Grip in Wet?

[AndyL]

Hi All,

I Guess I am posting this message 50% for an answer and 50% for a confidence boost (read: kick up the backside). Anyway, I have owned my bike for a little over 2 weeks now and am ashamed to say I have only covered 65 miles :sad:. This is for 2 reasons, firstly, because I moved house last weekend so have been really busy sorting everything out for that but also becuase everytime I get a bit of spare time it seems to rain (or is at least very wet). Should I be worried about coming off in the wet? I guess I am worried cos my tyres are almost brand new (62 miles, so still need scrubbing in) and I have never ever ridin' in the rain/or wet. Should I be waiting a little longer to scrub in my tyres before I attempt wet weather riging? Is there that much difference between dry and wet weather grip (I dont tend to ride fast yet anyway) Am I just being a wimp?!

Cheers,

Andy

[etuna]

probably right to be a bit nervous on an 08 bike 2 weeks after passing your test with new tyres! Take it easy and you'll get there. I did my DAS course in a monsoon so was prepared for a bit or rain. :)

[the_lone_wolf]

you aren't going to be scrubbing your tyres in in standing water, and if you feel unconfident your riding style will be ragged and the chances of you tensing up and making a mistake will be greater...

the truth is that there's a lot more grip in the wet than you think, just ride sensibly, look out for diesel and manhole covers and you'll be fine

[krhall]

Yeah take your time to get used to it. I hate to admit it but even in the damp I don't take any chances........its not worth the risk. New bike with new tyres stay safe and get confident on your new bike mate.

BTW 65 miles is more than a lot of people do in a year......

[amnesia]

The key to riding in the wet is smoothness. Easy with the throttle, easy with the brakes and keep off the paint and grids where you can. Also watch out for the leaves at this time of year, and roads with overhanging trees will stay damp for much longer than open roads.


65miles is no distance at all. Don't pressure yourself over this...confidence is built over time - let it happen on its own by getting miles under your wheels. Relax, be smooth and it will all be fine.


:smt023

[JamesMio]

Cast your eyes over the Rideout of the Stuartyboy thread in the Ecosse section..... Rain!? Pah!!!

[jimmy-james]

I passed in May this year and am still getting the confidence up in the wet and i use mine for pleasure and the daily commute. I always feel like there will be no warning and it will just fall away from under me however my new rubber is making a lot of difference to my confidence and its getting better all the time as the tyres get more scrubbed in. Problem is they dont teach you things like wet weather riding and winter riding in the DAS test and a part of me wishes they would even if it cost a bit more to do.

As others have said be smooth and take it easy in the wet and you will be fine. Curiously what are the factory tyres on new SV's?

[Hardened Rider]

Even if the road is damp I try to keep the bike as upright as possible on corners. Minimising the lean angle will minimise the risk of low siding. On a handful of occasions the bike has begun to slide from under me, you will see plenty of threads where guys have had to put a foot down on roundabouts etc, usually caused by too much speed for the conditions. And if you do hit diesel then you will slide. Just take it easy, nimble on the corners and you will be fine. I've just hit 45,000 miles on my K6, a lot of commuting in the rain, and the advice I can give is keep the lean angle to a minimum and have the right gear before you enter the corner, stops you being jerky on the corner itself, oh and as you should have learned on your DAS always look ahead to the point your corner goes into a straight (not looking a few in front of you), this will make you a million times smoother on the corner itself.

[dizzyblonde]

Just go sensibly in rain. Thats it really. Its hard to relax when its freezin and wet, but unfortunatly your tyres won't get scrubbed in the garage. If its any consolation I inherited suzy with BT45 tyres with an over sized front, and a tyre that was almost shagged, square, with a nice split in it (read paranoid) had to ride em every where, had no brass to replace em straight away, and it was this time of year too.

I always seem to pick days when its about to rain to get a new set too, just ride slightly conservatively and you'll be fine, sometimes its more yourself than the tyres that are at fault, they are better in the wet than expected if your careful.

[Dangerous Dave]

Take your time, learn to be smooth with everything (brakes, throttle, body movement, etc) and you will be fine. Most improtantly you need to try and stay relaxed, don't tense up every time you need to brake of go around corners (I know that might sound impossible at the moment). Wet weather riding can be daunting for the experienced dry/damp weather rider too so you have nothing to feel embarrassed about. Me, I love it...

At this point in your biking career I wouldn't bother to try and get your knee down or see how far you can lean, it will all come naturally by next summer.

[AndyL]

Cheers for all the advice (and confidence boost). I am supposed to be going on a ride out with a friend of mine this weekend (he too has only just passed his test), we were going to cancel and rearrange if it rained but I think we might still go out now. As for riding conservatively goes, I only go at a snails pace at the moment anyway, lol.

