Riding on a clear day is very different from riding in the rain. Riding under drizzling rain is very different from riding in heavy rain. Your riding style should change according to the surrounding weather. In some regions rain could be a seasonal thing whereas it rains frequently in monsoon-prone areas like the Northeast India. Even if you do not ride in rain regularly, it is better to know the dangers of rain on motorcycle riding and preventive measures you could take to avoid a mishap. Here are some do's and don'ts:
Avoid riding in the rain: When it rains, the roads get slippery, potholes are created or deepened and you cannot see them under the water. The roads, streets and basements of buildings get flooded across Indian cities. One such fabulous example of monsoon street-flooding happens in the so-called millennium Gurgaon city, which turns into the Venice of the East, come monsoon, each time, every time, without fail.
When cities like Gurgaon flood every monsoon, it is time to take out your inflatable boat, not your bike. But, if you insist on riding despite my warning, do it at your own risk.
Avoid riding over white and yellow lane-lines: The broken white lane-lines or the solid yellow lane lines get very slippery in rain. Even in dry conditions, I always avoid riding over these lines as they are always slippery compared to regular asphalt surface. If you notice carefully enough, whenever there is stranded water on the road around these white or yellow lane lines, you will see chemicals floating on top of the water. Since paints are usually oil-based, the floating chemical could be oil. So, avoid riding over or near them.
Tyre grip, type, pressure, speed and weight: Riding in rain gets dangerous as your bike's tyre can lose grip and control. There are many reasons for this:
The tyre grip and control greately reduces in rain due to hydroplaning (water layer creating between your tyre and the road) and you can easily slip and fall. The condition of your bike tyre will also matter, old and bald tyres will offer very little grip on the wet road.
The grip on a wet road also depends on the type of your bike tyre. Some tyres have specifically designed tread patterns for riding on wet roads that effectively cut through water. Performance tyres are usually designed for very specific riding styles and weather conditions while some commuter and touring ones are all-weather type. Know what kind of tyres your bike has before you run them in rain.
Your bike speed, lean angle and tyre pressure also affect your bike's control over wet roads. Higher the speed, less is the grip, and increased risk. The more you lean, the less contact between your tyre and the road, higher the chance of slipping. Also, if your bike tyre is overinflated, the less will be contact between the road and tyre, higher chances of sliding over water. Your bike weight also matters. Higher the weight, more stability on wet roads while going straight and slow as the chances of hydroplaning reduces a bit because of heaviness.
Stay in the middle lane: If you are riding in rain or just after it, try to keep your bike in the middle lane as much as possible. Water tends to get stranded on the extreme left or right side of the road due to the angle at which it is built; roads are rarely flat in nature. When you go over stranded water, the bike tyres can lose grip and it can get disbalanced. Also, water will splash all over your face and body affecting the visibility momentarily.Moreover, huge potholes and open drains on the side stay invisbile in rain and is a common issue in India, at least in the North. And, if you happen to pass next to a speeding car or a truck on the stranded water, you'll be completely showered with dirty water. So, avoid going over stranded water on the side and be careful of other vehicles going over it and splash water all over you.
Brakes perform poorly in rain: The brake performance drops drastically in rain, especially in bikes with the regular cheap brake setup. Bikes with drum brakes are even worse. So, maintain a larger gap between you and the vehicle in front of you. Heavier bikes will be more difficult to stop.
Chassis matters in rain: Every bike is designed differently for a different purpose and each one behaves differently. Some bikes have chassis that offer superior feedback and stability even in the rain (coupled with good tyres). The more feedback you get from the road, the more you will be able to assess accurately how much your bike is stable. The less feedback you get from the road, the less you are sure whether the bike is stable or is about to slip. For instance, on my Kawasaki Versys, I used to be extra cautious when it was raining as it is a heavy motorcycle with a very high centre of gravity coupled with soft suspensions, so, getting a precise feel of the road was not easy. The wider tyres were also easy to slip in wet conditions. On the contrary, my KTM 390 Adventure gives me so much confidence that I can do faster speeds even on wet roads. So, moderate your ride according to your bike's capabilities in rain.
Avoid heavy rains: No matter how much waterproofing you have, avoid riding in heavy rain. The water will eventually go inside your clothes, shoes, backpack and deep inside your motorcycle electrical. Every waterproof cover is rated for a certain amount of water splashing after which its effectiveness reduces. Moreover, the visibility gets really bad for both you and the people around you. So, the chances of an accident greatly increases. There are anti-rain water-repellent sprays to disperse water but it only helps marginally.
Ride behind other vehicles to avoid unseen potholes
Follow other vehicles to avoid potholes: If it rains heavily and roads get submerged under water then how will you know whether there is a pothole ahead and how deep it is? An open drain or some other obstacle could be hidden under the water too. The situation is even more serious when you are riding in an unfamiliar area. In this scenario, the safest option is to ride behind another vehicle keeping some distance and observe its movement. This allows you to guess the condition of the flooded road ahead (both depth of stranded water and possible potholes). But, do not keep your bike right in the middle behind other vehicles. Cars, buses and trucks can easily avoid small potholes by driving over them between their left and right tyres. A car in front of you might seem to be going smoothly over a flooded road but a pothole between its tyres could be coming your way. So, it is better to ride behind either left or right tyre as shown in the image below. Avoid riding in the middle (as indicated by the red cross sign).
Some potholes could be very deep enough to trip you over. Your situation could get even more bad if there is a heavy and speeding truck or bus right behind you, ready to crush you and your bike.
No leaning like Valentino Rossi: No matter how stable your bike is, in wet conditions, leaning a bike is a strict "no" unless you are a MotoGP rider riding inside a race circuit with all the right gears and equipment. During the rain, I always keep my bike as upright as possible even while turning around a curve at high speed. I never-ever lean during rain.
Water wading and silencer: Know about your bike's water wading capacity, which is a bike's ability of how deep it can go under water before water enters the silencer, air-filter and engine. Once water goes inside your bike's internals, it can damage your bike's engine, electrical and make it permanently inoperable. Here is a video of Bajaj Pulsar 200NS going through a water wading test. Some adventure bikes have upswept exhaust design, meaning the silencer would slightly point upwards so water doesn't get inside easily. They are designed to handle different terrains including minor water streams. So, do not ride your bike through deeply flooded roads and be aware of your bike's water wading capabilities.
The lesson to learn here: If you have to ride in the rain then here are the do's and don'ts:
Do not ride over the white and yellow lane lines on the road
Your bike's tyre grip, type, pressure, speed and weight changes in rain so adjust your riding accordingly
Try to always stay in the middle lane during heavy rain
Know how your bike chassis behaves in wet conditions
Avoid heavy downpour no matter what's the urgency
In areas with bad roads, ride behind other vehicles keeping distance to be sure of the depth of the flooded road and possible potholes
Do not lean your bike during rain
Do not ride submerged and flooded road blindly if other bikes pass through, know your bike's water wading capability
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