Riding in Rain Can Be Fun!

[joshuatree1001]

How fast were you going? Also, do you have any kind of winter/rain tire on?

[spluesh]

Nissan GTR 3:07...wicked

[ashf00t]

@spluesh haha, you aren't the first person to pick that car out!

[nastyevilninja]

Living in the UK I have to put up with a fair bit of rain riding - luckily I quite like it!

They reckon modern tyres have about 80% of the grip in the wet that you've got in the dry... I have to say i don't push it too much in the wet, though.

[ashf00t]

@nastyevilninja Very true! I hear Oregon is a lot like the UK in the fact that it rains a lot! We didn't get sun till the second week of July!

[arsenalfan4life1993]

@nastyevilninja Hi mate, thinking of getting a bike instead of car. Which do you prefer and why? Do you get extremely wet/cold when riding in the rain or can you keep warm and dry with the correct gear? thanks.

[nastyevilninja]

@arsenalfan4life1993 I had my first ever car lesson about 3 months ago then passed the test. There's just no comparison at all in terms of fun and involvement - it's made me appreciate how awesome bikes are. Riding puts you into almost a meditative state of awareness, wheras sitting in a car just makes you a bit bored! Good quality bike kit keeps you warm and dry but you do need a car for the snow and ice, really... A bike will be the best thing you ever bought! ;)

[arsenalfan4life1993]

@nastyevilninja ah i see, is it because it's too cold in snow and ice or just dangerous? Yea the thing is people use a car to get to somewhere they enjoy, where as I think that I would enjoy getting to that place on a bike and it would be more of a chore in a car...the only thing that makes me want to get a car is the warmth and so i can listen to music haha. How come you passed your driving test? just needed something more pratical?

[nastyevilninja]

@arsenalfan4life1993 Yup exactly that! And I had to miss days off work when the snow was too bad. The right kit will keep you warm and dry - snow and ice is a problem because you WILL crash eventually on any bike. Music in the car is ok, but I still prefer listening to a race exhaust at 12,000rpm and the forced air induction etc... :)

[whellieboii]

totally random but it looks like a Nissan gtr passed you at 3:04

[dsrevo79]

where did u buy camera? or what kind is it? imma buy one....ty

[ashf00t]

@dsrevo79 I bought it online. It's a Fujifilm Finepix Z20. Thanks for the sub by the way!

[ChIcOMiCo95]

is riding in the rain dangerous?

[grphx7]

I love riding in the rain, as long as I am not going TO work. Not fun to sit at a desk all day in wet cloths.

[ashf00t]

hehe well that's why I have a change of clothes at work!  I don't wear my work suit on the bike :p

[IronJambaJuice]

Did a 300 mile ride yesterday...rained on us pretty good for a good chunk of it...

I agree w/ashfoot it is important to learn and getting more confident on the bike during wet conditions...

Stay Safe

[CaptSaveAHo3]

Riding in the rain is too risky.

[Samyouwelll]

Hehe, although we shouldn't complain, as recently we seem to have both been getting a fair and equal mix of rain AND snow, so we're spoilt for choice with conditions to ride in! I just can't wait til it all turns to slush and ice :D :P

[Samyouwelll]

Haha, riding in the rain can be fun, if you don't live in the UK and have to do it ALL the time :P Riding in the sun is fun! And a rare privilege for me... :P

[ashf00t]

heh same! In Oregon we get about 3 months of good sun that doesn't mean it's warm though lol

[socmonki]

i took a trip to the mountains in sept. met a guy at the alabama/georgia state line to trailer my bike. rode 4 hours, mostly in the rain. it wasnt bad. was actually kinda fun!  the only thing that sucked was getting wet (need to be prepared!) and when it didnt rain hard enough the water didnt bead off my visor quick enough. but other than that, no problems! and you get weird looks from some people but its all good!

[lauriejennifer]

Rain's not so bad, but it's no fun when it's accompanied by wind and/or cold. A strong gust of wind at a stoplight once made me almost drop the bike. It was crazy. You know those days where even the stoplight poles are shaking violently? It was one of those days.

Nice to see you survived New Moon. I have managed to avoid seeing it. :-)

[mooresy]

It seems to be raining all the time here (in the UK) at the moment. Nothing new there though lol. Just gotta take it steady I guess and look out for those slippy grids in the middle of the road. There's a lot of tram lines near where I travel each day too, which are best avoiding when possible lol.

Keep the good vids coming btw :)

[suburbanryder]

You probably have more rain experience in one year than ten years of my riding. Then again in Chicago a 45 to 50 mph crosswind is something you learn to deal with quite often. I passed on a certain motorcycle just because it was catching the crosswind bad. That is a big factor in riding here.

[ashf00t]

O wow so that's why they call it the windy city huh? lol

[suburbanryder]

The original title is in dispute as to how it came about. Possibly as the name "Wendy" of a previous mayor's daughter. "Wendy's" city

However based on almost four decades of riding in the Chicago area I tend to believe "Windy" city is the more accurate choice.

