Fazer Owners Club - Unofficial
General => General => Topic started by: Jamieg285 on 13 July 2012, 01:38:28 pm
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Hi all, I'm about 600 miles into my return to biking after 15 years off, Loving it, but still settling in. I have good confidence in the dry, but I'm really struggling when the roads are wet. I know it's all in my head, and that I could probably ride to almost the same level as I do in the dry, but when it comes to it I find myself slowing too much and not leaning properly into the corners. It just doesn't feel right.
Any tips on how I can get over this, and start riding properly whatever the road condition?
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Gripping tighter with your knees should automatically help you loosen your upper body.
A relaxed upper body is essential imho.
If the roads have been dry (not applicable atm I know) and there has been a light shower then I'm as paranoid as feck coz of all the muck that's been lifted, but if it's been raining enough to wash the muck away then it's just a question of building your confidence gradually.
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Shiny roundabouts are my Bete Noire, there's a couple on the way out of town on the way to work each morning and the odd time I get the front pushing out.
Other than that, it's pretty much OK as long as there's no shit or diesel on the road
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as above, but stick to your own limits. if youre slow, it doesnt matter. what helped me many moons ago was advice given by an old grasstrack racer. lean over the bars a bit more than normal and stick your elbows out like the motocrossers ride. it looks a bit daft but it worked for me. i still do it 20 years on!
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I'm not a fast, racer type, but I do ride in all weathers and don't really worry about it. I just slow down.
Like someone else said, you need to relax your upper body and relax your grip on the bars. Use your knees against the tank to give you a feeling of stability when turning. If your tyres are in good nick and are proper sports-tourer types, they'll probably outperform your skills, so don't think they're suddenly gonna give way under you - they're not!
Just avoid hard accelleration and braking. People will tell you to avoid manholes and white lines, but if your speed is constant, there's no need to slalom around everything as though they're bags of nails :lol .
(http://www.mcqart.com/mcqweb/images/bikes/mt01/grimupnorth.jpg)
Tom
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Geez Maddog - you're hard core m8!!! Hats off to you.
If theres snow on the ground outside - then i rarely even do out walking, never mind biking!!!!!
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First thoughts are make sure you've got decent gear - if you're cold and wet it'll sap concentration levels and lead to poor decisions which is never good.
Lack of vision (rain / traffic spray on your visor) can be more of a problem than lack of grip sometimes - in which case, obviously slow down. What sometimes helps here is moving your head slightly (if you have a fairing, duck your head slightly) to use the windblast to your advantage (it'll depend on the exact conditions and speed), but the wind can help clear water off your visor and aid vision. It may be awkward on your back though.
As stated, make sure you're bike is fit for it, especially as regards tyres / suspension.
If you find it hard work keeping concentration up in poor weather, consider taking more frequent rest breaks (if you're commuting, it may mean leaving for work earlier) - better to take a bit longer and arrive in one piece than to not arrive at all...I got caught out in snow in May (who the hell predicted that??), and I went a few miles (until the cold kicked in), stopped for a cig by the side of the road, and carried on another few miles. It were a long run, but I made it in one piece eventually.
Beware of standing water, and beware of the muppets that hit it at speed: if you're on familiar roads, you'll know the likely risk spots for it, obviously slow down and take it steady through, and beware because cagers *will* insist on hitting pools of standing water at speed and drenching you (I've had it happen to me - not fun).
Similarly, beware of roads with lots of trees etc - if its been raining and the sun (sun, wtf is that??) comes out the open parts of the road may dry off, but shaded parts may still be wet where the sun can't get through ("micro-climates", as they're termed). Same rule applies in winter where it may be icy.
As well as slowing down, look further ahead, which will in turn encourage you to be smoother with your bikes inputs - anticipating a situation and adjusting your speed accordingly is better than carrying on braking late or snatching a gearchange because you weren't ready for it.
Finally - stick to your own limits and take it easy.
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Just avoid hard accelleration and braking. People will tell you to avoid manholes and white lines, but if your speed is constant, there's no need to slalom around everything as though they're bags of nails :lol .
:agree
Add to that, avoid sudden changes of direction. Even crossing lines and cat's eyes for overtaking can be trouble-free as long as you don't swing out and swing back in at an angle.
Remember, the gyroscopic effect of the wheels turning will always mean the bike WANTS to stay upright
I also prefer taking a tighter line when cornering. It reduces the amount I have to lean and means I can use the width of the lane as I progress through the corner. If you start your cornering from the middle of the lane, You leave yourself less margin for error if you have to straighten quickly or you get a twitch from the tyres. As said though, the tyres won't just give up their grip without warning (save for the obvious reasons), they will give you a yellow card first.
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I agree with all the above comments. TBH ride slowly you arn't going to take a cropper like that. Stay central to the roads on bends. Take it easy and get there in one piece. I am regularly overtaken by crazy moped riders in the wet. But they always have the war wounds on their heaps to show for it.