[chakraist]

Woah, liking the CSS there? Is that a forum problem?

Good luck with wet weather stuff btw, I got a new rear tyre a day it poured down, was scary.

[yorkie_chris]

As others have said ... just feck the stock tyres off into a skip and fit some decent sport-touring rubber. Tyres are biggest giver and taker of confidence.

[jambo]

As others have said ... just feck the stock tyres off into a skip and fit some decent sport-touring rubber. Tyres are biggest giver and taker of confidence.
Oh come on, let's be sensible shall we? He's done 65 miles and your advice is to throw away a perfectly good set of tyres and blow £180 on a new set to be fitted?

The Dunlop D220s fitted as standard are not the best tyres from cold and they take a while to warm up, no arguing that but I've played about in the wet on them and they were fine. There are other tyres that work slightly better from cold, but declaring that they're only good for the bin is just being silly.

Jambo

[yorkie_chris]

yeah too extreme. Really should read threads properly...

Couple of thousand miles though and he'll start to feel them.

Ignore all the above from me... Sorry...

[Dappa D]

The Dunlop D220s fitted as standard are not the best tyres from cold and they take a while to warm up, no arguing that but I've played about in the wet on them and they were fine. There are other tyres that work slightly better from cold, but declaring that they're only good for the bin is just being silly.

Jambo

+1

no point in getting rid of perfectly good tyres IMO, yes when they need replacing get something better. but no point yet they are perfectly fine, especially as your just starting out, I used these untill they needed replacing to commute everyday...all weather....had a tiny slip once....put foot down and was fine, was just a mix of rain and slippy paint....

[Alpinestarhero]

Get out on a sunny (or at least dry) day and drain a tank around some twisties, that should get the tyres scrubbed in. Wet grip...there is more than you think. Example from me; i was two up on my SV, full topbox, full tankbag, coming around a corner (long sweeper) there was a manhole cover...so I adjusted to avoid that but could not react quick in time to miss the next one. Rode right over it; there was a slip, but the tyres regained grip quickly. I wasnt lent over too far but it wasnt as if i was wobbling about. That single moment enabled me to put some faith into my tyres regarding their wet weather performance (also, faith in the SV!)

Wet weather riding is something that you get miles better at with experiance and confidence. Dont be afraid to move about on the bike (I hang off a bit to help keep the bike more upright for examples) and be smooth with the brakes...if you can get away with it, just rely on the engine braking (dont forget to blip on dowshifts if you are at higher engine speeds...)

Have fun, get riding!

Matt

[Dangerous Dave]

The Dunlop D220s fitted as standard are not the best tyres from cold and they take a while to warm up, no arguing that but I've played about in the wet on them and they were fine.
They aren't bad but the aren't great either...

I wouldn't say they are terrible and you would need to change them straight away...

I wouldn't recommend them to be fitted as a second set simply because there are so many better tyres out there...

[Benji]

If you are new rider the you honestly won't notice what people are talking about with the standard tyres.

Here is a bit of a Days Of Thunder moment:

Harry Hogge (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/): Cole, you're in third place, that's a respectable position. Now when they slow down for turn four, I want you to pass them on the outside.
Cole Trickle (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/): Harry, you told me nobody passes on the outside in turn four!
Harry Hogge (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/): Well now, I'm telling you different. If you go to the outside, you can hold it.
Tim Daland (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001642/): He's gonna end up in the wall Harry!
Harry Hogge (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/): Cole, the pace car is ready to duck on off, I don't have much time to tell you this.
Cole Trickle (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/): Well, tell me how?
Harry Hogge (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/): Because we have a really good set of matched tires on it.
Tim Daland (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001642/): What?
Cole Trickle (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/): What?
Harry Hogge (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/): Those tires are matched perfect and staggered special.
Tim Daland (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001642/): You're gonna get him killed!
Harry Hogge (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/): The pace car is getting ready to duck on off. If you go to the outside, you CAN hold it.
Cole Trickle (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/): All right Harry, when it comes to the car, I'll take your word.


You understand what I am trying to say? The tyres are fine, you'll be fine, if you do do anything silly in the wet as a new rider it'll probably have you off on ANY tyre including full race wets.

Ask me how I know.

Benji

[Stu]

As others have said ... just feck the stock tyres off into a skip and fit some decent sport-touring rubber. Tyres are biggest giver and taker of confidence.
I'll have them! :cheers: Don't skip them! give them to me! Please!

Just changed to D220s & they're absolutely fine.

[AndyL]

I'll have them! :cheers: Don't skip them! give them to me! Please!

Just changed to D220s & they're absolutely fine.

If I were going to change them then I would have give them to you, BUT unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy new tyres at the moment so I will be keeping these until they have served their full life.

