@@Temetnosce77 Yeah, here in Scotland there can be days of 40mph plus winds, and when riding along with the hedge for cover, then get to the gate for the field i been blown to the center line of the road in past, sometimes onto wrong side of road but been lucky nothing coming towards me. I dont mind riding in the rain but the wind takes the fun out of riding lol
Thank you so much for this video. Taking the 2nd and final day of my MSC in the rain today. Was nervous but I feel a little better after watching this👍🏻
Something else to consider is the oils and dirt on the roads. When it first rains, especially if it hasn't rained in a while, the oil and dirt on the road makes it very slick. It improves as it rains more and washes away the grit and oil.
You hit it on the head. A long time ago I had a Triumph over on Guam. The roads are paved with asphalt mixed with crushed coral rock and although it is always raining, for the first 5 minutes of every rainstorm the roads are as slick as snot and the entrances to gas stations are just like greased glass. I don't ride in the rain here in CA, but I know that most car crashes occur on slick roads just after it starts raining after a long dry spell.
Just had a crash because of that. Someone came in front of me (on high speed track) goin sloow Little did i know road was all oily. Felt like ice zero stopping
Pro tip: if you’re already out riding and it starts to rain, just be a little more cautious for the first 15 minutes or so (as the rainwater mixes with particles on the road surface that can possibly reduce grip, but eventually it gets diluted/washed away). This isn’t always the case, but something to keep in mind. Great vid. Rain can be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be dangerous or scary and you can still have a great ride!
That is a good idea as one runs into the rain and one doesn't know if its been raining for a while and you have just ridden into it. It could have been raining for hours but always assume the worst case scenario and that is its fresh rain and fraught with the possible dangers mentioned that cause a wet road to be slippery. Don't forget that rain is a lubricant and so a wet road and not necessarily just when its raining but at any time wet or damp tarmac/concrete could cause one to lose about 10% of available grip. Heavy rain and/or high speed can cause one to aquaplane when the the contact with the tarmac or concrete is totally lost. With that loss of contact comes a loss of steering and complete loss of control and off one comes or is thrown. Perhaps not recommended to ride and not change the power settings as that can assist in ones control of the machine in wet conditions. As opposed to leaving it in say power mode for faster performance riding where faster and more immediate controls are required. Too fast for wet road use.
One thing you failed to comment on which is really useful is to double your following distance! In the Uk we’re taught 2 seconds gap in the dry and doubled to 4 seconds in the wet. Reason being a car can brake and stop a lot quicker in the wet, so give yourself a good buffer👌👍
I took my basic safety class and it poured down on us. I had rain gear and learned that you ride the same just a little slower and smoother like you said. I was worried because I was a brand new writer, and I thought it would be much more difficult doing the skills in the rain. I think it turned out to be an even better experience than if it had been a dry sunny day. It definitely made me more confident in my abilities on rainy or wet roads.
@MotoJitsu - Here in the U.K. our rider/driver training also highlights the importance of stopping distance; a good rule of thumb is to allow two seconds distance from vehicles in front in the dry, and to double this to four seconds in the wet. Nice video, thanks.
Having a Pinlock visor can help with fogging. You can also get gloves with a visor wiper, mostly for fog or mist because in heavy rain the water just slides off the visor with the wind.
I actually just took my Pinlock out. Perhaps I don't know what I'm doing but it seems like after 6 months the Pinlock material becomes difficult to see though. I tried cleaning gently with mild soap, water, and a very clean microfiber cloth and it still scratches. I'm going to try applying my scuba mask defogger liquid for a few rides to see if that's an alternative.
@@dangitdano I do replace them after a while as they are very hard to clean. I haven't tried any chemical options, but worst case you can also just open you visor to the first detent and that gets rid of fogging right away.
yeah youre definitely supposed to replace the pinlocks like every 6 months. dont get me wrong, i did what you guys did and thats use it until it was too worn out to see through and the seal didnt work anymore, then just go without.. but yeah, theyre meant to be replaced
Main issue that NorCal is having now is a ton of standing water on the roads and hitting those patches of water even in a car is scary enough. On a bike it's even worse.
My recommendation is to ride 5 mph lower than the speed limit when it is raining. You have no business riding faster than the speed limit when conditions are LESS than ideal.
I live in baton rouge and our weather pattern is crazy. I commute every day, at this point rain riding is just therapeutic. People who don't ride always tell me I'm crazy but it's really not a big deal.
the question on the test for where to ride while it is raining got me. in heavy rain i always drive my car slightly right of center to avoid the standing water where the trucks and cars have made groves. the center of a road in general is the highest point and water runs across the right and left lanes. but the area where cars tires are usually at are lower over time do to wear and they collect water. now i get that the center of a lane is where most oil and other fluids will drop from vehicles, and im not saying to do this as this is just me talking out loud here, but the rain washes these chemicals off the road or in most cases to the left and right of the center lane where those cars have worn groves in the asphalt. not every road will have the same conditions of course so if something is obviously not as safe then just dont do it. but that question triggered me a little as you will likely drop your bike from gravel or salt on the road before you spill it driving over the center of the lane, raining or not. imo what all do you think? im curious to hear others theories on this.
Riding in the rain isn’t as bad as people think. You just gotta get a feel for it and be smooth. I actually really enjoy it. And fortunately, here in San Diego it never rains too bad. Also, having bald tires is risky for sure. I have an embarrassing amount of experience with that 😂
When I only rode for appearances (in my custom cruiser days), I avoided the rain at all costs. I only rode to meet up with other riders and show off my bike to people. If there was even a slight chance it was going to rain, the bike stayed in the garage. But over the past decade or so where I live, it's been raining more and more each year, and now it rains a few days every week. I got tired of not being able to ride, so I decided to stop riding show bikes, buy a proper ADV bike and embrace the weather. Learning confidence in the rain has been a game changer. It's always good to reinforce these concepts, I really appreciate your work!
I've commuted for years on winding mountain roads, and so I've been forced to ride in the rain to get home on numerous occasions. I can't say that I enjoy riding in the rain, but once you get some experience and work out what you need to do to mitigate the changed risk factors, it becomes far less daunting.
@@spokebloke1 That's just it, right? Cars, bikes, whatever, there are always risks and not all conditions are equal, so one needs to know how to manage changes.
