Modern Vespa

So it started to rain in SoCal yesterday. I got off of work and it was about 11:30PM and it was poring. I hopped on the Scoot bike and rode it home. I was a bit nervous cause it was my first ride in the rain. I had water proof riding pants, jacket, boots, and gloves. All set for winter riding. My friend took lead in her Jetta cause she wanted to make sure I made it half way safely. All I can say is that it was awesome. I took it easy since it was my first ride in the rain but I felt comfortable but still tense. I took the turns easy along with being aware of the white paint like the crosswalk lines and the turning arrows. I know they have less traction. I honestly had no problems at all but I had a difficulty riding with a visor that was beaded with water. Is there any suggestions with riding in the rain and how to keep the visor clear of water if possible??

Rain in southern California? How did you know what it was?

Rain is common here in Georgia.We have been in drought conditions, but that is a relative term.

I use "Raincoat". It makes the water bead up and roll off the visor. Tried Rainex but it did not work well on the plastic. (Rainex has a warning about using on plastic but my helmet manufacturer says it is OK on their visors.) Raincoat is a paste and specifically formulated for plastic. Lasts a long time. It comes in small foil pouches. A pouch is good for multiple applications. Just fold and clamp the pouch to keep from drying out after opening.

Just watch out for roads that get a little rain but not enough to wash away the slippery stuff. You can be taking it slow and easy and still drop the bike in bad road conditions.

+1 on what Kabuleiro says

I use RainX and it certainly works but I am concerned about the long term effect on my visor.

The first time in rain is certainly exciting
My first time cars were hydroplaning off the road. Suddenly occurred to me I had never thought about hydroplaning on a bike before. Thankfully I did not have any "moments". Since then I have had plenty of opportunities to get toughened up and now it is no big deal. It was a great feeling though the first time I was leaning into corners at 60mph in the rain feeling 100% secure. Made me glad once more I had went for the MP3.

I've always used RainX on my visor's works great but you have to apply fairly often. I'm curious how long that Raincoat stuff lasts.

I too recently rode mine in the rain, though it was a very light drizzle. Handled like a dream. Still rock solid and secure around the corners. One thing I really like about the 500 is two headlights. It just makes me feel like I'm more visible when it's dark and/or dreary out.

Here's a link to a couple of interesting visors.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/visors/akuma-gemini-aegis-visor/
I think the aegis should be great in the rain.

So funny you should post about your first time in the rain as it was mine too. Unfortunately I hadn't expected it as they said it was supposed to rain yesterday not today. So I got caught with nothing waterproof. Fortunately it wasn't pouring. Still I took everything slowly and the turns very easy. I remember every manhole cover and avoided the paint where possible. My scoot held up just fine. I was a little wet when I got back but a hot shower cured whatever chills I may have had.

Dale

Nice.

One myself could only wish to have all that sun and good condition here in Sweden.

Its just a couple of month we actually have nice sunny weather (and you can se how the roads explode with bikes then) adn the rest of the time its a mix.

It's the monsoon season again. you have NO idea how much rain we get here. rain beading on visor? just wipe it off with left hand and move on. ankle deep water? just keep the throttle open. raincoat? it's what i wear 100 out of 365 days of the year. miserable? hell yeah, just have to get used to it.

Know exactly what you mean about the rain. Its been raining everyday the past one month or so. And it will be extra gears when that happens. And thanks to this thread, I now know that there are state of the art visor out there. Cheers!

and if Raincoat is that good at preventing rain beads, we might as well use it as a bike polish. Imagine the effort saved from wiping down the bike after each rainfall.