Simon
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keep off white lines and other road marking look out for man hole cover
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keep off white lines and other road marking look out for man hole cover
Hardcore pisstaker! ;)
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I am the same in the wet and have been riding all year round for over 20 years. I'm just not comfortable in the wet. Tried lots of things to improve myself but still ride very upright with the slightest bit of damp.
Top tips though is good kit, warm and dry without being to bulky is key. Also as said above smooth and controlled with good ahead planning works wonders to.
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Pr3's sorted ... according to write ups
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Depending how much you like cleaning the bike but I'd suggest if you feel it's affecting your riding going out on wet roads, not particularly when it's raining as it's the road surface that's worrying you.
But if you can find a space in the recent summer when it's not actually coming down....... find some road(s) that're not full of hazards and just ride on them, is easier to get some wild rear wheel slides, but not if you're smooth with throttle opening as if it does the wheel speed will catch up with the engine dead quickly and the slide will slow, if you're grabbing handfuls of throttle then the engine speed will rocket when it looses traction and the wheel won't catch up for a long time and if you're still right way up when it does catch all that energy will get you a highside, go into corners slower and put power on gently but earlier as bike's most likely to crash loading the front wheel in the turn tho' with the fab' brakes/SBS pads on a Fazer and a good front tyre you'd be surprised the massive amount you can brake provided you're upright, be smooth, which isn't the same as slow! With increasing the braking force and avoid doing any braking on anything slippery, you don't want to be trailing any brake once you're turning. If you do and can catch front wheel slides regularly you should be on a track with Cal.
You'll find you do have to work to provoke a slide and if you do provoke it then you can stop it too, is unexpected spins that catch you out.
Use as much of the road as is safe but you should do anyways, one of the best bits of bikes is the amount of space on a road, both sides are fair game if you can see ahead, further you can see around a corner the faster you can go/more upright you can remain but also the quicker you'll see that Astra with an old giffer at the wheel going at 50mph less than the speed limit.
On a decent surface you'd want to get as much heat into the tyres as you can as (In my opinion) that's a large reason for lack of grip, just feel how cold a rear tyre is after a rainy ride compared to a dry one, front's even worse.
If you're lucky to have a track near you there's worse things than doing a track day, there'll be a ton of grip even in the wet and it's likely to be going on the last few months.
The Fazer's a pretty good tool in the wet as is softly sprung, well balanced, has ace brakes and enough shunt and heavy enough not to be skittish, my RG500 would spin up with no encouragement which was great for onlookers.
Is all the rubbish on the road that causes trouble, diesel is worst as is pretty much always on a curve and is the most slippery stuff, lot of grit washed onto them at the moment I find around here too, ok if you've a motocrosser....
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What they said.
What I've found recently with bends and such, I find it being smoother and more confidence building to drop the shoulder entering a be instead of trying to lean over. this way the bike goes itself and all you are doing is keeping it as upright as you need to depending on how far you drop the shoulder. Trust me that if the bike does it on its own with little or no effect from you, it will thank you for it by not dropping you. I know cos my front tyre is like me, madders, neilly, Duncan goodhew and a cancer ward all stuffed into a plastic bag. But if Tue bike does it its as smooth as silk and stays the way you want it to be be
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only been in ayrshire for 45 years mate and ive NEVER been into Nardinis!!!
:eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
I thought every biker in Scotland had been to Nardini's for an ice cream.
Anyway it's still a cracking cafe, but quite what it was. The Nardini's lost it through family in fighting, then it shut down, somebody nicked the interior and eventually it was taken over and refurbished. They have done a great job with the cafe and the restaurant but the foyer and shop are nothing like what they used to be. My favourite bit was the shop and bakery, full of continental stuff you couldn't get anywhere else, it was all beautiful 1930's art deco style. For me the foyer and shop was the most beautiful part of the whole building. I reckon it got shipped out to Moscow, New York or God knows where. Somebody somewhere has Largs's original 1930's art deco cafe shop.
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3049/3090634480_58006e3e31.jpg)
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Sorry wrong thread.
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Sorry wrong thread.
No shit, Sherlock! :rollin
Nice reminiscence though ;)
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There's some excellent advice above which pretty much covers everything, so the only thing I'll add is to invest in some NikWax Visor Spray because it's great for stopping rain and spray from screwing up your view and a Pinlock or Fog City insert (or a breath deflector) to stop your visor misting up on the inside.
And always remember to be able to stop in the distance you can see is clear, so slow down and give yourself extra space for braking distance.
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Microclimates!
When it's drying up, early morninge etc you will notice that the road remains wet in the shade or under trees. Nothing like a wake up call when riding round a dry bend and it suddenly gets wet half way round!
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Hardcore pisstaker!
ok dont get this did i say summat to offend?
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I'm not a fast, racer type, but I do ride in all weathers and don't really worry about it. I just slow down.
