Riding in the rain

[superace]

I was just wondering if there were any extra steps or precautions needed when riding on wet roads or when its raining. I currently don't have rain gear so i avoid the rain but wet roads still make me a little nervous. Any advise would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[pineappleunderthesea]

I also avoid rain since I don't want to spend tons more money buying rain gear. When I've been caught, though, I avoid the painted lines, they tend to be slick as heck.

[superace]

Yeah I got caught in the rain yesterday and as I was going to change lanes I rolled over one of the stripes and could feel the traction difference. 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Basically the same as when driving a car... is more slippery and visibility is reduced. If it hasn't rained in a while, the roads will be extra slick (oils brought to surface). Slow down, give more braking distance, don't stab the brakes (apply pressure slowly and gradually), avoid large standing puddles of water, avoid painted lines (tend to be real slick), avoid the center of the lane (most oil/fuel will leak down the center), follow the "tracks" left my vehicles (over to left or right) and etc...
 
Sounds dire... but its not that bad, not like riding on ice. There's a good amount of grip (surprising), but ease into it and always be cautious.

[jake]

I also avoid rain since I don't want to spend tons more money buying rain gear. When I've been caught, though, I avoid the painted lines, they tend to be slick as heck.

yep, 
And this might be common sense but I avoid any leaning or aggressive maneuvers just keep a straight line.
 

[bikerbone]

Very good reply by bmwpower. Great advice there. Just remember, not to make quick aggressive moves if you don't have too. Visibility through your face shield can be a problem if you don't keep it clean. A cheap way to clean it is to use a light spray of Yamaha spray polish (no, I don't have any affiliation, just a ton of experience) and a soft cloth, and it will amaze you how much the rain slides off your shield. There are better products for rain, but most riders like to clean their ride, so most have the spray polish available already.
Also, no death grip on the bars, just a nice touch like normal. A cheap solution for rain gear for occasional use is the lightweight Stearns nylon stuff you can buy at walmart, lasts well, and costs about $25-50 depending on your location, and takes up very little space. Just don't buy it in a huge size, so it billows like a sail when you ride.
Enjoy riding in all weather, just try it.
Bone

[motomeek]

All good points above. You can also purchase gloves that come with a piece of rubber on the left index finger/thumb that can be utilized as a windshield wiper. Since I already had waterproof gloves, you can purchase finger wipers that fit over your finger to do the same.
 
It rained two weeks ago and I was able to test it out. Works like a charm! The link above was the first one I saw on google. I'm sure you can get them cheaper. 
 
 
OH - And if you don't have either... a way to get rid of the water droplets on your shield if to turn your head 90 degrees, like you're looking over your shoulder, to let the air push them off to the side. Works best above 45MPH and with ample room... since you won't be able to necessarily see ahead of you. 

[duenan]

I think the only issues I had with the rain was riding in the fall with leaves on the ground. I stopped a little too sharply at a stop sign once littered with maple leaves and I just slid all over the leaves. Even taking off from the stop, the rear wheel just peeled out all over the leaves.

[superace]

Thanks for the advise. I am definitely going to check out those little wipers cause the spray on my helmet was unnerving. As far as the Stearns stuff goes you are talking about the life vests right or am I looking at something completely different? 

[Beemer]

Your common sense will be your guide for most things and the things mentioned that I read (didn't read every post) are good tips so I'm not going to repeat them but I will add to slow your speed, don't lean too much in corners. Take them slow and stay as upright as possible because you never know how slick the surface will be or simply if your bike will retain traction when leaning at speed on a wet surface. Look left and right even more, roll on the throttle, ride toward the center of the road (not to be confused with the center of your lane) because roads are designed/sloped to run water off from the center toward the side of the road and it's usually toward the edge/curb where water is usually the deepest.
 