[sinbad]

Aye they're okay, but not brilliant in the cold in my experience, felt a bit plasticky.

Curiously I tend to feel the SV is a bit more competent in the wet, its suspension is less stressed I suppose. I quite enjoy it.

[sv_rory]

My bike is awesome in the wet, it performs just as well as it does in the dry, no understeer or slip within reason.

Might be because the suspension ive got plus i have got a really good set of tyres i think

[AndyL]

Are grids/manhole covers really that slippy in the wet? Should I be trying to go out of my way to avoid them? :confused:

[the_lone_wolf]

Are grids/manhole covers really that slippy in the wet? Should I be trying to go out of my way to avoid them? :confused:

some are better than others but generally if you're lent over then yes, be very wary of them, you can hit them and slide a bit and the tyre will probably catch on the other side, but it might not, or you could have already slipped into oncoming traffic

also watch out for them when braking or accelerating, as the wheels can easily lock and spin if you catch them

just take it steady and avoid them if possible, if it's not possible try to relax and ride it out, and then work out WHY you couldn't avoid it so next time you can..:cool:

[jimmy-james]

Dodge the manhole cover in the dry is great fun, its like a slalom course! Personally i find them a pain in the wet and i swear they are placed by idiots with no thought on corners and generally stupid places.

[Nobbylad]

My stock 220's are on 5k miles now and have plenty left in them by the looks of them. I have a daily commute of nearly 100 miles (round trip) and they're not squared off yet.

I've had one slip/wobble in the wet which was down to me giving it far too much acceleration and the back started to spin, luckily it got grip again somehow and it was a good lesson in taking it easy in the wet, however I was giving it LOADS before it went.

As everyone else has said, just take it easy in the wet, try not to focus on it too much though 'cos you will stiffen up/focus on a few feet in front of you when you should be taking notice of everything else around you.

Take it easy and stay safe.

[Stu]

My bike is awesome in the wet, it performs just as well as it does in the dry, no understeer or slip within reason.

Might be because the suspension ive got plus i have got a really good set of tyres i think
Shame your keeping what they are a secret :(

[aarond]

Cast your eyes over the Rideout of the Stuartyboy thread in the Ecosse section..... Rain!? Pah!!!

my conclusions much more grip than i thought and who needs a back end!:D lol, just take it easy mate as people say smoothness is the key and avoid things like manholes line paint etc!

[TazDaz]

Get out on a sunny (or at least dry) day and drain a tank around some twisties, that should get the tyres scrubbed in.

Great bit of advice. As a newbie rider all I can say is get out there and do some riding! You'll only get smoother and more comfortable with time on the beast!

First Sunday I had my bike I clocked up about 300miles doing an all day run from Basingstoke to Brighton then onto Portsmouth etc - all on twisties. Weather was perfect for it!

It then rained for the next 3-4 days, and all through the week my confidence was fine. Then on one of the days I felt the front wheel slide out a little bit and it completely knocked my confidence in both the wet and dry (I did a thread about it a few weeks ago).

Luckily though I've been purposely riding my bike, regardless of weather conditions, to gain more experience and 500miles later I'm happy to report my confidence is back to where it was!

[Bibio]

if you are not confident and the bike is not a daily commute, then don't ride in the rain especially at this time of year with all the gritters being out and the temperature drop.

don't get all hung up on the size of your 'chicken strips'. my brother has been riding for 30 odd years, he's an ex chapter member etc, etc and his are huge.. yes he gets a ribbing from me but he just shrugs his shoulders and says 'who cares'..

at the end of the day its what you want out of the bike, if its for pleasure then use it for pleasure. getting cold wet and missarable is no fun and it will put you off going out.

and as said before if you must go out in the rain then smoothness of riding is a must. riding in rain is not that bad, its the 'greasy roads', that are the worst.

take it easy and be safe, scr£w everyone else.

[dizzyblonde]

Are grids/manhole covers really that slippy in the wet? Should I be trying to go out of my way to avoid them? :confused:

theres a sh!t of a manhole cover on my way home from work. I get to the top of a hill that had speed bumps, and its a sharp right turn up another hill, a bit awkward as a wall on the right stops you seeing cars properly, and the manhole cover is dead on your line of riding, I've had a few bottom clenching moments over that damn thing, should know to avoid it by now, but it always catches me out.
Like someone before me said, wet manhole covers on the straights and less complicated terrain is like a game of dodge, swinging side to side to avoid.....with confidence you'll get the jist of avoiding them

[yorkie_chris]

If you're going in a straight line, at a steady speed it does beg the question why you would need to avoid them

[dizzyblonde]

sometimes theres other crap, potholes,bits of trees blown down in gale force wind, god just the road sometimes. Now 5.30am on a February morning in the dark, drizzle, mist, frost ... well ya get the picture.