Like someone else said, you need to relax your upper body and relax your grip on the bars. Use your knees against the tank to give you a feeling of stability when turning. If your tyres are in good nick and are proper sports-tourer types, they'll probably outperform your skills, so don't think they're suddenly gonna give way under you - they're not!
Just avoid hard accelleration and braking. People will tell you to avoid manholes and white lines, but if your speed is constant, there's no need to slalom around everything as though they're bags of nails :lol
Absolutely on target - nothing to add - man you've said it all.....
([url]http://www.mcqart.com/mcqweb/images/bikes/mt01/grimupnorth.jpg[/url])
Tom
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Consider stopping distances.
If the car behind is too close... Make some space for yourself
Allow space for you, and the vehicle behind to stop!
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Hardcore pisstaker!
ok dont get this did i say summat to offend?
Nah, no one was offended here Devilsyam, really thought you wuz pisstaking tho! MadogMcQ had said peeps will tell you......... and then you did just that! LOL :lol Sorry it waz wasted on you mate, but think Old 'un got onto it right away. :) Best adice for wet riding is keep it smooth and upright as u can, or keep it in the shed 'till the sun shines..... :rolleyes
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I personally don't care if I'm slower in the wet, I'd rather take my time and stay upright than push the limits and end up on the deck. Even motoGP riders adapt their riding style to wet conditions so I wouldn't worry about being slower if the road conditions dictate a more consideration.
I'm still learning about riding and I've found that being out in the wet encourages you to be smoother and makes you pay more attention to what you're doing. Can't see this as a bad thing as it'll probably improve dry riding skills.
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Thanks for all the responses and information, all very useful
Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to hoon around like a nutter in the wet, it's just at the moment it feels like I am being too cautious and I'm losing the flow as a consequence, which makes it feel even worse.
I'm using the bike for daily commuting, so with the current weather it won't take long to get plenty of wet riding experience.
Once issue I do have, with dry and wet riding is the throttle response. I find myself cruising into the tipping point, with the throttle closed, as I hit the apex I start to thottle, but find it a bit snatchy. I'm getting used to it, trying a higher gear, but it's taking me a lot longer than I'd hoped to get used to it.
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Just two rules:
1) Never trust the road surface:
If a part of road has a certain amount of grip, you can never know when you will come across wet leaf, diesel stained, or oily part of road - you just can't see those things when the road is wet. Also, whenever there are small pools of water, you never know if there is a 2 foot deep hole beneath them!
2) Be smooth:
Assuming always the worst possbile road surface, make no quick turns, brakes, acceleration, as little lean as possible.
Things like staying visible, using horn, looking far ahead should be used in both wet and sunny - nothing rain specific IMO.
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Dont know what tyres you are running but having a set I know I can trust really helps my confidence.
I'm running Michelin pilot road 2 on the rear and the first pilot road on the front, waiting for it to wear down then i will put a 2 on the front as well.
http://www.michelin.co.uk/motorcycles/michelin-pilot-road-2 (http://www.michelin.co.uk/motorcycles/michelin-pilot-road-2)
There is also a pilot road 3 but that was a little out of my budget at the time of buying.
Other than that, go out on a quiet road, plan a little circuit and ride it. Build up your confidence riding the same corners a little faster each time with a little more lean each time. You slide a little when your getting close to the limit, you wont drop it (unless your get it way wrong) but tbh if its doing that you are riding too fast anyways.
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i just passed my test, and feel much the same out in the rain, do what your comfortable with it will come with time. :) .
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Once issue I do have, with dry and wet riding is the throttle response. I find myself cruising into the tipping point, with the throttle closed, as I hit the apex I start to thottle, but find it a bit snatchy. I'm getting used to it, trying a higher gear, but it's taking me a lot longer than I'd hoped to get used to it.
Hope you don't mind me saying but I think you're not setting yourself up for your corners properly.
The powerband on the Fazer is around 6k, so heading into a corner you should probably have around 7k and maintain a steady speed with that - whichever gears that ends up being.
Your bike will be in a state of 'readiness' and under a slight load.
Any advanced riders on here care to put that into English? :D
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Don't go into the corner with a closed throttle??? :lol
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Once issue I do have, with dry and wet riding is the throttle response. I find myself cruising into the tipping point, with the throttle closed, as I hit the apex I start to thottle, but find it a bit snatchy. I'm getting used to it, trying a higher gear, but it's taking me a lot longer than I'd hoped to get used to it.
Hope you don't mind me saying but I think you're not setting yourself up for your corners properly.
The powerband on the Fazer is around 6k, so heading into a corner you should probably have around 7k and maintain a steady speed with that - whichever gears that ends up being.
Your bike will be in a state of 'readiness' and under a slight load.
Any advanced riders on here care to put that into English? :D
I agree with Chillum, you should probably be in a lower gear, rather than a higher one and I'd say you're getting on the throttle much too late.
I had similar problems when I started to ride, ie cornering in too high a gear and trying to use power instead of revs to give me the drive through the bend.
