Question about Hydroplaning

[mckiml]

I just got back from a wonderful trip with my husband. We rode our bikes to Torrey UT then Salida CO and then home to Texas. All in all - a great trip.

My husband is an experienced rider - 40 plus years riding all kinds of motorcycles. He currently has a BMW RT. I have a 2016 Spyder F3S and have been riding for one year. We experienced some heavy downpours both going to Utah and heading home to Texas.

So on our way out, we got caught in a heavy downpour. Speed was slow on the highway due to the rain - I was going with the traffic and doing about 45-50 mph. A low spot in the road was coming up - bottom of a hill and I could see it was somewhat flooded. Cars going through were putting up lots of spray. There was heavy traffic also. My husband went through no problem. I slowed down and once I hit the water, I started to go sideways. I let off the throttle, never touched the brakes, steered into it and survived. Scared me to death.

Same thing happened on the way home, only the water was much less deep - maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch of water in the road.

So my question is - is it normal for a Spyder to hydroplane with so little water? Is there something I can do minimize or keep this from happening?

[ARtraveler]

There are hydroplaning and driving in snow warnings in the owners manual.

I have found driving through an inch or more of water at speeds over 50 mph will most likely cause the to hydroplane.

It happened to me twice. Nanny kicked in and kept me going straight. I figured out what was causing it and now try very much to avoid it. We have nice grooves in the roads caused by studded tires. They make rain water puddle up, and if you drive the grooves, you can get bit.

[fjray]

Lower tire pressure can help and better tires than stock are helpful. You have a light vehicle with wide tires so there isn't a lot of weight to help the tires cut through the water. I had mine sideways a few times in the rain with good tires proper air pressure and plenty of weight on board..

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Lower tire pressure can help and better tires than stock are helpful. You have a light vehicle with wide tires so there isn't a lot of weight to help the tires cut through the water. I had mine sideways a few times in the rain with good tires proper air pressure and plenty of weight on board..

Dare I say .......... The technical aspect is , your husband's Mtc has a much smaller ( very much ) footprint than the three Spyder tires .... so it's logical ( and more ) that your Spyder will FLOAT ... ie, Hydro-plane much sooner ... Actually there is way more technical info involved with Hydro-planing ( a lot more ) ... It's more complicated than Spyder + road + water = hydroplaning .... what tires do you have and what PSI are they ..... Mike

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

So my question is - is it normal for a Spyder to hydroplane with so little water? Is there something I can do minimize or keep this from happening?

It's normal. Not only is the footprint of your hubby's m/c smaller, but more importantly it's narrower. Think in terms of sliding a board across water, first on the flat side and then on the edge. I think you get the idea. The best way to keep it from happening is slow down, keep the wheels pointed straight ahead, and hang on! Avoid using cruise when you're in rain, but rest assured Nanny will kick it off instantly if it's on and you start hydroplaning.

[Grandpot]

Dare I say .......... The technical aspect is , your husband's Mtc has a much smaller ( very much ) footprint than the three Spyder tires .... so it's logical ( and more ) that your Spyder will FLOAT ... ie, Hydro-plane much sooner ... Actually there is way more technical info involved with Hydro-planing ( a lot more ) ... It's more complicated than Spyder + road + water = hydroplaning .... what tires do you have and what PSI are they ..... Mike

[Bob Denman]

This is why we all scream "SLOW DOWN!!!"; when riding in wet weather...

[mckiml]

Dare I say .......... The technical aspect is , your husband's Mtc has a much smaller ( very much ) footprint than the three Spyder tires .... so it's logical ( and more ) that your Spyder will FLOAT ... ie, Hydro-plane much sooner ... Actually there is way more technical info involved with Hydro-planing ( a lot more ) ... It's more complicated than Spyder + road + water = hydroplaning .... what tires do you have and what PSI are they ..... Mike

I have stock tires on my Spyder with plenty of tread. I run with about 18-20 psi.

[mckiml]

Lower tire pressure can help and better tires than stock are helpful. You have a light vehicle with wide tires so there isn't a lot of weight to help the tires cut through the water. I had mine sideways a few times in the rain with good tires proper air pressure and plenty of weight on board..

I run with 18-20 psi in front tires and 28 psi in back. Can you qualify "lower tire pressure"? And what are you referring to as "better tires"?

[mckiml]

There are hydroplaning and driving in snow warnings in the owners manual.

I have found driving through an inch or more of water at speeds over 50 mph will most likely cause the to hydroplane.

It happened to me twice. Nanny kicked in and kept me going straight. I figured out what was causing it and now try very much to avoid it. We have nice grooves in the roads caused by studded tires. They make rain water puddle up, and if you drive the grooves, you can get bit.

You said you "figured out what was causing it" - would you explain please?

[Bob Denman]

You're overthinking it: If you start NOT going in the direction that you planned, and you've lost your ability to keep the bike straight... you're already in trouble!

[Easy Rider]

So my question is - is it normal for a Spyder to hydroplane with so little water? Is there something I can do minimize or keep this from happening?

Yes to some degree.....the wider the tires the more likely it is.

