Experienced rider, but New monster owner.
I've owned a lot of dual sport bikes, which are ready for any weather, surface, etc.
The monster is different, totally road oriented. I have dunlop sportmax d220 on front and back. I commute on it, but have avoided rainy days. I have a 10 mile stretch of highway during the commute. Should I worry?
Q: Do you ride in the rain on your Monster? How are the Dunlops in the rain?
guessing (hey the only experience I ever have is through my own body and mind)....
but....
rider ability and attitude plays a greater part in wet weather riding than equipment (these days).
Be smooth (throttle & brake), be attentive, be proactive (don't wait for them to hit the brakes before you're already doing it), extra space, stay warm and dry so that your comfortable and can concentrate properly.
I live in Australia and we're in a draught at the moment and yet I'm still running at about 70% rain on my rides - that is, it will rain in some form 7 out of 10 rides that I do.
2 days ago I got caught out with a new front tire (slippery), new brake pads (bite hard), re-bleed brakes (more powerful) and rain (after 10 days of dry)....still made it home....but mentally I was knackered!
I never think about whether the bike is suitable or not - I think about whether my mind is up for it or not...all systems have to be green light before I'll throw a leg over.
no FHE with your tires, so no comment.
Rode through rain all last winter long.
2+hours in tropical storm @ 75mph highway speeds.
Good tires, good setup, believe in your tires and you shouldnt have a problem.
this is where having a good suspension and tires can make or break your confidence.
If your tires have more than their wear bars for tread, you should be fine.
As mentioned, try to ride smooth. If you're like me you will probably ride more cautiously in the wet than you have to.
That's not a bad thing.
Using regular street tires, even ones that are close to done, I have yet to reach traction limits.
My biggest issue with wet riding is visibility.
I did my 35 mile each way commute on my Monster every day that there wasn't snow or ice on the ground. We had a tropical storm blow through at one point, and it was just fine. My bike had Michelin Pilot Road shoes on, and I've never had any problems with them.
Great, thanks all for the feedback.
Now I just have to get my rain gear straight and I'm set.
With enough rain, hydroplaning is a definite possibility. Ask herm about riding to DIMBY.
Then again, that was some serious rain. Like 3"+/ hr rain.
Motorcycles can most, definitely hydroplane. :o
Here (http://www.mistihurst.com/files/M_A_07.pdf) is a great article about riding the rain by AMA racer and CSS instructor Misti Hurst, also a DMF member.
She has a bunch more [moto] related articles on her website www.mistihurst.com (http://www.mistihurst.com) under the news tab.
Quote from: DesmoDiva on October 05, 2008, 10:25:29 AM
Motorcycles can most, definitely hydroplane. :o
+1
Don't ride in the worst storm of the winter with brand-new tires across an extremely windy bridge. :o
(Yes I made it in one piece.)
Rain -- easy.
Smooth throttle control, smoother brakeing. Everything been covered.
When I'm coming to a stop I lightly get on the brakes, then release, then get back on them. It clears off the inital wetness on your rotors.
(Then again, I also like to jam on the rear brake, kick the back out about two feet and come sliding to a stop. And I also like doing powerslides up to about 50 when I start... but I'm a squid.)
Now ice, ice was a differnt beast. But the 20 miles was fun.
Quote from: wbeck257 on October 06, 2008, 07:26:51 AM
Now ice, ice was a differnt beast. But the 20 miles was fun.
I used to have a Honda XR650L dual sport mostly configured for the dirt. My buddy and I (he had the same bike) would take them out in Colorado after the first big snow storm. We would ride the twisty paved roads in the Denver foothills with about 6 to 12 inches of snow on them, before the plows came by. It was a complete blast, and the dirt tires work great in the snow. However, the hard packed ice was a little sketchy and we both had some interesting get-offs that ended with bike and body sliding down the street for quite a while. One time I looked up to see my buddies bike sliding down the pavement with him sitting on top (or on the side of the bike since it was on the ground) waving at me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Aw, my younger, stupid days!
I would never do that with the Duc though.
