SuzukiSavage.com - Riding in the Rain?

sailorcolin Junior Member Offline Building a street tracker! Posts: 77 Rock Hill, SC Gender:	Riding in the Rain? 05/23/14 at 11:50:42 Has any experienced the ls 650 in the wet? I don't plan on doing it on purpose, but I do live in the south and afternoon thunder storms are common around here. How dose the bike handle, the front fender work and overall problems or not the the LS 650 may have?
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jcstokes

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Re: Riding in the Rain?
Reply #1 - 05/23/14 at 11:58:54

The stock front fender will deposit lots of water in your boots. Some including Serowbot have added a rubber guard to the bottom of the fender to alleviate this issue. The stock tyres aren't that brilliant in the wet so be careful, other than that it's a nice little bike and I have had no issues. If possible avoid riding on brand new tyres in the rain, give them 100 miles in the dry to scuff in.

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Beagle Full Member Offline 1998 Suzuki Savage Posts: 217 Ohio Gender:	Re: Riding in the Rain? Reply #2 - 05/23/14 at 11:59:54 I rode in the rain last year when my wife was a passenger. It was a light rain either but a hard, "Build the Ark!" type rain. It ran fine...so problem! Just go slower and take your time.
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Sheriff41 Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 88 O'ahu, HI	Re: Riding in the Rain? Reply #3 - 05/23/14 at 12:05:00 My first ride on mine in the rain was the day I brought it home! Just slow down a little, less lean in corners, avoid painted stripes and other slick surfaces, and pick the driest part of your lane. Dry your bike off when you get it home.
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sailorcolin Junior Member Offline Building a street tracker! Posts: 77 Rock Hill, SC Gender:	Re: Riding in the Rain? Reply #4 - 05/23/14 at 12:14:48 Sounds good! Thanks guys
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Coaxial Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 184 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Gender:	Re: Riding in the Rain? Reply #5 - 05/23/14 at 12:29:32 My brakes are squeakier in the rain for sure. I dont have a pod filter so no effect on air intake.
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shorty Serious Thumper Offline be careful out there gentlemen Posts: 547 southern NM Gender:	Re: Riding in the Rain? Reply #6 - 05/23/14 at 21:25:48 she is a light girl, keep her upright and slow, I've been on worse bikes in the wet
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1st2know

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Re: Riding in the Rain?
Reply #7 - 05/23/14 at 21:32:22

At stop lights and stop signs, steam will rise up from the engine. It will fog up the windshield and goggles.

Expect crud to accumulate in the engine fins. Also, the rear tire deposits mud on the muffler. I removed my battery last month, it had caked on mud from the holes in the battery box. I had to scrape away caked on mud from my oil drain plug just to get a wrench on it.

My front caliper gums up, I have an extra so I can have a clean one to swap in when this happens (about 2 months of intentional rain riding).

Wet leaves accumulating on the roadway can be a hazard for motorcycles - if we hit the brakes on a patch of wet leaves(or flower petals), expect the wheels to lockup instantly. I've had this happen numerous times, with both wheels locking up.

Mud can accumulate on the front disc, this can double braking distance. The pads will bite after they swipe the mud away.

The biggest problem, IMO, would be the cagers limited visibility. I use the horn more often when I'm riding in the rain, and I always wear a high vis jacket. I installed a Dyna muffler just to be more noticeable in low vis conditions.

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Riding in the Rain?
Reply #8 - 05/23/14 at 23:39:33

I think one of the biggest hazards in riding in lousy weather is
Drivers dont Expect to see a motorcyclist,,

In the summer, on a pretty day, they expect bikers to be out, like I expect to see joggers, & when someone isnt Expecting to see a biker,, theyre even LESS inclined to be watching for them,, SO,, BE as Visible as possible, use all the tricks, & dont be the first in a long line & dont be the last,,

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old_rider

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Re: Riding in the Rain?
Reply #9 - 05/24/14 at 06:18:28

^^^^ What they said.... be extra diligent, take corners slower, and watch out for them cagers...or do like we did last year at the dragon run....find a place to park.

Didn't work well tho... we kept running into the rain, so we decided we was already wet, might as well keep riding...(Dave, Old Feller having fun, and Old_rider took the picture)

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shorty Serious Thumper Offline be careful out there gentlemen Posts: 547 southern NM Gender:	Re: Riding in the Rain? Reply #10 - 05/24/14 at 06:23:14 thanks for the pic.. nice to see a face we can relate to the username
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sailorcolin Junior Member Offline Building a street tracker! Posts: 77 Rock Hill, SC Gender:	Re: Riding in the Rain? Reply #11 - 05/30/14 at 06:33:34 How do cone air filters hold up in the rain? is there too much water contact for them to be used?
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WD

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Re: Riding in the Rain?
Reply #12 - 05/30/14 at 07:47:22

sailorcolin wrote on 05/30/14 at 06:33:34:

How do cone air filters hold up in the rain? is there too much water contact for them to be used?

They do better with a rain shield deflecting most of the rain and run off. Go by CycleGear and get a replacement face shield. Heat it with a hair dryer, shape it and affix it to the frame as a rain guard over the cone filter. Not perfect but it helps a lot. You can do the same thing with thin metal if you want it to be a cheaper and more traditional fix.

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sailorcolin

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Re: Riding in the Rain?
Reply #13 - 05/30/14 at 09:46:56

WD wrote on 05/30/14 at 07:47:22:

sailorcolin wrote on 05/30/14 at 06:33:34:

How do cone air filters hold up in the rain? is there too much water contact for them to be used?

They do better with a rain shield deflecting most of the rain and run off. Go by CycleGear and get a replacement face shield. Heat it with a hair dryer, shape it and affix it to the frame as a rain guard over the cone filter. Not perfect but it helps a lot. You can do the same thing with thin metal if you want it to be a cheaper and more traditional fix.

I dont have a cone air filter, I was just wondering for future projects!

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Riding in the Rain?
Reply #14 - 05/30/14 at 09:57:41

&, FWIW, Ive been so completely soaked that when I put feet down at a light I could feel the spark plug firing,,NOT pleasant, I was actually surprised ( I REally wanted to say "shocked") that it kept running with so much of the spark plugs "OOomph" running thru me.

If you can find a pic of Serowbots bike youll see a nifty little mudguard on his front fender,,I dunno if its wide enuff or long enuff to actually be as effective as it needs to be,,but if youre gonna be an all weather rider, get some rain gear & pack it along on your rides & put a mud flap on.
You can put feet up on the engine to get them up out of some of the spray, but its not fun,,Helps some when its real cold, too,.,

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