Motorcycle Rain Gear: How to Stay Dry on a Rainy Day
Imagine a quiet night, rain falling down, full moon up and the weather fairly calm. Isn’t that just the perfect lure to get on your motorcycle and go for a ride on the highway? Riding on the rain at a high speed while being completely alone under the moonlight because nobody else likes the rain in the first place? Yup, bikers’ idea of heaven indeed. That is, until the winds come out and start messing with your vision and attention because all of a sudden you’re all wet in places you shouldn’t be. Should you abort mission? Not exactly – you just need to have the right motorcycle wet weather gear to face such weather changes with full power.
First Things First: Clothing
You’ll realize that the worst thing about riding a bike on wet weather is that the rain penetrates your clothes and reaches your skin very, very fast. That consequently starts defocusing you and shifting your attention to whatever is tickling your body (the rain, of course) and ultimately, brings you the cold with the speed of light. Which is why, proper clothing for a bike ride on a rainy day or night should be the first essential item on your list of motorcycle wet weather gear. You’d need a suitable jacket and trousers (or a full body suit if you find it more appealing), a helmet, and boot covers to protect your legs. The most important feature about this kind of clothing is that it needs to be waterproof.
Tyre Inspection
Among the biggest rookie mistakes you could possibly make when motorcycle riding on a wet weather, is not inspecting the tyres. It’s common knowledge that wet surfaces are slippery and can cause the vehicle to lose its direction and course. This goes for motorcycles as well – make sure the tyres aren’t sleek.
Beware of Coloured Rainbows on the Road
There will be times when you’ll come across some kind of a coloured rainbow on the ground and you’d be lured to stare in it. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s something fun or interesting – it’s not. This would be most likely a poured oil on the ground, which could be particularly dangerous on a wet surface. Don’t lose your focus because of it and try to avoid it.
Avoid Puddles
The worst thing about holes on a rainy day is that you don’t really know if it’s a puddle or a metre deep hole, because it’s filled with water. So don’t put yourself in danger and simply avoid puddles, or even safer, inspect the roads you want to ride on: are they in good condition, or maybe there’s a on-going construction work? Know where you’re heading.
These are just some of the important stuff you need to have in mind when you decide to ride your motorcycle on a rainy day. There are a number of reasons why you should go motorcycle riding on a wet weather, especially if there’s a romantic partner involved, but none of them justifies neglecting the safety part.
