The first speed

Most new riders consider riding in the rain something to avoid. That is exactly, why most fail to ask the question, How Do I Learn to Ride a Motorcycle in The Rain? If the primary ride area is within a couple of miles, 15 minutes, or so from home base finding how to handle a motorcycle in the rain has little value.

A day will come when the forecast that gave little chance of rain fails. In those occasions, there are a couple of choices. Find a place to park under a shelter until the rain quits. You can also suck it up and ride home getting wet as you go. Either way you will have to deal with wet streets.

There is an old saying “if you never ride your motorcycle in the rain you will never ride your motorcycle.” A lot of truth exists in those words. No one looks for the opportunity to ride in a storm. Riding in a thunderstorm with lightning landing around you, hair on your arm, neck standing from static charges will not create a desire to do that again.

What are the problems? There are two primary concerns facing a rider in the rain. The first one deals with the road surface, how long it has been since the last rain, and how much surface oil is floating on the road. The second is the loss of traction on a wet surface compared to a dry surface. Traction on a wet road surface is the same for a car or motorcycle excluding surface loss due to the size of the tires.

The difference is the car has four tires, the motorcycle 2 tires. It is easy to see which has the best chance of control in emergency braking. So to answer the question of, “What do I do if caught in rain?” The best answer is to think, as you are underwater, actually if not done properly, you might be. Do everything slowly, very slowly. Take every action at ½ speeds to avoid traction loss of the tires. This includes braking, opening the throttle, running a curve. If you do not slow your actions, the results will be unpleasant.

To provide a guideline ride like the road surface is black ice you cannot see until you slide out of control. If that does not work for you think of a bridge grate, the kind you can see water 50 feet below, when you ride over them, only this time the grate is wet. Do not even breathe when crossing that or chance a loss of control.

Riding in the rain can be pleasant, well maybe not as pleasant as a sunny day, but good enough. Start with control of the motorcycle, and then think about rain gear. What rain gear is a subject for another time? Just remember rain gear can be simple, low cost. It does not have to be expensive. This again is personal choice.

Safety in riding requires training. As with golf, tennis, or skiing the best success come from a professional teaching you as a beginner the skills required in the particular area. In motorcycle riding, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is an organization dedicated to teaching the interested rider how to ride safely and responsibility.