Took my bike out on San Antonio twisties for the first time after practice, practice, practice. I have never felt more sensible and confident. Even cross winds in down- hill turns felt c omfortible. Thank you, t hank me.
Thanks brother. Good stuff and I agree. I enjoy riding in the rain on days. Not all the time but it's certainly not going to stop me from pulling out the bike. Good gear goes a long way for comfort! One thing I'd add (unless I missed it) is just that some surfaces are much worse when wet. White crossing lines or stripes, manhole covers, etc. Mainly on cornering and I'd avoid them then as well but when wet I just am more cautious with them. As I know you would say, get out there and really "practice". Embrace the rain. Relax. Slow down. Enjoy it. Be safe all.
Cracking your visor open to the first notch and turning your head from side to side to get water droplets off the visor are important things to know to maintain clear vision in the rain. If you wear glasses you have another layer to keep clear as well. One thing that can happen is the rider flips the visor up because it got fogged then gets droplets on his glasses, but putting the visor back down is worse with two wet layers to see thru, so until he stops and dries everything off, he needs to drive with the visor up, wet glasses, and getting the inside of his helmet wet. You can't see well, and are generally a little distracted, not what you want in the rain.
Lots of great pointers but I do disagree with one. Rain mode? Traction control? I say switch it on. If your skill is that good, it will never intervene. If it does intervene, then your ass got saved, and you learned a little more about traction limits without the pain. I guarantee there will be riders who will switch it off now just to prove they don't need it as advocated in this video, but the skilled rider can always take it as a challenge to ride in rain mode and see how little they can set the traction control off. You will have paid quite a bit for the electronic aids, so it doesn't make sense to then not apply them.
Don’t ride on the paint stripes on turns when it’s raining. Or big wide paints at an intersection for crosswalks like the one on the very end of the video.
things i would watch for in the rain: paint markings and tar banding (tarmac joints) are slippy in the wet, try to avoid them. manhole covers, i come accross a few that ar smooth metal due to volume of vehicles going over them, very slippy. my dad was following a police motorcyclist here in Scotland one day as he had just left the police station, he found a manhole cover and back end stepped out as caught sleeping, then for the rest my dad followed them, their advanced driving kicked in and they were ready for the rest of the road ahead. oil rainbows near fuel garages, i was driving a van, waiting a ta roundabout and watched a truck come round, they had just filled up to the brim and not put the filler cap on properly and lots of fuel was over flowing out the tank and onto the road. if its not rained in a while, all the oils rise to surface too when it first rains also. give your self a bigger braking distance to vehicle in front also. use the good old saying: only a fool brakes the 2 second rule. (if you are following a vehicle, pick a marker like a lamp post and as the vehicle in front goes past say in a normal voice 'only a fool brakes the 2 second rule'. if you pass the marker, lamp post in this example, you are too close. in the rain i say it to myself a little slower to give that bit extra room for braking.)
Good tips. Would add to be cautious when driving over street markings, I.e. zebra crossings and lane dividers as you can as they get very slippery. Even worse when you have tram tracks, take them at a good angle.
THIS MAN!!! I'm over hear thinking you will do a riding in the rain video on side roads. But you took it to the highway which is very impressive. Thanks for the tip.
More distance from vehicle in front especially when cruising. Braking takes longer in wet condition, smoother and slower brake application than dry since easier to lock the tire and engage the abs.
Good video!! I'm actually listening to this while riding my motorcycle from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and it's absolutely gorgeous out just after the rains!! Keep PLENTY of distance between cars in front, behind and all around!!! Also pay close attention to the car that is 2 cars up from you for maximum reaction time!
UK rider here, we get plenty of practice riding in the rain as a year-round rider! Slow down, don't take the corners like a tit, give yourself and others plenty of space and time. Still, it's amazing how many people are still up my arse on the road even though the stopping distance is at least double...
Thanks for video. I force myself to ride today in rain. It was not that bad at all. It’s all in the mind. I ride all year around. I stay away from wet roads but I’m changing now and trying to get more experience in rain
Great opportunity to do a wet riding tutorial video. I agree 100% with you with the modified techniques riding in the wet you emphasise. This isn’t a contradiction my friend but I think you could be being a little hard on some senior riders that have covered thousands of wet miles over the decades without coming unstuck when you suggest they aren’t understanding the meaning of riding ‘smooth’ in the wet ,true that many might not though. I think the difference between what you say in your tutorial videos and general advice some riders give to less experienced ones is this: your style of advice comes across as being given from a competent knowledgeable instructor. Whereas a seasoned experienced rider that still fully understands the best safest techniques for riding in the wet are likely less micro detailed as they themselves aren’t speaking as instructors like yourself. If a less experienced rider from our riding club asked me for advice on riding in the wet my go to word would obviously be use you controls smoothly, brakes, throttle, gear changing to avoid rear tire loss of traction, slow down which as you rightly say automatically means reduced lean angle. And just as importantly as you have repeated many times is slow rolling off the brakes and not shutting the gas off instantly. However I’m not an instructor and I don’t put together carefully thought out training videos like you do. But for anyone nervous of riding in the wet that saw my gray hair and beard perhaps thinking I may have some useful advice from decades of riding and still having all my limbs, I’m confident enough to feel able to offer some simple pointers that wouldn’t end up putting them in danger. One of my favourite suggestions to a novice rider is not be intimidated by faster riders or even a car driving up their ass into riding faster and beyond their skill level. Tbh I think we’ve all been there once. I made a comment recently on a channel that I don’t think was received very well. I said that many riders new and seasoned do not understand how incredibly capable stock tires are in the wet and that skilled riders can get some serious lean angles and still retain good grip. I mentioned looking up TT road racing in the Isle of Man pre year 2000 when they still raced in the rain on street legal treaded tires. Not so that these novice riders should think they could be a budding road racer, but more to impart the knowledge of what a road tire with adequate tread depth is capable of in the hope that it may help riders with little wet riding experience understand that there is more grip available than they might have previously thought. It helped me watching the TT first hand in the 1970’s believe in the tires rather than being frightened of them. Back then we would have been riding on cross ply tires not the radials we have today and the rubber technology/compound today is what racers were racing on just a handful of years ago. Todays ti res are more capable than most average riders, the grip is phenomenal under the right conditions. You are in fact a lot younger than me and I’ll likely ridden several thousand more miles than you will have done, but I will tell you this, I have watched many of your videos which has enlightened my approach to my own riding techniques and found several areas where I can significantly improve my riding skill. Riding for many years like I have doesn’t mean you’ve been doing it right would you not agree.
