Quote:
Originally Posted by Apex
Weird. I have total traction in the rain. I just stay smooth. I have been at a solid 45* lean while it was pouring, and not once did I feel like I was about to lose control.
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Don't get too confident though. Avoid driving over manhole and utility covers when turning as they may cause your rear tire to suddenly lose and then gain traction mid-turn until they slide away (sideways) and suddenly regain it while your bike is facing a slightly different angle.
Also, my encounter with wet cattle guards in AZ was a doozy. It was bad enough that I could barely get a foothold when stopping (feet kept slipping between the wet bars... it's kind of the whole point so that cows don't go up the freeway ramps), but I could barely avoid losing the bike
from a complete stop when it came time to start again. The rear tire would just spin while slotted between the wet bars, but just because it can't go forward doesn't mean it isn't going to go
somewhere... it will slide to the left of right and pitch the bike over and you likely won't have the footing to stop it! I'm VERY lucky that I didn't drop it but it took several tries and near-drops to get free. Even then, I had to cross over another mid-turn to get back on the freeway and I felt my tire slide to the right even though I straightened out as much as possible and didn't stop.
Even when I seemingly had tons of traction, I once found that my rear tire was locking up with even the tiniest touch no matter how slow I was going. Basically, I had to cross the intersection from a stand-still (stop light) and then immediately turn right into a parking lot, but I couldn't. Each time I applied the rear brakes the bike would just keep going and my rear tire would shift to the right. I didn't apply more front brake because stopping would have gotten me run over and I would rather keep my rear tire behind me so that I can release the brake and continue (which I did... 3 times). It was so disorienting that I ended up sailing right past the turn/entrance while trying to slow down despite going at such a slow speed to start with.
I've been riding in the rain since te very first ride out of the dealer when I got absolutely DRENCHED despite my $80 rainsuit that they had just sold me. When I stopped at the closest gas station, water poured out of my sleeve and into my tank while I filled it up. It was a steady stream!
Another tip: Just because you seem to be staying dry doesn't mean you shouldn't pull over and protect your electronics. I was trying to beat a bigger storm when I crossed the country so I decided to keep riding until I needed gas. "Besides... my pants are still 100% dry. Only my helmet and gloves are wet." I thought. WRONG. I was drafting 18-wheelers to avoid the killer wind and they threw up tons of mist from the road. It seems that the mist wraps around the fairing and deposits right in my jacket pocket because I reached in and my hand was completely submerged in water. I lost a brand new iPhone 3G that way (in 2008).