Riding the FJR in Heavy Rain

I had to make an emergency trip to visit my family in Ohio and decided to take the FJR. I had all bags loaded including my topcase with Laptop and clothes. When I got to Ohio, my family and friends thought I was nuts and could not believe I could make such a trip in 7 hours on a motorcycle. Anyways, on the way back on I-75, I founded myself riding in a Rain deluge/Thunder Storm(even some hail was in the mix) in Kentucky to Tennessee. When it started, I stopped off and put on the Dennis Kirk rain jacket and kept going.

The rain was so bad on the 6 lane highway, cars had their emergency blinkers on going about 40-50mph in the Fast Lane. So the hard part was not the rain, but getting around all the cars in the fast lane not moving over. I was going about 50-70mph and was going around them like pylons. To my surprise, I was not getting wet and the FJR handled this marvelously and better than expected. I have the Pirelli CorsaIII on the front and the PR on the rear. I think the CeeBailey windshield +4+2 flip in the down position help create a nice airpocket around me and most of the rain blew around me. Only my very lower pant legs at the boot area got wet.

The heavy rain riding lasted for about 2 hours and made it home safely. Even when passing big semi's, the excellent aerodymanics of the FJR, buffetting was almost nill.

The FJR never ceases to amaze me and with the conditions mentioned above, this really impressed me. Most bikers(and some cars) could not tolerate this but under a bridge...but not the FJR. I did have some vibration in the front when going over 80mph and found out when I got back, the Front tire was a mere 10grams off balance so now the vibration is gone.

So I thought I would share my experience on riding a FJR under these conditions, an impressive maching that never ceases to amaze me.

Yeah, I've been caught in quite few frog stranglers here in Fla. and probably the worst was in Tn. As long as your moving, you stay pretty dry!

RTSR1/FJR said:

Yeah, I've been caught in quite few frog stranglers here in Fla. and probably the worst was in Tn. As long as your moving, you stay pretty dry!

Click to expand...

Rts,

You're right! I was fully expecting to be misrable and wet, neither was the case. I was pleasantly surprised and surely kept moving, kept dry, and had a nice ride.

My ride last Saturday with my brother had some rain. It wasn't one of those that you can't see through, but we could tell it had been before we got there. We'd gotten so hot earlier I didn't bother with a rain suit for just the hour or so. It was 20 degrees cooler, and the jacket needed a good rinse anyway! My pants were nearly dry except for stopping at lights, but my brother was soaked through and through on his Superhawk. Made a good comparison.

Jeanne and I were riding in the rain and stayed dry, except for the lower part of her legs. Got a lot of spray from the rear wheel.

03HiYoSilver said:

founded myself riding in a Rain deluge/Thunder Storm(even some hail was in the mix) in Kentucky to Tennessee. When it started, I stopped off and put on the Dennis Kirk rain jacket and kept going.
The rain was so bad on the 6 lane highway, cars had their emergency blinkers on going about 40-50mph in the Fast Lane. So the hard part was not the rain, but getting around all the cars in the fast lane not moving over. I was going about 50-70mph and was going around them like pylons.

The heavy rain riding lasted for about 2 hours and made it home safely. R. I did have some vibration in the front when going over 80mph and found out when I got back, the Front tire was a mere 10grams off balance so now the vibration is gone.

amaze me.

Click to expand...

So the next time we read about somebody exceeding the practical limits of a machine and getting them selfs maimed or killed we should applaud...... you?

What ya gonna do when that stationary 2 ton vehicle appears out of nowhere?

Dude it's an fjr Not a miracle Machine. Respect it's limitations :blink:

:jester:

Yeah, I'm amazed at how dry you stay on the FJR... as long as you're moving.

A couple of months ago I rode through one of those frog chokers in Maryland. Cars were pulling over and stopping. There were no overpasses to hide under, so I kept going, and even though I did not stop to put on my rain gear, I only got a little wet.

I found out that on my '06, if you put the side farings in the OUT position, it keeps more water off your legs. Who knew that those silly adjustable side farings actually had a little functionality.

Bustanut joker said:

So the next time we read about somebody exceeding the practical limits of a machine and getting them selfs maimed or killed we should applaud...... you?What ya gonna do when that stationary 2 ton vehicle appears out of nowhere?

Dude it's an fjr Not a miracle Machine. Respect it's limitations :blink:

:jester:

Click to expand...

Wow, a ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak world.

I have had my FJR in heavy rain a couple of times and it worked out perfectly.

