Do you trust wet tires?

fazernoob66

fazernoob66

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Being new to sport bikes, I'm still getting used to the feel if the tires. I trust them dry, but wet I'm completely unsure of how far they can be pushed. I'm riding Every day, rain or shine and take it very easy in wet days. Just wondering how much fellow inmates trust their tires.
 
Depends on what tires your talking about. Is tire pressure right for the riding conditions? I haven't owned a sport touring tire that I can't wheelie in the rain with. I'll push tires fairly hard in the rain but always within reason. I used to roadrace motorcycles and sometimes that would include racing in the rain. Smooth is always the way to ride especial in wet conditions. Racing in the rain was the best equalizer.
 
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There's plenty of traction in the wet, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. :) Riding in the rain is an exercise in smoothness, precision and control until you build the confidence in your tires & suspension--there's lots of grip to find there! Unfortunately, where I live it rains 60% of the time, so I've got to learn to deal with it

Hell, I was shocked to realize how much grip there was available in a supersport tire even when the temperatures drop below freezing! I'm certainly not skilled or gusty enough to explore those traction limits, but it's amazing to know what is capable
 
Edit: rear is Dunlop roadsmart
Front factory Battlax

Wanted a strada rear, but had to make emergency tire buy and they only had Dunlop :/
 
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Not riding much in the rain, I have trust issues too. I've been fairly surprised with performance though. No sudden inputs.
 
I have pushed on my Warrior to the point of dragging pegs in the rain but not on the FZ makes me very nervous even though I know the grip is there.
 
Don't do anything you are not comfortable with. Wet roads around here almost always lead to gravel and sand on the road. The problem with bikes is that with the front end gone, you have very few natural options. I have plenty of trust in driving the race cars in rain on the track but I simply do not trust the bike in similar conditions.

AW
 
Also keep in mind not every wet road is the same. When oil/fuel and all sorts of crap lands on dry road, you might not notice it, but when it gets wet the road gets extremely slippery.
So one bit of wet road might feel good, but you never know what the next corner is like :)
 
Drinky said:
Also keep in mind not every wet road is the same. When oil/fuel and all sorts of crap lands on dry road, you might not notice it, but when it gets wet the road gets extremely slippery.
So one bit of wet road might feel good, but you never know what the next corner is like :)
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I agree. I live here in Southern California. It does not rain here very often. It's a damn desert. The first rain is the worst rain around here. With all of the oils and crap, my truck even does the slip & slide. I won't take the bike out unless it's rained for a few days or it completely dry.

If you are going to ride in wet weather to any great extent, you might want to consider a tire more suited to dry/wet weather. There are a lot of sport bike tires as well as touring tires that will give you the best of both worlds. But if you want a pure sport tire (track day) you will certailnly suffer during your rainy season.

:chat:
 
The area where I live along the Gulf has the highest annual rainfall in the country and it's a hurricane prone area so we often have high winds. Nothing sharpens your senses like riding in in the rain on the interstate with a 40+mph crosswind... talk about nail-biting.
The day I bought my FZ1 I rode into a torrential downpour on the way home, I'm talking about rain so hard all you can see is the tail-lights of cars in front of you from a few feet away. So I had a situation where I was on the first liter-bike I had ever ridden, on brand-new tires that weren't broken in, riding through a monsoon, lol.
My point being that I have safely made it through many heavy rain storms on several sporty bikes and have not had an accident (knock on wood), so I would not fear that the tires are going to easily let go in the relatively light rain that most parts of the country experience. Just like driving a car in the rain, increase your following distance to give yourself more time to react and don't push your cornering and acceleration as hard as you might on a dry road. Be extra careful if you are riding immediately after the rain starts because this is when it is the most slippery as the oils on the road from cars forms a film on top of the rain.
 
I think there is a lot of risk management with regards to ridding. It really is all about the rider, just how much risk you're willing to take. IMO rain is a risk and one I myself am not willing to take. I've heard of many really good rider friends of mine having stupid little accidents like low siding on an on-ramp they've taken hundreds of times only because it had rained and it brought up all the goo.

On a side note, when it comes down to it there are 2 things you should know, I DON'T CARE WHAT TIRES YOU HAVE, what vehicle you drive, drive/ride fast enough and you'll hydroplane P-E-R-I-O-D, not to mention your psycho fellow commuters. And 2, brake hard enough in the rain and you'll be taking a trip into the bushes.... but then again I think that goes for dry asphalt too huh? Short answer to your question: I don't trust ANYTHING or anyone when it rains.
 
Wet riding

fazernoob66 said:
Being new to sport bikes, I'm still getting used to the feel if the tires. I trust them dry, but wet I'm completely unsure of how far they can be pushed. I'm riding Every day, rain or shine and take it very easy in wet days. Just wondering how much fellow inmates trust their tires.
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I generally don't go out to ride in the rain, but if I am out riding and it rains, so be it. The Pilot Roads that my FZ came stock with are by far the best and most confidence inspiring tires that I have ever used in the rain. I have pushed harder with them than I have ever allowed myself to before.

That being said; I always use extreme caution during the first 15 minutes of a rain storm, during which time all the oils and other contaminants coat the surface of the road. After that time the surface is generally washed clean (depending on how hard it is raining). I always try to ride smooth anyway, but consentrate even more when it rains. As others have said it is as much about the rider as it is the tires. Caution and vigilance combined with good situational awareness will let you ride very close to dry road level in the rain. As always never exceed what you are comfortable with in any weather, over time that level will change. Good tires for the type of riding and weather are a crucial part of the equation though.
 
Once the initial layer of oil and grime has been washed away it's usually fine. Just stay away from painted surfaces; lines, crosswalks, etc. and of course tar snakes. The good thing about rain is you'll learn to be very smooth with the brakes and throttle. I've done a couple of races and track days in the rain and not had any problems.
 
The manufacturers usually test their tires in dry and wet conditions and usually the tire performs very well in wet conditions, sometimes extremely close to the numbers in dry conditions. Like Lee, I don't usually go out in the rain, although I have a few times, but if I get caught in it I don't worry too much. The biggest issues for me are:

1) Outside temperatures or winter time in which case there can be ice as well.

2) Other drivers. Precipitation of any kind seems to expose many drivers' limitations so I have to watch around me even more than usual and, as said, increase my following distance.

3) As Pete said, painted surfaces become very slippery. Try to pass over these as upright as possible

4) Standing water: Never assume anything about what lies beneath a puddle

romr brings up anexcellent point about ramps. We love these because we get to lean hard into them and accelerate or decelerate quickly. Ramps however are notorious for harboring sand, salt, and other debris that is dragged out from the sides of the roads by cars or left behing by trucks as they turn more sharply on ramps and their contents get thrust out from their beds. On and off ramps from the highway can be treacherous for bikes.
 
I run the Pilot road 2's and they are very confidence inspiring in the wet. But just like in the dry keep an eye out for the slick places!
 
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