How To Ride a Motorcycle in Bad Weather

If you’re riding a motorcycle in the United States, you will inevitably experience bad weather, especially during the winter. But even if you’re living in an area with the most extreme weather, you can learn how to cope with the situation when riding a motorcycle. It all comes down to your preparation!

In this article, we’re going to discuss how to ride a motorcycle in bad weather. Let’s get down to it.

Invest in the Right Gear

The first rule of riding in bad weather is to gear up. If it’s snowing or raining, you should invest in a merino wool base layer that’s worn under a windproof layer to keep you warm. Additionally, you should pack a leather jacket, balaclava, insulated gauntlet, scarf, waterproof boots, reinforced underpants, long-sleeve wool shirt, and warm socks.

But that’s not all; you should install a windscreen, handguards, heated grips, heated seats, and motorcycle winter tires if you will be riding in low temperatures. Better yet, you can add heated gloves, an anti-fog visor, and a heated vest before you hit the road. However, make sure that your gear doesn’t obstruct or distract you from riding the motorcycle safely.

Inspect Your Bike Before Riding  

Before you start riding, you should inspect all the components of your motorcycle and replace them if necessary. Even though inspecting your motorcycle is a mandatory requirement in many states, you’re more likely to cause an accident if you neglect the maintenance during winter. For instance, if your motorcycle tires are worn out and you’re riding on a wet surface, it could be dangerous since the traction will be affected.

Besides that, you could change the oil and coolant to match the weather conditions — but you should first check your motorcycle’s manual. Since tires tend to lose pressure in cold weather, you should check them regularly to make sure they’re within the recommended PSI. To keep your motorcycle in optimum condition during winter, you should store it inside with a battery tender — and the tank should be half full so you don’t freeze up the gas lines.

Ride Defensively in Bad Weather

If you’re riding in winter weather, you should always drive defensively. This means you should reduce your speed and increase your following distance to have more time to maneuver in an unexpected situation. Beyond that, you should keep an eye on your surroundings to avoid potential hazards such as fallen leaves, manhole covers, black ice, and standing covers.

If your motorcycle comes with a rain mode to increase traction control and ABS while smoothening the throttle, you should activate it if necessary. But even if your motorcycle is equipped with modern technology to enhance safety when it’s raining, you should brake, steer, and throttle gradually when the road is wet and slippery.

On the other hand, if you’re riding a motorcycle in extremely windy conditions, you should keep your head down while tucking your head and legs to reduce the surface area. Another hack is to relax your muscles to reduce the effect of the wind. Sticking your knee towards the direction of the wind while your muscles are relaxed could also help to balance the motorcycle and ride in a straight line.

Increase Visibility on The Road

The last thing you want when riding a motorcycle is other drivers not seeing you clearly until it’s too late. However, you can improve your visibility in foggy or rainy weather by wearing reflective rainwear and high-vis gear. If you’re riding at night, you could use reflective stickers around your wheels — especially if your motorcycle is black or darkly colored.

You can also increase your visibility by changing lanes, slowing down, and avoiding blind spots behind other vehicles.

Take a Break If Necessary  

If you’re riding in bad weather and struggling to keep up, you can always take a break and continue when the weather is conducive. Unlike driving a car that’s enclosed with an interior, you don’t have a lot of protection against freezing temperatures except your clothes when you’re riding a motorcycle. In fact, it’s easier to get hyperthermia when you’re riding a motorcycle compared to driving a car.

If you start to feel uneasy with numbness, itchiness, skin discoloration, joint aches, and shivering, that’s your warning sign to take a break. Of course, don’t forget to dry off your clothes while waiting for suitable conditions to get back on the road.  

Don’t Ride If the Weather Is Too Extreme

In many states, temperatures can go below the freezing point with severe wind chills during winter. It can be extremely dangerous to ride a motorcycle in ice and heavy snow when it’s freezing outside — even if you try, your motorcycle will be wobbly. Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should. If you can’t scratch that itch of riding a motorcycle in heavy snow, you’re better off using a ski bike, which is safer.

However, you can safely ride a motorcycle when it’s raining, as long as you’re not caught in a storm that would make it too dangerous.