Last year going through Nebraska I got hammered by a torrential thunderstorm. It got a little hairy because there was so much water on the road, but I felt it was more dangerous to pull over to the side of the highway where I might get squashed by someone who could not see me. The FJR ran and worked fine through the storm and the whole trip.

This year on my way to Michigan, it rained hard all the way from Albany, NY to Port Huron, MI. Fortunately that was the last day I saw rain until my ride home 9 days later. Once again the FJR performed flawlessly. I much prefer to ride when it is dry but rain is a fact of life on any long distance tour.

A good set of rain gear and the FJR will make even riding in the rain a not so bad experience.

the wet / dry points are ********...

the bike is very stable, period...

don't overdrive your skills...

i ride in the rain, but not like it's an open country road...

i just know the fjr will get me home, unlike 'chrome' bikes...

First bike I've ever owned I didn't DREAD seeing rain start to fall.

Jackson said:

Yeah, I'm amazed at how dry you stay on the FJR... as long as you're moving. I found out that on my '06, if you put the side farings in the OUT position, it keeps more water off your legs. Who knew that those silly adjustable side farings actually had a little functionality.

Click to expand...

This makes sense since putting the side vents in the open position is suppose to deflect (cool) air away from the rider.

Far different than my R1. I rode to Laguna Seca this year and it rained hard for the first 100 miles. Did not put rain suit on until the rain turned to a downpoor. Jacket was dry and jeanes were only marginally damp before put rainsuit on. 06 is fantastic machine.

Kent

PS races were great and weather beautiful in Monterey.

SecuLaw said:

Bustanut joker said:

So the next time we read about somebody exceeding the practical limits of a machine and getting them selfs maimed or killed we should applaud...... you?What ya gonna do when that stationary 2 ton vehicle appears out of nowhere?

Dude it's an fjr Not a miracle Machine. Respect it's limitations :blink:

:jester:

Click to expand...

Wow, a ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak world.

Click to expand...

He speaketh the truth.....rideth in the rain ist evil.....and thou shalt pay......SINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

....fuzzy balls.

I was in hail so bad the other day it knocked the silver finsh off my face sheld, My finger inside my gloves felt I had a hundered nuns with rulers beating on me. Couldn't give it up just to close to home. My *** felt like I was wearing a wet swimsuit, sheep skin seat cover.

And I yet I could'nt have been happer, I would rather ride my bike in the rain then in my truck any time.. 50K on my ride and still have wet ears from smiling..

Riding in hail certainly makes a racket on the helmet, eh? We were once nearly killed on the very top of Beartooth Pass when a lightning bolt struck about 100 feet away. We all got enormous static shocks just a split second before - went out of the side of my boot and into the ground. It was time to GO! Jumped on and took off when the hail started. When it began to accumulate on the surface, we pulled over and ducked behind the van of a truck that had pulled over. Furious storm. Ten minutes later, the sun was out and all was well with the world. Rode on down to Red Lodge and consumed a fine Mexican dinner with much - too much - tequila. A tequila hangover while riding is far worse than rain.

Bustanut joker said:

So the next time we read about somebody exceeding the practical limits of a machine and getting them selfs maimed or killed we should applaud...... you?What ya gonna do when that stationary 2 ton vehicle appears out of nowhere?

Dude it's an fjr Not a miracle Machine. Respect it's limitations :blink:

:jester:

Click to expand...

Gotta confess I had the same reaction....

Gunny

name='Bustanut joker' date='Aug 16 2007, 06:19 PM' post='290342'So the next time we read about somebody exceeding the practical limits of a machine and getting them selfs maimed or killed we should applaud...... you?

What ya gonna do when that stationary 2 ton vehicle appears out of nowhere?

Dude it's an fjr Not a miracle Machine. Respect it's limitations :blink:

:jester:

Click to expand...

I won't wait to applaud him, instead I'll aplaud him now for RIDING the bike. The bike does very well in the rain, partly because the pig it is ...hard to hydroplane. Sure, go slower in the wet, but 70MPH? that is nothing and the bike does fine. With a capable pilot it can go around cars in dry, with the same pilot it can do it in wet. My point being if you're not capable of going around cars in the wet, are you capable of doing it in the dry?? ...same factors and often times more important to get away (around) cars and other obstacles in the rain.For this pilot, ice is a much tougher, but sometimes that is what nature deals you ...but in ice, then I'll give the nod to the cages and keep my distance by avoiding them as much as possible.