Riding in the rain: staying safe in a Singapore downpour
Tropical storms arrive fast and drop a lot of water. How to set up your bike, how to ride when the road turns slippery, and when to pull over.
Singapore gets heavy rain all year, and the northeast and southwest monsoon seasons bring sudden afternoon thunderstorms. A motorcycle can be ridden safely in the wet, but grip, visibility and stopping distances all change, and so must the way you ride.
Before the rain
- Tyres with good tread and correct pressure matter most. Worn tyres cannot push water away.
- Pack a rain set (jacket and over-trousers) and keep a pinlock or anti-fog insert in your visor.
- Wear something bright or reflective. Car drivers see far less through wet, fogged windows.
- Check the weather radar (the Meteorological Service Singapore publishes it) before a long ride, and plan around the worst of a storm.
The first 20 minutes are the most slippery
After a dry spell, oil, rubber and diesel build up on the road. The first rain lifts them into a greasy film before washing them away. Ride especially gently when it has just started to rain.
How to ride on a wet road
- Slow down and double your following distance. Stopping distances on a wet road can be twice as long.
- Be smooth with everything: squeeze the brakes progressively, roll the throttle on gently, and steer without sudden inputs. Grip is lost to sudden changes, not to steady inputs.
- Brake mostly while upright, before the bend, and use both brakes.
- Avoid painted road markings, yellow boxes, zebra crossings, manhole covers, metal plates and expansion joints on flyovers. They are very slippery when wet.
- Ride in the tyre tracks of the cars ahead, where water has been pushed away, and stay out of the oily strip in the middle of the lane.
- Do not ride through deep standing water or flash floods. You cannot see potholes under it, and water can reach the air intake.
- Make yourself visible: headlight on, and signal early.
Lightning and very heavy rain
If you cannot see the road ahead or the lightning is close, the safest choice is to get off the road properly and wait. Storms in Singapore often pass within an hour. Being late is better than riding blind.
After the ride
- Clean and lube your chain. Rain washes the lube off.
- Test your brakes gently on the first stops, since wet discs and pads take a moment to bite.
- Dry your gear and gloves fully so they do not smell or rot.