When you approach a bend there are three main things to consider: Right position, right speed and right gear.
1) Right position. The simple version is that when you're coming into a left-hand bend you should position to the right and for a right-hand bend position to the left (presuming there's no junctions, driveway exits, crud on the outside of the bend etc that could compromise your safety or stability).
When you are going through the bend, stay positioned as you were on the entry, you're not on a race track and clipping the apex isn't necessary or necessarily safe as it can put you in a dangerous position and/ or will reduce your view ahead.
2) Right speed: Use the Limit Point to judge your approach speed, ie look at where the left and right hand sides appear to meet. If that point is coming towards you, slow down, if it's staying constant you can maintain your speed.
3) Right gear. You want to be in a gear that will give you the best power response and have a "balanced throttle" ie if you open it you will accelerate, if you close it then engine braking will decelerate you. If you're in too high a gear, the engine can bog down if you try to accelerate and you won't get any engine braking if you roll off the throttle. As Chillum mentions, this means you need the revs around the 7000rpm mark.
As you get to the point where you start to turn into the bend, you should slightly open the throttle to compensate for the reduced rolling radius and drive the bike around the bend, that way you shouldn't get the "snatchy" response you mention.
I'd strongly recommend reading "Full Control" (http://www.fema-online.eu/uploads/documents/vehicle%20aspects/Full%20Control_low%20res.pdf) which is a comprehensive and concise guide to biking with some excellent advice on cornering.
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The problem I get when trying to go in with a lower gear to keep the revs up is that when I try to drop the revs slightly, it seems to react even more, engine braking making me lurch forward and upset the balance.
Aiming for 6K+ would mean taking every bend/corner at 25+ mph, regardless of how tight the corner is.
What gear should I be looking for (I know this is subjective, but different opinions will help me work out where I'm going wrong).
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Get off and push it :D or leave it at home and take the :car
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What gear should I be looking for (I know this is subjective, but different opinions will help me work out where I'm going wrong).
best gear is one that allows best pickup acceleration but also allows deceleration when rolling off.
It can vary depending on bike / gearing / preference.
as said before - revs should be btwn 6000 - 70000 rpm. so you could be 2nd / 3rd gears into corners
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as said before - revs should be btwn 6000 - 70000 rpm. so you could be 2nd / 3rd gears into corners
Yup, below 70000 definitely! :)
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as said before - revs should be btwn 6000 - 70000 rpm. so you could be 2nd / 3rd gears into corners
Yup, below 70000 definitely! :)
lol!! (sorry - typo)
DONT EVER go above 70000 revs :|
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Hehe, not sure how many times I revved above 6-7k yet! I should buy a scooter!
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The problem I get when trying to go in with a lower gear to keep the revs up is that when I try to drop the revs slightly, it seems to react even more, engine braking making me lurch forward and upset the balance.
That sounds like you're in too low a gear or you need to be a bit more delicate with the throttle control. I'll admit that I still have problems with the latter, sometimes I roll off too fast and the bike lurches a bit which isn't very smooth :\
Aiming for 6K+ would mean taking every bend/corner at 25+ mph, regardless of how tight the corner is.
What gear should I be looking for
For slower bends you'll need to use fewer revs, but it's really a matter of getting a feel for what the bike can do and that really comes with practice.
When I'm riding through the twisties these days I very rarely go above 4th gear unless it's a sweeping bend (ie not tight) that I can pretty much see all the way through or, at least, know that I can stop in the distance I can see clear on my side.
What I would do is to repeatedly ride a piece of road I'm familiar with (ie I know I'm usually taking a bend in 5th gear) and instead deliberately select one gear lower and pick the revs up to keep the same speed (using the Limit Point to judge how fast I should be going).
After a while I got a better feel for which gear would give the best power response to the throttle position such that, as mentioned, rolling off would give a controlled deceleration rather than an abrupt lurch, but giving it a twist would give a steady acceleration.
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This might highlight my inexperience but does clutch control come into any of this?
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Pr3's sorted ... according to write ups
+1
PR3s really are outstanding in the rain, to the point that knee down in the wet is possible (not by me though!). :)
I've done about 6,000 miles on a set including a couple of 2,500 mile round trips to play on the passes in the Alps on my thou & not only have they been faultless even in torrential rain on poor roads, & somehow they still look like they have enough life left in them for at least another trip! I don't recall ever getting much more than 6k out of a back tyre before.
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Not ridden an FZ600, mine's an FZS1000.
