5 Quick Tips For Riding A Motorcycle In The Rain

Last Updated on November 18, 2021

Riding your motorcycle in the rain is a completely different experience from riding on dry pavement.

In this post, we are sharing five quick tips that you can follow to learn how to get better at riding a motorcycle in the rain.

Essential Motorcycle Rain Riding Tips

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You don’t have to be scared of riding your motorcycle in the rain. If you keep some things in check before riding in the rain, it can actually be a blast to ride in the rain.

Sure, there is less traction and it can be scary when heavy rain decides to fall while you’re riding, but there are some things you can do to help ensure that you stay safe while riding in wet conditions.

Essentially – you’ll want to wear the right gear to keep yourself dry, you’ll need to ride more carefully as 20-30% of tire traction is going to be lost, you will need to avoid any shiny surface in the road, you’ll need to take your surroundings seriously, and you should stay calm and collected while riding.

Let’s go ahead and elaborate a bit on each of these tips.

1. Wear The Right Gear

It’s one thing to simply wear gear that is waterproof all-around, but you should also consider wearing gear that helps you stay visible while riding.

In the rain, especially when it’s heavy rain, things aren’t as clear for you and other drivers on the road.

Not only do you want good waterproof motorcycle gear but you should also invest in some hi-viz gear if you want to help other drivers notice you while riding.

Choose the right rain gear to stay dry and to stay as visible as possible. If you must ride in heavy rainfall, you should also consider wearing goggles while riding in case your visor can’t stay clear enough to see the road ahead of you.

2. Keep Traction Loss In Mind

Typically, you’ll lose about 20-30% of tire traction when you’re riding on wet pavement.

This means that you’ll be needing to brake earlier, take turns slower, and slow things down a bit to compensate for that traction loss.

You could easily slip if you don’t respect the wet road and the overall traction loss. The 20-30% is assuming that the road is clean and that your tires are in pretty decent shape as well.

This is arguably the most important thing to know while riding your motorcycle in the rain – keep traction loss in mind and ride accordingly.

Take turns slower and brake earlier. Otherwise, you will risk slipping off from the slippery road conditions.

3. Avoid Any Shiny Spots On The Road

If you keep an eye out, you should be able to notice spots on the road that seem shinier than other spots.

Those spots are the plague. You don’t know if a puddle has formed because of a deep pothole… That could pop you up and off your seat and then you’ll need to try and deal with the wet conditions while taking back control of your bike.

You also need to avoid paint lines in the road, manhole covers, anything metal, and pavement sealer – these are all very slippery when wet.

Stay focused on your surroundings and keep off the portions of the road that get super slippery in wet conditions. Try to stay on dry lines as much as possible and avoid shiny spots like the plague.

4. Be Wary of Your Surroundings

Be wary of everything going on around you. This is something you should do regardless of weather conditions, but it’s even more important when you’re riding in the rain.

Don’t only be wary of shiny spots – you need to be wary of other drivers as well.

For example, keep an eye on your mirrors when coming to a red light. You never know when a driver is texting and not realizing that it’s a red light that they are approaching… Cars also lose tire traction in wet conditions, they aren’t going to be able to come to a sudden stop.

Other drivers, objects in the road, shiny surfaces… You need to be focused and wary of your surroundings at all times.

5. Stay Cool, Calm, & Collected

Although some of the tips on staying safe during wet conditions can sound intimidating – it can all easily be done if you stay calm and collected.

You won’t be doing yourself any favors by gripping the handlebar super tight, by staying fearful of things around you, or not staying focused on your surroundings.

As always, never ride your bike if you aren’t in a good mental state. Riding helps cure mental headaches, I’m sure most riders would agree that riding helps to clear the mind – regardless of weather conditions.

But if you aren’t in a good headspace or if you’re focused on some sort of big problem going on in your life – it’s probably better to stay off of the wet roads.

Always stay calm and focus on staying safe while riding in the rain. If riding in the rain is too overwhelming or if you have too much steam to blow off by zipping around in the rain… It’s likely better to wait another day or to practice in a parking lot before riding out in the rain.

Ride In The Rain With Confidence

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By following these tips, you should be able to ride in wet conditions – with confidence.

Stay calm, stay focused, wear some good gear, take things more smoothly than usual, and avoid the shiny surfaces.

It can be fun to ride in the rain – but don’t push yourself too far. If you aren’t able to see ahead of you and if it’s extremely cold – it’s better to ride another day. There are too many things to focus on while riding to let cold, rainy weather get in the way of your mind.

So, are there any other tips you think should be added here?

Do you enjoy riding in the rain? Have any heavy rain riding stories to share?

Let us know in the comments below!