How is the VFR's wet weather handling?

I have about 2500 miles on her now but no more than 10 in the rain. How does this bike handle on wet roads both winding and straight?

My tires are Sport Max II Dunlop D204s. Any suggestions for a superior "all season" tire?

Thanks,

Reg

 

Over all from what I have looked into, I did a bit of research on what makes a good wet weather machine. I found that the VFR is actually pretty darn good at road manors in the wet. Now for me that's a whole other subject. but if one was looking to use the vfr in those wet conditions it scores pretty high marks. Now as far as wet weather tires go. that too is another discussion for debate.... duck-duck-goose.

 

Michelin Pilot Road

 

2 full days of rain I rode through 3 months ago. About 800 miles in all. Pilot Power front with Pilot Road 2 rear. VFR is an excellent wet weather machine. Tires were great on all sorts of surfaces, except wet wooden bridges. Stay away from those...

 

The VFR has pretty good manners in the wet. A lot better than my old GSX.

When I bought my 6th gen it still had the stock Bridgestone Battlax BT20s on. They were OK in the rain but at almost 18,000 miles were fast running out of tread so I replaced them last month with the newer Battlax BT021s. Wow what a difference it made. They are really planted and have been brilliant when riding high alpine mountain passes in all sorts of weather. I even crossed the Col d'Iseran in teaming rain without even the slightest hint of nervous tyres, whilst the guys on the BMWs riding with me, were all over the place ending up completely on the wrong side of the road on some of the z bends. If the BT021s are available where you are, then they would be an ideal choice for normal day to day use on a VFR, but obviously not the best choice if you intend doing lots of track days.

skimad4x4
6th gen Militia
#218

 

I am a MSF coach, so I ride in the rain all the time. We never cancel a class unless there is active lightning.

First things first... GED RID OF THOSE WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT D204K'S, RIGHT FREAKING NOW. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200 UNTIL YOU GET RID OF THOSE TIRES. They are absolutely horrible tires. If rain is your concern, you can't go wrong with the Continental Road Attack. With those tires, rain is a minor annoyance and nothing more. Most people I know love the Michelin's but I hate the french & will not buy their products if I can help it.

The VFR actually has fairly good wind protection, so as a result it will act as a rain deflector as well. I got caught on the Blue Ridge ParkWay in a torrential downpour about 75 miles from civilization. I had no choice but to keep going. I put on my Tourmaster Elite II 1 piece rain suit & other than water building up on my faceshield, I had no issues continuing the 3 hours back to the hotel. Riding in the rain is nothing to be afraid of. Just take your time & realize that it takes more of your attention but it's entirely possible.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

I've ridden several times in the rain and the VFR has ALWAYS felt extremely stable no matter what I was doing. The VFR is a great platform to begin with but I think a lot of what you experience in the rain is going to be determined by your tires. Nearly any choice of tire that you make should be more than sufficient for riding in the rain, but it is the life remaining in your tires that will make the difference.

Cupped tires are bad and lack of tread is bad. What most people fail to realize is that the treads on a tire effectively make the tire a water pump in the rain and those treads are designed to pump the water away from the contact patch thus giving the tire a clear surface to grip on. Less or no tread means the tire can't pump the water away fast enough and thus your grip is reduced. Cupped tires do the same thing as the efficiency of the treads is also reduced.

FWIW when I bought my VFR I had to ride her home 400 miles. Of course I got caught in some bad rain and since I wasn't familiar with the bike I was skiddish about how it would turn out. Before I knew it I looked at my speedo and I was doing 60. Even more to my amazement was that I was going through about 1/2" of water on the road and I couldn't even tell. Since then I've moved along at 85mph in the rain without a hitch.

The harder it rains, the slower you are going to have to go. There is a limit to how much water the treads on a tire can displace, and this is going to be different for every tire due to the wide variations in tread design and tire profile. Some will certainly be better than others. Ultimately the condition of your tires will probably play a larger role in anything you will come across on the street due to speed limits.

My tires are the Pirelli Diablos both front and rear. The bike will do fine, just pay attention to your tires. When it comes down to it, the tires are the only thing between you and the road. When they go, so do you.

 

The VFR is fine in rain conditions. My bike came with Mich. Pilots, and I've never used them before, they are very good in the rain. Get some rain-proof camping gear at Walmart b/c it folds up easy and small enough to put under your seat for the unexpected tinkle.

Just becareful of heavy wind gusts. They usually occur right before a down pour along and you will notice a significant temperature drop. Broad side wind will make any bike dance off the path a bit. On the bright side, the engine responds better with cooler air temperatures.

Ride safe in the rain...

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I had planned on changing the tires as a rider at work with the identical bike mentioned the installed Dunlops are older technology. He mentioned using Bridgestone BT 20s or 21s. Comments?

Regarding rain gear thanks Kobe but I carry a Triumph Chevron rainsuit with me if the forecast even hints at rain plus the Tourmaster jacket has a rain liner that I keep in the saddlebags.

As I expected tire recommendations vary. I'll definitely take the advice here and check prices and availability then get some rubber heading my way.

Reg

 

What? Who? Me? :biggrin:

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

I was gonna move to NJ but after carefule research I realized that my font wasn't big enuff.


I know that leaves an open door for a joke, but remember if its TOO easy its not worth joking about.

I have great tires on my bike and have always rode year round, im still debating if I will park her for the rainy season or not.

 

I wouldn't park the bike just because of rain. No one LIKES riding in the rain but it's nothing to be afraid of.

Trust me when I tell you, you don't want to move to NJ. :thumbsup:

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

I'm shopping for tires - KC I hear you. Thanks to all for the feedback as I've been given some good choices.

Michelin Pilot Road
Continental Road Attack, what about the Sport Attack?
Pirelli Diablos


Here's a picture of my primary route.

My commute is 42 miles one way and consists of 13 highway and the rest winding back roads. I have to report in and thus must deal with the weather at hand. Although I don't enjoy wet weather I have no fear of it. Nor fear of wet roads at speed.

My riding is aggressive though controlled. I find long stretches of highway monotonous and live for the on and off ramps leaning the bike until reaching it, or 99% of the time, my limits. The sweeping turns of my back road stretches make me smile. I wish I could push the limits more but I have loose wet leaves, branches, squirrels, possums, cats, dogs, vultures (hit one two weeks ago at ~70 mph - no harm to bike, can't say the same for the bird), kids, bicycles, deer, cars, trucks, tractors, city, county and state law enforcement, school buses, 18 wheelers (in my lane) and the rare but we've all experience "what the heck is that . . . OH SH**!

So what's the tire for me?

Reg

 

If you can get past the old-school look of the tread pattern, I think the Michelin Pilot Classic is a good all-weather tire. It uses the Pilot Road carcass with Pilot Power rubber compound. I have 2000 miles on mine and a few rides in heavy rain with no problems.

I remember reading a tire review from one of the magazines where they were testing on a very wet track. I don't recall what tire it was, I think it was the Pilot Power. The rider was a little concerned about the conditions, but the guy from Michelin said something like "ride like it's dry, the tires will grip". I think any of the modern street tires will grip a lot better in rain than most riders think.

 

Tires on the way. Ordered Continentals.

Thanks for all the help. When tires need replacing I will return and try a different suggestion here.

Reg

 

YouTube - SBK 2008 - Donington Park - Kiyonari Show

 

Hahaaahaaa.....one thing for sure with you KC, there is never any doubt whatsover about your exact opinion on a subject........good one.

Conti R/As here, bike does fine in the rain, as long as you dont have your suspension completely out of whack.

 

I wonder what tyres this guys using?