[longjon]

Best tip probably is to have positive attitude. Apart from all the other good tips, just think of it as just another ride that you are going to enjoy, and embrace the different sensations of rain on your visor, water on the road and maybe a bit of cold. Just enjoy the ride

 

[dpickens]

Make sure you use the "Interior Glass Anti-fog Rain-X" type. This type has hydrophilic property (attract to water) and spreads the water to the surface, preventing droplets. Here is the link to the product: Interior Glass Anti-Fog - Rain-X

There are videos in YouTube which use different materials to apply to the inside of the visor like toothpaste, or baby shampoo to prevent fogging. I do not like using toothpaste as toothpaste has abrasive material. I tried baby shampoo but had to give up because it gave me haze and halos at night. YMMV.

Good point and correct!

And I've tried the baby shampoo as well before - didn't work. That's why I went to the INTERIOR Glass Rain-X... https://www.amazon.com/Rain-X-630046-Interior-Glass-Anti-Fog/dp/B00T9LR9FA/

Dang - I didn't even think of using this stuff on my glasses - what a great idea!

 

[Tahoe24x7]

On curvy roads, trucks leave rubber in the turns - when it rains, that rubber imbedded on the roadway becomes very slippery. Brake before the turn to maintain equal weight on your front & rear tires through the turn - too much weight on the front in the corner with a wet, slippery surface will result in your bike going down, with both you & your bike sliding down the road.

 

[Rick92040]

I forgot about the inside of the facemask fogging. I use a pinlock facemask and have not had fogging for years. It was a big deal before I got one. Nothing else worked for me.

 

[KarlwithaK]

Your tires have more grip in the wet than you think. Trust your bike and ride normal. As long as you aren’t whacking the throttle or the brake you won’t have any problems.

I would caution against using the back brake more than usual. Too much back brake causes a slide.

slick spots to be aware of are intersections. When cars are stopped at red lights they tend to leak fluids. This cumulative effect can cause intersections to be slippery when wet, but as long as you are smooth on throttle and brake everything will be fine.

 

[Hogges]

I was lucky that my very first riding experience was at an MSF weekend class in pouring rain. It taught me that emergency breaking and hard cornering are all quite possible in wet conditions.

Stay loose on the controls and trust that the rubber is still doing its job (but do keep an eye out for heavily painted crosswalk markings and such in city traffic). Keep your upper body relaxed. Don’t worry and ease your mind. Try to have a good time. Sing or hum or whistle if you feel stressed.

Other than that:

• Pinlock visors really do work
• Goretex boots make all the difference to stay comfortable when riding for hours on end in wet conditions. This is assuming you also have pants and a jacket preventing water from running down your legs and into the otherwise waterproof boots (speaking from experience here…)
• Goretex gloves on the other hand seem to be a waste of money. I have never found any that really stay dry, or maybe my hands sweat too much to notice.
• Wipe your visor on the outside if visibility is poor, especially at lower speeds when the wind doesn’t blow the water away. Some of my gloves have little rubber wipers along the index finger. But that’s not really necessary.

 

[ricky racer]

Many good points have been posted here. My advice is don't sweat it. Ride like you normally would, just be a little less aggressive in corners and avoid painted surfaces on the roads and man hole covers. Also watch for and avoid deep puddles of pooled water in the roadway.
As mentioned earlier, a pin lock visor will keep your visor from fogging up or you can add a WeePro stick on anti-fog film (that's what I use).

In addition to rain gear, you may want a piar of rain proof glove covers (they are cheaper and work better than rain proof gloves).

Keep up with traffic but keep in mind, November is the breeding season for deer and they are much more active this time of year. If traveling on secondary roads, keep your speed down (that's during rain or shine) and watch for deer alongside the road.
Enjoy the ride, I envy you. It should be a great trip!!

 

[Vatu]

The bike will do fine; it is your lack of vision that will be problematic, e.g., fogging, passing trucks, etc. I ended up using a heated visor to ensure that it doesn't get fogged. (I had tried pinlocks, wipe-on "anti-fog", etc., but nothing really worked that well, except electricity. Bell sells these visors for some of their helmets, probably intended for snowmobilers.

 

[racer1735]

I live in a very dry location and hadn't ridden in rain in YEARS....until 2 weeks ago. Took a 'work' trip and left in 43 degree rain. Rode in it for 90 miles before breaking into the clear. My advice, rules, whatever you want to call them:

If you know its going to be a decent rain, wear a rain suit over your regular riding gear. It doesn't have to be a $500 Klim rain suit. My $60 Tourmaster works just fine and when the rain stops, I take it off and I'm dry.

Someone said it before....shiny pavement is slick(er) pavement. Forewarned is forearmed.

Close the top vents to your helmet. Cold water on the scalp doesn't help matters.
Keep the chin vent open. It helps defog your face shield.

Make sure you have decent tread on your tires. Doesn't have to be new tires, but you don't want to be down to the wear bars. Modern tires sipe water incredibly well, and that's your traction.

