will get caught in bad weather and it is better to get out, experience it, build your confidence and learn than be frightened of it. Watch out for slippery road markings, service covers and roads with fresh rain. Enjoy your biking BlueJ.

FlyBri

My instructor put it well - your confidence will go before the grip of the bike...

Bri

Silverado57

After riding in PA last weekend (state motto is "The Gravel State") you learn to expect gravel in turns. My best advice on gravel is to use target fixation to your advantage by focusing on the CLEAN roadway.

As far as riding in the rain, I don't do it, if possible. The roads are definitely slick during or after a rain. You might first notice it at a stop situation when you put your feet down and they slide out from under you.

Besdies, rain & wet roads makes the bike filthy! :-D
Ride safe.

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Kevin
Luceo Non Uro
NJ USA

Geoff

If you want to commute on your bike, learning how to deal is definitely better than being afraid. Of course you dont take turns as leaned over as dry, that would be imprudent. Learn how to finesse the bike with your body weight, taking turns with the bike a little staiter up. Do not give jumpy sudden "input" to the bike on throttle or brake, slow and smooth does it.
Do not lean over on painted traffic lines or manhole covers.
Get good by practice, dont fear it, and trust the bike, and your instincts, once they have progressed beyond panic
to, hey, this is not so bad...
G

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I never wanted to lead, and I never wanted to follow.
I just wanted to ride

kdrake

Find some dirt to ride in. Try a little sliding to get the feel. As already stated, beware of stripes, manhole covers, and railroad tracks. I do wear a vest for better visibility in heavy rain. The tires will push away the water, so you don't hydroplane like a car does.

oldmanjob

Rode my Bonnie through its first rain storm Sunday, and my first after a 30 year hiatus from riding. Hit a literal wall of water at 70 miles an hour. After my initial oh s@#$t I relaxed to a point that I realized how stable the Bonnie was. My son, riding his Busa behind me said afterwards that my bike displaced the water with a quite impressive rooster tail of water. :-D

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John 14:6 KJV
Black Bonnie - 06
Looking back to the good old days is not the way out. Looking up to the God of All the Days is. (Vance Havner)

davidc

BlueJ - all the input thus far is soooo very correct! Read and reread them. After doing that, a good course of action might be to purposely ride in the rain, get a feel for it, get the skills, get the confidence. Yeah, I avoid the rain when I can because riding in nice weather and on dry roads is better, but you will occasionally be caught in it.

Now, if I could only get over my fear of high bridges........