The Art Of Safe Riding

Liquid sunshine brings out the best and worst of all riders. Riding in the wet requires you to be aware of the low friction conditions that exist between the tyres and the road. This can be dangerous but if you are cautious and aware of the hazards, it is no more dangerous than any other normal day. And it is only through riding in the rain that you become aware of your own capabilities and limitations and those of your bike and its tyres in such weather. Tyres have grooves in their tread and their purpose is to remove water from under the contact patch. Obviously, if the tyre is worn smooth with no grooves left, water on the road stays trapped under the tyre and it slips. Tyres in good condition inflated to the recommended pressure go a long way in improving the grip.

Apart from good tyres, the trick to maintaining traction when riding is smoothness. All transitions i.e. acceleration, braking, gear shifting and turning should be accomplished smoothly. Be gentle in braking and acceleration and follow the widest possible arcs during cornering. Remember road grip is already fighting a loosing battle with slippery conditions. Your tire traction is cut by as much as TWO-THIRDS on wet roads. Don't make it worse for the tyres by demanding too much from them and in too short a time. Retaining your traction in the wet is far easier than regaining it. a slide that can be corrected in the dry will almost certainly take you down in the wet.

Brake gently, using more of the rear brake than the front (just the opposite of what you would do in the dry). Keep checking your brakes for effectivity when riding in heavy rain or through deep water. Drum brakes, though difficult to get wet from inside, take time in drying and become effective again. If wet, ride a while with the brake applied partially. The heat generated due to friction between the brake shoes and the drum will soon dry it out. Discs usually work fine though there may be a tiny delay before full effectivity as the pads wipe water from the disc surface.

The roads are at their slipperiest after a light shower. Rubber powder from tyres along with dust and oil, when mixed with water, forms a very slippery concoction. Let consistent heavy rain wash off the roads clean before expecting respectable amounts of traction. Oil droppings from four-wheelers are concentrated around the middle of the road, at stoplights, near petrol stations and toll collection booths. Large trees, whose inviting shade is a great stopping zone for vehicles are also virtual oil reservoirs. Take it easy with the brakes and the throttle when passing through any of these. Painted strips, old metal manhole covers, wet leaves and railroad tracks at crossings are very slippery customers even in the dry and more so when wet. Avoid abrupt changes in direction, braking and accelerating over these.



Hydroplaning is the result of your tires moving fast across a wet surface - so fast that they do not have sufficient time to channel that moisture away from the center of the tire. The result is that the tire is lifted by the water away from the road and all traction is thus lost. Skimming stones across a pond or water skiing are great examples. The tyres on the bike work like skis and the rider has no control over direction. Tread design, tread depth, weight of motorcycle, tire pressure and depth of water all play a part in determining at what speed the tire will begin to hydroplane.

In the event of hydroplaning, do not apply your brakes or try to steer the bike in any direction but the straight-ahead. If you know that you are going to be riding in the rain, add some 3-5 psi of pressure in your tires. Increasing the tire pressure makes its contact patch smaller. In other words, it increases the weight per square inch of the contact patch so that it takes more 'uplift' by water to cause hydroplaning. And just as increasing pressure makes the contact patch smaller, it also tends to spread out the tread grooves which, in turn, makes it easier to squeeze out water away from the contact patch.

Wear a proper rain suit and helmet while riding in the rain. The discomfort of being wet distracts the rider from paying full attention to his riding. Also, raindrops can be very painful when they hit an unprotected face. A good clean visor keeps this unnecessary pain away and you don't have to squint your eyes against the rainy onslaught. Squinting the eyes cuts down the much-needed peripheral vision. Use reflections on a wet road to your advantage. Walls, electric poles, overhead cables and parked vehicles all work as reflecting surfaces that can enable you to see around corners. But avoid all shiny spots on the road like plague. They could mean either a puddle, slippery paint or oil.

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darkknight

1) Ride at speeds below your average cruising speeds. Riding in the rains is primarily to enjoy the scenery & the vistas along with the beautiful climate. Remember it is not to race that you ride but to experience nature. Cruising also helps in getting the opportunity to watch of lot of things which are otherwise missed in a dash to reach the destination

2) Riding / cruising at 60-70 kmph also enables you to control your vehicle much easier than at 80-90.

