Riding guides
Motorcycle weather, explained
What each kind of weather does to a ride, and how to plan around it.
How cold is too cold to ride a motorcycle?
The air temperature is only part of the answer: wind chill at speed, a cold road surface and ice decide when a cold ride stops being worth it.
Riding a motorcycle in the rain: when the road is slipperiest
The first rain after a dry spell is the most slippery moment of a wet ride. How grip changes as rain starts, continues and stops, and how to pick your window.
How long does a road take to dry after rain?
Anywhere from under an hour to all night. Sun, wind, humidity and temperature decide how long a road stays wet after the rain stops — a fixed number of hours is wrong in both directions.
Riding a motorcycle in strong wind and gusts
Gusts, not the average wind speed, are what move a motorcycle. When wind becomes dangerous, where it catches you out, and how to read the forecast.
Riding a motorcycle in fog: visibility and being seen
Fog cuts how far you can see and how far others can see you. When fog is too thick to ride, where it forms, and when it usually clears.
Mountain pass weather for motorcyclists: summit versus valley
The weather at the top of a pass is not the weather in the valley. Temperature drop with altitude, afternoon thunderstorms, wind and cloud, and how to plan a pass day.
Riding a motorcycle in hot weather: heat, tyres and soft tarmac
Heat costs grip as well as comfort: softened tarmac, bleeding bitumen and overheated tyres. What changes above 30 °C and how to plan around it.