The Philippines is a typhoon country and every year the entire nation is hit by multiple typhoons and cyclones. If you are a motorcycle rider in the Philippines, you need to know a few things about riding in bad weather. If you have been following the news recently, you already know that typhoon rolly (goni) is said to be the most dangerous tropical cyclone for 2020, but it isn’t the last of the typhoons that will hit the Philippines. Here are a few important things that you need to know about riding your motorcycle in bad weather conditions.
Choose a bike with least air-drag
The type of bike overriding is very important when you work tackling a situation with strong winds stop a large capacity motorcycle with a very wide fairing for heavy luggage bags attached to it will create more air drag and slow you down as well as lead to a lot of buffeting from side to side and you don’t want any of that. To prevent that from happening choose a bike that is lean but heavy at the same time. The best choice as an adventure motorcycle that has a very aerodynamic design to cut through air with as little resistance as possible and yet these motorcycles are heavy which means you will not be moving around a lot even if the wind becomes very strong.
Drop the luggage bags
When you are riding in windy conditions, you might want to drop the luggage bags and go for every streamlined structure with your motorcycle and your body. It is preferable to take your luggage in a backpack and carry it on your body instead of relying on big luggage bags attached to your motorcycle which will eventually create buffeting and air resistance making it more challenging for you to control the motorcycle. If it is not possible for you to leave your luggage bags behind reschedule your trip and wait until the weather becomes better.
Wear aerodynamic helmet and body armor
Modern branded motorcycle helmets are made with aerodynamic designs which reduces the drag of air and thereby keeps your neck muscles from becoming completely stressed and strained. Even when you’re reading in normal conditions it is important to keep your neck protected by choosing an aerodynamic motorcycle helmet especially a full-face helmet which provides better weather-resistance, and keeps you protected from rain and flying debris when you are riding in a cyclone or typhoon like condition. In addition to the motorcycle helmet, you also need a motorcycle riding jacket or a full body armor which has aerodynamic design to cut through the air providing as little resistance as possible.
Loosen your body, ride slow
The stiffer you make your body, the more difficult it becomes for you to control the motorcycle because the wind will hit your body like a sail on a boat and send you zigzagging all over the road! Do not be too concerned if the wind buffets you from the side. Instead, loosen yourself and sway the upper body with the wind which will prevent the motorcycle from being affected by the upper body movement because of the when hitting you on the torso.
Avoid riding near vehicles (tall trucks etc.) on the road
It is extremely important that you prevent riding near large vehicles such as it all tracks because they are more likely to topple over when the wind becomes strong. When you are in the vicinity of searched all vehicles, you might not have enough time or space on the road to get out of the way of a falling vehicle and that can end badly for you. It is always a good idea to keep a long distance from the vehicles in front of you and behind you, especially when you are riding in rainy or windy conditions.
Last but not the least, if you are a native rider of the Philippines, it might be better for you to watch the weather and plan your motorcycle ride accordingly so that you don’t have to come in the way of a cyclone or typhoon, or any extreme weather condition for that matter, because there is a limit to how much you can stay protected on an open vehicle like a motorcycle. It might also be a better idea to use a car instead of a motorcycle if there is an emergency that cannot be avoided.
