The Brits are living in a Nanny State....... with CCTV everywhere, rent-a-cop everywhere, community patrols with cctv, ASBOs, you name it..they got it...... is it any wonder they are Paranoid about what they can or cant do? ( That should get me flamed I reckon!)

and Dodger, I know you've done a lot more dangerous things than ride in the rain! Living in Canada for starters! what with Bears wanting to come into your bedroom at 3am for a cuddle and then you introducing it to Mr Remington! dear oh Dear.. Most people call theirs Percy, why did you name yours after a Gun? Does it fire Blanks?

(go on Dodger.Ive given you the Ammo now!, go on, you know you want to.........)

Martyn

Hi All, Just my two peneth, it seems to me that the most dangerous thing to do for a motorcyclist is not to ride!:confused1:, If you look at the stats that are released yearly on accidents etc, more riders are killed or injured on uk roads in the spring than any other time....I and quite a few others have concluded that this is do to not riding through the "rain / winds /bad weather etc" and keeping up the skills learnt/honed during the summer and building on them, this is why I ride through the winter months when ever i can.... so all I can say is that "just living" is dangerous and risky, but, we all do it, it's down to the individual to make up their own minds about the risks they wish to take....long live bike riding.. where and what ever you do it, but ride safe
TDMalcolm

Malcolm, i ride 365 days a year, have done for the last 15 years, dont own a car or any other form of transport.
I agree. riding through Rain, Ice both visible n 'black', Fog, Snow, Gale force Winds and general crap weather makes us smoother riders...... and smoother riders are generally faster riders in the Dry...... and the Guys who ride all year never get 'rusty' they have a heightened sense of 'awareness' if and when they have to drive a car and above all they ENJOY thier riding.

I have more respect for the dude on the 250 honda or the 125 who rides all year and does 4 or 5,000 miles than for the GS1200 rider who Blasts off to Europe or Morroco and does 4 or 5,000 miles in the Summer for his "Jollies".
Occasional riders who only ride on Sundays or in the summer Bitch n Moan like old ladies if they get a bit of rain on the Bike or its cold. What is the saying again? "15 grand and 150 miles does not make you a Biker!"

Martyn

Have to agree with Martyn, I've ridden in high winds driving rain snow and ice this winter I can't says it's made me a better rider coz I just plain suck but at least I know I can do it and that's why I like to do it just to push that fear factor away.

I'm not proud I will fall off my bike at the drop of a hat if it's wet dry dirty snowing raining or even sometimes just for the hell of it.

Just get someone to point a RECORDING Video Camera at you!
Its called " The Lemming Effect".... where normal, sane, healthy people try to kill themselves using motorised transport as soon as a Video Camera is switched onto record and Pointed at them.

martyn

Riding in the rain is not dangerous at all...its the dangerous rider in the rain who causes problems...as do dangerous car/truck drivers.
I enjoy riding in the rain as long as its not too cold and i am wrapped up and can stay dry.
The wind is a different thing all together.I have just got home from a trip to Morocco and from Tarifa to Alicante it was a nightmare.Spain was on high alert Wednesday with winds gusting up to 120kph.I decided to go for it....because i am stubborn/stupid and i wanted to get back home.The trip back took 9 hours.It was the most difficult gut wrenching journey of my entire life and when i actually arrived home...shaking like a leaf....i burst into tears through sheer relief.I am not ashamed to admit that....as a bike rider it was extremely challenging and i now know i have the balls to do something like that.Maybe i was stupid to set off knowing the conditions were bad but the motorway was generally clear except for on the outskirts of the bigger towns where conditions merited very slow speeds for the considerate riders/drivers...as for the rest you just try your best to steer clear of them and predict their next move.
As for the comment on being 'allowed' to ride in the rain thats stupid and akin to saying you cannot ride in the sun because there are more people out enjoying the weather therefore the roads will be dangerous.Each rider or driver is responsible for his/her own actions and you ride according to the conditions.
Who is going to stop me from riding in the rain or wind or sun?No one mister because i am a BIKER.
Thank you and happy biking y'all