But FFS Jamie, a high (7k) rpm is not essential when cornering, whether on the 600 or 1000. Unless your really pushing, which is not usual on public roads, even nationals, is it, really? Position, speed and gear, in that order (see Grahamm above) are the important roadcraft bits we should all be considering on approach, wet or dry. Get your route correct for the corner, reduce your speed, either with brakes or deceleration in the gear you're already in, then select the right gear for the circumstances, which is usually lower. In the wet, your not gonna want a lightning snappy reaction from your throttle otherwise if it's too responsive (7k?) you may lose grip as the rear wheel spins. So YOU choose the gear that feels right for the bend (too may variables to be precise here) which will keep the bike under a state of 'constant' acceleration - which means not trying to do your best quarter mile time through the curve, merely keeping the cables tight, keeping the power 'on' until you see the bend opening up allowing you to feel braver and feeding on more throttle. Keeping it 'under power' keeps the back end 'squatting' - a desired condition for grip on the rear wheel innit! We all get it wrong sometimes, me too and peeps say 'Don't use your front brake in a bend', but sometimes you might have to, 'specially if your dabbing the rear and your still not slowing enough, Just don't grab a handful of front all of a sudden or you'll be kissing the tarmac quicker than you can say 'FOC-U' - Smooooth is the key with all your movements and decisions in the wet.
And DRYROB, clutch should be left alone when negotiating the corner, not slipping it, if that's what you mean. Clutch would've been used to select the correct gear on approach, of course. The bike should be just pulling, not coasting with clutch lever 'in' ... keeping the power constant, but not snappy, 'till you can see opportunity to move quicker safely. Suppose there's a degree of clutch slipping when negotiating 90 degree, main road into side street cornering though? Is that what you meant?
There's always good advice here, but if it's a genuine desire to improve your skills, get yourself a copy of the police manual, it's the safest way to ride fast, but not the fastest way, which is better left for the tracks. Get on an advanced course too, but try to make an effort with the book first it'll make more sense, if you're serious, persevere and digest over time.
Best of luck and here's to some sunshine for the rest of what's left of Summer 2012! ;)
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I'm not sure what I meant but I was clearly wrong :lol
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I'm not sure what I meant but I was clearly wrong :lol
:lol .........Not clearly wrong Rob, it was a good question that others may have been pondering, not just you.
There's a distinction between, Must not, Do not, avoid etc. Highway code has these phrases backed up by legislation. Must not cross solid white's on your side, whereby broken white lines around hatch markings are 'avoid' ... (and there are always exceptions :rollin
It's important when studying/learning with Roadcraft that while advice may be given against using front brake or changing gear when cornering, it's just that ....advisory. There may be times when you need to change gear 'cos you misjudged your initial choice and 'specially in the wet, a careful and smooth downchange (with good clutch control!) may be beneficial. ;)
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At end of the day it isnt a race... well not til wknd anyway :lol
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Jamie, it may be that your bike isn't as well fettled as it could be if you're suffering from a snatchy throttle response.
Are the carbs balanced?
Check you don't have excess slack in the throttle cables.
Make sure the chain is correctly adjusted and the cush drive rubbers aren't knackered.
Is it misfiring?
If they're all OK then one technique you may find useful for smoother riding is to drag the back brake slightly when cornering. Not to slow you down, just enough to keep the top run of the chain taut... that way, when you start to open the throttle, there isn't any slack to take up before the power arrives at the rear wheel.
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(Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs with that last suggestion, but some folks aren't aware of the value of the rear brake other than as "the one that can't throw you over the handlebars". ;) )
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This might highlight my inexperience but does clutch control come into any of this?
Not really (but it's not a silly question, however not asking it because you don't want to admit you don't know would be silly :) )
Clutch control pretty much only ever comes in at very low speeds, eg slipping it whilst keeping the revs up is useful for filtering slowly through traffic or when pulling out of T-junctions etc.
At speed, the clutch can smooth out the change when you're using engine braking, but these days that's only recommended for slowing down in slippery conditions, generally, when changing down you should dip the clutch, put in a touch more revs so the engine speed matches the road speed, then blend the clutch back in.
This avoids that sudden lurch when you take a lower gear, dump the clutch and the back wheel is suddenly running faster than the engine which could result in a destabilising lock-up, especially when it's wet.
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Jamie, it may be that your bike isn't as well fettled as it could be if you're suffering from a snatchy throttle response.
Are the carbs balanced?
Check you don't have excess slack in the throttle cables.
I'd been wondering about the throttle cables and adjustment, from the feel and having read other posts on here. Well there's definitely a problem now :\
Whilst looking at the throttle slack it appeared that the throttle wasn't returning properly.I pushed it a bit to try and see how much and it just kept going. Not sure exactly what I've done, but there is zero throttle return.
I've started to investigate, not sure if it's a problem with the lower cable or with the grip itself. Hopefully I'll work it out soon, as I can't use it till it's sorted.
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check your bar end weight, when I replaced mine the new one was catching the throttle grip a bit.
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check your bar end weight, when I replaced mine the new one was catching the throttle grip a bit.
Not sure if it was that end or the other, but I've cleaned both up and given them a good coating of vaseline for lubrication, and oiled the cables. Got it all back together and the throttle snaps back nicely and there's less free play too. Just need to see if that helps on the road...
