Monsoons
4 Essential Things to keep you safe while riding in Indian Monsoons
Motorcycle Riding Tips
India is a big country with multiple climate zones and therefore the monsoon can develop differently in various areas of India. There are actually 2 monsoon seasons; one on the Bay of Bengal side and one from the Arabian Sea.
It generally first hits India in the southern state of Kerala at the beginning of June and then works its way north to Mumbai and northeast to Delhi. By July all of India experiences monsoon, though South India receives more rainfall than North India.
The rain starts to slow down in North India in August but doesn’t leave Mumbai until October. The only exception is in the northeast. Here, monsoon season doesn’t start until September and ends in March.
Get safer now
Riding any form of two-wheelers during monsoons reaches a new level of danger, don’t you agree? However, one has to be extremely careful while going for rides during the rains, especially in those that live in urban areas where the density of traffic is higher.
The two-wheeler market is expanding year on year, and as a result, India has now become the largest motorcycle maker in the world. This means you are not alone on the roads and hence why one needs to be doubly cautious.
Basic safety helps
The obvious thing, to begin with, is a set of rain pants and a jacket. There are plenty of options out there, from cheap roadside offerings to high-end rain suits designed exclusively with motorcycles in mind. As with most things, more money will get you better results, but there are a few things you should consider when making the purchase.
Your bare essentials
First of all, the jacket and pants should fit over your attire, so buying a size larger help. I much prefer to carry a light and easily compressible rain gear that I store in a bag strapped onto my bullet. However, when the rains are heavy, I wear my bigger riding jacket.
The most common claim is that a material is backed by a membrane, like Gore-Tex, that is supposed to be 100% waterproof. From this, the manufacturers will then sometimes imply or suggest that their jackets or trousers are completely waterproof.
The reality is that they are not, for all the reasons already outlined.
In terms of footwear, we’d highly recommend a proper set of waterproof motorcycle boots, but these can be expensive, So I use industrial rubber galoshes online, remember they are meant to protect you not look pretty.
Not to forget the obvious, a helmet that meets minimum safety norms, I tend to use a half-faced helmet inside the city. And while it may seem cumbersome, full-fingered gloves will save you in case of an emergency that may arise and it also keeps your hands clean.
The monsoon Mindset
This is something that I have had to develop over the last few years of riding, this is something that one slowly embodies as one matures in skill. Two-wheeler sales in India have reached an all-time high as of 2019 when India’s auto industry sold some 21 million units.
This figure is almost double the 2011 sales when just 11.77 million two-wheeler units were sold in India. It takes a certain mindset while handling the stress of traffic, wet roads, potholes, and other Indian challenges that one will encounter if you’re a motorcyclist in India.
Riding during the monsoons is a lot about focusing on the road, in my experience, most accidents are caused when our minds drift and are especially dangerous on a wet road.
Highway hypnosis, another phenomenon that causes you to go into a trance-like state while driving. The monotony of the road slows down your brain, leaving you less alert and functioning on autopilot.
Conclusion
The rainy season in India can be very unpredictable, it can be sunny one moment and then pouring the next and some days receive more rain than others. Unlike the rainy season in Southeast Asia where often the rain falls in the afternoon which allows you to plan your day around the rain, the rainy season in India can be very unpredictable so keep your eyes on the clouds and on the humidity — if it’s feeling really hot and humid it could mean that it will soon start raining.