I'm from The Netherlands and I've learned to always ride left from the middle of the lane (you flunk your exam if you don't). The reason: road markings (mainly the arrows). The material used here is a bit slippery when dry and like black ice when wet ... 😰 Riding on the highway is also completely different, because we are obliged to use the right lane. Extra lanes are for overtaking. So we move a lane to the left to overtake and then go back to the right lane. Overtaking on the right carries a huge fine! Almost as high as needlessly riding/driving in the/a left lane. The only time we're allowed to ride/drive faster in the right lane than in the/a left one, is during traffic jams/slow moving traffic. I'm now used to 'translating' some of your tips to Dutch traffic rules 😉 - the others are simply universal. All of them are valuable, so thanks from The Netherlands! 👍👍
Muy buenas recomendaciones. Gracias por compartirlas. En mi caso prefiero evitar el agua todo lo posible, aunque en moto alguna vez el agua te encontrara 😉. Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷
I've gotten caught out in the rain on my CBR 954rr, and this video is exactly right. 400lbs and 160hp with no rider aids, not even ABS, and it does perfectly fine. Every control input has to be deliberate with no sudden changes (not necessarily slow). On a clean road surface, you have a lot more grip than you think. Just be cautious, you never know where a patch of dirt/oil is and that's like ice in the wet.
For decades now I have been using RainX on my vehicles' windshields, but never used it with a helmet (I've always avoided riding in the rain). During this present wet spell here in CA, I want to try it to see if it works as well as it does on glass windshields.
it rains pretty often where I live.. Let me add my 5 cents hehe: 1. Modern tires in good condition have surprising amount of grip in the wet. (Just try full emergency brake in the safe place. Lower traction, of course, but not by much assuming good read condition and no debris.) 2. What helps a lot is pretending you drive 1.2-1.5 times faster then you actually do. Automatically will go smoother on the inputs. (and ~2x faster in the sleet) 3. Where I live, it is safer on the highway during the rain compared to smaller streets imo. (Better visibility and generally good water-management on the highway which is not always the case on country streets)
I really enjoy your advice. I love the executive summary at the end so as to recapitulate the lesson. Methodic, that is what all motorcyclist should do, be methodic.
Once I rode 600 miles in heavy rain. I was crossing Europe to get home in Holland. I got the cheapest waterproof overall, no problem. Leather boots with waterproof overboots. Same for gloves. No fancy and expensive goretex stuff. I remained perfectly dry. I rode "normally" - for me. Which means naturally smooth. On highway I was 70 mph. No problem. No leaks in my AGV helmet. Just a bit boring but I had been two weeks in the Southern sun. Around Bruxelles rain stopped, I got dry by the time I got to Antwerpen. The last 100 miles I could enjoy the sunset. I got home, the bike was not even dirty and I was dry. So what's the problem with riding in the rain? For the records, the bike had no ABS, no traction control, nothing.
Thanks for expanation/definition of "smooth". I too couldnt understand what it meant to be smooth with cornering and the controls when described by MSF and ChampU.
Excellent advice, thanks - particularly keeping a good safe distance of about four seconds from any vehicles in front. (Bit surprised you wave your hands around so much though - not sure that helps safety?)
I think of standing water, too. Especially if it’s raining heavily, clogged drains create deep puddles that can cause problems even with cars having good tread. They can be super treacherous on a motorcycle. But, that falls mostly under the thought of reducing speed and being a bit more cautious. At slower speeds you’ll notice those deep puddles soon enough to reduce speed dramatically and stay upright.
not ridden in the wet in the U.S, but I imagine at least some is similar to UK and Euroland, braking distances is one of the biggest to consider, any inconsistencies on the road surface, white lines, steel covers etc, standing water in dips, more breaks on a longer journey as it takes a lot more concentration, worn surface on old little used roads in the car tracks may be worse, Ireland is great for this one. As you said Slower, Smoother, most of all give yourself more TIME and options where possible. thanks.
3:55 ride in the tracks of the vehicle in front; Good to do at stoplights, stop signs, and yield points where old/abused cars/trucks drip a little oil.
Two years riding experience, I try avoid rain riding on roads. A DR650 with knobblies is a squirmfest without rain on a highway. But I like the video very much. When you’re not an asshole. Your videos are very good.
I would say being smooth with inputs is something to aim for generally, it then is natural in bad weather. Feeling what the tyres are doing is also useful.
Big question. Do you follow the air pressure markings on your wheel or the owners manual? Because I feel each tyre brand may differ. Newbie rider here. 😌
Usually the owners manual. You might adjust those levels a bit, depending on the weight on the bike etc. I run mine a bit less than my manual and I'm comfortable with that.
1. Make sure you are more visible to other road users. 2. Have a visor cleaner on your gloves. 3. If you are wearing glasses, make sure to close your visor as soon as you experience a drop. Once your glasses get wet, cleaning them will be a pain - if at all possible within reasonable term. 4. Have a well ventilated helmet en pin lock.
Very good videos... clear language, relevant information, still right on the point and not too much irrelevant talking around or extensivly introduction... very nice. Good video. Subscribed.
I am a year round rider and in the last year, my first on a bike with modes, I never took it back to rain mode. In truth, a bike with modes tends to have nanny mods like traction control. Everything said there was pretty much on point but I would add that you should increase your following distance from two seconds to 3 seconds to allow more reaction time and avoid sharp control inputs. I call it a rule of thirds. Begin braking 1/3 of the distance earlier follow 1/3 further back, corner 1/3 slower. Lastly, never ride during the first rain after a dry spell if you have options. The oils lift off the road and there is no safe traction option with lane position until it washes away.
@@petermacgregor9805 Because the modes came with the bike. I took it out of sport mode on day one after realising I needed to learn throttle control on that bike. This last year though, it stays in sport mode. Modes just alter the response to rider input. If the rider is comfortable with the bike then the rider adjusts control input for weather conditions. They should definitely be used when getting to know the bike, but you still need to learn to control your bike.
Answering the title before I even watch ... 'How to ride in rain" Be fraking SMOOTH...abrupt movement is not advised... Ok onto watchin another great edutainment video, as always!