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I realise this is now a very old topic, however it's been really helpful so I thought I'd give it a natural bump.
I passed my unrestricted in July (17) I learned having never been in a bike before. As luck would have it not one of my lessons nor my test was in the wet. Since passing pretty much rained constantly. I've been really struggling in the wet and do d myself tensing up. It's got to the point where I'll just take the car of the roads are wet. This post has pushed me to get out!
Great forum this. Such a helpful bunch!!
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The key to riding more confidently in the wet is to.... ride in the wet!
The key points to remember are
If it has just rained (after a dry spell) the road will be slippery so take care. Go easy on acceleration and braking.
Roundabouts are notorious for being slippery in the wet.
Any junction near a petrol station will also be dodgy.
If it has rained for more than one day the roads will be cleaner but still take extra care at roundabouts.
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The key to riding more confidently in the wet is to.... ride in the wet!
The key points to remember are
If it has just rained (after a dry spell) the road will be slippery so take care. Go easy on acceleration and braking.
Roundabouts are notorious for being slippery in the wet.
Any junction near a petrol station will also be dodgy.
If it has rained for more than one day the roads will be cleaner but still take extra care at roundabouts.
Roundabouts, manhole covers, leaves, potholes, drunk people lying in the road, all things to keep you alert.
I often wonder if riding a bike is some sort of shitty challenge derived by some twisted bastard to see if you can survive the day?
As said, riding in the wet can only be properly mastered by riding in it. Watch any pizza delivery rider lean a bike over in shite conditions. Yes, i agree they're ever so slightly mad, and naive, but it's all about the hours spent on the road.
And again as mentioned, either after a good 2 or 3hrs downfall, or the next day, the rain does really clean the roads, so even though the roads are wet you will feel better grip. It's when it doesn't rain, and you get cold nights, like now, that the roads become hazardous, but you will get the feel for all that after a few years riding.
Add the obvious to the equation though, good reliable tyres. Don't scrimp on tyres (or brake pads), they are your life line. I ride all year round as much as i can and good tyres that perform in the wet are a must for me. If you think you can save £40 or £50 by purchasing cheap tyres then you are being misled and will regret it, because your confidence in riding will go rapidly downhill. Add to that they'll wear quicker, unevenly, etc, so it becomes an issue all round.
Good reliable tyres, common sense and experience will make biking in the rain as pleasant as it can get.
Don't forget the Vee Wipe too, an invaluable piece of kit i simply can't do without!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xvee+wipe.TRS0&_nkw=vee+wipe&_sacat=0 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xvee+wipe.TRS0&_nkw=vee+wipe&_sacat=0)
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Totally agree with everything Darrsi said - especially the V wipe.....a must have.
Another thing I sling under the seat or in the top box is a 2 piece cheap as chips waterproof oversuit. Yes I have spent hundreds on my Rukka Goretex gear which is totally waterproof but I rely on this if it starts to rain when I'm out.
I ride 365 to London and back. If it's raining before you leave then stick on the 2 -piece waterproofs. Far easier than trying to dry your sodden gear out for 8 hrs before you ride home again.
A 2 piece easy rolls up and fits under a Fazer seat. Do you look cool ?????, who gives a feck....it's raining.
Forgot to add - also means you don't have to wash your riding gear anywhere near as often to get rid of the winter crap and they retain being waterproof for longer.
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I pretty much ride exactly the same in the wet as I do in the dry. I just don't do max acceleration as the back wheel spins up, I avoid painted lines and metal work, and avoid heavy braking on the front tyre, as it does lock up a lot easier and can get away from you.
I don't go out icy condition.
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I pretty much ride exactly the same in the wet as I do in the dry. I just don't do max acceleration as the back wheel spins up, I avoid painted lines and metal work, and avoid heavy braking on the front tyre, as it does lock up a lot easier and can get away from you.
I don't go out icy condition.
Quite differently then :lol
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I pretty much ride exactly the same in the wet as I do in the dry. I just don't do max acceleration as the back wheel spins up, I avoid painted lines and metal work, and avoid heavy braking on the front tyre, as it does lock up a lot easier and can get away from you.
I don't go out icy condition.
Quite differently then :lol
I went out on my bike about three years ago and it nearly rained and I could almost swear I got very, very slightly dampish but just maybe it was my imagination.
Don't do rain, I worked Self Employed (Brickie) on the building sites for 53 years sometimes in the sunshine but often in the rain, got soaked trying to earn a living, standing in the footings in 3 inches of water with your legs jammed up against the wet muddy sides of trenches with water trickling down between the cheeks of my arse. Steam coming up off you soaking wet back. Fuck riding in the rain. :rolleyes
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Sorry wrong thread.
I reckon that Scotish ice cream has got a lot of Teachers in it.
