Riding the FJR in Heavy Rain

[TennFJR07]

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.

what is the name of the aftermarket windscreen you were using? and... how do you like it... Price range???

 

[03HiYoSilver]

what is the name of the aftermarket windscreen you were using? and... how do you like it... Price range???

Tenn,

I have the CeeBaileys +4+2 Flip. It came on the bike and not sure of the cost....here is their website:

https://www.ceebaileys.com/yamaha/fjr1300_06_ws.html

Top Shelf product.

 

[Wee Willy]

Love riding in the rain. And as with everything else on two wheels, the conditions help dictate the safe speed range (safe here means an acceptable level of risk...and it varies greatly with condition and from rider to rider). One other important item is rider experience/skill in off-nominal conditions. Some are completely put off, others revel in it and the rest live in between somewhere.

I suspect what some of the nay-sayers here are trying to point out is the rider's actual level of risk may be significantly higher than the perceived risk being run BASED UPON THEIR EXPERIENCED ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION. In other words, the OP rider was really taking one hell of a risk. Well, I want to thank you folks for sharing that with us. That is, after all, why we gather here to discuss things.

But for some of us, risk-taking is a big part of life. We tend to have a very large tolerance for things risky. Indeed, some of us may have a real need for that adrenaline surge that accompanies wandering about on the edge of the envelope. Some here would call it "living."

In my humble opinion, the OP was a no harm no foul as I can completely understand the adventure associated with that ride. If HiYoSilver is a competent rider (and I have no reason to believe otherwise) then I can imagine a scenario to go along with the original description that puts the assumed level of risk fully in line with what I consider acceptable. Indeed, sounds like it would have been fun.

Cheers,

W2

 

[user 6393]

the wet / dry points are bullshit...
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...

well said

(holllleeeee crap, just read the date on this thread - Holy Thread resurrection, Batman!)

 

[S76]

(holllleeeee crap, just read the date on this thread - Holy Thread resurrection, Batman!)

Yeah...Imagine my surprise, I clicked on "View new posts"

 

[Bustanut joker]

I think this is the thread I fell in love with Reno John.. He is such an "indoor boy"!

I've a new respect for this bike in the wet I might add, but I bet the GenII's might be a tad better as the increase in weight and decrease in power should make tire adhesion somewhat better..

:jester:

 

[bramfrank]

All the bantering aside, I found that my feet got soaked whenever I rode my Gen-II in heavy rain. So I got the OEM foot guards with Yamabucks that came with my bike and find that my tootsies now stay as dry as the rest of me whe motoring through torrential downpours.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

(holllleeeee crap, just read the date on this thread - Holy Thread resurrection, Batman!)

Yeah...Imagine my surprise, I clicked on "View new posts"

Ditto!

Experience, comfort level, risk acceptance- these are all subjective things. Is there any scientific/mathematical evidence that exists suggesting what is considered a "safe" riding speed in wet conditions on two VERY small contact patches? My guess is "No". I just know the feeling of hydroplaning in a cage and can only imagine the puckered sphincter factor involved being on two wheels! No thank you, sir! I might be a pussy, but at least I know I'll make it home safe!

I ride in the rain, and once coming home on the slab, was thankful I was running at a moderate/slower speed in the far right lane because there was a small lake running across the entire far left and middle lanes extending a third of the way into the far right lane!! There'd be no way that anyone would stay afloat in that traveling at anything much faster than 30-35mph on two wheels IMHO!!