Hello. I'm from the Philippines. Thank you for this video. This will help alot! Btw, someone here suggested to deflate your tires a little so it may have more contact on the pavement. Logically i guess it makes sense but what do u think? Im just using a Yamaha Nmax 155 btw. Thanks again! Ride safe and more power!
thats key brother. ..being slower on controls & slower speeds. it really is easier to hydroplane on a motorcycle in the 🌧 p.s. what happened to the bmws1000xr triple black bike you said you would like to buy...?.... I purchased that bike...same colour with the low suspension & low seat.... its a dream to ride this beautifully designed 🏍
It doesn't bother me to ride in the slower lanes on a highway, i'm never in a hurry and enjoy every minute on the road, it must be an age thing, time to smell the roses.
I had a guy comment to me the other day that I was taking corners too slowly in the rain, he was behind me initially and overtook me on a bend and said this at a traffic light, couple of miles down the road he washed out on a roundabout, his bike smashed into a lamppost unfortunately and basically disintegrated. Felt bad for him but not really at the same time as he was trying to talk down to me because I was on a lower cc bike, no doubt he blamed "oil or fuel" on the road to his mates, just because you slid out on those things, it's still your fault, I made it around just fine lol.
As a boy I rode my mini bike 8 hrs a day, As a teen it was my YZ-80, and I never quit mountain biking, 2 wheels is still in my blood, at 58 I'm buying my first 1800 Goldwing, but still a little nervous about the rain. I've never had the money to buy a bike till now, my non motorcycle friends say I will die, I responded I'd rather die on a goldwing then never have a bike my entire adult life!
Ahhhh, I remember the first time I road in the rain, 😬😂 it was nerve wracking .... but I made it home and felt like a champ😃 .... if the temperature is hot, it feels awesome diving in the rain!!
Does the road get noticeably slippier if it hasn’t rained for over a week in the summer heat, the oil from the pavement surfaces and then it rains? Looks like it would be dangerously slippier for motorcycle operators. Might be an illusion, though.
80 mph is also the unspoken speed limit here in columbus ohio as well, even in school zones when the lights are on. If you can't do 80mph here in columbus, you're going to get ran off the road literally.
Hi fast Eddie great vid on riding in rain!! Can you still trail brake using front brake in the rain?? Also should you use rear or front brakes more?? Thx much!!
We have had 4 weeks of rain here in the netherlands. I had 5 lessons in the rain and my exam was also in the rain. ngl i was scared at first but now i see it as extra experience.
Dont ride in the passing "fast" lane. That's a terrible idea. Passing lane is for passing only. There's always someone going faster than you. If you aren't passing don't be in that lane. Car, motorcycle, rain, shine, doesn't matter
You mention tire PSI...but what tire? TKC 70's...have silca... best rain tire out there..also a beak on your helmet like XD4 Araia will give you a better vis. You don't mention loading up on foot pegs on your high side...an experienced racer/rider is always working the pegs.Shit can the stock brake pads be with a more sintered compound...harder on rotors but a better feel.From a GSA rider since 2010 and has heaps of offroad courses under his belt.
Here we notice that riding in the Rain on our painted lines is like riding on ice. I have a maintenance coming up where I am changing out the tires as well, it might rain that day. What would you suggest with my ride back after service?
Ha ha 🤣🤣🤣 but👌👌👌 excellent, you are like a miracle! You have just broken all 'my' rules for wet weather riding that is ( for me ) in the wet I am that 10Mph person also no highways for me in the wet. Then I consciously try to eliminate all lean so yeah you do have skill and a lot at that 👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks for the tips, but how do I actually SEE in the rain? When my visor is up, my glasses get wet, but with my visor down everything fogs up even with anti-fog spray (which wears off in a day or two), and the visor still gets water collecting on the outside.
Traction drops? Slow your hands down on the controls ;) MotoJitsu.com
Moto thanks for all you do for the biker community please keep it up you have truly shown me a lot
Now need another one for the wind.
@@Temetnosce77
Yeah, here in Scotland there can be days of 40mph plus winds, and when riding along with the hedge for cover, then get to the gate for the field i been blown to the center line of the road in past, sometimes onto wrong side of road but been lucky nothing coming towards me. I dont mind riding in the rain but the wind takes the fun out of riding lol
Thank you so much for this video. Taking the 2nd and final day of my MSC in the rain today. Was nervous but I feel a little better after watching this👍🏻
Thank you sir. Picking up my
First bike today on a wet day...appreciate the video. Immediate sub ✅.
Something else to consider is the oils and dirt on the roads. When it first rains, especially if it hasn't rained in a while, the oil and dirt on the road makes it very slick. It improves as it rains more and washes away the grit and oil.
You hit it on the head. A long time ago I had a Triumph over on Guam. The roads are paved with asphalt mixed with crushed coral rock and although it is always raining, for the first 5 minutes of every rainstorm the roads are as slick as snot and the entrances to gas stations are just like greased glass. I don't ride in the rain here in CA, but I know that most car crashes occur on slick roads just after it starts raining after a long dry spell.
Everyone knows if they read the motorcycle operators manual 🫡
That's totally true!
Just had a crash because of that.
Someone came in front of me (on high speed track) goin sloow
Little did i know road was all oily. Felt like ice zero stopping
Pro tip: if you’re already out riding and it starts to rain, just be a little more cautious for the first 15 minutes or so (as the rainwater mixes with particles on the road surface that can possibly reduce grip, but eventually it gets diluted/washed away). This isn’t always the case, but something to keep in mind.
Great vid. Rain can be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be dangerous or scary and you can still have a great ride!
That is a good idea as one runs into the rain and one doesn't know if its been raining for a while and you have just ridden into it. It could have been raining for hours but always assume the worst case scenario and that is its fresh rain and fraught with the possible dangers mentioned that cause a wet road to be slippery.
Don't forget that rain is a lubricant and so a wet road and not necessarily just when its raining but at any time wet or damp tarmac/concrete could cause one to lose about 10% of available grip. Heavy rain and/or high speed can cause one to aquaplane when the the contact with the tarmac or concrete is totally lost. With that loss of contact comes a loss of steering and complete loss of control and off one comes or is thrown.