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Don't do rain, I worked Self Employed (Brickie) on the building sites for 53 years sometimes in the sunshine but often in the rain, got soaked trying to earn a living, standing in the footings in 3 inches of water with your legs jammed up against the wet muddy sides of trenches with water trickling down between the cheeks of my arse. Steam coming up off you soaking wet back. Fuck riding in the rain. :rolleyes
People don't realise, unless they too do it, how hard that is working out in all weathers and the toll it takes on you, especially as you get older.
It's no joke out in the cold and wet all day. It runs you down.
Having said that I admire anyone that does ride all weather. I couldn't face it now.
Like you tommy I've spent all my working life so far outdoors. Not quite managed 53 years yet tho!.
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Having said that I admire anyone that does ride all weather. I couldn't face it now.
I don't admire people who ride in all weather. Maybe they have to because it's the only transport they have - fair enough. Or maybe the commute would just take too long in a car when there's a lot of traffic. Ok. But admiration? Why? I've ridden in the wet as much as anyone over the years, and maybe you do learn from it. But it was never something I particularly enjoyed doing, even when I was younger. I used to commute each weekend from London to nr. Wolverhampton, and I remember hating being freezing cold, having kit that just couldn't cope with heavy rain on the motorway, hands so numb with cold I got the hot aches when I finally started to warm them after getting to my destination. I used to put off leaving home till the last possible minute, and would have given anything to have a car to do it in. I was in my late teens at the time too.
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Respect then maybe?
It's harsh and foccin dangerous on a dark night when it's absolutely chucking it down.
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Oh alright, they're all a bunch of twats :lol :lol
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These days when I see a motorcyclist out in the pissing rain, I just think "sucker!" :lol
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Respect then maybe?
It's harsh and foccin dangerous on a dark night when it's absolutely chucking it down.
I'll certainly agree with that one.
The amount of people that just cross a road in front of me wearing dark clothing on the way home from work at night when it's raining is just phenomenal.
They can't comprehend that every drop of rain on your visor is being illuminated by oncoming headlights, or worse still brake lights that make each drop red in colour.
Then you get potholes that can appear out of nowhere that weren't there the day before.
I changed my route into work the last few weeks because they've totally messed up my normal route with some weird reconstruction of the road and pavements which has caused major traffic problems now, and on the new route there's a sunken drain cover in the middle of the road which keeps catching me out almost every day. I know it's there, and I use it as a warning to miss the next one about 200 metres ahead, but I somehow still keep hitting it, and that's in daylight.
If I see any bad potholes I just report them myself now, as everyone will moan about them but do sod all about them.
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Like has been said in the post that riding in winter is not good, but like a lot of bikers in here I have done it as it was my only form of transport from age 17 up until 46.
I have had to ride in all weathers and getting to the building site soaked through before the days work has started, fingers so cold that its hard to uncurl them from the bars, and with the snotty water that is streaming from you nose and eyes freezing on your face, scarf full of frozen shot and breath, bloody open face space helmets
(The full face made it a bit better when they came along)
I remember my old BSA Rocket it had a small split in the stitching on the seat and water used to get into the foam and when you sat on it the water squeezed out and made your arse wet even before starting out on the foccing thing, and it was no better when the weather was freezing either it was like sitting on a plank of wood that eventually made your arse wet as it slowly melted and squeezed out of the split.
Oh! the good old days.
Good old days my arse
Good old days my wet arse. :rolleyes :'(
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I'm a retired brickie remember it well, had forgot how s**t it was being wet and frozen most of the day in winter. Just switched the heating up to help put that flash back out of my mind. So I'll stick to riding in the good weather and leave the bad weather to the poor soles that have to, or those that get some strange perverse pleasure from it.
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I'm a retired brickie remember it well, had forgot how s**t it was being wet and frozen most of the day in winter. Just switched the heating up to help put that flash back out of my mind. So I'll stick to riding in the good weather and leave the bad weather to the poor soles that have to, or those that get some strange perverse pleasure from it.
Riding in it is just part and parcel of living in this country, it rains a lot so i just deal with it.
The main thing is wearing the right gear to stay warm and dry.
Once you feel ANY water anywhere on your body then that’s when it really becomes a major issue.
I’ll never forget riding back from the coast to London years ago on a job for work, i don’t think i had heated grips then, my jacket was leaking and i could feel water coming through my boots and gloves, then i hit traffic near Heathrow because of an accident and i literally felt like giving up and finding the nearest train station, i was so cold.
Not pleasant at all.
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Riding in it is just part and parcel of living in this country, it rains a lot so i just deal with it.
The main thing is wearing the right gear to stay warm and dry.
Once you feel ANY water anywhere on your body then that’s when it really becomes a major issue.
I’ll never forget riding back from the coast to London years ago on a job for work, i don’t think i had heated grips then, my jacket was leaking and i could feel water coming through my boots and gloves, then i hit traffic near Heathrow because of an accident and i literally felt like giving up and finding the nearest train station, i was so cold.
Not pleasant at all.
