Is rain stopping you from riding?

For quite a few years I have listened to many owners about the conditions they face when making decisions about when and if they ride.  I always find it amusing when they talk about percentages and chances of rain, like it is fact, or determined that 30% means you are gonna get wet. Just keep the bike in the garage.  I try hard to be objective when making judgements about how others act.  So I did some research, for ojectivity’s sake.

What I found was that between 100-117 days a year in Alabama, there is measurable rainfall.  That means, most likely there was a percentage of rainfall for those days also.  The bigger number is 1/3.  One third of of the days had some rainfall, on average in Alabama.  That means, if you are afraid of getting wet, you may only be able to ride 2/3 of the year.  And if you only ride in summer, maybe even less than that?

So what is the answer?

buy motorcycle rain gearMy suggestion is that you adjust the way you think about weather, and specifically rain.  If you must prepare to ride in the rain, summer riding is simple.  Many folks do not even carry rain gear, other than possibly a ziploc or two for phone, your wallet, or other sensitive items.  A step further would be some light,  storable (on the bike) nylon rain-gear.  This is a nice addition to make the trip more comfortable if you do get caught in the weather.  But keep in mind, you may only see a sprinkle all day long.  In winter, or colder fall and spring day, your prep may need to be more involved to prevent hypothermia, or discomfort from being cold AND wet.  You will learn what is appropriate quickly, but find something that works.  The fact that you are missing some of the most amazing riding days simply because of some fear that you might get wet is like missing out on sex because you think there might be an awkward moment.  There WILL be an awkward moment, but dammit, it is SEX!!  Ride your motorcycle, don’t worry about the awkward moment of getting wet – you will dry off.

This post was written by

Don Redman – who has written posts on Bama Rides.

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