As a motorcycle owner, safety should be of main concern, as motorcycle accidents can be fatal.

Whether you are the kind of biker that doesn’t mind a little rain, or one who avoids it at all costs, it is always important to be prepared for riding a motorcycle in the rain. You may just find yourself riding a motorcycle in the rain unexpectedly, and foul weather has the ability to further increase your chances of getting into an accident.

Fortunately, as with driving any other vehicle in the rain, riding a motorcycle in the rain does not have to be dangerous, as long as you take the right precautions. The following article from Motorcycle Blog from Jafrum outlines the best tips for safely riding a motorcycle in the rain. Take these tips into account whether you currently own a motorcycle or are considering purchasing one in the future.

15 Tips For Riding A Motorcycle In The Rain

In all the years that I have been riding a motorcycle, I can honestly not remember one biker who loves riding in the rain. I do not think that there’s anyone out there who, when looking out the window and seeing a downpour, will say “ohhh great, it’s raining, let’s go for a bike ride”.

However I do know a lot of bikers who flatly refuse to go out riding when it rains. Personally, I think that is a mistake. Rain is nothing but water, and as long as a) it’s not raining very hard, b) falling horizontally (in other words a strong wind) and c) you wear the proper clothing, then the ride will be fine.

There are a lot of things to take into account when riding a motorcycle in the rain, but one of the most important ones is that you have to dress appropriately. Having your normal jacket and trousers might not be enough. If there’s a light drizzle, it probably will not be a problem, but when there’s consistent rain, water (usually cold) will seep through your clothes onto your body, and that is not fun! Getting wet, or at least humid, when riding is distracting and very uncomfortable. It’s also when you will get a cold, or worse.

So whatever you do, make sure the clothing (jacket, trousers and boot covers) you use during a rain ride is rain proof.

This is the most important tip for riding in the rain, all other tips are more or less common sense. The clothing doesn’t need to be a diver’s suit you use for deep sea diving, but it needs to keep the water away.

1. Wear proper rain gear, preferably Gore-Tex or equivalent. It needs to be able to breathe but still not allow water to creep in. Make sure your helmet covers your face, since rain above 30 mph is going to hurt you.
2. Make sure your tires are correct for riding in the rain, in other words, do not go out riding in the rain with slick tires.
3. Watch the road. What used to be kind-of slippery is now very slippery. White lines on the roads will have become ice rinks, metal plates/manholes are super dangerous, avoid them like the plague.
4. Watch out for puddles. Yes, it can be fun riding through one, but since the water hides the surface you just don’t know what you are riding into. Can the puddle in fact be a 3 feet deep hole? Do you want to find out the hard way?
5. When riding and you see a colored rainbow on the ground, watch it. It’s got nothing to do with the gay movement, chances are it’s oil.
6. When rain first starts after many days of dry weather, it’s when it’s the most dangerous since there’s a lot of oil and dirt on the road. Wait an hour or two for the rain to wash away the oil/dirt before riding since the road surfaces are at their slipperiest. If it’s just drizzle, then the road will remain slippery.
7. Railway crossings are to be taken as straight as possible. Remember the railway tracks are metal, and wet metal is slippery. Straighten your bike.
8. When you need to brake, apply more rear brake than normal. If your front wheel starts sliding you’re done for, if your rear wheel slides you can easily correct.
9. Do not brake strongly if possible. Brake gently. If you need to urgently apply your brakes, pump them so that you do not start aquaplaning.
10. Give yourself more space between you and the vehicle in front of you. Braking distances are much longer in the rain.
11. Relax when riding. Getting all cramped and bunched up is not good. First of all you will get tired real quickly and it is dangerous. Relaxed riding is much better.
12. Be visible. Rain makes it difficult for cars to see you. If you have high visibility clothing, now it is the time to put them on.
13. An obvious advice, but here it is anyway: reduce your speed! In many countries legally you need to reduce speed by some 10-20% when it rains, and there are good reasons for it.
14. Since we don’t have wipers on our helmets (well, maybe some do) you can easily spray something like Rain-X on the visor to help you with your visibility. Rain-X keeps the rain from the visor.
15. When lightning starts up, stop riding. Head for cover (don’t stop below a tree).

Riding in the rain will at times be necessary, and you should not stop riding just because it is raining. Relax and enjoy the ride. You are after all riding a motorcycle and that is fun. ENJOY IT.

Whether or not you expect to be riding a motorcycle in the rain, it is vital that you take all of these tips into consideration in case you are caught in a storm. The most important thing to remember when riding a motorcycle in the rain is to be cautious. Pay more attention to your driving than normal, and give yourself extra space between vehicles and for making turns. Riding a motorcycle in the rain tends to be much more dangerous than driving a car in the rain.

Should all of these tips fail to prevent an accident while you are riding your motorcycle in the rain, your fallback can be motorcycle insurance. That way, should something happen to you or your bike, someone will be there to cover the cost of the damages. In fact, motorcycle insurance is required for those licensed in Massachusetts. Our agents at TJ Woods Insurance would love to speak with you and help you get the best insurance rate possible for your unique situation. So the next time that you are caught riding a motorcycle in the rain, you will at least have the peace of mind that your insurance company is there to protect you.

Do you tend to avoid riding a motorcycle in the rain altogether, or does a little bit of wetness not bother you?