Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: 12menzer on May 31, 2014, 08:39:51 AM
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Ran into steady rain commuting home on Thursday. My Concours is an 09 so it does not have traction control but I do have ABS. This is the third bike I have owned but my experience in the rain has been limited. I was on the highway in the HOV lane and kept my speed to about 60-65. I have PR3 tires and they seem very good in the rain.
Do you guys typically just keep on riding when you hit rain or pull under a bridge and wait it out?
Thanks.
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Lightening, high winds and hail get me off the road during a storm. Rain alone does not.
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Lightening, high winds and hail get me off the road during a storm. Rain alone does not.
+1
On the Autobahn I keep under 110 when it rains, unless it's hard, then I keep it under 80. Two-way roads it's at the posted speed limit.
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I hate riding in the rain, and will try to plan around it. But if it does rain, I typically just drive through it. With new PR4's, I don't think any amount of rain would have me pull over (unless the roads were flooded out or something). But if I had low tread, I would abort. And very high cross winds combined with rain- that might have me seek shelter.
Now, if there is ANY chance of ice, there is no way I would get on a bike. Period.
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The only time I pull up in the rain is when its raining so hard the cars around me have trouble seeing me with all the spray. I was pushing through a heavy shower, and the car in front of me disapeared in the rain. It couldn't have been more than 50 yards in front. After seeing that, I checked behind me and pulled to the shoulder. I didn't want to risk it. But rain on its own doesn't stop me, even if I forgot my rain gear.
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I only panic when tornadoes are coming my way, otherwise I ride in the rain. I don't ride in the rain in the dark. I try not to ride in the dark regardless of the weather conditions.
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seems every long distance ride I'm on, especially with momma as a passenger, has us drinking from the fire hose for hours non-stop.
Many times we have spent 8 hours, in torrential downpours, covering 500 miles or more.
If you know it is a storm that you will not see ending, keep going, and use 4 way flashers... riding on thru the storm beats sitting idle, and having the storm over you for hours.
NEVER pull off under a bridge, on a highway to wait out a storm, instead exit the freeway and get off in a parking lot, or other safe place.
People have a habit of pulling off under bridges, and quickly approach without looking, I have seen a few crashes where car drivers simply ran over a group of bikes under a bridge by not paying attention when they were trying to occupy that sacred area.
keep pushing on, just use caution, you will likely ride out of the storm at some point. Hopefully not into another one of more intensity....been there.....many times... ::)
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I keep on driving, my speed determined a lot by visability. I drove through WY last year through a crap load of rain and snow (the kind that melts as soon as it hit ground), drove about 70mph.
Had pr3's and the bike drove incredibly well. I also have abs/tc but they never were activated.
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Do you guys typically just keep on riding when you hit rain or pull under a bridge and wait it out?
One might have to wait a week where I live...lol.
I've ridden in the rain for days on end, and did it before I had good waterproof motorcycle gear too. There are no words to describe how awful it is to wake up in a hotel room somewhere, put all your soggy wet riding gear back on, and look outside and see that it's still pouring rain...lol. Been there done that...lol.
Run good rain tires and buy good riding gear, and it's easier to deal with.
Now, riding in the dark, that's another issue....too many critters creeping around the roads around here.
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I also find that stopping on an interstate (under a bridge or otherwise) is suicidal. Never ever stop on an interstate for any reason unless you happen to break down and have no other choice.
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I ride in the rain if I have too and sometimes there's no choice. Last week my wife and I were out for a ride and ran into a downpour, without rain gear. We were soaked to the skin within a minute. We just toughed it out till after the rain stopped and then we road till we were dry again, mostly. :)
It's all part of the adventure that is motorcycling. :thumbs:
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I like riding in the rain... means the bike gets washed. 8)
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Good comments, thank you!
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What REAL MEN , when I grow up I want to be just like you ::)
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The mad pow-ah of KiPass allows my C14 to conquer monsoon storms with 80 MPH winds(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/eek.gif), 2 ft of water in the road(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/eek.gif), and no shelter ion any direction(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/eek.gif). Some times I even have to time take a pic of the impending doom before it hits, put my rain gear on, and the camera gear up.