Perhaps not recommended to ride and not change the power settings as that can assist in ones control of the machine in wet conditions. As opposed to leaving it in say power mode for faster performance riding where faster and more immediate controls are required. Too fast for wet road use.
One thing you failed to comment on which is really useful is to double your following distance! In the Uk we’re taught 2 seconds gap in the dry and doubled to 4 seconds in the wet. Reason being a car can brake and stop a lot quicker in the wet, so give yourself a good buffer👌👍
I took my basic safety class and it poured down on us. I had rain gear and learned that you ride the same just a little slower and smoother like you said. I was worried because I was a brand new writer, and I thought it would be much more difficult doing the skills in the rain. I think it turned out to be an even better experience than if it had been a dry sunny day. It definitely made me more confident in my abilities on rainy or wet roads.
I don't stress too much. Watch for paint lines, they are slippery, pot holes and I'm extra careful at or near intersections.
@MotoJitsu - Here in the U.K. our rider/driver training also highlights the importance of stopping distance; a good rule of thumb is to allow two seconds distance from vehicles in front in the dry, and to double this to four seconds in the wet. Nice video, thanks.
so, I guess it's pretty much 4 seconds most of the time...🙂
@@viktorkatona7521 yup!
Someday I hope to ride a motorcycle in the UK. Rain happens over there so I have been told.
Having a Pinlock visor can help with fogging. You can also get gloves with a visor wiper, mostly for fog or mist because in heavy rain the water just slides off the visor with the wind.
I got a pinlock and it still sucks, (its my glasses I think) going with rainx helps on the outside. That reminds me, time to reapply.
I actually just took my Pinlock out. Perhaps I don't know what I'm doing but it seems like after 6 months the Pinlock material becomes difficult to see though. I tried cleaning gently with mild soap, water, and a very clean microfiber cloth and it still scratches. I'm going to try applying my scuba mask defogger liquid for a few rides to see if that's an alternative.
@@dangitdano, take the pin lock out, but leave it to dry out. It’s designed to take moisture in, it’ll be like new in an hours time.
@@dangitdano I do replace them after a while as they are very hard to clean. I haven't tried any chemical options, but worst case you can also just open you visor to the first detent and that gets rid of fogging right away.
yeah youre definitely supposed to replace the pinlocks like every 6 months. dont get me wrong, i did what you guys did and thats use it until it was too worn out to see through and the seal didnt work anymore, then just go without.. but yeah, theyre meant to be replaced
Main issue that NorCal is having now is a ton of standing water on the roads and hitting those patches of water even in a car is scary enough. On a bike it's even worse.
My recommendation is to ride 5 mph lower than the speed limit when it is raining. You have no business riding faster than the speed limit when conditions are LESS than ideal.
I live in baton rouge and our weather pattern is crazy. I commute every day, at this point rain riding is just therapeutic. People who don't ride always tell me I'm crazy but it's really not a big deal.
the question on the test for where to ride while it is raining got me. in heavy rain i always drive my car slightly right of center to avoid the standing water where the trucks and cars have made groves. the center of a road in general is the highest point and water runs across the right and left lanes. but the area where cars tires are usually at are lower over time do to wear and they collect water. now i get that the center of a lane is where most oil and other fluids will drop from vehicles, and im not saying to do this as this is just me talking out loud here, but the rain washes these chemicals off the road or in most cases to the left and right of the center lane where those cars have worn groves in the asphalt. not every road will have the same conditions of course so if something is obviously not as safe then just dont do it. but that question triggered me a little as you will likely drop your bike from gravel or salt on the road before you spill it driving over the center of the lane, raining or not. imo what all do you think? im curious to hear others theories on this.
Riding in the rain isn’t as bad as people think. You just gotta get a feel for it and be smooth. I actually really enjoy it. And fortunately, here in San Diego it never rains too bad. Also, having bald tires is risky for sure. I have an embarrassing amount of experience with that 😂
When I only rode for appearances (in my custom cruiser days), I avoided the rain at all costs. I only rode to meet up with other riders and show off my bike to people. If there was even a slight chance it was going to rain, the bike stayed in the garage. But over the past decade or so where I live, it's been raining more and more each year, and now it rains a few days every week. I got tired of not being able to ride, so I decided to stop riding show bikes, buy a proper ADV bike and embrace the weather. Learning confidence in the rain has been a game changer. It's always good to reinforce these concepts, I really appreciate your work!
I've commuted for years on winding mountain roads, and so I've been forced to ride in the rain to get home on numerous occasions. I can't say that I enjoy riding in the rain, but once you get some experience and work out what you need to do to mitigate the changed risk factors, it becomes far less daunting.
@@spokebloke1 That's just it, right? Cars, bikes, whatever, there are always risks and not all conditions are equal, so one needs to know how to manage changes.
I also increase my following distance a bit.
Thanks much for this excellent vid! It gave me confidence to not avoid riding in the rain.
Took my bike out on San Antonio twisties for the first time after practice, practice, practice. I have never felt more sensible and confident. Even cross winds in down- hill turns felt c omfortible. Thank you, t hank me.
Thanks brother. Good stuff and I agree. I enjoy riding in the rain on days. Not all the time but it's certainly not going to stop me from pulling out the bike. Good gear goes a long way for comfort!
One thing I'd add (unless I missed it) is just that some surfaces are much worse when wet. White crossing lines or stripes, manhole covers, etc. Mainly on cornering and I'd avoid them then as well but when wet I just am more cautious with them. As I know you would say, get out there and really "practice". Embrace the rain. Relax. Slow down. Enjoy it.
Be safe all.
Cracking your visor open to the first notch and turning your head from side to side to get water droplets off the visor are important things to know to maintain clear vision in the rain. If you wear glasses you have another layer to keep clear as well. One thing that can happen is the rider flips the visor up because it got fogged then gets droplets on his glasses, but putting the visor back down is worse with two wet layers to see thru, so until he stops and dries everything off, he needs to drive with the visor up, wet glasses, and getting the inside of his helmet wet. You can't see well, and are generally a little distracted, not what you want in the rain.
This is the real struggle!
Lots of great pointers but I do disagree with one.
Rain mode? Traction control? I say switch it on. If your skill is that good, it will never intervene. If it does intervene, then your ass got saved, and you learned a little more about traction limits without the pain.
