Riding tips: Riding in the wet

Riding in bad weather is easy, but different from riding in the dry. Smoothness and forward planning is the key. Visibility is everything and the last thing you need is a misted visor. This is when you’ll be glad you fitted that anti-mist insert properly.

It’s also when you realise that zipping your jacket cuffs over your gloves keeps your hands dry for a lot longer than the other way around. And that those extra seconds spent getting seal tight around your collar and ankles makes a huge difference.

The trick for wet weather riding is to look far enough ahead to spot hazards in plenty of time. You’ll need longer to react and more stopping distance so the sooner you see stuff the easier it will be. Be especially careful in traffic because there’s an even greater chance they won’t have seen you.

Many all-season gloves have a visor wiper on the thumb or forefinger, but at higher speeds the easiest way to clear your visor is to momentarily turn your head to one side.

Modern motorcycle tyres are very good in the wet, but you still need to be careful with the throttle and brakes to maintain as much traction and grip as possible. So accelerate smoothly, brake in plenty of time and use your engine braking (the thing that slows you down when you just close the throttle) to lose speed.

You’ll have a lot less lean angle available through corners so make sure you slow down in plenty of time and plan as wide a line as possible to get you through them. A little pressure on the outside footrest as you go through a turn adds a huge amount of confidence in the wet too.