And, because of KiPass I only change bearings everything 85,000 miles that routinely go through desert dust and water storms. And not because they need changing, but because KiPass FOB pow-ah is badder than Chuck himself (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/lol8.gif)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/X%20country%20trippin/20110708-DSC_1504.jpg)
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I knew the day would eventually come when I would get caught in the rain and it happened in the twisties in Arkansas during a camping trip. I stopped and put my rain gear on and continued being far from camp. I finally realized that the bike was not going to slip out from under me in the turns I really enjoyed a nice steady rain. Was cool to wave at the other riders I passed as they sought refuge under canopies. On that same trip I was on my way back home and rode part of I-40 and encountered a deluge. I got close enough to an 18 wheeler that all I could see was a dark shadow of the rig and could ride far enough behind him to be safe. I enjoyed it. Few wet spots and was not far from giving up and seeking shelter when I hit the end of the rain. I think we were running about 50-55 mph.
Couple years later a friend and I are heading home from the Texas hill country. We are in a light mist all day long and in the upper 40s. We think we have it beat as we get within an hour of home when it starts hammering us. Both of us are in rain gear with me leading when I give up as I start passing semi's that have pulled over waiting it out. I pass a convenience store and hit the brakes as the ABS takes me right past it and my friend pulls into it. We sit there for an hour waiting for it to pass but its all coming from where we need to go. It does lighten up enough for us to get back on the road and make it home.
It all depends on the roads, weather, traffic, outlook and most of all, mindset. Sometimes you want that challenge and sometimes your brain tells you to wait it out. No rush. I will ride all day in the rain if I encounter it on the road but hate leaving the house in the rain.
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I knew the day would eventually come when I would get caught in the rain and it happened in the twisties in Arkansas during a camping trip. I stopped and put my rain gear on and continued being far from camp. I finally realized that the bike was not going to slip out from under me in the turns I really enjoyed a nice steady rain. Was cool to wave at the other riders I passed as they sought refuge under canopies. On that same trip I was on my way back home and rode part of I-40 and encountered a deluge. I got close enough to an 18 wheeler that all I could see was a dark shadow of the rig and could ride far enough behind him to be safe. I enjoyed it. Few wet spots and was not far from giving up and seeking shelter when I hit the end of the rain. I think we were running about 50-55 mph.
Couple years later a friend and I are heading home from the Texas hill country. We are in a light mist all day long and in the upper 40s. We think we have it beat as we get within an hour of home when it starts hammering us. Both of us are in rain gear with me leading when I give up as I start passing semi's that have pulled over waiting it out. I pass a convenience store and hit the brakes as the ABS takes me right past it and my friend pulls into it. We sit there for an hour waiting for it to pass but its all coming from where we need to go. It does lighten up enough for us to get back on the road and make it home.
It all depends on the roads, weather, traffic, outlook and most of all, mindset. Sometimes you want that challenge and sometimes your brain tells you to wait it out. No rush. I will ride all day in the rain if I encounter it on the road but hate leaving the house in the rain.
+1 couldn't agree more! Nice post (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
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+1
On the Autobahn I keep under 110 when it rains, ...
Sure you do ;)
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Sure you do ;)
shhhhhh! they don't know... ;D
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If I'm already on the road and it starts raining, I ride no problem. If I wake up in the morning for work and its raining, I wimp out and take the truck. I'm lazy and don't want to take the time to put on the rain gear.
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If I'm already on the road and it starts raining, I ride no problem. If I wake up in the morning for work and its raining, I wimp out and take the truck. I'm lazy and don't want to take the time to put on the rain gear.
Same for me. Not often I take the truck, but so far in June I'm 0/2.
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The reason why I like to ride is because of the advantage it gives me when commuting. Maybe I need a new Job, LOL:
I leave at about 5:40 in the morning and my choices are:
1. get on the bike, ride for about 1 hour and park for free at work.
2. Drive the car to a park and ride lot 9 miles from the house. Parking is free. Get on a bus - $3.50. Get off the bus, get on the metro $5.75. Transfer and get on another train. Then walk for 10 minutes to the office. Repeat in the evening. This process takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes each way.
3. I never do this: Drive the car and pay $18 to park, get stuck in traffic because I can't use HOV, etc.
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The reason why I like to ride is because of the advantage it gives me when commuting. Maybe I need a new Job, LOL:
I leave at about 5:40 in the morning and my choices are:
1. get on the bike, ride for about 1 hour and park for free at work.
2. Drive the car to a park and ride lot 9 miles from the house. Parking is free. Get on a bus - $3.50. Get off the bus, get on the metro $5.75. Transfer and get on another train. Then walk for 10 minutes to the office. Repeat in the evening. This process takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes each way.
