First Ride in the Rain in 2010

It finally rained today. The temperature has been hovering in mid to high 30s (F) for about the last week or so. It’s even gotten up to the 40s a few times. I have been enjoying not using my heated gear. It is very comfortable, but the wires get bothersome getting on and off the bike frequently.

This morning was misty-fog and about 35F when I rode the Ural to work. I really wanted to take the Super9, but I needed to bring more things with me than the little scooter could handle.

By the time I finished working today, it was already raining. I was actually excited since it was the first time I was able to the ride the Ural in the rain. Riding the sidecar in the rain felt great. I was able to pay more attention to the scenery and slightly less to the road surface since there is no chance of falling down.

On the contrary, with the roads wet and covered in gunk, I was able to drift the back end of the Ural around the corners slightly. I’d read about the technique in my sidecar book, but have only been able to pull it off on snow.

Basically, you give the bike a little bit of gas while in a right-hand corner to cause the rear wheels to slide just slightly. When done correctly, it reduces the lateral forces on the bike making it less likely to tip over in the turn. It’s also kinda fun. It makes the corner feel much smoother.

I am really enjoying finally seeing other riders on the road! I saw a number of bikes on Sunday. I saw two yesterday, and one forgot how to wave. Today, I saw three. One was even a sidecar! I have no idea what kind – just a random white a hack. He gave a big wave though.

It is supposed to rain the rest of the week. I really need to finish my projects on the SV650, so I can put it back together and get it on the road!