7 monsoon riding tips

Since the monsoons are already here, we thought we could brief you motorcycle riders out there with a few basic tips for riding in the rain. Yes, riding is slightly more challenging but don’t fret. Keep these basic tips in mind and ride safe! Happy monsoons!

Tip 1 – Tyres: Yes tyres! We cannot stress this enough. Riding on old cracked and worn tyres in the rains will definitely lead you to lose control which could end badly. The grooves you see on your tyres are specifically designed to dispense the water and increase grip. And if those grooves have gone missing, it’s about time you get some new rubber.

Tip 2 - High visibility jacket: If you are riding in the rains you are bound to be wearing a wet weather jacket, so you might as well get a high visibility one. However, if that’s out of your budget there are vests available at a much lower cost. If not obvious with the bright colour reflective jacket, its main purpose is visibility. In rainy/foggy conditions the jacket will enable other motorists to easily spot you and not crash into you.

Tip 3 - Puddles of water: While riding in the rain always try avoiding hitting a puddle of water. The depth of the surfaces underneath these puddles are unknown. It could be a huge pothole or even an open manhole, both of which will definitely cause the rider to lose control and take to the ground. Moreover, hitting a puddle of water at high speed can cause the front end to wobble and lose control and you may end up having a fatal high side accident.

Tip 4 - Smooth throttle input: Accelerating hard or even suddenly on wet surfaces can cause the rider to lose traction of the rear wheel. To make it simple, smooth throttle input will help the motorcycle and the tyres keep traction and keep you in control.

Tip 5 - Underground pipe/manhole covers: In India we have a lot of roads that get dug up for new pipelines or wire lines. These dug up surfaces are temporarily covered with metal sheets to keep the traffic flowing until the work is complete. In the monsoons, these metal sheets and even manhole covers are like black ice. Which means, one could easily end up losing control.

Tip 6 - Lights on!: Like the high visibility jacket, this again is for visibility. However, this time it is for both, the rider as well as other motorists. A rider should ride with the lights on in heavy rain conditions, even it is a brightly lit afternoon. Always remember better safe than sorry.

Tip 7 - Slow down: The last and maybe the most important tip is to slow down. Riding at speed 10 or 15 per cent slower than you normally would is simply the best way to tackle riding in the rains. Not only is there a less chance of facing some of the problems mentioned above, it will also inflict less damage if you do.