Balancing on two wheels as you make your way around corners is an inherently precarious thing, and so it’s vital you keep the condition of the road ahead in mind when you’re out and about, and are aware of the dangers you’re likely to encounter in certain situations and environments.

Obviously you’re going to experience significantly reduced levels of grip in the wet, and so your motorcycle riding should be adjusted to suit. Slow down; increase the distance between yourself and the vehicle in front; position your body more to the inside around corners (thus keeping the motorcycles or scooters more upright, with less stress on its tyre’s contact patches); and avoid super slippery stuff like the plague – like metal grates, white line markings, cat’s eyes and crack sealant. In built-up areas when it’s raining, especially in the peak hours or around lunch time, watch out for hapless pedestrian darting across the road, and be particularly careful when it’s just started raining after a prolonged dry spell – ie when road grime has had a chance to build up, and hasn’t yet been washed away by the downpour.

Spilled diesel, petrol or oil are also things to look out for when riding motorcycles, but they’re often not easy to pick up before it’s too late. Any rainbow-coloured pools on the road need to be given a wide berth, and a decent build-up of oil can make water bead on top of it in the wet. Sometimes a vehicle with a loose fuel cap will leave a long trail of spilt fuel behind it – fortunately this is easier to pick up, so adjust your line to suit, but in general be wary of any discolouration on the road in front of you. Also be aware of where you’re more likely to encounter these slippery characters – like at busy intersections, in industrial estates and on petrol station forecourts. When stopping at particularly slippery intersections, pull up either to the left or right of your lane, avoiding the oily centre, and put down whatever foot falls to the outside of the lane.

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