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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Riding in the Rain? /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1400871042 Message started by sailorcolin on 05/23/14 at 11:50:42 |
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Title: Riding in the Rain? Post by sailorcolin on 05/23/14 at 11:50:42 Has any experienced the ls 650 in the wet? I don't plan on doing it on purpose, but I do live in the south and afternoon thunder storms are common around here. How dose the bike handle, the front fender work and overall problems or not the the LS 650 may have? |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by jcstokes on 05/23/14 at 11:58:54 The stock front fender will deposit lots of water in your boots. Some including Serowbot have added a rubber guard to the bottom of the fender to alleviate this issue. The stock tyres aren't that brilliant in the wet so be careful, other than that it's a nice little bike and I have had no issues. If possible avoid riding on brand new tyres in the rain, give them 100 miles in the dry to scuff in. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by Beagle on 05/23/14 at 11:59:54 I rode in the rain last year when my wife was a passenger. It was a light rain either but a hard, "Build the Ark!" type rain. ;D It ran fine...so problem! Just go slower and take your time. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by Sheriff41 on 05/23/14 at 12:05:00 My first ride on mine in the rain was the day I brought it home! Just slow down a little, less lean in corners, avoid painted stripes and other slick surfaces, and pick the driest part of your lane. Dry your bike off when you get it home. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by sailorcolin on 05/23/14 at 12:14:48 Sounds good! Thanks guys |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by Coaxial on 05/23/14 at 12:29:32 My brakes are squeakier in the rain for sure. I dont have a pod filter so no effect on air intake. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by shorty on 05/23/14 at 21:25:48 she is a light girl, keep her upright and slow, I've been on worse bikes in the wet ;) |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by 1st2know on 05/23/14 at 21:32:22 At stop lights and stop signs, steam will rise up from the engine. It will fog up the windshield and goggles. Expect crud to accumulate in the engine fins. Also, the rear tire deposits mud on the muffler. I removed my battery last month, it had caked on mud from the holes in the battery box. I had to scrape away caked on mud from my oil drain plug just to get a wrench on it. My front caliper gums up, I have an extra so I can have a clean one to swap in when this happens (about 2 months of intentional rain riding). Wet leaves accumulating on the roadway can be a hazard for motorcycles - if we hit the brakes on a patch of wet leaves(or flower petals), expect the wheels to lockup instantly. I've had this happen numerous times, with both wheels locking up. Mud can accumulate on the front disc, this can double braking distance. The pads will bite after they swipe the mud away. The biggest problem, IMO, would be the cagers limited visibility. I use the horn more often when I'm riding in the rain, and I always wear a high vis jacket. I installed a Dyna muffler just to be more noticeable in low vis conditions. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/23/14 at 23:39:33 I think one of the biggest hazards in riding in lousy weather is Drivers dont Expect to see a motorcyclist,, In the summer, on a pretty day, they expect bikers to be out, like I expect to see joggers, & when someone isnt Expecting to see a biker,, theyre even LESS inclined to be watching for them,, SO,, BE as Visible as possible, use all the tricks, & dont be the first in a long line & dont be the last,, |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by old_rider on 05/24/14 at 06:18:28 ^^^^ What they said.... be extra diligent, take corners slower, and watch out for them cagers...or do like we did last year at the dragon run....find a place to park. Didn't work well tho... we kept running into the rain, so we decided we was already wet, might as well keep riding...(Dave, Old Feller having fun, and Old_rider took the picture) http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/Orphistle/2013%20Savage%20Trip/nc49.jpg |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by shorty on 05/24/14 at 06:23:14 thanks for the pic.. nice to see a face we can relate to the username ;) |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by sailorcolin on 05/30/14 at 06:33:34 How do cone air filters hold up in the rain? is there too much water contact for them to be used? |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by WD on 05/30/14 at 07:47:22 71636B6E6D70616D6E6B6C020 wrote:
They do better with a rain shield deflecting most of the rain and run off. Go by CycleGear and get a replacement face shield. Heat it with a hair dryer, shape it and affix it to the frame as a rain guard over the cone filter. Not perfect but it helps a lot. You can do the same thing with thin metal if you want it to be a cheaper and more traditional fix. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by sailorcolin on 05/30/14 at 09:46:56 1A094D0 wrote:
They do better with a rain shield deflecting most of the rain and run off. Go by CycleGear and get a replacement face shield. Heat it with a hair dryer, shape it and affix it to the frame as a rain guard over the cone filter. Not perfect but it helps a lot. You can do the same thing with thin metal if you want it to be a cheaper and more traditional fix.[/quote] I dont have a cone air filter, I was just wondering for future projects! |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/30/14 at 09:57:41 &, FWIW, Ive been so completely soaked that when I put feet down at a light I could feel the spark plug firing,,NOT pleasant, I was actually surprised ( I REally wanted to say "shocked") that it kept running with so much of the spark plugs "OOomph" running thru me. If you can find a pic of Serowbots bike youll see a nifty little mudguard on his front fender,,I dunno if its wide enuff or long enuff to actually be as effective as it needs to be,,but if youre gonna be an all weather rider, get some rain gear & pack it along on your rides & put a mud flap on. You can put feet up on the engine to get them up out of some of the spray, but its not fun,,Helps some when its real cold, too,., |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by HAPPYDAN on 05/30/14 at 10:57:35 Riders on the storm Riders on the storm Into this house we're born Into this world we're thrown Like a dog without a bone An actor out alone Riders on the storm - Jim Morrison Consider Yourself Baptised! ;) |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by greenmonster on 05/30/14 at 13:49:06 I'm on the wet coast and I intentionally ride in everything except snow. Riding in that isn't intentional. I've fab'd up a stainless mud guard that extends another 4-6 inches beyond the front fender. It helps a ton in the rain. I still get soaked but I no longer have grit on my pant legs when I get home. The advice given earlier is spot on. Ride even more defensively. Slow down on corners and an avoid slippery things like paint, leaves and the oil covered center section of each lane. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by S-P on 05/30/14 at 14:20:40 362334343F3C3E3F22253423510 wrote:
Can you post a picture of that? It sounds like a great idea. I've been thinking about modifying the front fender instead of trying to retrofit something else. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by greenmonster on 05/30/14 at 15:03:27 I don't have any shots of it right now. It was one of those things that I did at the end of a work day when we were having a biblical downpour. I felt I'd had enough and took a scrap of sheet metal, put two 90* bends in it for the sides and drilled a couple holes through it and the fender. Then I pulled out a scrap of 1/8" neoprene foam that we had kicking around and sandwiched that in between. It ain't pretty, but it works. |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by Steve H on 05/30/14 at 21:18:28 I've been thinking something like an old CB350 fender on the front just haven't figured out where to mount the supports from the front and rear. What happened to chrome fenders anyway? |
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Title: Re: Riding in the Rain? Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/31/14 at 09:52:35 Theres a RR track that crosses a Busy road in TYler,, It crosses in a curve, a 45 MPH curve where most people are running 50. NOT knowing its there & running up on it in the rain could literally be a mans downfall,, & the asphalt gap is kinda wide, too, probably 4 inches, so, its a bike crash waiting to happen, especially in wet.. |
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