Sorry to hijack this thread. Just making a comment about ice riding. :)
I've been cought in the rain a lot with my monster and i never had any major problems,except for the cleaning part of it.I ride with bridgestones bt150 and it's pretty good on wet roads.My two cents. ;D
I ride in the rain, it's not so much what tire you're running but having good tread on it. I've not had any water related problems as of yet. I've ridden in some really really heavy rains, recently, I passed a line of animals headed for a big boat it was raining so hard ~
JM
[moto] Being up in Seattle, I've got to ride in the rain if I want to ride. [moto]
Quote from: duc996 on October 07, 2008, 04:52:50 AM
I've been cought in the rain a lot with my monster and i never had any major problems,except for the cleaning part of it.
What do you have to clean after riding in the rain? My monster is my daily driver and I just let it dry off in the garage when I get home. Is there something special to do? I've heard that water can be bad for the electrical system (like be careful when you wash it but I thought that was the pressure of the hose.)
You don't *have* to clean anything after riding in the rain. That said, when I was riding in the rain constantly, I got in the habit of having a towel in the garage (or my messenger bag), just to quickly--like 15 seconds) wipe off some of the muck from the cowl and back of the bike. I was riding without a hugger and with a tailchop so it'd get messy fast. It was just cosmetic.
It's probably a good idea to clean and lube your chain more often if you are frequently riding in the rain.
depends on where you are. I quickly hose my bike down if i ride in the rain (10 seconds)
Im worried about salt water and acid (live in major city)
I don't mind riding in the rain, living in northern tropical Australia, we are coming up to the wet season and for the best part of 2 months, if you want to ride, you will get wet.
Those big tropical downpour sting like hell rain drops!
I use less front brake and a little more rear, smooth on the throttle, avoid the rainbows on the road (diesel and oil) always check your tyres are healthy, I just put on Bridgestone BT016's front and rear, and while they are not a really good tyre in the wet, I have to say so far I have been impressed.
Take it easy and don't try to get your knee down in the turns and you'll be fine.
Quote from: when the road bends on October 03, 2008, 12:58:09 PMI've owned a lot of dual sport bikes, which are ready for any weather, surface, etc.
Q: Do you ride in the rain on your Monster? How are the Dunlops in the rain?
I try to avoid riding in the rain but sometimes you get caught. It won't harm the Monster.
You have previous experience....you'll be fine. Don't overthink it. Be smooth.
I didn't see this posted but at intersections just after the rain has started are VERY slippy. All the oil that has been deposited by cars while waiting is now coming up onto the road surface making it slick. If it has been raining for a while this is usually not an issue.
Quote from: when the road bends on October 03, 2008, 12:58:09 PM
Q: Do you ride in the rain on your Monster?
HELL NO!!!!!Unless I'm following DP on a group ride that is. [roll]
Quote from: Jetbrett on October 09, 2008, 12:38:48 PM
[moto] Being up in Seattle, I've got to ride in the rain if I want to ride. [moto]
+1. Although the BMW's tires handle the rain better than the Monster's.
I think it rained the entire ride to Indy GP and back.......and during the damn race as well [roll] Coming through the NC mountains on the interstate, water was shedding off the road perpendicular to my direction of travel. There wasn't a straight section for miles and as I'm heading downhill at 70mph the back end(mich2CTs) would step out ever so slightly as I crossed the watersheds. Slowed it down a bit and stayed super smooth with no more incidents, but it woke me up alright 8)
I gained a lot of confidence in the wet on that trip!
(http://images2c.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp53658%3Enu%3D3386%3E5%3B9%3E668%3EWSNRCG%3D3239%3A472%3C738%3Anu0mrj)
The michelin 2CTs handled a drizzle on the dragon with ease.
Quote from: Arimaul on October 09, 2008, 01:19:22 PM
What do you have to clean after riding in the rain? My monster is my daily driver and I just let it dry off in the garage when I get home. Is there something special to do? I've heard that water can be bad for the electrical system (like be careful when you wash it but I thought that was the pressure of the hose.)
The cleaning part of it is a pain sometimes,esp the small areas in the bike where you have to get in and get some dirt out.;-)
Question for you guys...
I owned MTS before. Surprisingly (well maybe not) the cluster is not waterproof. Riding in the rain will cause some leak and condensation on the LCD.
