Rainy season comes every year. It is unpleasant for the riders to travel in hot and humid days, but rain is a worst enemy for them.
This year’s rainy season is expected to come actively on the latter part of July and the rainfall will hit nationwide. Since local heavy rainfall is expected, it is recommended that you check the local long-term weather forecast very well when making some touring plans.
What will you do if heavy rain and thunder catch you in the road?
This time, I will be sharing some precautions when riding under the heavy rain.
There may be heavy rainfall with thunder on the latter part of the rainy season especially in the western part of Japan that seems to hit more often, and I also had experienced winding in mountains before with heavy rainfall, thunder, and lightning.
That time, lightning fell near me with flashy lights and water overflowed on the road like a river. Then, there was this road puddle which made me impossible to move. So, I decided to ran away and went to the nearby store. I should stay in a well-built building which is safe against lightning strikes. That was the safer way since lighting is grounded in the car. But, the danger in hiding into the big tree during heavy rain with lightning is great. It is also dangerous to go on for a ride in hill since lightning mostly strikes in high places.
The motorcycle cannot run properly at a depth of 10cm or more
You should also be careful if the road is submerged. First, because the depth is unknown and the road width is not clear, there is a risk of falling into a ditch or the like. If you can not bypass it by yourself, walk and cross it once. And from my experience, it is difficult to control the motorcycle even at a depth of about 10cm. The water resistance is more than imagined, and as the speed increases the front wheels are cut and float due to the strong resistance, and you will easily get out of balance and fall.
If you come across such a situation, The only thing you can do is keep the balance of your motorcycle and go slowly. In addition, there is a risk of landslides when it rains so much, so if it is a mountain road, you should change the route promptly.
Do not drive “Forcefully” in rainy weather
I talked to the extreme, but there are tips on how to ride properly that can be used in normal rainy weather.
One is to avoid “Force” movements and operations. The road surface is naturally slippery in rainy weather. If you accelerate quickly, brake quickly, or quick turn, the tires will lose grip.
On the other hand, even in rainy weather, you can use the “Slow” and polite actions/operations to apply the brakes fairly strongly, and it is safe to turn the motorcycle deeper than you think. For example, if you push an eraser (tire) against a desk (road surface) and move it slowly, you can see which one is more slippery if you hit it like hitting it, just by thinking.
Riding with decided “Bank Angle”
The other one is not to deepen the bank angle beyond a certain level. If it is dry road surfaces, it will be usable without problems to the end of the tire with a high grip and touring type if it is a modern tire. However, with the wet road surfaces, the tires cannot run the same way no matter how evolved.
It was once said in rainy weather, it was said, “Run in the area where the ditch is cut”. In other words, even the part where the groove for enhancing drainage was inscribed was a safe zone. In the current tire, due to the improvement of the compound and the evolution of the structure of the tire itself, depending on the situation, the slick part which has no groove even in the wet road surfaces can be used normally. Although, Those who get used up quickly become arrogant when they get used to it. It is safe and secure to decide the bank angle for the rainy weather by yourself and to run in a way that does not result in serious injuries.