Biggest thing (and hardest to do). Relax. You will stiffen up and be tense..arms, legs, head torso, and that will transmit throgh the bike and make your handling even more sketchy. Loosen up. Be free. Don't tighten up in the corners. Trust that your tires and going to do their job (they will barring panic situations), relax and you will end up having a fun time riding in the rain!

Remember the line from the Billy Joel song in the late '70's....'Even rode my motorcycle in the rain!'

 

[pbs]

Indians and arrows? It’s about the jockey, not the horse.

 

[TSConver]

The best advice is to pull over and rest for about 30 min at the beginning of a rain event. The initial rain will float all the oil and that first 30 min is the slickest. Let the rain wash the oil off then ride with confidence but smooth control.

 

[JRice]

I saw you are in Phoenix. If you remember the weather we had last Friday that was turning to snow in the higher elevations, I came back to Mesa from Safford during that. Just kept an eye on where and how fast the different cells were moving and changed the route accordingly. Ended up finding a route that was off the beaten path enough the GPS thought I’d lost my mind. Headed around the south part of the state toward Tucson, but more weather developing, so I found what looked to be a dirt track about 70 miles long from Benson up the San Pedro River to San Manuel. This got me around the bulk of the weather, and just had mostly some wet roads for the last hour or so of the ride.

 

[beardsmcgee]

My GS has been my primary mode of transportation for almost two years. I'll be making my way south from the PNW next week, so will be riding through NorCal soon. This will be my 3rd trip on hwy 101 and maybe hwy 1 as well. Here are my tips.

• Pay attention to the weather. What kind of rain do you expect? Will there be heavy rain? If there are periods of heavy rain, see if you can figure out some good places to stop to wait it out. It is good to know when it is safer to pull over than to keep riding. Plan in advance where to stop since some stretches of hwy are limited in shelter.
• Good rain gear. Goretex is great for this time of year in NorCal since it'll be brisk and it is nice to not have to stop to put rain gear on since I find a lot of rain gear doesn't breathe that well.
• Make sure your tires have enough tread, though that would be common advice regardless of time of year.
• Keep an eye on conditions for mountain passes. NorCal mtn pass weather
• heated gear is nice, including things like hot hands that you can stuff in your gloves or boots. I got a cheap vest off of amazon for $100 that has a battery.
• I use the "rain" mode on my bike. I think it helps.
• Center part of the road will be slickest since that is where oil and grime pile up from cars. Other comment was how the first 1/2 hour of rain will wash most of that off if there has been a dry stretch.
• Take more precautions when riding. Ride slower, give yourself more stopping time, be aware if cars have their headlights on or not, etc.
• Lastly, if you can avoid the rain, then why not? I actually postponed my trip since it'll be a lot nicer next week than it was last week. I know not everyone has that kind of flexibility, but it helps.

Good luck and ride safe.

 

[geoffmurray55]

You do realise that using capital letters online is akin to shouting and is generally regarded as rude….

 

[amkaplan]

You'll run out of confidence before your tires do. Other than avoiding sudden bursts of acceleration or braking, I ride as I do in the dry. Good tires with a high silca content helps too.

This is a great quote that I'll remember - definitely like "Put you faith in your gear," but I still get nervous.

 

[amkaplan]

Good point and correct!

And I've tried the baby shampoo as well before - didn't work. That's why I went to the INTERIOR Glass Rain-X... Amazon.com

Dang - I didn't even think of using this stuff on my glasses - what a great idea!

FYI, Rain-X does not recommend anything for glass for use on plastic, i.e., visors or bike windscreens. I spoke to them and they were very adamant about this. They do have a new product for plastic that is branded as water-repellant, and told me to use it for fogging, too. It's tough to find, but it is available on Amazon.

 

[amkaplan]

You need to see and be seen. I put my windshield all the way down so the air hits me in the face-mask and keeps it clear. I also use Rain-x for plastics. Apply often.
Also people can't see you very well so keep that in mind. People coming up behind you can't see you unless you have a very bright tail light.

This video is informative. FYI, Rain-X does not recommend anything for glass for use on plastic, i.e., visors or bike windscreens. I spoke to them and they were very adamant about this. It's tough to find, but it is available on Amazon. I saw the comment about paper towels, too, and I think has to do with paper towels being abrasive and scouring the plastic; it's the same reason tissues aren't recommended for cleaning plastic or coated eyeglass lenses.

 

[Bruz]

Seeing is critical. After riding for some forty years I recently discovered the double glazed visor and it’s too late at night for me to remember it’s proper silly name. But it is fantastic and cost me a fortune in a carbon helmet. If you have that and keep your tyre pressures slightly in the lower side just ride as normal giving yourself extra space. Don’t be tempted to look to close in front. Look well ahead. You’ll be fine. Anyone out there put a name to the inner visor I speak of that seals to the outer?

 

[JRice]

You’re thinking of a Pinlock visor.

 

[DirtDog]

Where I live it's just part of riding. If I'm heading home I don't usually bother with rain gear, just back off a bit.