Ridin' in the rain?

[Bubba_BigDog]

I've read a couple threads about people having issues with water causing some issues and attributed it to when washing down their bike. But the past couple of weeks I've had to use the bike as my only means of transportation... and while it has been extremly nice weather for the area I'm in, I've still been caught out in the rain a couple times.

Do I need to worry about having any issues with it? I noticed today while on a POW/MIA Rally that my cluster had some fogging inside it so now I'm wondering if I'm gonna have other issues and just what I need to do to fix this.

I've got no problem tearing my truck apart (which is why this is my daily driver right now), but I'm a little skeptical in tearing into the bike.

 

[BBChopper]

Bubba, I’m in South Florida and rain is just part of riding here!!! No issue so far.

 

[Bubba_BigDog]

It rains in South Florida??? lol

I'll admit I'm more of a "fair weather" rider... but after being in Japan and being my only means of transportation, I've become more accustomed to riding in the rain. Although I feel more comfortable doing so with a 280 under me compared to a skinny ass tire on a GSX-R 750, it's just too damn much chrome to try and clean afterwards.

Unfortunatly here in WA... and the eastern side at that... there's not a lot of days that it's not wet out.

 

[toomanybikes]

You might want to search for the thread on shrink wrapping your electrical connections. The speedometers fog if you ride in humid conditions, but they eventually clear up. If you have changed from the stock air cleaner, you might have problems there (mine popped more the first time I rode in the rain after changing the pipes and air cleaner).

 

[Slider]

There is no warning that your BD can't be ridden in the rain. That would be assinine.

 

[Bubba_BigDog]

If you have changed from the stock air cleaner, you might have problems there (mine popped more the first time I rode in the rain after changing the pipes and air cleaner).

The aircleaner and cover are stock... but I swapped out the smooth leading piece for a louvered one.

But what "popping" are you refering to?

 

[toomanybikes]

The aircleaner and cover are stock... but I swapped out the smooth leading piece for a louvered one.

But what "popping" are you refering to?

It seemed like water came in through the air cleaner cover and soaked the air cleaner. The pops when I let off the throttle seemed to be louder and more frequent. Since then I have changed the jets and adjusted the carb so the popping has decreased. I also haven't ridden in any heavy rain recently :lol:

 

[Raywood]

I've read a couple threads about people having issues with water causing some issues and attributed it to when washing down their bike. But the past couple of weeks I've had to use the bike as my only means of transportation... and while it has been extremly nice weather for the area I'm in, I've still been caught out in the rain a couple times.

Do I need to worry about having any issues with it? I noticed today while on a POW/MIA Rally that my cluster had some fogging inside it so now I'm wondering if I'm gonna have other issues and just what I need to do to fix this.

I've got no problem tearing my truck apart (which is why this is my daily driver right now), but I'm a little skeptical in tearing into the bike.

Were you at the POW/MIA event on Whidbey?

 

[littlef66]

Basically if you ride in a heavy rain, depending on your airfilter setup, your dog is gonna run like shit. I have a cone and We were riding through a big ass rain for about 60 miles and the dog just didnt run well at all. I had to stop and take it apart so I could run it with no filter. It ran fine then.

 

[KnotSo]

I run the stock w/louvers and no rain issues

 

[BBChopper]

220 miles my house to Daytona down pour all the way up and back. Did this run twice like this with no problems. On one of the runs I was having starter issues not related to the rain though (see my how to post on how to fix the Click, Click.). I get cought in the rain all the time, left the house in the rain to do the Memorial Day ride this year..

One of the Daytona run's.

 

[KnotSo]

My dog loves the rain, looks forward to it I think and will seek water out on a nice sunny day.

I washed the bike yesterday, then went for a ride around Olympia,Shelton and ended up at a party yesterday in the Key Penninsula area, and it rained on my about a third of the way into this ride, and me in jeans, a t shirt and light leather jacket and skimpy gloves. I dried out a couple hours later.

Headed home at 0115 hours and it did not get cold untill I started the scoot up. Light rain for a few miutes. When I got home I almost could not pull my cold frozen fingers and legs off the bike.

Point is, all rides are good rides.

Water affects each bike differently.

 

[BBChopper]

My dog loves the rain, looks forward to it I think and will seek water out on a nice sunny day.

I washed the bike yesterday, then went for a ride around Olympia,Shelton and ended up at a party yesterday in the Key Penninsula area, and it rained on my about a third of the way into this ride, and me in jeans, a t shirt and light leather jacket and skimpy gloves. I dried out a couple hours later.

Headed home at 0115 hours and it did not get cold untill I started the scoot up. Light rain for a few miutes. When I got home I almost could not pull my cold frozen fingers and legs off the bike.

Point is, all rides are good rides.

Water affects each bike differently.

You guys get it like we do!!! Opposite corners of the country???

 

[Raywood]

a ride around Olympia,Shelton and ended up at a party yesterday in the Key Penninsula area.

Hey, thanks for the call


Funny listening to all the rain threads (hundreds) when we do most of our riding in it or snow!

Opposite corners of the country???

This area is the only "Natural Rain Forrest" in the Continental US, guess it's what keeps us green huh?

 

[Nomad2day]

I been riding in the rain for the last 3 days or the bike has been sitting in the rain anyway at a rally. My speedometer is usless and fogged up as a lot of them do but who needs it. One of my helms joints rusted up some and the shifter was giving me some issues but I took and sprayed them down with WD40 and worked them and one is free and one is still pretty locked up. I don't have a EHC in my bike anyway so that is a good thing.
Neil

 

[Bubba_BigDog]

It seemed like water came in through the air cleaner cover and soaked the air cleaner. The pops when I let off the throttle seemed to be louder and more frequent. Since then I have changed the jets and adjusted the carb so the popping has decreased. I also haven't ridden in any heavy rain recently :lol:

Do you have the stock pipes still? The dealer told me they're a big cause for that on my bike as well as just holding back the performance.

Were you at the POW/MIA event on Whidbey?

I was... if you were there, I had the Blue with flames Pitbull

You guys get it like we do!!! Opposite corners of the country???

This area is the only "Natural Rain Forrest" in the Continental US, guess it's what keeps us green huh?

Such a pain... but makes it so damn nice.

 

[Raywood]

I was... if you were there, I had the Blue with flames Pitbull


Such a pain... but makes it so damn nice.

Guess I missed you but it was a pretty good run. Did you see my vid I did on it? I think it came out pretty good.

Only other BD I saw was Gas Can on his Chopper a blue one.

Sorry I missed you,
Ray

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4MORo9U2Kc]YouTube - POW MIA Ride[/ame]

 

[Bubba_BigDog]

I had not seen it... unfortunatly I'll have to wait till after I get off work to see it (damn gov computers).

I saw a couple there... it was probably Gas with his Blue Chopper... I talked to someone briefly that had an 04 Chopper.

 

[RRRUFF]

Had some issues with my 05 chopper once when I got caught in a heavy down pour for about 30 minutes, up in the mountains of north Georgia. Dried every thing out and put dielectric grease in all the connections, especially the EHC and no more problems with rain and water.