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Dean

Well, all I can say is good for you, you conquered you're own fear by doing that.
I used to sail a lot in the mediterranean, I was a sailor,7 years, and everyday we printed a satnav weather fax, which would tell where the bad weather was coming from, and which way it was going and how long it was going to last. If you go to the capitainerie's office in any port, they could give you such a printout/copy. You might even be able to head north or south (or east or west for that matter)of such a cold front and go around it, if you've got the time. I'm guessing that on a bike, one should always have time to make a detour to be safer. Try that out one day, I can tell you, I missed many a big storm like that, in the middle of the med.
ta-all-the-way

[quote=deandean;169181.Spain was on high alert Wednesday with winds gusting up to 120kph.I decided to go for it....because i am stubborn/stupid and i wanted to get back home.The trip back took 9 hours.It was the most difficult gut wrenching journey of my entire life and when i actually arrived home...shaking like a leaf....i burst into tears through sheer relief.[/quote]

Aye it was windy last Wednesday I will admit that!
I take it it was a Sidewind or at least 45 Degrees to you most of the way home then? I know what you mean about the stress n the tears...... its not fear its just a massive release of tension that has no other way out.
Be glad, be very Glad you werent on a Goldw**g or some other awkward piece of machinery like that!

Glad you made it home safe Dude, you must have passed Sax on the way home? you coulda popped in for a coffee lad!

Martyn

We had a bit of rain in Sharjah this week; the heaviest January rainfall on record. It didn't stop the hardy bikers out here though. We just avoided the puddles.
Stephan

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what a strange little thread... I shall dive in!

Okay - so riding in the wet - frankly I find my riding better in the wet because I'm *forced* to apply everything I've learnt on my advanced riding course with the IAM - I'd go as far as to say I was safer in the wet than the dry.

Cold - well frankly these days there's simple no excuse to be on a bike and to be cold. I remember well my early days, when gore-tex was £4000 per square meter and I froze my nuts off in all weathers heading over two valleys to get to my apprenticeship on a CZ 125. Idiotic.

But as time has passed, and as my training has progressed, and the bikes have got better, not to mention gore-tex is slightly more affordable - it's never been safer, or more comfortable to ride the roads when wet and cold.

m

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Bernard; this is a site for world travellers, people who enjoy crossing countries with small revolutions, coup d' etats, mountain passes, deserts,salt flats, endless miles in hail storms, crossing rivers somehow when the bridges have been washed away........and you are scared of the rain???
GET A LIFE, or a Mondeo!
you ruined my friday..........
Ch

Waterfox, NO!

If Bernard doesn't like the rain,,, GOOD,! it's "DANGEROUS" Innit?......
so if he dont like it, He will stay in... Meanin WE can play in it safely without some idiot ( I don't believe you used the word M*n*eo on this site..........) in a C*r trying to take out a Biker enjoying the Rain!

And Matt gotta tell you Bloke..... that CZ would be safe in the Rain "HI VIZ" Yellow! Boy I bet you got some stick fer that, mind, i will say this, they have got better... they were orange or Snot green when i were a kid.
with styling that made MZ envious.

Martyn

Oo Oo Oo Acid Rain get it, that's double damn dangerous.

A man goes to the Doctor and says "Doctor, Doctor, it hurts when I do this"..........
So the Doctor says "So don't do that".............
So don't ride in the rain............

Ombrophobia- Fear of rain or of being rained on.

Motorphobia- Fear of automobiles.

Basophobia or Basiphobia- Inability to stand. Fear of walking or falling.


BasiMotorOmbrophobia - So I guess Bernard has a fear of falling off motorcycles when its raining, looks like that might be Bloody rare

About 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 PROPER BIKERS HAVE IT.