I guarantee there will be riders who will switch it off now just to prove they don't need it as advocated in this video, but the skilled rider can always take it as a challenge to ride in rain mode and see how little they can set the traction control off.
You will have paid quite a bit for the electronic aids, so it doesn't make sense to then not apply them.
Don’t ride on the paint stripes on turns when it’s raining. Or big wide paints at an intersection for crosswalks like the one on the very end of the video.
things i would watch for in the rain:
paint markings and tar banding (tarmac joints) are slippy in the wet, try to avoid them.
manhole covers, i come accross a few that ar smooth metal due to volume of vehicles going over them, very slippy. my dad was following a police motorcyclist here in Scotland one day as he had just left the police station, he found a manhole cover and back end stepped out as caught sleeping, then for the rest my dad followed them, their advanced driving kicked in and they were ready for the rest of the road ahead.
oil rainbows near fuel garages, i was driving a van, waiting a ta roundabout and watched a truck come round, they had just filled up to the brim and not put the filler cap on properly and lots of fuel was over flowing out the tank and onto the road. if its not rained in a while, all the oils rise to surface too when it first rains also.
give your self a bigger braking distance to vehicle in front also. use the good old saying: only a fool brakes the 2 second rule. (if you are following a vehicle, pick a marker like a lamp post and as the vehicle in front goes past say in a normal voice 'only a fool brakes the 2 second rule'. if you pass the marker, lamp post in this example, you are too close. in the rain i say it to myself a little slower to give that bit extra room for braking.)
Good tips. Would add to be cautious when driving over street markings, I.e. zebra crossings and lane dividers as you can as they get very slippery. Even worse when you have tram tracks, take them at a good angle.
THIS MAN!!! I'm over hear thinking you will do a riding in the rain video on side roads. But you took it to the highway which is very impressive. Thanks for the tip.
More distance from vehicle in front especially when cruising. Braking takes longer in wet condition, smoother and slower brake application than dry since easier to lock the tire and engage the abs.
Good video!! I'm actually listening to this while riding my motorcycle from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and it's absolutely gorgeous out just after the rains!! Keep PLENTY of distance between cars in front, behind and all around!!! Also pay close attention to the car that is 2 cars up from you for maximum reaction time!
One thing I always like to do riding in the rain is prime the brakes coming into a corner or up to a stop
The very best motorcycle raining video available on the internet.
thanks, share it!
UK rider here, we get plenty of practice riding in the rain as a year-round rider! Slow down, don't take the corners like a tit, give yourself and others plenty of space and time. Still, it's amazing how many people are still up my arse on the road even though the stopping distance is at least double...
Thanks for video. I force myself to ride today in rain. It was not that bad at all. It’s all in the mind. I ride all year around. I stay away from wet roads but I’m changing now and trying to get more experience in rain
I also like to ride in the tracks of the cars, because here in Mexico is very common to have dripped Diesel or Oil in the middle of the lane
Great opportunity to do a wet riding tutorial video. I agree 100% with you with the modified techniques riding in the wet you emphasise. This isn’t a contradiction my friend but I think you could be being a little hard on some senior riders that have covered thousands of wet miles over the decades without coming unstuck when you suggest they aren’t understanding the meaning of riding ‘smooth’ in the wet ,true that many might not though. I think the difference between what you say in your tutorial videos and general advice some riders give to less experienced ones is this: your style of advice comes across as being given from a competent knowledgeable instructor. Whereas a seasoned experienced rider that still fully understands the best safest techniques for riding in the wet are likely less micro detailed as they themselves aren’t speaking as instructors like yourself. If a less experienced rider from our riding club asked me for advice on riding in the wet my go to word would obviously be use you controls smoothly, brakes, throttle, gear changing to avoid rear tire loss of traction, slow down which as you rightly say automatically means reduced lean angle. And just as importantly as you have repeated many times is slow rolling off the brakes and not shutting the gas off instantly. However I’m not an instructor and I don’t put together carefully thought out training videos like you do. But for anyone nervous of riding in the wet that saw my gray hair and beard perhaps thinking I may have some useful advice from decades of riding and still having all my limbs, I’m confident enough to feel able to offer some simple pointers that wouldn’t end up putting them in danger. One of my favourite suggestions to a novice rider is not be intimidated by faster riders or even a car driving up their ass into riding faster and beyond their skill level. Tbh I think we’ve all been there once. I made a comment recently on a channel that I don’t think was received very well. I said that many riders new and seasoned do not understand how incredibly capable stock tires are in the wet and that skilled riders can get some serious lean angles and still retain good grip. I mentioned looking up TT road racing in the Isle of Man pre year 2000 when they still raced in the rain on street legal treaded tires. Not so that these novice riders should think they could be a budding road racer, but more to impart the knowledge of what a road tire with adequate tread depth is capable of in the hope that it may help riders with little wet riding experience understand that there is more grip available than they might have previously thought. It helped me watching the TT first hand in the 1970’s believe in the tires rather than being frightened of them. Back then we would have been riding on cross ply tires not the radials we have today and the rubber technology/compound today is what racers were racing on just a handful of years ago. Todays ti res are more capable than most average riders, the grip is phenomenal under the right conditions. You are in fact a lot younger than me and I’ll likely ridden several thousand more miles than you will have done, but I will tell you this, I have watched many of your videos which has enlightened my approach to my own riding techniques and found several areas where I can significantly improve my riding skill. Riding for many years like I have doesn’t mean you’ve been doing it right would you not agree.
I'm from The Netherlands and I've learned to always ride left from the middle of the lane (you flunk your exam if you don't).
The reason: road markings (mainly the arrows). The material used here is a bit slippery when dry and like black ice when wet ... 😰
Riding on the highway is also completely different, because we are obliged to use the right lane. Extra lanes are for overtaking. So we move a lane to the left to overtake and then go back to the right lane. Overtaking on the right carries a huge fine! Almost as high as needlessly riding/driving in the/a left lane.
The only time we're allowed to ride/drive faster in the right lane than in the/a left one, is during traffic jams/slow moving traffic.
I'm now used to 'translating' some of your tips to Dutch traffic rules 😉 - the others are simply universal. All of them are valuable, so thanks from The Netherlands! 👍👍
I'm from the UK but will be riding in the NL this summer - thanks for the tips!
I intentionally rode in the rain on the highway with my first bike. Practice practice practice. Thanks MJ!
