How far can you lean over in the Rain ?

[jambo]

1/2 sensible tyres in good nick, on a good surface will be fine in the wet. The problem is that the rain makes the differences in grip more apparent (banding, man hole covers, patchwork tarmac repairs etc). Smooth and gentle, gripping hard with the knees and putting no weight on the wrists is even more important in slippery conditions

I really love riding in summer thunderstorms

[Viney]

Originally Posted by PatrickUK

Well it's not.

I keep trying everytime...

well I try it twice - almost do a highsider, bike wobbles for a few secs until I get it back under control...

Then you are not being smooth enough. Hell, im crap in the wet. The gixxer may have has some very sticky rubber for all you know, but the Z'6 i find pretty good in the rain, every so slightly better the contis, which i found to be better in the wet than dry. You may just have found the limit of the tyres/road surface, and you may, just be leaning further than you think.

[fizzwheel]

I feel more confident in the rain on the SV than the GSXR.

Its me not the bike though. Also I find that I'm riding just to flippin fast in the wet on the GSXR and I'm pushing the bike to hard. It was better at the weekend when I told myself this and I slowed down. I still had the following though

1 x Front end slide
1 x Front and rear slide at the same time
1 x Spin up the back wheel.

I think the SV is easier to ride in the wet, the smoother power delivery and the fact that it has less BHP then the GSXR make it more confidence inspiring. Also I've done alot more wet miles on the SV than I have on the GSXR.

Also the Z6's that I have fitted to the SV seem to be absoloutly brilliant wet tyres. Best of all the different tyres I have tried.

You can lean over a fair way in the rain. Its as the others have said being smooth and confident. It just takes practice.

[21QUEST]

Originally Posted by jambo

....gripping hard with the knees and putting no weight on the wrists is even more important in slippery conditions

All said don't worry too much about lean angles on the bike just don't be afraid of leaning it.

It's very important to make time in wet conditions. You do that by scanning even further ahead than in the dry. This helps prevent having to change direction to miss cateyes,over banding etc. if your choosen trajectory happens to take you over dodgy surface at the very least keep a neutral throttle. A little wiggle maybe and you carry on.

Easy mistake is to turn in too early in the wet which may cause you to run wide and so have to add more lean.

I keep the bike in lower gears in the wet so I have good drive all the time. Most of time whilst riding in the wet, nothing more than 4Th gear for me. Makes it easier to balance the bike on the throttle prevent unneccessary loading of the front, better engine breaking.

Down changes I use the slipping clutch method(as I do in the dry really).Prefer that to blipping which I do occasionally. Also helps to hang off a bit more. You don't need to be ape hanging.

Did I mention I love riding in the wet

Cheers
Ben

there was an article in bike, with datalogged tests and stuff a while back.

i think it was something like 5 degrees difference or something like that, between wet and dry conditions til you lose grip.

[Biker Biggles]

I lean it a lot less in the wet.Self preservation gets the better of bravado here.

i need to learn to lean in the dry never mind the rain
i have said it before i have stablizers on my bike

Originally Posted by PatrickUK

Last week a gsxr was in front of me on the way home from work.

It was raining - no matter how fast/slow I go I am not able to lean the bike over more than ~20 degrees.

Anything above that my tryres start to skid all over the place.

I'm on Z6's , same was on the Road Attacks.


But the guy in front of me was able to lean over completely - as I would be able on a dry surface...

I doubt the SV's sh1te suspension is doing you any favours when it comes to grip verses a gixer!!

Try riding a ZX9R in the wet - the damned thing tries to spit you off if you're not careful with the throttle.

Almost got spat off last Saturday on a straight bit of damp road exiting a roundabout. Took the roundabout in 2nd no problems, got onto the straight, hooked into 3rd and marginally applied the throttle (Not much it was wet roads). The end of the Kwak tried to overtake the front 4foot swing to the left, 4 to the right, left and right again before it behaved itself again.
The taxi driver behind me kept his distance probaly wondering how the hell I stayed on and controlled it

Don't know how I stayed on yet Are kwak 9r's running BT020's supposed to act like widowmakers in the wet?? Gave me a brown pants moment....

The SV Thou on the same 020's didn't do that

I'm like a 3 year old with stablizers on my bike in the wet.... only been in the wet once as well!