Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Riding Technique Control - When it begins to drizzle

I just got back into riding a couple of months ago (after about 40 years) and yesterday I got caught in a very fine drizzling rain. In fact, the sun was partly out. It was just enough rain to bring up all the accumilated oil in the asphalt road. I rode about 10 miles home on this and it was like I was riding on ICE! It seemed (to me) like my front tire was not even touching the road. I know I wasn't hydro-planning but I am assuming that the very thin film of oil was doing this. When the drizzling rain first started to fall on my face shield I though to myself "well this isn't too bad at least it's not a big down-pour". But, after slipping around and sliding part way out into my first red light intersection, I'm sure a big down-pour would have made the road surface have a lot more traction.

Anyone have any advise on how to retain good control when it's that slick on the road?

My technique was reduced to slowing her down a lot and braking with both brakes very gingerly. ps-I was rather pleased to get home but it was a good experience for me.


Bob

I always heard it was good practice to work on smooth control inputs when it is raining. Always more fun in retrospect, glad you made it home safe.

I don't know if it's correct or not but I always try to find the crown in the road and then use my tranny for speed control and stay out of the oil slick in the middlew of the lane. Smooth and easy does it and as little brake as possible. And, I believe you're quite right, a lite drizzle is so much more dangerous than a road cleansing downpour.

We go for long periods without rain, so when it does it brings the oil etc. to the surface and makes the
road slicker than greased s........uh....slime, yeah that's it.

The one foolproof technique is a cup of coffee.

In about half an hour it's either stopped and dried up enough, or it's washed the slime away.

Here in Alabama we're in the midst of a 100 yr drought so I can identify with the long periods without rain. I'm taking my S-10 the next time it rains 'cause man is it ever gonna be slick.

Ride like you drive in the snow.

Adjust the idle way down, like to the point where it will almost stall. When the slides close more, there is a lot more engine braking. Also use more back brake and less front.

Last month I was caught in the rain and was stopped at an intersection. An Ultra-Glide was slowly coming to a stop at the same intersection when the front wheel seemed to just leap out from under the bike on a painted turn arrow. If he'd been using just the rear brake he'd have been ok. My lesson was, Use the front brake less and stay off the paint!