|
Knightly Newsletter |
|
Page 7 |
|
The Safety Series - Riding a Motorcycle in the Rain Written by Dan Evon Submitted By Glenn Carpenter |
|
If you ride a motorcycle, you ride in the rain. This may be on purpose or by accident, but sometimes there is a destination to be reached, and a wall of water standing in your way. If you are going to ride in the rain, you have to realize the safety hazards that are going to be presented. Riding in the rain isn’t a difficult thing to do, you just have to keep your head about you. Here are a few things to keep in mind when the rain starts coming down. First, lets talk about the things that you can do before it starts to rain. Gear. If you have the right gear, you can actually ride in the rain without getting wet. If you are going to do a multiple day trip, it’s a necessity that you throw some rain gear in your bags. The better your gear, the more comfortable you will be. Boots, pants, jackets, and gloves, you need it all. Wet clothes can make you numbingly cold while riding through a storm. Also, if you wear a shorty helmet, you are going to regret it during a rain storm. If you’ve ever experienced rain at 60mph down the highway, you know that those gentle drops can feel like tiny rocks pelting against your face. A snap on visor, a windshield, or a full-face helmet will make things a lot more comfortable. Of course, sometimes you can’t plan on rain, and if you don’t have the right gear, you’re just going to have to grin and bear it. Once you have, or don’t have, the appropriate gear, it’s time to hit the streets. First, lets talk about the things that you can do before it starts to rain. |
|
Gear. If you have the right gear, you can actually ride in the rain without getting wet. If you are going to do a multiple day trip, it’s a necessity that you throw some rain gear in your bags. The better your gear, the more comfortable you will be. Boots, pants, jackets, and gloves, you need it all. Wet clothes can make you numbingly cold while riding through a storm. Also, if you wear a shorty helmet, you are going to regret it during a rain storm. If you’ve ever experienced rain at 60mph down the highway, you know that those gentle drops can feel like tiny rocks pelting against your face. A snap on visor, a windshield, or a full-face helmet will make things a lot more comfortable. Of course, sometimes you can’t plan on rain, and if you don’t have the right gear, you’re just going to have to grin and bear it. Once you have, or don’t have, the appropriate gear, it’s time to hit the streets. Traction - Turning and Breaking The biggest danger a motorcyclist meets when riding in the rain is the failure to live up to expectations. If you ride a lot, you’ve gotten used to the way your bike handles. You know you can lean to a certain degree at a certain speed to make a turn. You know that you’re bike can stop on a dime if need be. But in the rain, these expectations are going to go out the window. You’re bike is not going to have the traction that you believe it to have. You have to relearn the details of your bike. Give yourself an extra ten yards to stop, and make sure that you slow down at all turns. Don’t expect your bike to handle the way that it does on hot pavement. A good rule of thumb is to do one thing at a time when riding in the rain. If you are going to make a turn, apply the brakes first to drop your speed and then make your turn. Or, finish your turn before you accelerate. (Continued on next page) |