Riding in the Rain: The Monsoon Motorcycle Skills That Keep You Upright

Riding in the rain in India is less about the water falling from the sky and more about what that water does to the road. A dry road you have ridden a hundred times becomes a different surface the moment it gets wet: zebra crossings turn slick, manhole covers become skating rinks, and the pothole you always swerve around is now a puddle that could be two inches deep or ten.

Then there is everything else the monsoon brings. Visors that fog in thirty seconds, drivers who cannot see out of their own windscreens, waterlogged underpasses, and ghats where the edge of the road grows moss. None of it means you have to park the bike from June to September. It means riding differently, and preparing the bike and yourself for it.

This is the practical version: what actually gets slippery, how to brake and corner on a wet road, how to deal with flooded streets, how to see and be seen, and what to wear so you arrive dry enough to think clearly.

The first rain is the most dangerous

After weeks of dry weather, the road surface holds a film of engine oil, diesel, rubber dust and grime. The first rain of the season lifts all of it to the surface and mixes it with water before it has had time to wash away. For the first half hour or so of the first proper shower, the road can be slicker than it will be all monsoon.

If you can, wait out that first downpour under a roof with a cutting chai. If you cannot, ride as if the entire road is painted.

What gets slippery when it rains

Some parts of the road lose far more grip than others. Learn to spot them and you avoid most wet-weather slides:

• Painted markings. Zebra crossings, lane arrows, speed breaker stripes and stop lines become extremely slippery in the rain.
• Metal. Manhole covers, drain grates, bridge expansion joints, steel plates at construction sites and railway tracks.
• Oil and diesel. Worst around fuel pumps, bus stops, toll plazas, busy junctions and the centre of the lane where vehicles drip.
• Mud and gravel. Washed onto the road near construction sites, village turn-offs and after landslides in the hills.
• Moss and wet leaves. Common on the edges of ghat roads and on shaded stretches that never dry.
• Fresh tar patches. Smooth, shiny repairs have far less grip than the worn tarmac around them.

A useful trick is to ride in the tyre tracks of the cars ahead. Their tyres push water and grime aside, leaving a cleaner, grippier line than the oily strip in the middle of the lane.

Braking in the rain

Wet roads can nearly double the distance a motorcycle needs to stop, so almost everything about braking changes.

1. Double your following distance. If you normally leave two or three seconds to the vehicle ahead, leave four to six in the rain.
2. Squeeze, never grab. Apply the front brake progressively, letting the weight settle onto the front tyre before you add more force. The front brake still does most of the stopping on a wet road.
3. Use both brakes gently. A little rear brake alongside the front keeps the bike settled.
4. Brake while upright, before the corner. Braking hard while leaned over on a wet road is where most rain crashes begin.
5. Avoid braking on paint and metal. Stop just before a zebra crossing, or cross it first and then brake.
6. Downshift smoothly. An aggressive downshift can lock or skip the rear wheel on a wet surface.

If your bike has ABS, it will stop the wheels locking, which is a big advantage in the rain. It cannot create grip that is not there, though, so the distance still grows.

Wet brakes can feel weak for the first squeeze. After riding through water, dab the brakes lightly a few times to clear the discs and pads before you need them.

Cornering and steering in the rain

• Slow down before the corner. Arrive at a speed that needs no braking once you are leaned over.
• Use less lean. Take a slightly more upright line and give yourself a wider margin from the edge of the road.
• Make every input smooth. Throttle, brakes and steering all need gentler hands in the rain. Sudden movements are what break traction.
• Stand the bike up before crossing paint or metal. If a manhole cover or a painted arrow sits in your line, get the bike as upright as possible while you cross it.
• Stay relaxed. Stiff arms make you overreact to every small slide. Loose arms let the bike sort out minor slips on its own.

In the ghats, remember that the outer edges of bends collect gravel, water and moss, and buses coming the other way will be cutting across the middle.

Flooded roads and waterlogged underpasses

City flooding creates some of the most dangerous situations riders face in the monsoon.