BUT......what you can do is: SLOW DOWN.....more. Or stop until it lets up.

"Experimenting" with a dangerous situation is NOT the way to figure it out.

[Easy Rider]

Lower tire pressure can help ........

Explain please.
I think not.

[Bob Denman]

Yes to some degree.....the wider the tires the more likely it is.

BUT......what you can do is: SLOW DOWN.....more. Or stop until it lets up.

"Experimenting" with a dangerous situation is NOT the way to figure it out.

This is REALLY where you need to trust us: we sure as Hell don't want to hear of anybody crashing their bike.

[ARtraveler]

You said you "figured out what was causing it" - would you explain please?

Over 50 mph and one inch of water--enough to float the tires.

[RinconRyder]

I run with 18-20 psi in front tires and 28 psi in back. Can you qualify "lower tire pressure"? And what are you referring to as "better tires"?

"Better tires" is perhaps not explicit enough. What I think he meant was tires with a tread pattern which will whisk water to the side rather than attempt to climb over it (hydroplane). You should look for a tire which has grooves beginning near the center of the tire and curving outward and to the rear of the tire (as it relates to its mounted position). Think of grabbing a water-soaked kitchen sponge. Squeeze with your fist and watch the water squirt sideways. That is what you want your tires to do in wet weather.

Also, be aware that some tires need to be mounted in a specific direction and these are one example. They will become very dangerous if mounted "backwards".

Unless you are carrying a heavy load (passenger or lots of luggage) 28 lbs in the rear sounds too high to me.

[Peteoz]

Unless you are carrying a heavy load (passenger or lots of luggage) 28 lbs in the rear sounds too high to me.

Leslie said earlier that she is running stock tyres, Rincon, and 28 is the BRP recommendation for the wonderful Kendas.

Pete

[jerpinoy]

Water , snow ahead,,,,,,,,,,,,,, SLOW DOWN, SSSSSSSLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOWWWWWWWWWW.DDDDOOOOOOOOWWWWW WWNNNNNNNNN.

Got the point I hope.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Explain please.
I think not.

Speaking from a scientific perspective ... if they are Kenda's or Arachnids they REQUIRE higher psi's because they are so poorly made they need high pressure to make them reasonably functional ..... for Auto tire types, for a lightweight Spyder the weight carrying ability is Far above the needs of the Spyder ... the auto tire NEEDS to flex for it to work at it's optimal performance capabilities .... especially when the road is WET ..... Science rules not seat of the pants ....... Mike

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

"Better tires" is perhaps not explicit enough. What I think he meant was tires with a tread pattern which will whisk water to the side rather than attempt to climb over it (hydroplane). You should look for a tire which has grooves beginning near the center of the tire and curving outward and to the rear of the tire (as it relates to its mounted position). Think of grabbing a water-soaked kitchen sponge. Squeeze with your fist and watch the water squirt sideways. That is what you want your tires to do in wet weather.

Also, be aware that some tires need to be mounted in a specific direction and these are one example. They will become very dangerous if mounted "backwards".

Unless you are carrying a heavy load (passenger or lots of luggage) 28 lbs in the rear sounds too high to me.

Question : do you think ANY tires made without WET road considerations in there design ???? .. There are some that will perform better than others. But none that I know of that are made ...AND ... dismiss wet road conditions .......... Mike

[Easy Rider]

the auto tire NEEDS to flex for it to work at it's optimal performance capabilities .... especially when the road is WET ..... Science rules not seat of the pants ....... Mike

You seem to cover a lot of opinions with the claim of "science rules".

In this case, routine traction on damp pavement is quite a different thing than hydro-planning when going in a straight line.
Allowing extra flex in the tread can do nothing but make the tendency to hydro-plane worse.

My opinion.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

You seem to cover a lot of opinions with the claim of "science rules".

In this case, routine traction on damp pavement is quite a different thing than hydro-planning when going in a straight line.
Allowing extra flex in the tread can do nothing but make the tendency to hydro-plane worse.

My opinion.

... Question : #1 - how many times have you testified in court about tires..... #2. Have you ever been hired as an expert witness and testified ....... If not ! then my opinion is actually worth something ....and yours is worth .... Mike

[Fatcycledaddy]

... Question : #1 - how many times have you testified in court about tires..... #2. Have you ever been hired as an expert witness and testified ....... If not ! then my opinion is actually worth something ....and yours is worth .... Mike

As you stated in another post, look who you are arguing with.

[RinconRyder]

Question : do you think ANY tires made without WET road considerations in there design ???? .. There are some that will perform better than others. But none that I know of that are made ...AND ... dismiss wet road conditions .......... Mike

Typically, so-called "summer tires" are made without regard to wet or slippery conditions. They are made to be next to slicks for as much "grab" as possible on dry paved roads.

Even among "all season" types there is a huge difference in slippery conditions between brands and versions.

And I am talking tires in general not just ones that could be used on Spyders.

[Peter Aawen]

Certainly here in Aust & I strongly suspect in the USA too, any tire that's not a 'track use only' slick & is legal for on-road use by passenger vehicles MUST exceed certain standards for wet/slippery road driving regardless of its dry road or wet/snow classification....