Everyone knows that there’s less grip available in the wet. And in a car, that’s pretty much all you need worry about. Not so, on a motorbike. When the roads are wet, it presents a whole set of extra challenges.
Funnily enough, dry roads are not without their issues either. A good appreciation for what to look out for on wet and dry roads is a fundamental skill for a rider.
On dry roads, you will usually run out of ground clearance before you run out of cornering grip. Similarly, with the right braking technique, you can sometimes have the front suspension compressed to its bumpstops, and the rear tyre off the ground, before the front tyre starts to skid. But not in the wet.
On wet road surface, cornering and braking can both overwhelm the available grip. And the problems don’t end there. In the dry, different types of road surface, road markings, drains - pretty much anything, in fact - offers enough grip to do what you need to do. The big difference in the wet is that the levels of grip offered by what’s under your tyres suddenly varies enormously.
The biggest issue riding wet roads is widely varying levels of grip. This is affected by the weather, particularly the sheer amount of water on the road, and different surfaces and road features.
A slightly damp patch of asphalt in perfect condition offers plenty of grip, especially if your tyres are warm. With a stream of water running across it, it’s a different story. A shiny piece of overbanding covered in light drizzle is like ice. So is a wet metal drain or expansion joint.
One piece of chipseal has relatively new, sharp stones - grip is good. Another piece looks the same as you approach it but the stones are rounded - grip is poor. Painted road markings that you didn’t think twice about in the dry now cause a skid or wheelspin.
It turns out that the road surface is a patchwork, so you cannot be sure that the grip you had even fifty metres ago is available now. That’s why, on wet roads, always ride with plenty of room for error. And, wherever possible, change your line to avoid areas of reduced grip.
The roads are dry, the sun is out and your tyres are warm. All is not sweetness and light, however. Dry roads might seem like an open invitation to scrape the footpegs, but there are dangers to watch out for. As you’ll see in the Road Hazards section, oil and diesel can catch you out.
Melting tar, loose grit and animal waste are other things to watch out for. Again, re-position or change lines to avoid them and deal with skids the right way.
