NOT a fair weather rider lol

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

This has gone round and round my circle of riders. "Your a wuss if you don't ride in the rain!"
Why would I do that when I have a car? There was a time, back in the day, when I didn't have a running car, and wouldn't you know, SoCal set a record for rain that season, and I got soaked many times for not having really proper rain gear, just a nylon windbreaker and plastic bread bags over my feet under the boots. I ride for fun, not transportation. I don't commute on the bike, either, but do ride one day a week, Wednesdays. It's easy to avoid rain in SoCal so there's no reason I would have to ride in rain now.

 

[the Ferret]

I understand. Nobody HAS to ride in the rain unless they don't have a car, or get caught in a sudden rain storm while out, or while on a motorcycle vacation

Here in Cinti, it's a little different than in So Cal. Cincinnati gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 121 days per year. I don't care to miss 121 days a year of riding due to precipitation.

It's raining today. Nobody is forcing me to go ride today, I WANT to go ride today and in fact am taking off in a couple minutes. I ride for fun as well. Rain is just water. Get wet, dry off.

On the flip side, I don't understand someone owning a motorcycle and only wanting to ride 1 day a week in a place that only gets 36 days of measurable rain in a year.

 

[emptysea]

Charlie Bravo -
Avoiding rain on the motorbike doesn't make one a "wuss" -- I have two words for people that say otherwise and they're not "let's dance".

Rain isn't that bad, but I don't seek it out. Riding in it is generally not pleasant and I don't feel that I'm a tougher rider for doing so. On the other hand, the experience getting caught in the rain a couple of times has made me a better/more confident rider, so there's some good in it.

I'm with TheFerret about riding more, but for me, riding is my only real hobby at this point so I try to ride whenever it's possible. I understand that my priorities are different than others'

 

[the Ferret]

riding is my only hobby as well. some people like to walk an hour a day, or spend an hour a day out in the woodshop, or in the gym, or on the golf course. Me, I like to ride at least an hour a day. It's my thing. my wife is very supportive of my daily rides, and will often say " it's getting late, you'd better get dressed and get your ride in" or " we have Rileys basketball game we have to go to this afternoon, you'd better get your ride in early". she knows what kind of mood I'll be in if I don't get my ride lol

 

[Houtman_imp]

I do not set out to ride in the rain but if I get caught in rain it is no big deal. Just recently I did buy two sets of Aerostich AD 1 pants , one the standard one and one the "light " version for the summer. Also bought an Aerostich Road Crafter "light " jacket for the summer and use the standard Road Crafter in colder weather. They are all water proof and now no need anymore for rain gear. In the past I was always too lazy or too late to my raingear on when caught in the rain.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

My biggest beef with rain is during the cold season when the road salt mixes in and sprays everywhere and blocks vision.

But then again, if one chooses to risk riding on those potential inconvenient days knows what they are up against. Sometimes win, sometimes lose.

 

[Offroad]

On my trip to Canadian Rockies last summer, we hit rain 14/17 days.(400mi/day...riding all day increases those chances)
My only real complaint is my Shoei Neotec 2 gets wet on the inside of my shield, even if I have it fully closed before the first drop (I called them, they said that's normal but they would 'refit' it if I wanted to ship it to CA). So all the rain repellant/anti-fog I want and I still have to look through rain drops.
The one thing I will say, I'll take rain and 70/80 temps any day over 95+ heat. Lol
I do like the smell of rain...partially caused by ozone produced by thunderstorms I read somewhere.
I just make sure I have my rain pants on if there is any chance of rain. I can stop along the road and put on the jacket, but too old and fat to do the pants lol

 

[Guth_imp]

Day started out riding a Honda

Ended up riding a Yamaha

When I got home my wife said (excitedly) "Was that fun? Bet that was fun. Wish I had been with you"!

That's my girl!

Am I honestly the only one upon seeing this photo who thought "Hey, is that My Favorite Martian"?

