Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
In 34 years of riding I can probably count the number of times I have almost enjoyed riding in the wet on one hand.
Yes, there can be some kind of perverse pleasure in overcoming really poor conditions and entering into some kind of Zen state where everything flows and you pass smoothly through the tempest like some kind of two wheeled ninja. I can almost never do this. Normally I get distracted by the fact that I’m cold, wet and miserable, unable to see anything properly and more convinced than ever that most other road users are doing their best to kill me.
I’ve tried a wide variety of reasonably priced kit over the years and ultimately nothing has been waterproof. True, I’ve never had the money to spend thousands of pounds on a jacket and trousers…and maybe there is some dry Nirvana out there just beyond my financial reach. In my reality it’s usually a case of sticking my feet in carrier bags and resigning myself to sitting in a cold puddle. Whilst everyone else tries to kill me.
So what’s the answer?
Try and relax. Tricky when you’re feeling paranoid and your nether regions are damp.
If you’re riding a less than standard MT-09 then don’t use Standard or A Mode. These are primarily designed for unicycling/admiring how blue the sky is.
Stick your important kit in something that really is waterproof. For me that’s a Kriega drypack (I know there are lots of other good manufacturers out there). https://kriega.com/sports/touring/us-30-drypack
Or a house.
Pinlock visors work for me too
As noted here:
When it first starts to rain (or when it refuses to actually rain properly) it’s probably worst. Once it has actually washed the majority of shit off the road surface then all you need to worry about is the 57 varieties of slippery things knocking about, and the puddles hiding enormous potholes. (Oh, and all the people who are clearly trying to kill you).
Evidence would suggest that most accidents happen close to home. The reasons for this are complex, but the solution is clearly never to ride anywhere near your home when it’s raining.
Typically accidents close to home are at relatively low speeds. So if you must ride home in the wet then do the last few miles as fast as possible. (Really, please don’t).
One of the factors behind this statistic may be that people feel safer in the familiar environment close to home. What this means is that all those people trying to kill you are now feeling complacent and paying even less attention than they previously were! Look out.
Stand under a bridge and have a smoke/vape/cup of tea until it stops raining.
Not very practical in a county where it rains for long periods of time. Also means that one of the complacent, myopic would be assassins referred to previously may be distracted by a target that isn’t moving and crash into your parked pride and joy.
Move to a better climate. Very tempting, but somewhat impractical.
Practice. A lot. Do the very strange thing of deliberately going out for a ride in the rain when you don’t need to be anywhere.
Oh, and the times when I have almost enjoyed it? On my BMWR1100RT – the most confidence I have ever felt on a motorcycle in poor conditions. Chasing my friend Ian on my MT-09 through Wales during a Sunday where the Monsoon had clearly misidentified the country to fall on.
Be careful out there – “the night is dark and full of terrors.”
