how does your PCX handle in the rain?

steve7001 · Post by **steve7001** » Fri May 11, 2012 5:24 pm

New to this forum. Currently riding a Ruckus while waiting for the 150cc PCX to come to Indiana. I've read all the great things everyone has to say about the PCX but haven't seen anything about how it handles the rain. Any stories to share?

jasontheparamedic · Post by **jasontheparamedic** » Fri May 11, 2012 5:59 pm

I fell off my bike suddenly. Still got the broken panels and left ribs area pain as evidence, even though it's been three weeks ago now. Still waiting on the new replacement panels, as they are on backorder. It was minimal rain, just enough to bring the oils out of the ground. I would not trust the PCX in any rain at all. Tires seem too wimpy for wet weather.

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Fri May 11, 2012 7:08 pm

I ride mine in the rain regularly.
If you know how to ride in wet conditions it's perfectly OK, as are the standard fitment tyres.
FYI Jason, on public roads slightly wet is usually slippier than pouring with rain.

uploader · Post by **uploader** » Fri May 11, 2012 7:34 pm

am too much of a chicken to ride in the rain
I dont want my baby to get wet or my legs to get broken

TC3 · Post by **TC3** » Fri May 11, 2012 7:42 pm

I am with Gn2 ... if you KNOW how to ride in the wet the bike handles without fault even with original tyres.

jasontheparamedic · Post by **jasontheparamedic** » Fri May 11, 2012 9:44 pm

That's true that slightly wet roads are worse than roads subjected to pouring rain. My fall happened after turning onto a residential road. Regardless, I don't think that I am brave enough to go back out on my PCX with any sign of wet weather approaching. I have been nervous riding even on dry weather. It's just something I have to get over slowly but surely.

Taz · Post by **Taz** » Fri May 11, 2012 10:54 pm

The PCX is fine in the rain; it comes down to the rider and how you ride. Mine has stock tires and I ride in any weather in sailing boots rather than bike boots. I quite enjoy it but have been riding motorbikes for 20 years.

EddieC · Post by **EddieC** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:25 am

Also completely fine in the rain. Only use the stock IRC tires and they handle just fine in all weather conditions. I ride my PCX daily rain or shine. Just take it slow and be easy on the brakes and you will be fine.

Twice I was going too fast in damp conditions (not raining) and have had the rear tire lock up. Just let off the brake a little for easy recovery. Then a few weeks later I locked the front wheel and thought I was going to crash... But the 125 is little so putting my feet down saved me. Funny thing was when the front wheel locked my initial reaction was to grab more brake seeing that I was approaching a red light. The PCX almost immediately recovered once I relieved some brake pressure.

I now take it even slower in damp conditions vs rainy conditions. Both wheel locks were caused by heavy breaking. A fault of my own and not that of the PCX.

Fiah · Post by **Fiah** » Sat May 12, 2012 3:02 am

I've only stopped riding my PCX for 2 weeks this winter, otherwise I did 45 miles every day. I ride cautiously when it's wet, and as such I've never felt my PCX do something weird in the wet. If you ride cautiously when circumstances are as such, you should have no problems.

TC3 · Post by **TC3** » Sat May 12, 2012 3:28 am

I am waiting for someone to post about how crap the stock tires are in the rain and that you must change them...yawn......

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Sat May 12, 2012 3:44 am

We've already had that one at least once.
No need to change the IRCs till they wear down (not a big wait for the rear) then fit the cheapest you can find.
In the UK the cheapest I can find currently is the Pirelli Diablo.

Teamtd11 · Post by **Teamtd11** » Sat May 12, 2012 5:41 am

I find my PCX handles brilliantly in all conditions and I use mine 5 days a week to commute to work.

The only thing you need to watch for is stupid man hole covers. There is one near me on the turn in to a supermarket and it goes right the way across the road :/ Hitting that in the dark and wet was the only time I felt like I might come off the bike.

Woolley · Post by **Woolley** » Sat May 12, 2012 8:48 am

I once was coming up to a set of traffic lights as just used the rear brake, and the back wheel was on a painted white line and started to drift out to the left slightly, that's the only time I ever felt the tires slip. But any tyre would slip on a painted line.

trigg123 · Post by **trigg123** » Sat May 12, 2012 11:51 am

here we go again about tyres on the pcx..........there is absolutly nothing wrong with the tyres on the pcx,and no reason to worry about riding in the rain,just be aware of all the usual things to avoid when riding in the rain.....
its a great little bike rain or shine

JGC · Post by **JGC** » Sun May 13, 2012 1:21 pm

Nothing wrong with the PCX in the rain. As others have said it is how you ride and your awareness of the road conditions. As the norm, watch out for those manhole covers, if you do a regular commute memorise them so you know where they are when it is wet.
You need to alter your ride style slightly in the wet. Those tyres will probably hang on to the tarmac longer than you realise. This is down to rider confidence.
I have riden my Deauville in torrential rain with out worries, and I would feel confident about doing so on the PCX.

Tom192 · Post by **Tom192** » Sun May 13, 2012 2:10 pm

Fiah wrote:I've only stopped riding my PCX for 2 weeks this winter, otherwise I did 45 miles every day. I ride cautiously when it's wet, and as such I've never felt my PCX do something weird in the wet. If you ride cautiously when circumstances are as such, you should have no problems.

How do you find doing such a high daily mileage? I'm thinking of purchasing for a similar commute.

Fiah · Post by **Fiah** » Sun May 13, 2012 4:15 pm

Tom192 wrote:
Fiah wrote:I've only stopped riding my PCX for 2 weeks this winter, otherwise I did 45 miles every day. I ride cautiously when it's wet, and as such I've never felt my PCX do something weird in the wet. If you ride cautiously when circumstances are as such, you should have no problems.
How do you find doing such a high daily mileage? I'm thinking of purchasing for a similar commute.

Well, this winter, in the dark with rain, I felt pretty vulnerable and it was in general a shitty experience, that with being wet and all. However, when the weather is not so bad, I rather enjoy my commute. Sometimes it can get a bit boring as I'm underway for 40+ minutes both ways. I installed helmet speakers but I haven't really used them yet, I might have to nick my girlfriend's ipod and see how that works out.

The big 'but' here is the service interval. I expect to do about 17000 to 18000 km (~11000 miles) a year, and with a 4000km service interval I'd be visiting the dealer more than 4 times a year. I got ripped off so bad the first time that I've done 8000km since with no service. I see no point in saving a bunch of €€€'s on gas if I get to throw those savings at maintenance. I'm going to change out the oil somewhere in the next week I guess, and maybe see to the spark plug and air filter, but I don't really have a place to do that (shared underground garage is awesome for some things, less so for others). I guess I'll hit up a local scooter/motorcycle handyman and see if he'd like to service my PCX, but he charged me a pretty penny to mount my (incredibly cheap!) rear tire.

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Sun May 13, 2012 6:44 pm

I commute 27 miles each way, roughly half of it on a 70mph dual carriageway.
If I'm honest the PCX is not suited to it at all but fortunately being a shift worker I don't have to travel during peak hours which helps a bit.

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