A Guide to Riding Your Street Bike in the Rain

While you might not have planned to ride your street bike in the rain, there are times when it’s unavoidable. You might already be on your motorcycle headed to your destination when the rain hits out of nowhere. Maybe your car is in the shop on a day full of scattered showers. Either way, you need to be prepared to safely ride in the rain. Your safety is very important to us, which is why we have gathered some useful tips for riding your motorcycle in the rain.

Prep Your Motorcycle

Before you even attempt to ride in the rain, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve properly prepared your street motorcycle and it’s in good shape. Prepare your bike in advance to avoid running into issues in the rain. You’ll be glad that you found an issue in the comfort of your driveway or garage rather than in the freezing cold rain on the highway.

Start by checking your tires to ensure they have enough tread to give you traction on the slick, wet roads. They also need to be correctly inflated to the level of pressure that’s recommended in the owner’s manual. Next, check and make sure you’ve got enough engine oil and brake fluids. Test your brakes, throttle, and clutch. Last but not least, check to confirm that all the lights are as visible and bright as they should be. If you spot any issues, you’ll want to address them before hitting the road.

Adjust Your Riding

One of the main components of successfully riding your street bike in the rain is being able to adapt to the road conditions at hand. After all, wet riding requires you to use defensive driving habits. For example, leave ample room between yourself and other motorists on the road. If someone comes to a sudden stop, you’ll need plenty of time to slow down and avoid a collision. You should always take turns and lane changes slow in the rain. You can expect the roads to be slick, which means you’ll have reduced traction.

Steel plates are common on city streets for covering holes in construction zones. When wet, they provide zero traction and become severely slick. Don’t make a quick change in your speed or direction while riding across steel plates, as you might end up sliding.

Now that you’re prepared to ride your street bike in the rain, it’s time to hit the road! If you’re in the market for a motorcycle, we’ve got you covered. We have a wide selection of street bikes for sale here at SoCal Honda Powersports in Carson, CA, so stop by our dealership today! Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to give you a full tour of all the top models that we have in stock right now. We proudly serve all those in Los Angeles and Long Beach.