3) Apply rain protector liquid on your visor (difficult to obtain in India though), else keep a separate cloth (preferable one without threads / cotton popping out) handy on the bike. wherever you slow down/stop use the cloth to wipe the visor

4) Potholes are a big accident waiting to happen if you are on an uncharted territory. It is always with caution that one should approach a pothole filled with water as it’s depth is difficult to gauge from above. There have been cases in the past where rims, spokes, alloys have bent/broken, front wheels completely locking & throwing the rider off. Added caution while crossing a pothole is always advisable.

5) Bullock carts, horses, cows ,dogs ,villagers – only one advice – respect them. In any kind of touring be it rains or otherwise it is these unknown people who lend a helping hand in whatever situation you are trapped.

All these are just some of the things, small as they may seen are important to note & follow.

Some points will be added later on with respect to visibility & safety.

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saj

night time riding in rains...

1. make sure all the lights are functional. headlights are for your convenience and tail lights are for others to see you. in rains, indicators are much more visible than hand signals. use them wisely.

2. wear brightly coloured rain gear like yellow, white, fluorescent green etc.. it is good idea to select rain gear with reflective piping as it increases our visibility to others.

3. potholes are almost invisible at nights, especially when a thousand lights are reflecting from the wet surface. ride slow and safe.

4. maintain larger distances from the vehicle ahead so that there is enough time to react to sudden situations.
a larger distance also prevents from flying muck from the tires of vehicle ahead which is very difficult to clean from the visors.

5. dont wipe the visors with bare hands or dusty/dirty cloth. use a soft clean cotton cloth for the purpose.

6. make the bike visible. some small 3m reflecting stickers on the rear mudguard especially white ones and rear of the helmets are a good way to be more visible at nights!.

7. accelerate and brake in a gentle manner. sudden of both these actions tend to increase chances of traction loss.

8. use good tires with good amount of threads on it.

9. the lights from the vehicles glare from the droplets accumulated on the visors, i dont know how to deal with this problem. ride slow and keep wiping the visor is the only solution i know.

10. overtaking is a skill in rains. when the vehicle gives pass, its a bad idea to accelerate madly. rather accelerate gently and progressively. since the visibility is low in rains, make sure of all the objects ahead before overtaking.

11. giving pass to vehicles behind is also a decision to be taken carefully. give proper signals and reduce speed progressively while giving pass.

12. turns may not be visible as easily as in normal day night time riding. it is better to slow in advance.

13. dont try to lean the bike on curves.

14. on mountains, the soil from the slopes may be very very slippery. try to avoid soil and gravel as much as possible.



... if anyone has more to add, please do the needful...
ride safe and enjoy:-)



saj*

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L.P.

For riding in the rain here are some thoughts that can help:

Lights: Keep your Parking lights ON or on Low Beam.

Ride slow : After or In the rain, when usually road gets wet, the Firction, Traction diminishes.. So it is advisable to ride slow and steady to get a better control on it and if anything happens you get time to correct it!

Braking: It is advisable to use Engine braking during rains, and ifyou are to use the brakes ,Be Gentle on Brakes,as harsh braking may lock up the wheels,and cause them to skid.

Road grip : If your tyre is old, or you are facing big issues with road grip, a temporary solution is to lower the tyre pressure slightly (5-6 psi will do) to get better grip till you can replace the tyre.

Clear vision : If your helmet visor does not have anti-fog capabilities, then you should keep it open slightly to maintain the best vision possible. If you still have issues, wear a balaclava and open the visor fully. The balaclava will ease the pain caused by rain drops while riding at high speeds.
If you have got any kind of Wax polish, Apply a very thin Coat of it!

Take off the glasses : Specs can also cause vision problems. In most cases, you vision will improve if you take them off.

Wear Rain Protective Stuffs : Covering up your arms and legs is a good idea as it prevents the rain drops from hitting the body directly. High speed raindrops are painful. You can use rain Coat's etc..
Also, keep some polythenes with you,keep your valuables in that polythene along with a DRY Handkercheif!

Wear gloves : You wet hands can lose grip on the handlebars. Wear gloves to make sure you retain control of the bike.

Watch out for hail-storms : Look for shelter at the first sign of a hail-storm, and not a tree on the side of the road. For hail-storms, you need a strong structure to protect you and your bike. It should be wide enough to prevent any harm from any direction. Petrol pumps are a good place or any concrete structure will probably be fine.