[linford151]

welcome 2 british weather it always rains here cant remember wen i last seen the sun

[ashf00t]

Oh this is Oregon weather too!  Lived here for about 21 years!

[Pittimus84]

I have rode in the rain a fair amount. Last time it rained I pushed it a lil bit everywhere I went. Power sliding all over the place, on the on ramp, interstate, even got a decent lean going all the way till the tread ended and it was just the nude shoulder on the tire. Just takes getting used to, and a lot of trust in the bike and oneself.

[ashf00t]

heh I don't think I'm as fearless as you to do power slides everywhere lol I'll just go slow :p

[Pittimus84]

u can go fast in the rain just have the right tires

[Bikeman1087]

Yep, and good amount of tire tread depth, recommended minimum is 3mm with most tires.

also tire should not be old. 4-5 years old tires have lost lots of their traction performance.

It's easy to find out how old tires are. just taking a look to 4-number code after DOT code. example 4508 means that the tire was made in week 45 and year 2008. And off course tire pressure is also important but sure you know these.

[AwGsharpie]

I live in Britain so it's raining alot and i've been told to start riding in the rain so it feels easyer in the dry and that when I do out for the first time go with someone I can't wait till I get my bike :)

[ashf00t]

Yup!  But don't get too excited to ride in it, it still slippery :) Try riding your bicycle in the rain and try sliding it :)

[sorrycharly5750]

RAIN SUCKS!

[HappyTaylor510]

ashfoot i love how u were like ride in the rain and dont be jerky or ull slide out or high slide haha maybe some ppl should just yet start ridin in the rain lol

[ashf00t]

well ya! Take it all in! :D

[Fudmottin]

I found that riding through a driving hail storm (as part of the larger thunderstorm producing it) can be quite interesting for the first ten minutes or so. Not so much an hour in. That happened to me in August 2008. I got soaked to the bone because I was in mesh gear.

Thundercat98 has a video of it either here or on Livevideo.

[ashf00t]

o jeez I hope I don't run into one of those! But I think I have gone through a very short spout of hail one time and it hurt!

[aushiasami]

ridding in the rain is fun!!!! until i totalled my bike. Only problem is water droplets on my visor that wont go away unless i wipe it with my hand

[ashf00t]

use wax or polish on your visor, it helps to let the water run off.

[Itsreload]

Your roads look like they drain much better. I remember riding in the rain in San Diego at midnight after work. Lakes of water all over the place.

[ashf00t]

ya, that's engineering in Oregon for ya haha they have to account for the weather :D I bet hydro planing happens a lot in hotter areas that get rain huh?

[thehorsefly87]

rain riding isn't too bad... but you know what is??? NOT RIDING BECAUSE ITS SOOO COLD HERE IN OHIO...hahah... good vid ash.

[suburbanryder]

I use to live in Akron Ohio winters were brutal there with not much sun.

You live anywhere near there?

[thehorsefly87]

actually i know where akron is, but I live closest to Bowling Green.

[Vigsta04]

Where at near bowling green do you live? I actually live really close to there in Lima.

[altec85]

Last night i road home in the freezing cold in darkness with rain that somehow wet the inside of my visor as well .... need less to say i thanked god i got home, parked the bike and switched out to my car. Good to see ur rain riding isnt as bad as mine. U probaby have rain gear lol

[ashf00t]

heh, ya rain gear def. helps!

[laviedamie]

Cool you uploaded this video ashfoot! I was just wanting to ask you--what kind of clothes do you wear when you ride in the rain? Just curious after seeing a few of your rain vlogs...

[ashf00t]

Um well all I've really got is a waterproof motorcycle jacket (I did a review on that jacket last year around this time) and and rain over pants that can keep me dry but in a downpour my pants underneath get wet. I also wear waterproof gloves.

[davidhowellca]

How funny. It rains here in the day and clears up at night. We live in reverse lands :)

I ride every day. Rain or shine.The rain doesnt bother me but, yeah...the nasty winds on the bike really suck. That's when I scoot up close to the tank and squeeze my knees tight.

[ashf00t]

heh now it's just getting really cold! Not a cloud in sight and it gets down to 27 degrees at night! :( It's 34 now with the sun out!

[zorlak21]

You win :0

[danmoto73]

it's nice to see that it's not only the UK where the weather is awful, also good to see you riding in those conditions, i'll be riding in anything except snow as i strongly believe that you see the results once the summer comes around again, you have a feeling of so much more grip than the weekend warriors do

really nice to see another vlog from you ash :)

[ashf00t]

heh I'm pretty sure the UK is the same as Oregon in weather :p

Thanks bud!

[LaloGsxr]

Riding in the rain is fun especially on a HOT summer day

[ashf00t]

You know the only time I've seen warm rain was in Hawaii :)

[RedanWhiteRebel]

Here in Ireland it is so wet we have to practise for dry weather riding lol.

[LeprechaunLive]

That is.......so true...lol. Watch out for the nasty morning black ice, from now, up until.....next June...lol

[OffCamberTJ]

I miss my FJR in the rain, the ZX14 is sketchy at best.