Rain and the Rocket

[Sidecar Flip]

Speak'in of rain, last summer going to Traverse, almost all the way was in the rain, sometimes a hard driving rain. I wore my one piece Dry-Rider, no boot covers and put my leather gloves in the saddlebags. With the big windshield and lowers on the forks, my forehead got wet right below the visor and the tips of my boots. The bike handles well on rain covered roads at 70 but is a PITA to clean. I agree with Tomo on that.

PF: You have a while before you have to worry about rain. I'd be a little more concerned with snow and frozen extremities in this weather. Besides, riding you bike on sodium chloride treated roads will in short order depreciate the value of your bike substantially.

 

[vonbonds]

As others have said this bike is ROCK SOLID in the rain. I have done quite a bit of touring on my bike so when you are far from home you just ride in whatever comes your way. I have never ridden a bike that was more stable and inspired confidence as the Rocket does in the wet.

 

[Toystoretom]

I'm one of those morons who watches the Weather Channel and if it looks like there is a small window of opportunity (meaning the eye of the storm) going down the highway I want to ride on sometimes I'll head out. It usually waits until I'm way too far away from the house and the whole thing collapses on me and I get hammered... oh well, no fool like an old fool....

 

[Baggage1]

Motorcycle articles suggest that you wait about 30 min.before you venture out in the wet stuff so some of the oil residue washes away and to avoid the middle of the road where it is slick.Here in Fl. you get caught in the rain sometimes and I pull over and put the rainsuit on.I got Lg. dishwashing gloves to go over my leather gloves.I got a bike lift and raise the bike up a bit to wash it.I sit on a stool as I go over it cause it takes some time to do it right.You can break the rear loose pretty easily if you don't watch it especially on corners so be careful now ya hear.

 

[pastorfreak]

Right now my biek is going to stay at Life Cycle, until the weather breaks a bit and I get my Road King out of the garage and over to a friends house or maybe leave the Road King in the garage and take the Rocket to a Freinds house who has a heated Garage for storage. From what I have read and seen it is easy to break the rear end loose even on dry roads

Freak

 

[Baggage1]

Didn't intend to intimidate ya PF the beast is quite stable as everyone says it is, you just need to heed the wet stuff as on any bike.I know you are new to it and it may be wise to wait but it isn't that easy to break loose on dry stuff but it is possible if you make a conscious effort.The throttle is easy on starts for a reason and that makes it better in the rain.

 

[Paul Hyland]

Breaking loose

I can say bagage1 is right it isn't easy to break the tire loose on dry roads. Yesterday I wanted to feel some of the power (now I haven't gone past 3/4 throttle) not to far any way's, but I got on it hard and shifted from 1st to 2nd around 6grand and my neighbor who was watching said it looked like the hole bike bunny hopped of the ground. The tire never broke loose. Now that’s some traction.

 

[snuffcityrider]

rain

My very 1st ride home from the dealer with my brand new rocket was in the rain. I was very pleasantly suprised at how well the beast behaved. Sure hated to see it dirty so soon.

 

[Sidecar Flip]

I can say bagage1 is right it isn't easy to break the tire loose on dry roads. Yesterday I wanted to feel some of the power (now I haven't gone past 3/4 throttle) not to far any way's, but I got on it hard and shifted from 1st to 2nd around 6grand and my neighbor who was watching said it looked like the hole bike bunny hopped of the ground. The tire never broke loose. Now that’s some traction.

Paul that's torque transfer due to the geometry of a drive shaft. What's happening is the pinion is actually climbing the ring gear and the torque reaction raises the rear of the bike. That's why on an off road buggy, a high pinion differential is better. No torque reaction.

If you had a drive chain, You'd break the tire loose right away.

 

[Paul Hyland]

Ya

Or stand the bike straight up.
Have a reminder to all you Texas pilots. We are talking about rain but last night on my way back from soft ball I was reminder just how slick the roads can be just from the humidity. Down here on a cool night about 70 or less and high humidity the roads are just like it rained on them.