We all ride fast from time to time, regardless of the more obvious or latent risks that lay ahead. However, there is a huge difference between doing several miles per hour more on dry roads and riding fast in the wet. While it looks like the rider in the video below wasn't aware of how easily and quickly things can go wrong on soaked roads, the lesson life taught him will most likely help him become a better motorcyclist.
Now, I don't want to sound a bit sarcastic, but I'm really great to see the chap walk away from this. The highway is one of the nastiest places to go down, especially after passing other vehicles. Lots of tragedies took place in similar conditions, with fallen riders run over by traffic behind them, or sliding in the way of incoming vehicles. Glad to see this fellow made it in one piece.
Riding in the rain required smooth throttle action and "fluid" moves
It may sound funny, but when riding in the rain, a motorcyclist that wants to stay on the safe side of things should behave like the fluid itself. That is, avoid making sudden changes of direction, being gentle with both the throttle and the brakes, and adopting a defensive, more paranoid riding strategy.
What's even more important to all this when riding in the rain, is that not even the best wet-spec tires will spare a motorcyclist a crash if he or she doesn't ride in a sensible manner. Fail to obey the rules of the wet asphalt and odds are you're going home with the bike on the trailer, if you're lucky.
Now, the chap in the video below, clearly ignored the speed and steering rules of the wet road, and as you can see, payback was not late at all. The high speed, coupled with the rather abrupt handlebar movement lead to aquaplaning and we can all hear the revs going higher as the real wheel loses grip.
With the rear of the bike sliding to the left, the rider maybe subconsciously tries to avoid the crash turning the bars in the same direction in a supermoto-like drift. Alas, this bike has already gone past the point of no return, and a high-side crash follows, with both bike and rider sliding on the highway dozens of meters. Good thing to see the driver he previously passed was more considerate and managed to avoid hitting him, isn't it?
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