• You cannot see what is under the water. A flooded stretch can hide a crater of a pothole, a missing drain cover or an open manhole. Stick to the crown of the road, where the water is usually shallowest.
• Watch another vehicle cross first. See how deep the water goes on a car or bus before you commit.
• Know when to turn back. If the water is approaching your exhaust outlet or the bottom of the engine, do not ride through it. Water sucked into the engine can wreck it.
• Cross in a low gear with steady throttle. Do not stop, do not change gear and do not let the revs drop in the middle.
• Beware the bow wave. A bus pushing through water throws a wave that can knock a bike sideways and flood your engine. Wait for it to pass.
• Never ride across flowing water. Water running across a causeway or a low bridge can push a motorcycle over with surprisingly little depth.

If your engine does stall in water, do not press the starter. The motorcycle breakdown guide explains what to do instead.

Seeing and being seen in the rain

• Stop your visor fogging. A Pinlock anti-fog insert is the most effective fix. Anti-fog sprays help, and cracking the visor open slightly at low speed lets air through. Carry a microfibre cloth and never wipe the visor with a muddy glove.
• Night and rain together are the worst combination. Wet roads reflect oncoming headlights and make potholes invisible. Slow right down, and avoid monsoon night riding in the ghats altogether.
• Assume nobody can see you. Car drivers are looking through rain-streaked windows and misted mirrors. Stay out of their blind spots and do not rely on eye contact.
• Wear something bright or reflective. A high-visibility rain jacket or a reflective vest over your gear makes a real difference in grey light.
• Use hazard lights only when stopped. Riding with hazards on in traffic confuses the drivers behind you.

Rain gear that actually works

A cheap plastic raincoat that balloons and flaps at 40 km/h is not rain gear. It is a distraction that can catch the wind and pull at you.

• A proper two-piece rain suit. A jacket and trousers that go over your normal riding gear, with elasticated or velcro cuffs.
• Waterproof gloves, or at least a spare dry pair sealed in a plastic bag.
• Waterproof boots or boot covers. Rubber gumboots keep water out but have poor grip on footpegs and offer no protection in a fall.
• A dry bag for your phone, wallet and documents, plus a rain cover for any tank or tail bag.
• Put the rain suit on before it pours. Stopping in a downpour to struggle into waterproofs means you are soaked before you finish.

In the ghats, wet clothes and wind can chill you faster than you expect, even in July. Being cold makes you stiff and slow to react, so staying dry is a safety issue as much as a comfort one.

Prepare the bike for the monsoon

• Tyres with plenty of tread. The grooves are what clear water from under the tyre. A tyre near its wear indicators is far more likely to aquaplane. The motorcycle tyre guide explains how to check.
• Correct pressure. Letting air out for more grip in the rain is a myth. Underinflated tyres clear water less well and handle worse.
• Brakes checked. Pads with plenty of material and brake fluid that is not overdue for a change.
• Chain lubed more often. Rain washes lube off quickly and a dry chain rusts fast. Clean and lube it after every wet ride.
• Electricals protected. Check battery terminals, lights, horn and switches, and make sure connectors are clean and dry.
• Mudguards and a tyre hugger, which cut down the spray thrown onto you and the engine.

After a wet ride, rinse off the mud, dry the bike, and lube the chain before it sits overnight.

When not to ride at all

• The weather department has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain in your area
• There are landslide warnings for the ghat you planned to ride
• The city is flooding and underpasses are already closed
• There is lightning over open country with no shelter nearby
• It is dark, raining hard and you do not know the road

Knowing which regions stay drier during the monsoon helps too, and the month by month riding calendar explains the rain-shadow regions and which months to avoid where.

Checklist before riding in the rain

Monsoon riding is worth learning

Some of the best rides in India only really happen in the monsoon, from the waterfalls of Tamhini to the cloud-covered ghats of the Konkan. If you are near Pune, the one day bike trips from Pune include the classic rain rides and when to go. Ride them with patience and good gear, and ideally with company, because a second rider matters more in the rain than at any other time. RydrLoop is where you can find riders nearby planning monsoon rides at a pace that suits the weather.