Are the Monster's gauges pretty much water-tight?
Thanks.
Quote from: BastrdHK on December 01, 2008, 05:50:16 PM
The michelin 2CTs handled a drizzle on the dragon with ease.
which 2cts roads or powers?
Quote from: Obsessed? on October 03, 2008, 08:38:53 PM
If your tires have more than their wear bars for tread, you should be fine.
These are the tires that came with my Monster:
(http://www.bridgestone.eu/upload/images/products/mc/hd/Battlax_BT-56_lg_r.jpg)
This is my first bike; I am used to car tires, and compared to car tires, these don't look like they would do well in the rain at all. They basically look like slick tires to me.
Do you think that they are fairly safe in the rain?
Giordy
Those stock street tires are not like slicks. Slicks will give you pretty much no traction in the rain. They're terrifying. I've taken a bike with slicks onto the track before in the rain. I soiled myself. In each corner.
That said, no tire is "safe" in the rain. Just take it easy. You can still lean the bike a bit, but make sure you hang off. And get used to it sliding around. Be really careful of painted lines, the middle of the lanes where oil gathers, and of the roads when during the first rain when all the oil and muck comes to the surface. If you have questions about rain riding techniques specifically, that's worth starting another thread. Here are some suggestions I wrote up for mucky roads: http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=14341.0
Quote from: Spidey on December 18, 2008, 05:55:55 PM
Be really careful of... the middle of the lanes where oil gathers...
+1
Ride in the tire tracks from cars, leave lots of room for breaking, be careful of poor visibility as helmets don't have wipers ;) and even anti-fog lenses still fog...
It isn't much fun but it isn't the worst thing either. I don't go for a ride when it's raining. But, I don't stop riding if it starts raining.
Quote from: giordy on December 18, 2008, 05:13:51 PM
These are the tires that came with my Monster:
(http://www.bridgestone.eu/upload/images/products/mc/hd/Battlax_BT-56_lg_r.jpg)
This is my first bike; I am used to car tires, and compared to car tires, these don't look like they would do well in the rain at all. They basically look like slick tires to me.
Do you think that they are fairly safe in the rain?
Giordy
I've ridden in the rain a little with that variant of the Battlax on a Bandit 600. I don't recall any real problems. I've had good luck with Diablos in the rain. I DO NOT like Dunlop Qualifiers in the rain. The guages on my '99 Monster have been in some seriously hard rains with no problem. Just take it easy and stay away from the exact center lane like mentioned above ~
JM
I *always* wimp out in the rain. I ride in it a lot, as I frequently commute on the Monster (in Hawaii, in the rainy season), but I know I go waaaaaaay slower than necessary. Actually got a good lesson today: riding with a much more experienced rider, thru some twisties, on wet roads. He was going faster then I was comfortable with (given the wetness), but i just kept telling myself "stay with him, if he can stay up, so can you". And whattaya know? I stayed up!
Once he was gone, I was good ol' slow-in-the-wet me again ;)
Quote from: elTristo on December 28, 2008, 09:37:11 PM
...but i just kept telling myself "stay with him, if he can stay up, so can you". And whattaya know? I stayed up!
That is probably the worse thing you could have done.
Don't ride other peoples pace, ride yours. You'll probably last longer that way.
I love mountain biking in a good storm. I don't like riding my road bike or Monster when it's raining, so I don't!
Quote from: wbeck257 on December 29, 2008, 06:54:53 AM
That is probably the worse thing you could have done.
Don't ride other peoples pace, ride yours. You'll probably last longer that way.
I understand that, and generally that is precisely what I do. But, I've been riding for, i dunno, 15 years now, and I know I go waaaay slower in the rain than I need to. What better way to get, well, better than follow someone whom I know to be safe in a situation that I also know to be safe?
I can't tell you about the tires but...
There's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't ride your bike in the rain, IMHO. There are plenty of people in plenty of places round the world that can't help riding in the rain. Aside from individual bike problems (electrical for example) caused by water/ damp I don't see any reason why it can't be an all weather bike. Just realize that water limits certain aspects of your riding and take it easy.