Maintain distance from the vehicle in front : Not only will it help you brake effectively, it will also minimize the dirt spray on your helmet and clothes.

Toll : If you are riding on way that has got a toll booth,instead of Currency note,use COINS.

Rain protectors : I've seen people riding air-cooled bikes with a large cardboard just in front of the engine to prevent their trousers from getting dirty. This can harm the engine. Carry the 'work bag' if arriving clean is important.

IF you are riding to WORK in Rain:

Rain Coats: The best option to save you.

Carry a bag : You rode to work, you can't roam around wet and dirty all day. So keep some Clothes, A pair of undergarments,and a COMB, by which you can get dressed back into a human being,bychanging in the washroom!

Leave early : Try to start early from home if it raining,because the traffic gets slow..


I know this is not complete, But please feel free to input more to complete it!
Happy Riding !!
Cheers
LP

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Spiti ||Binsar || Lansdowne

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zeeshansayed

All these tips are really very useful, for new as well as for experienced riders. One never knows as to what happens on the next turn. So an advice please follow the simple instructions given by our friends as it will not only help us but save others as well.

Thanks a lot guys!!

zeeshansayed

As all of us who have bikes use them for going to work, so here are a re few tips which I follow to be on time and be prepared for the rains as well..

1> Always wear a proper Rain Coat specially the ones with Pants.

2> Wear shorts and a Tshirt below the Rain Suit as you will not have the tension of them getting wet even if water seeps in from the Rain Coat.

3> Carry your work clothes in a well sealed bag to avoid getting them wet.

4> If you have a helmet with black visors do change them to the transparent ones as they help a lot, the black one will make the view difficult.

5> Most important calculate as to what time you usually leave for office and accordingly leave alomst half an hour to 45 min early. Trust me you will get all the time to change as well.

6> Check you tyre pressure and brakes, also dont forget to check the lights specially the tail light, as its helps the person driving/riding behind you.

7> Avoid overtaking on flyovers and highways as you never know if its OIL or Water, and also avoid Potholes.

*** Last drive safely, there is someone waiting for you at home ***

princesirohi

we have got some conflicting suggestions here.

earlier, i too used to think that decreasing the tyre pressure help increase the tyre grip, but after reading a few articles on the internet about hydroplanning and tyre traction, i now think that increasing the pressure a bit might actually increase the grip.

also i have read in articles that hydroplanning generally happens with cars and that too with less air pressure, since bike tyres have a curved profile, there are negligible chances of hydroplanning.

expert, help here.

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Nothing is worth doing unless it has the potential to f*** up your entire life........
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princesirohi

can some expert reply to me above point. old fox, actually i send you two PM's also, hoping that you will reply.

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Nothing is worth doing unless it has the potential to f*** up your entire life........
---------
All About Tyre Sizes ____ Spark Plug Info

Spark Plug Cross Rererence Table for Heat Range Between Different Brands ____ Pirelli & Michelin Tyres for Indian Bikes

ASHTAVINAYAK & SHIRDI BIKE TOUR WITH WIFE

rameshrana03

well friend i'm not any expert but i think they both are right.
one fellow is telling us about tackling road with new tyres
(more air=less area of contact=water flows easily from design=better grip)

while other one is telling us what to do if tyres are old i.e. no design to let water flow from underneath tyre
(less pressure=more contact=more chances that tyre may make contact with road properly=better grip)

the above is my opinion..any1 backing me on this??????

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Mrityunjaya

One most important thing I do for effective braking and cornering is keep checking to friction of the road with my foot.. There are different kind of road surfaces and due to different amount of rainfall on them, there are always different road frictions during rain..

I know what kind of sole my shoe has and while riding on the road I put my left leg softly on the road and rub it on road surface for a second or two (be sure at that time there are no pebbles or stones or potholes or uneven surface on the road when you do this or else you might get hurt)

Doing this i get a first hand experience of what is the friction the road has to offer to me, and my mind does all the calculation of how comfortable I am braking on this surface with the kind of tyre I have.

This needs good amount of experience to know the level of grip your tyres provide, calculating it with the way you brake and eventually relating it with they way your foot slides on the road surface.

It helps me... I dont know how many of you have tried this.. but i suggest you guys to try this.. It really works....