Muy buenas recomendaciones.
Gracias por compartirlas.
En mi caso prefiero evitar el agua todo lo posible, aunque en moto alguna vez el agua te encontrara 😉.
Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷
I've gotten caught out in the rain on my CBR 954rr, and this video is exactly right. 400lbs and 160hp with no rider aids, not even ABS, and it does perfectly fine. Every control input has to be deliberate with no sudden changes (not necessarily slow). On a clean road surface, you have a lot more grip than you think. Just be cautious, you never know where a patch of dirt/oil is and that's like ice in the wet.
For decades now I have been using RainX on my vehicles' windshields, but never used it with a helmet (I've always avoided riding in the rain). During this present wet spell here in CA, I want to try it to see if it works as well as it does on glass windshields.
Are different RainX (or other brand) for glass (e.g. windscreens) or plastic (visors or eyeglasses)?
Make sure you use Rainx plastic. Glass type won’t work.
@@mickryan4921 Thanks for the tip.
Plexus is really good for helmet visors.
I would add to try to avoid painted road markings as they can be seriously slick when wet.
I was super impressed with riding skills,but the filming and sounding skills were incredible for the conditions. Wow
it rains pretty often where I live.. Let me add my 5 cents hehe:
1. Modern tires in good condition have surprising amount of grip in the wet. (Just try full emergency brake in the safe place. Lower traction, of course, but not by much assuming good read condition and no debris.)
2. What helps a lot is pretending you drive 1.2-1.5 times faster then you actually do. Automatically will go smoother on the inputs. (and ~2x faster in the sleet)
3. Where I live, it is safer on the highway during the rain compared to smaller streets imo. (Better visibility and generally good water-management on the highway which is not always the case on country streets)
I really enjoy your advice. I love the executive summary at the end so as to recapitulate the lesson. Methodic, that is what all motorcyclist should do, be methodic.
Thanks again for great logical advice and guidance. Ive done such little riding in the wet I’m still getting a feel for it. Cheers from Downunder. 🇦🇺
You rock, man! And you're here in San Diego. Thanks for being you! I'm about to hop on my bike (2022 Yamaha XSR700) after work and its rainy!
Once I rode 600 miles in heavy rain. I was crossing Europe to get home in Holland. I got the cheapest waterproof overall, no problem. Leather boots with waterproof overboots. Same for gloves. No fancy and expensive goretex stuff. I remained perfectly dry. I rode "normally" - for me. Which means naturally smooth. On highway I was 70 mph. No problem. No leaks in my AGV helmet. Just a bit boring but I had been two weeks in the Southern sun. Around Bruxelles rain stopped, I got dry by the time I got to Antwerpen. The last 100 miles I could enjoy the sunset. I got home, the bike was not even dirty and I was dry. So what's the problem with riding in the rain?
For the records, the bike had no ABS, no traction control, nothing.
You're the first I can say I really learn from and I appreciate you and your expertise 💯
Thanks for expanation/definition of "smooth". I too couldnt understand what it meant to be smooth with cornering and the controls when described by MSF and ChampU.
Excellent advice, thanks - particularly keeping a good safe distance of about four seconds from any vehicles in front. (Bit surprised you wave your hands around so much though - not sure that helps safety?)
I think of standing water, too. Especially if it’s raining heavily, clogged drains create deep puddles that can cause problems even with cars having good tread. They can be super treacherous on a motorcycle. But, that falls mostly under the thought of reducing speed and being a bit more cautious. At slower speeds you’ll notice those deep puddles soon enough to reduce speed dramatically and stay upright.
not ridden in the wet in the U.S, but I imagine at least some is similar to UK and Euroland, braking distances is one of the biggest to consider, any inconsistencies on the road surface, white lines, steel covers etc, standing water in dips, more breaks on a longer journey as it takes a lot more concentration, worn surface on old little used roads in the car tracks may be worse, Ireland is great for this one. As you said Slower, Smoother, most of all give yourself more TIME and options where possible. thanks.
3:55 ride in the tracks of the vehicle in front; Good to do at stoplights, stop signs, and yield points where old/abused cars/trucks drip a little oil.
Two years riding experience, I try avoid rain riding on roads. A DR650 with knobblies is a squirmfest without rain on a highway. But I like the video very much. When you’re not an asshole. Your videos are very good.
When Fast Eddie says "so to summarize" I know I am about halfway through 😉
Good content, keep it up, thanks
I would say being smooth with inputs is something to aim for generally, it then is natural in bad weather. Feeling what the tyres are doing is also useful.
To me, most of the advice here is common sense but it's a very good reminder of what to do in the rain.
👍👍👍 Your content , dialogue and video presentation are all top notch !
Thank you for ALL your exceptional riding videos !
Boise, Idaho, USA, Earth 🌎
Big question. Do you follow the air pressure markings on your wheel or the owners manual? Because I feel each tyre brand may differ. Newbie rider here. 😌
Usually the owners manual. You might adjust those levels a bit, depending on the weight on the bike etc. I run mine a bit less than my manual and I'm comfortable with that.
I have adjusted the OM values slightly, maybe up to 3-5 psi up
What gloves are you using for rain?
I needed exactly this. Thank you.
Excellent video, I had to ride under rain today and was wondering if I was doing everything correctly because I had a bad front tire which is awful.
Your videos are a tremendous help thanks for posting such great instruction!
1. Make sure you are more visible to other road users.
2. Have a visor cleaner on your gloves.
3. If you are wearing glasses, make sure to close your visor as soon as you experience a drop. Once your glasses get wet, cleaning them will be a pain - if at all possible within reasonable term.
4. Have a well ventilated helmet en pin lock.
1. how? 2. I don't 3. obviously 4. what makes a helmet well ventilated or not?
none of that is helpful to anyone
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
Very good videos... clear language, relevant information, still right on the point and not too much irrelevant talking around or extensivly introduction... very nice. Good video. Subscribed.
I am a year round rider and in the last year, my first on a bike with modes, I never took it back to rain mode. In truth, a bike with modes tends to have nanny mods like traction control. Everything said there was pretty much on point but I would add that you should increase your following distance from two seconds to 3 seconds to allow more reaction time and avoid sharp control inputs. I call it a rule of thirds. Begin braking 1/3 of the distance earlier follow 1/3 further back, corner 1/3 slower. Lastly, never ride during the first rain after a dry spell if you have options. The oils lift off the road and there is no safe traction option with lane position until it washes away.
