ALT-3 Tips for Safe Motorcycling in the Rain
In the 1970s,when I was in my formative bike years, there was a Great Debate about the merits or demerits of Japanese motorcycles. One of the most heated topics was "character", and the usual conclusion was that British and Italian bikes had character and Japanese bikes didn't. British bikes vibrated and leaked oil, and sometimes broke down*, but it was considered advantageous that almost anybody could repair one on the side of the highway while ignoring the cars (and Japanese bikes) going by. If you rode a BMW (which none of us did, because they were very rare in New Zealand until the mid-eighties), you could repair it on the roadside with the standard toolkit, but BMWs didn't need roadside repairs because they were well designed, well made and completely reliable. If you rode an Italian bike, you rode it only in daylight until you'd fitted Japanese switches and a German headlight. Harleys only existed in magazines as far as my friends and I were concerned; we might see one or two in a year.While some diehard reactionaries refused to consider the possibility that a disc brake might be easier to live with than a four leading shoe drum brake (If you wanted a really preposterous degree of complexity and time-consuming adjustment, eight leading shoe brakes could be had), most of the Great Braking Debate was about Japanese disc brakes against British/Italian disc brakes.
By now, you may be wondering what this has to do with riding in the rain. Please be patient.
British and Italian discs were made of iron, which rusted and stained the wheels, and were gripped by opposed-piston calipers. Japanese discs were made of stainless steel, gripped by single-piston floating calipers which sometimes stopped floating if the pivot was neglected. Japanese disc brakes did not work as effectively in rain as their rivals because, as everyone knew, austenitic stainless steels work-harden and develop a hard, slippery surface, while iron remains rough enough to let the water escape.My question, which was generally ignored, was "Why should brakes work as effectively in wet weather as in dry?". Tyres, even sports tyres, do not grip as well on wet roads as on dry roads, so surely a bit less bite from the brakes is desirable. Keep in mind that brakes do not directly slow or stop your bike; their function is to slow or stop the wheels and it is the tyres which carry the process further. Or not, if you misjudge things or your tyres are unsuitable.In this country, drivers behave as if the legal following distance is four metres, regardless of speed. Truck and bus drivers believe this especially fervently. This makes it difficult to keep comfortably ahead of them in wet weather, but do your best. Let persistent tailgaters pass if you can. Set a good example by staying well back from the car ahead of you, and leave plenty of room when passing, especially if your bike is noisy, like mine.If you're wearing a full face helmet and you feel a sneeze coming, open the visor in time. There can be few phenomena as disconcerting as being instantly fogbound in traffic because your nose has just had an orgasm.Discomfort distracts. To minimise this problem, be prepared for wet weather. If, like me, you hae a bike with space behind or under the seat, use that space to keep a waterproof jacket and trousers. Spare gloves are useful too, more so if the day is cold as well as wet. I usually wear welder's gloves because they're cheap, tough and comfortable, and the long gauntlet prevents draughts going up the sleeves of my jacket while still fitting under the elasticated cuffs of a good rain suit. It's worth paying for good waterproof outer clothing. Properly dressed, you can concentrate on the important dynamic stuff, like riding smoothly. Of course, if you're a really good rider, you'll ride smoothly as a habit, but smoothness is even more important on wet, slippery roads. open the throttle gently, and brake progressively, preferably before you lean into that bend. Sooner or later, you will have to brake while leaning, but don't make it a habit on wet roads. It's more fun meeting nurses when they're off duty.Avoid hard braking on wet roads. Hard braking is usually the result of a lapse of concentration, perhaps yours. A particularly dangerous distraction, worth mentioning here, is bike trouble. A certain kind of very fine but heavy drizzle, accompanied by a strong head wind, can intermittently convert my Jawa 350 to a 175 single, and so a can of CRC is vital. I've seen friends almost crash when they've let a problem with the bike claim too much attention (I once totalled a car for that reason).
I don't have a problem with riding a motorcycle in the rain, which is just as well, as I don't have a car. I have a problem with fog, which is common around here at night, especially in Winter, because I tend to ride slower when I can't see a long way ahead. Unfortunately, too many drivers here don't let lack of visibility deter them. After all, they're allowed to do 100 km/h; it's their fundamental right. Now that I have a BMW it's less scary because I can accelerate away from the problem more easily than I could on my Jawa. But fog is another story.
- So do Japanese bikes in my experience, but not as much.