3. I never do this: Drive the car and pay $18 to park, get stuck in traffic because I can't use HOV, etc.
Yep, you need a different job. I leave at 5:15, drive/ride 10-11 miles, park for free- in front of the security camera that is displayed ona monitor over my desk. If the weather is nice I leave up to an hour earlier & add a bunch more miles. Then again the pay is crap.
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I live in the Pacific Northwet, what is this rain of which you speak? If I didn't ride in the rain I would miss out on riding...
Big hail is the only thing that stops me, when I had the Connie, the only other thing that stopped me was ice (I carry Aerostitch studs for the F800GS). Big hail hurts, lucky for me WA State typically doesn't get large hail. No such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. I just ride and adjust speed accordingly. Single digits to trip digits, paved and unpaved, makes no difference (but I do prefer the unpaved, uncrowded far more). Pushing 12,000 miles so far this year, all the Western states and a short stint in North Carolina, all types of weather including severe rain and thunder in North Carolina to windy, salt spray covered roads in Cali (which was the worst FWIW).
Again, just ride. The Connie offers great protection from the weather, only bike I have owned that offered better was an old RT, but it was tractor like and un inspiring to say the least.
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You guys and your bankers hours....
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You guys and your retired hours....
FIFY! Headed won South to Orygon for a week and then to Idaho for another week, no way I'm letting weather of any type interfere with my riding, life is too short and the days not near long enough to risk losing a day or single mile on a 2 wheeled trip.
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<sigh>
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Yep, you need a different job. I leave at 5:15, drive/ride 10-11 miles, park for free- in front of the security camera that is displayed ona monitor over my desk. If the weather is nice I leave up to an hour earlier & add a bunch more miles.
You ALL need to get a different job.
I leave my house at 8:25, walk four blocks to work, and arrive at 8:30. Have umbrella in briefcase. Car and bike safely stored at home. :)
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I'll don my rain suit and keep riding for the most part, but I'm wary of a few things like hidden potholes and puddles in the road, and poor drainage; both of which are problems out here in the west where it doesn't normally rain very much.
It's handy to keep a weather radar-enabled app on your smartphone that you can pull off and check. If it looks like it's going to get treacherous, why not wait it out? I'll drive through about anything to get home from work, but if I'm out traveling on vacation, I'd rather hole up somewhere and err on the side of caution.
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Purchased the Klim Latitude Misano Gore-Tex suit. Rain, come and get me. I DARE YOU
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Has anyone thought about marketing these bikes as steam generators? Last good (torrential) rain I was in, I was stunned at how much water seemed to make it down to the hot bits (and steam off) when I stopped. Probably a good show for those who were stopped around me.
I won't do day rides if it rains... but I take my gear on longer trips to cover the inevitable.
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Ran into steady rain commuting home on Thursday. My Concours is an 09 so it does not have traction control but I do have ABS. This is the third bike I have owned but my experience in the rain has been limited. I was on the highway in the HOV lane and kept my speed to about 60-65. I have PR3 tires and they seem very good in the rain.
Do you guys typically just keep on riding when you hit rain or pull under a bridge and wait it out?
Thanks.
I'm a relatively new C14 owner so I've not had the opportunity to ride it in the rain yet. But it's only a matter of time I'm sure. I don't like to ride in the rain but sometimes it's unavoidable.
I did ride my 2005 Goldwing from Gatlinburg, TN to just north of Cincinnati (about 300 miles) in the rain a couple of years ago. Obviously my biggest concern was traction so I intentionally tried to ensure all my maneuvers were are smooth as possible. Going slowly on I-75 is not really an option, you either go with the flow or you die! So it was 75 - 85 mph all the way. I had a cheapo rainsuit on and that kept me pretty dry except for my ankles and my neck. Most of the water up top came from the top of the windscreen as beads of water rolled up to the lip and then were blown into my faceshield.
Overall it wasn't as bad as I expected. The Goldwing doesn't have ABS or traction control but was steady all the time in spite of what was, at time, a VERY heavy downpour. If there had been lightning, I would have pulled off and found cover.
BTW - I don't think the pull under a bridge for cover is a good idea. Get off the highway, getting run over by a big-rig is a sure way to mess up a trip!
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so I intentionally tried to ensure all my maneuvers were are smooth as possible.
+1 :thumbs: