MASTER THE WET

So you want to be a better wet weather rider? Well, before you get side-tracked by thoughts of mastering throttle finesse or optimising your body position, there are a couple of less obvious cornerstones to consider.

Sort your head

First up is your mind-set. Without wanting to sound like a wishy-washy life coach who advises you to stretch nine times a day and eat freshly cut grass from your neighbour’s lawn, you should know that conquering the wet begins with optimising your attitude. How many times have you been out riding, on the road or on track, when the wet stuff’s abruptly arrived and washed away thoughts of enjoyment faster than it takes you to zip up your leathers? A fair few, I’d say. It’s natural, because the wet physically impacts on how you’re going to ride and how safe you’re going to be. Grip is one of the most important ingredients in motorcycling, and it’s the first thing to go out of the window with rainfall… along with your bottom lip.

But just because it’s wet you’re not automatically destined to crash, or have a naff ride for that matter. Remind yourself of this and you’ll feel the tension slide off yourget excited and see rainfall as the brilliant leveller it is. For him it became a great opportunity he could capitalise on, and with his change of attitude came a change in his performance. That doesn’t mean you can magic yourself special wet weather abilities with just a few thoughts, but physiologically speaking you’ll be able to relax your body, to feel less tense, to breathe more easily and focus more intently on the job at hand if you can take the stress out of the occasion. Try it and you’ll see for yourself.