Article Surfing Archive

As an active rider, I am susceptible to different kinds of weather. The best as we all know is dry and sunny ride. It is good to feel the warmth of the sun under your kin. It is nice to feel free-spirited again and feast your eyes on strange, peculiar and scenic spots in the locality you are driving.

Nonetheless, what makes it a little harder is when the weather turns rainy- wet and slippery. It is quite hard to drive on a rainy season especially without your visors on. We have to be equipped with the right motorcycle accessories and apparel. In fact, you have to be really prepared in order to withstand the weather. We have to weather the weather whether we like it or not.

From helmet, visors/sunglasses to raincoat, latex gloves or waterproof pants, vests and boots * we got to have them all or else you are going to travel cold, shivering and unable to focus.

On the other hand, I can say that rainy days are not the hardest ride ever. In fact, I have experienced the worst ride when I rode on foggy days. It was a long and protracted ride. It took me many days to finish my route. These days were one of my scariest days as a rider. I was exploring California, when suddenly I found myself within the vicinity of a fog bank. It was so hazy that I cannot even figure out what was in front of me. The visibility was so poor and the risks were overwhelming.

What makes it more scary is when your drop your motorcycle in a fog bank. With poor visibility, you have no way of seeing the horizon, the trees, deer and other obstacles that may come your way. This is especially true when you are in the curve and have to stop quickly and smoothly. If you miscalculate your turn, you may find your bike falling over and it will be difficult for you to stop. Before you know it, you are already drenched in the freezing coldness of fog.

There was an interesting study which states that riders tend to gradually increase speed while driving in the fog. This is true. We may be overlooking our speedometers thus, we are not aware of our usual speed so as to cue us in our riding. Nevertheless, speedometer cues are unreliable when you are riding in the fog.

So as not to get tangled with an otherwise awkward ride, every rider must be physically and psychologically fit. He must also know the routes he is taking or about to take. Another, the motorcycle must be well-maintained and is free from flaws so as not to have discrepancies while riding.

Stay safe. Ride on!