Then why did you buy a bike with rain mode? Technique and tech are important.
@@petermacgregor9805 Because the modes came with the bike. I took it out of sport mode on day one after realising I needed to learn throttle control on that bike. This last year though, it stays in sport mode. Modes just alter the response to rider input. If the rider is comfortable with the bike then the rider adjusts control input for weather conditions. They should definitely be used when getting to know the bike, but you still need to learn to control your bike.
Answering the title before I even watch ... 'How to ride in rain"
Be fraking SMOOTH...abrupt movement is not advised...
Ok onto watchin another great edutainment video, as always!
Hmm probably the best motorcycle channel in the whole internet
The bike won't stress out you will and transfers to the bike back to you
Relax tires on dry 97.8 grip on wet 97.1
Thank you for tip how to deal with raindrops on a shield. Take care, Tom
Hello. I'm from the Philippines. Thank you for this video. This will help alot! Btw, someone here suggested to deflate your tires a little so it may have more contact on the pavement. Logically i guess it makes sense but what do u think? Im just using a Yamaha Nmax 155 btw. Thanks again! Ride safe and more power!
thats key brother. ..being slower on controls & slower speeds. it really is easier to hydroplane on a motorcycle in the 🌧 p.s. what happened to the bmws1000xr triple black bike you said you would like to buy...?.... I purchased that bike...same colour with the low suspension & low seat.... its a dream to ride this beautifully designed 🏍
I also find spraying Rain-X for plastic on my visor helps visibility in rain
It doesn't bother me to ride in the slower lanes on a highway, i'm never in a hurry and enjoy every minute on the road, it must be an age thing, time to smell the roses.
Great advice and synopsis. Thank you for posting.
Glad it was helpful!
I had a guy comment to me the other day that I was taking corners too slowly in the rain, he was behind me initially and overtook me on a bend and said this at a traffic light, couple of miles down the road he washed out on a roundabout, his bike smashed into a lamppost unfortunately and basically disintegrated.
Felt bad for him but not really at the same time as he was trying to talk down to me because I was on a lower cc bike, no doubt he blamed "oil or fuel" on the road to his mates, just because you slid out on those things, it's still your fault, I made it around just fine lol.
I ride year round (unless it’s icy or snow) in the PNW. You only lose about 1% of traction when it’s wet out ! I never use rain mode 😮
I used to live there, on Chalcedony. Great memories.
I can listen to you all day long, cause your knowledge can save mine & manies life
thanks
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
Ya I just try to avoid rain riding. The roads around here seem to hold water in the car tracks bc they sag a bit. So I just avoid it most of the time.
As a boy I rode my mini bike 8 hrs a day, As a teen it was my YZ-80, and I never quit mountain biking, 2 wheels is still in my blood, at 58 I'm buying my first 1800 Goldwing, but still a little nervous about the rain. I've never had the money to buy a bike till now, my non motorcycle friends say I will die, I responded I'd rather die on a goldwing then never have a bike my entire adult life!
ok
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
"Comforbility"! Love it.
Hey! Great video and thank you for it!
What do you wear between your jacket and your helmet in order not to let the water go on your neck?
Great tips man, be riding in rain pretty soon so thanks!
Ahhhh, I remember the first time I road in the rain, 😬😂 it was nerve wracking
.... but I made it home and felt like a champ😃
.... if the temperature is hot, it feels awesome diving in the rain!!
Does the road get noticeably slippier if it hasn’t rained for over a week in the summer heat, the oil from the pavement surfaces and then it rains? Looks like it would be dangerously slippier for motorcycle operators. Might be an illusion, though.
80 mph is also the unspoken speed limit here in columbus ohio as well, even in school zones when the lights are on. If you can't do 80mph here in columbus, you're going to get ran off the road literally.
Hi fast Eddie great vid on riding in rain!! Can you still trail brake using front brake in the rain?? Also should you use rear or front brakes more?? Thx much!!
Excellent as usual! Thank you!
We have had 4 weeks of rain here in the netherlands. I had 5 lessons in the rain and my exam was also in the rain. ngl i was scared at first but now i see it as extra experience.
It’s seems much easier with an automatic shift vs manually shift?
Excellent guidance and sincere thanks 🎉
Dont ride in the passing "fast" lane. That's a terrible idea. Passing lane is for passing only. There's always someone going faster than you. If you aren't passing don't be in that lane. Car, motorcycle, rain, shine, doesn't matter
👍👍👍 man all those pretty bikes, hey apart from the GS 310 is there any other BMW that doesn't have technology?
You mention tire PSI...but what tire? TKC 70's...have silca... best rain tire out there..also a beak on your helmet like XD4 Araia will give you a better vis.
You don't mention loading up on foot pegs on your high side...an experienced racer/rider is always working the pegs.Shit can the stock brake pads be with a more sintered compound...harder on rotors but a better feel.From a GSA rider since 2010 and has heaps of offroad courses under his belt.
So why spend so much with BMW for that robotic tech? Love you and your bikes!
Love the bit they wheel out your bike... "this bit is our liability, from here it's yours"
I avoid riding in the rain. It requires a higher level of attentiveness and road awareness where I can’t just fully enjoy the riding.
What kind of camera and mic set-up do you have? Your voice is always clear, whereas mine is super muffled or all i hear is my exhaust.
Watched this video and then immediately had to grab my gear and go practice. I got about 5 minutes of rain on the freeway then it stopped.
Here in Ireland we ride in the rain 200 days per year 😀
Here we notice that riding in the Rain on our painted lines is like riding on ice. I have a maintenance coming up where I am changing out the tires as well, it might rain that day. What would you suggest with my ride back after service?
Ha ha 🤣🤣🤣 but👌👌👌 excellent, you are like a miracle! You have just broken all 'my' rules for wet weather riding that is ( for me ) in the wet I am that 10Mph person also no highways for me in the wet. Then I consciously try to eliminate all lean so yeah you do have skill and a lot at that 👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks for the tips, but how do I actually SEE in the rain? When my visor is up, my glasses get wet, but with my visor down everything fogs up even with anti-fog spray (which wears off in a day or two), and the visor still gets water collecting on the outside.