Been there done that. When I was a learner I remember coming back from Fishguard in the rain with less than waterproof boots and gloves. When I accelerated the water sloshed to my heels and to my toes when I braked. I was so cold that when I stopped for a drink at a layby I had to warm my hands under the hot tap in the bogs before I could buy a cup of tea.
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I remember back in the ' couldn't give a flying foc' days of my youth, riding back from a rally in Liverpool to Manchester in the pouring rain wearing a leather jacket with denim cut off, leather laced up the side trousers and doc martens.
Soaked to the bone by the time I got home but back in those days for ' one reason or another' it didn't bother me.
It's funny how things change, back in those days I used to drink a lot of bourbon (bottle/week) but would only drink Rebel Yell. I don't drink these days as a rule but swmbo thought it would be nice to get me a bottle for old times sake for Christmas. I opened it on Friday when I got home and the smell nearly knocked me flat. Swmbo ended up drinking it, one capful diluted through the evening in 1.5 litres of coke, and this from someone who drinks Japanese whiskey neat.
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Never bothered me too much riding to to work and back in the rain, but it was only 7 miles each way. I always swore by the (relatively) cheap outdoor waterproof gear to keep me dry, rather than the overpriced designer label top end stuff. I think theres something to be learned from wet riding, forward planning/anticipation/focus wise
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I have ridden to Donnington many times in the rain and back, watching moto gp, 100miles, I didn't mind it,, be careful.. 150 miles to Harrogate a few times, wet is ok , cold is a no no. Now heated grips rule...
On longtrips , I start careful then k relax and can really get a move on as you learn the safe level
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Riding in the rain is a pain in the ar5e but you just put up with it. It's all those little coloured rainbows I worry about and I'm not talking about gay pride flags.
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Rain is not fun, fog at night is bad.....but hailstones!!!
Now we're talking.
That really is a challenge.
What idiot sits down in hailstones? They pummel your legs, rattle your crash helmet and feels like you're on a marble assault course designed to put you down.
Not funny at all.
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It's funny when thinking back to my early days on a bike, passed test in 66. On a 175 BSA Bantam I bought brand new that year £129-19/11d. Bought it on finance, at the time I was an apprentice brickie earning just under 7 quid a week, bike tax and insurance, 2 stroke oil and petrol, bike repayment, and £1-10/- to my mum for keep, It left nothing for waterproofs or a crash helmet so I rode my first few years without either.
Wasn't law then to wear a bucket.
My first bike was in 1964 again a BSA Bantam 175cc a 1959 model
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Riding in the rain is a pain in the ar5e but you just put up with it. It's all those little coloured rainbows I worry about and I'm not talking about gay pride flags.
Damn that picture of fuel all over a wet road make me shiver, I recall coming off a Cotton Conquest back in about 1968 because of a road surface just like that, and thinking about it I can almost smell the diesel on my clothes after being dragged up the road with my leg trapped under the bike. 5 hours in Guildford hospital while they patched up my ankle and cleaned road rash off my hip, knee and elbow. Foc the thought of it the smell of fuel and the stinging is as if it was yesterday. Thankfully I had a space crash helmet by then it was a Bell Helmet, no you dirty minded lot that is something completely different. :eek
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It's funny when thinking back to my early days on a bike, passed test in 66. On a 175 BSA Bantam I bought brand new that year £129-19/11d. Bought it on finance, at the time I was an apprentice brickie earning just under 7 quid a week, bike tax and insurance, 2 stroke oil and petrol, bike repayment, and £1-10/- to my mum for keep, It left nothing for waterproofs or a crash helmet so I rode my first few years without either.
Wasn't law then to wear a bucket.
My first bike was in 1964 again a BSA Bantam 175cc a 1959 model
My brother passed his bike test on his 17th birthday in 1980 and had already bought a Honda CBX1000 which was sitting at home waiting for him, then had a Kawasaki Z1300 when he was 18.
Both beasts of bikes, especially for a kid!
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Happy days :)
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Classic period pic there darrsi.
Was the bike brand new?.
Can't imagine what my mum would have said if I'd turned up with one of them at 17 :eek
Probably thought the RD350 was bad enough :lol
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Gave it a bit of a clean up for you
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Classic period pic there darrsi.
Was the bike brand new?.
Can't imagine what my mum would have said if I'd turned up with one of them at 17 :eek
Probably thought the RD350 was bad enough :lol
Yeah, brand new. He'd already bought the bike on HP before he'd even passed his test, so it literally was already at home. He was a determined lad, who started working when he was 14 or 15 so just saved up for a deposit. All paid for himself.
He used to spend most Saturdays cleaning the engine so it was absolutely spotless.
I must admit even now I like the look of those bikes. He even used to race it at Santa Pod as well over a quarter mile.
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Gave it a bit of a clean up for you
I keep looking for a monster to be lurking in the background after my last photo :lol
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Gave it a bit of a clean up for you
I keep looking for a monster to be lurking in the background after my last photo :lol
:D
Your brother is holding the monster