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Riding your motorcycle in bad weather ( part two )

Posted by Howard Trott on Saturday, November 19, 2016 Under: Motorcycle Riding Skills
Keep your battery in good condition. In cold weather an electric starter places big demands on the battery.

Lights

Always keep your lights and indicators clean and check for faulty bulbs. Dirty lights can seriously reduce - how far you can see - how well other people can see you and your signals.



Weather and vision

The biggest single danger to any rider is being unable to see properly. You won't be able to make the right decisions if you can't see the road clearly.

Rain

Heavy rain on your visor or goggles can affect your view of the road. If you can't see clearly, stop and demist your visor or goggles. It's a good idea to carry a cloth with you especially for this purpose. If you wear glasses it may be that they too have misted over. Don't be tempted to ride without your glasses if you need them to bring your eyesight up to the legal requirement. Some modern helmets have air vents to help prevent fogging up and anti-fog products are also available.

Keeping dry     

If you allow yourself to get wet you'll also get cold. Being cold and wet can seriously reduce your ability to concentrate. Proper motorcycle clothing is available which will keep you dry in the heaviest downpour. Good motorcycle clothing is a must if you intend to ride in bad weather.

Fog

When riding in fog you may have the combined problems of - fogging up on the inside of visors or goggles, and - misting over on the outside of visors or goggles.

Water droplets can form evenly across the outside of your visor or goggles. This can be difficult to detect since it appears the loss of vision is being caused by the density of the fog rather than the mist of water droplets. Frequently wipe your visor or goggles to prevent this mist obscuring your view of the road. In freezing fog the mist build up can quickly freeze over. Once frozen you will have to stop and de-ice your visor or goggles to restore a clear view.

Being seen

Making yourself visible to other road users is important at all times. In the rain and fog its especially so, because of the reduction in visibility. Wear bright, high visibility clothing and keep your headlamp on dipped beam.

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