Wet Weather Riding

Wet roads can make you faster and smoother. They also open up a whole new world of riding possibilities.

Rainy season over? Doesn’t appear so. But, you can still enjoy riding even in the wet. Read on McDuff!

Objects designed to work in wet conditions usually come with roofs, window wipers, flaps or gills. Motorcycles have none of these, unless you’re unfortunate enough to own one of those crappy Quasar things, so it’s hardly surprising many of us dive for cover the moment a cloud appears. But just because you don’t purposely ride in the rain doesn’t mean you’ll never have to. Right now our weather is completely unpredictable, so chances are you’ll get caught in a downpour eventually. When you’re miles from home and facing a choice of braving the elements or kipping under a bridge until the sun reappears, being confident in the wet has its advantages.

If you’re still unconvinced it’s a smart idea, know this: bikes can be ridden quickly in the wet, doing so can make you faster in the dry and, most importantly, you’ll laugh your tits off doing it. Before we get all carried away with throttle usage, body positioning and tales of hilarity, we must understand what allows us to, and also at times limits us from making progress in the wet. Grip. This invisible force is the friction, or resistance, generated by a tyre’s contact with the road. While it’s logical to assume an increase in resistance simply equals an increase in grip, this seemingly obvious outcome is shot to pieces by speed. Velocity actually decreases grip up to about 95kph, according to the men in white coats at the UK Transport Research Lab. Then as speed exceeds 95kph, resistance levels out.