If you start hydroplaning keep your tire pointed straight forward and do not hit your brakes. When doing water crossings off road I've known that putting your weight further back on your seat and throttling it helps to keep the water from engaging the tire as much and therefore less likely to cause an accident so that should help on the road as well. If it gets too hairy just get off the road until you feel it's safe enough to ride again. I've also heard that Plexus works pretty good to repel rain like Rain-X would on glass. Never tried it so I can't vouch for it. Last, it's not like you're in the ocean so don't think that because your pants got wet you can pee in them. 

[ShiftHer]

Take it easier on the brakes than you normally would. Give yourself more time to stop (so, greater following distance and don't ride as fast). Ride in the wheel track of a car if you are riding in traffic (assuming that part of the lane is not filled with potholes and so forth of course). Avoid riding through puddles because you don't know how deep they are or what's beneath the water surface (something sharp? really jagged pavement?). When you stop at a stoplight or intersection, stay out of the middle, it will be slippery as hell. Be prepared for that slipperiness when you put your feet down there at a stop, too.
 
If you can spare the time, stay off the road for the first 10-15 minutes that it starts raining, as that's when all the oils and junk on the road turns into a slippery slime.
 
Other things to watch out for: manhole covers, railroad ties/crossings, metal construction plates put down to cover a temporary hole, anything metal really, painted lines, painted lines, PAINTED LINES, haha, seriously though, painted lines. Those things are like ice in the rain. Someone else mentioned wet leaves, and yes. Watch out for wet leaves even when the roads are dry, and even when the leaves on top of the pile are dry. The evil wet ones are lurking underneath.  (
 
Once you get a little more comfortable with it, I think you'll be surprised how much grip you have in the rain. The first few times I rode in the rain, I felt pretty nervous. But then, after nothing bad happened, lol, I got more okay with it. As long as it's not a torrential downpour, I really don't mind riding in the rain too much (I've been riding about 4 years now, to give you an idea of my experience level). It's kind of zen-like with the little tap tap taps from the raindrops hitting my face shield. 
 
You can buy waterproofing stuff to put on your gear to make it more water resistant or to retain the water resistance on your rain gear. Nikwax has a good reputation: http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/productselector/waterproofing.php 

[cassecou]

I love to ride in the rain, so it doesn't faze me and so do it quite often. Its nothing special compare to driving a car, but its a different and unique experience done with a motorcycle that every biker should try once.
Here are a few other things to know on top of the already great advises mentioned above:
 
Bikes hydroplane at much higher speeds than cars due to the rounded design of the tires.
With the right gears, you will stay dry and be able to ride for hours without even knowing its raining.
If your helmet visor gets too wet, you have 2 options. The first one is to wipe it with you glove (some gloves comes with a little wiper stitch to the thumb). The second is to turn your head right and/or left, the rain will slide right off.
 
Check out my video from last year's Deals Gap. At 9:18 I was riding in the rain and didn't even realized I was going 85mph.

[dentalprodigy]

I've been watching this series on youtube. Rain riding came up and I figured I'll share...

[Beemer]

I've been watching this series on youtube. Rain riding came up and I figured I'll share...

Nice video! I think 53:07 just about covers everything except for "don't chug alcohol while riding in the rain". No one said that so .... 

[ShiftHer]

Just came across this article, "Caught in the Rain: How to Handle Unexpected Bad Weather," while I was browsing other stuff, and it has some good tips. Here are some things that specifically caught my eye:
 

Keeping the bike in a gear taller than you normally would is a great trick to enhance the smoothness of your acceleration on wet roads! 
Most people drive much worse in severe weather - they are suddenly concerned much more about handling their own vehicles in the rain, and a lot less concerned about looking out for you. Visibility is drastically cut down, people drive slower and more unpredictably...
 
 
You're already hard to see, so in the rain you really need to get people's attention. A cheap hi-viz safety vest is great for this...
 

The whole article is pretty good, only about a 3 minute read.

[shaneallen23]

Also pay extra attention to the general populace of the roadway. The rain turns everyone into a simpleton on the road, and it'll probably be more likely they'll put you in a bad position than in nice weather. Couple that with reduced stopping/evading ability and it could get ugly. Stay safe!