With those tree trunks in the background lined up almost perfectly with the vents on your helmet I had to do a double-take

Who could blame me? Check out the photo below. You just know that Uncle Martin rode a motorcycle — I'm digging the space age riding jacket, lol.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Ha ha ... good eye Guth! Really, out of this world.

 

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

Many years ago, I rode a Triumph Bonneville around Lake Superior. Took nine days. It rained three of those days. I had no rain gear, not really any riding gear, just an army fatigue jacket, jungle boots and jeans. We camped every night. I have pics of me and my bud huddled under a sheet of plastic between two picnic tables. I rode that same Bonnie from Ft. Hood TX to Corpus Christi in Texas rain. I was young then, and had a good attitude, so it was an adventure, not an ordeal. As of now, I get two or three rides a week, but when I get another gig, it will be down to two, the Wednesday work ride, and the Saturday ride, which can sometimes be a long day up to the local mountains roads and back, but it's all good. A day of riding still beats a day of most everything else.

 

[KiowaEagle_imp]

Quote: I was young then, and had a good attitude, so it was an adventure, not an ordeal.
Aaahh to be young and dumb again! Now days I'm just dumb. lol

 

[Wisedrum]

I understand. Nobody HAS to ride in the rain unless they don't have a car, or get caught in a sudden rain storm while out, or while on a motorcycle vacation

Here in Cinti, it's a little different than in So Cal. Cincinnati gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 121 days per year. I don't care to miss 121 days a year of riding due to precipitation.

It's raining today. Nobody is forcing me to go ride today, I WANT to go ride today and in fact am taking off in a couple minutes. I ride for fun as well. Rain is just water. Get wet, dry off.

On the flip side, I don't understand someone owning a motorcycle and only wanting to ride 1 day a week in a place that only gets 36 days of measurable rain in a year.

That's true. If I get caught by rain while riding, I can handle it. If it's raining and I can choose to ride or not to ride, I won't do it. Only exception, when I'm out on the road especially on a motorbike summer tour and want or have to travel on, I'll have no choice. I had my rain tours in Scandinavia 2 weeks in a row and could stand them in the right clothes, fun was a little different from it, but all in all the bike and I survived. The only thing was, a chain drive, all my bikes have them, aren't the best for permant rain riding. You can spray a chain as much as you want, nevertheless it will not fit, 'cause the chain will always run dry after a short while, but you have to ride on and on. No good feel. A shaft drive would be much better. That the bike is getting more and more dirty and greasy in the rear don't worry me so much. It's part of the game. At home again cleaning takes a longer while.

Wisedrum

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Mmm, yes, I miss the shaft drive on mainstream Japanese rides.

 

[Wisedrum]

We have had the dicussion about shaft drives and even hydraulic valves already some time ago. Both were used with Japanese Inline Fours (e.g. Honda 750CBX and Kawa 750E). I would prefer and buy such bikes in order to get a relative maintenance-free motorbike. But so it should not be what could be, I live with the bikes I once bought and the way they are. And in a way like them, because I like these motorbikes and their engines more than others.

Wisedrum

 

[the Ferret]

yesterdays ride was 42 degrees and raining. Was raining when I took off. I chose to ride, but I did ride the shaft drive bike with the fairing and heated grips lol.

 

[Wisedrum]

Shaft drive, oh yes!

Had a VT1100 Shadow C3 which had both, shaft drive and hydraulic valves. Maybe I should have kept her. But prefered the riding style on a classic street motorbike, not a choppered one. You can' t have all at once at the same time.

Wisedrum

 

[Stichill]

Wisedrum, that is exactly how I think about it. Great way to explain it.

 

[the Ferret]

Today's ride was a little better..it was 44 when I took off..and raining lol

back home

 

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

For touring I have a BMW R1100RT, with a fairing, windshield, shaft drive, heated grips, the whole kit and kaboodle. It even has a ducting system to direct engine heat to the rider, but I've never used the heat parts.

 

[Stichill]

Great pics, ferret! Roads all to yourself!