I’m away on holiday at the moment in sunny Spain, as relaxing as it is, I am looking forward getting back home to Lancashire to ride my V85tt in a few days. The problem is, the forecast is for rain for the next week or so!
I’m new to MGs, I got mine in June this year and I was wondering how they stand up to the rain, and if you guys keep your bikes tucked up in bad weather or ride regardless?
Cheers.
Pretty much given up riding in the wet if I can possibly avoid it, don’t need any more hazards. Also, to borrow a quote from somebody else, my V7 850 E5 gets filthy if the sky so much as clouds over. Like a lot of modern bikes, the weatherproofing isn’t great, I don’t think, especially for electrics and electronics.
Yeah, I agree with what you’re saying, but living in the North West of England wet roads are never far away. I’ll see how it looks when I get back.
I want to “practice “ n the wet too just in case I get caught out.
I live in Bristol - its a bit damp (usually lol) riding my v85 for 18,000 miles - 2 years. No reliability problems with the rain. The bike is a pain to clean - especially the cross spoked wheels 
.
Also with our UK road salt allen bolt heads, spoke ends and some other fixings can corrode so i have kurust anti-rust in the garage for weekly use over winter.
Lancashire? That’s practically an aquatic environment isn’t it?
Ride in the rain if you want, or don’t want. Just learn your own bike, discover which tyres instil confidence in the wet, and hone your roadcraft for those conditions.
In my limited experience, a Moto Guzzi can encourage the hooligan in us all, in the right conditions, but also bring out the slow, deliberate and calm rider that (I’m certain) we also all have in us. It seems like I am being a little patronising in stating the obvious, but: ride to the conditions, and if you have a Moment, learn from it.
It took me a few sets of tyres on my T3 to work out what felt “safe” to me in the wet, but even then you learn to be sensitive to the banding between lanes, the heavily over-painted road markings, metal street furniture, diesel and oil spills at junctions and roundabouts and so on - and to keep a different safe distance as the conditions demand. They were already out to kill you, and now they are warm, dry, not looking out of their steamed-up windows, and won’t notice when they’ve killed you! (Poor humour, sorry).
Ride your bike, my friend.
edit: I just saw what 350LC(ying ying)Johnny said and can add to that - I am no clean freak, but I used to keep a hand pump “garden spray” by the drive, filled with a mix of “muc off” and water (choose your own poison) and if I came home in particularly mucky conditions, I’d use that immediately on the sensitive parts. The bike’s sensitive parts. I’d have a hot shower.
Riding in the rain’s not my favourite experience, but it’s part of motorcycling. The v85 is pretty impervious to running in the rain; I have driven it in rain so hard the road markings disappeared. It has a rain mode too, which you might want to try . Make sure you’re happy with your gear; cold water pooling in your crotch or pi**ing through your gloves is no fun. Noone gets medals for riding when it’s not enjoyable but just accept whatever the rain gods of Lancashire provide.
Thanks, yes, Lancashire can be aquatic. I think I’ll have a venture out, I actually wanted to be a fair weather rider when I returned to riding in March last year, but it looks like if I wait for a clear day, I’ll be waiting a while!
That’s good to hear about reliability, thanks. cleaning isn’t a hobby by of mine, but I get involved 
. I’ll try not to dodge wet days. Cheers.
I’ve ridden for decades on all sorts of bikes, in all sorts of weather and never had one fail due to getting wet. I also don’t put bikes away dirty. I wash them (prudently with a low pressure hose) and reapply protectant after each wash. I’m not saying bikes don’t fail due to poor conditions, but I’ve never experienced it. Some metals and coatings are difficult to protect adequately - my KTM Adventure spoke chroming is no more despite my best efforts and I’ve had two BMWs whose fixings looked like I didn’t care at all. I’m fairly new to MG ownership, 1500mls in on a V7 Sport. It has been out in adverse weather and also washed as needed. Time will tell… 
There is that, admittedly. 
Post deleted.
I’ve ridden my v85tt all year round from new, in Ireland in very heavy rain, and snow. Been across Scotland, England and Wales in rain as well.
Several 350 to 500+ miles trips in rain so heavy I’ve ended up with wet feet or other parts because my textiles or waterproofs get 6 months to a couple of years before they leak, same with boots.
never had any issue with the bike due to rain, other than the LED for the alarm glows slightly when it’s had a few hours of being rained on.
One potential issue found by another club member is the hole in the side of inside of swing arm, which is meant to have a rubber plug. mine doesn’t have the plug, I’ve ordered one. Long term that can cause a nasty surprise with the drive shaft.
Below freezing weather and very hot weather causes some sensor faults to pop up on dash, so far these have always resolved themselves once the bike has warmed up/cooled down.
edit: 2021 bike, 37k on it now
Wow, thanks for all the replies! I’m reassured that the bike will be fine in my part of the world and I won’t need to hide away if there’s a bit of wet weather.
The reminders about road furniture and safe distances are appreciated too. 
I’ll get out with my wet weather gear on and see how we get on together.
Cheers.
Agree with previous posts the bike will be fine but the bike will look like it’s had an off road session when you get home! I found it useful on my Mandello when I was running it in as the big thing is to have confidence in the tyres, and I found my factory fit ones weren’t too my liking in the wet so I changed them before a 3k mile trip to Europe and I was glad I did as we had a biblical thunderstorm! I think a bit of wet practice is a good thing now and again anyway.
I must be odd, I’ve always liked riding in the rain 
Not sure why, maybe it’s the chance to learn more about the bikes ability, and to improve my own.. or maybe (as I’m from Grimsby) I’m part haddock 
Only recently have I become a rider who chooses when to ride, previously my bike was my transport, sun, rain, snow, ice.. it never bothered me, I just wore the right kit (often work-issue dayglo waterproofs ).
So far as bike issues - My first bike, a Simson S50B1 died on me in heavy snow in 1982 (and is still awaiting a refurb). I’d fit tubing over the HT lead on my CG125 and liberally apply leccy grease to maintain the spark in heavy rain, and I fitted a home-made deflector plate to the front plug on my SV650 as it’s exposed nature meant it’d pop and bang and run on one cylinder during wet weather (proper mudguards or at least a fender-extender would likely have helped too). Otherwise I can recall few wet weather related issues over the years.
Two pairs of second-hand Gore-Tex Frank Thomas have proved fantastically dry, even walked through a stream in em on the way to watch from Barregarrow Bottom at the TT without getting wet. The work waterproofs (widely available from workwear stores) have always been fab, I usually replaced them after two years daily use. Hand guards do a good job, but I’ve often fitted handlebars muffs too, ugly but ace. The missus uses cycle overshoes when we go across Europe, they’re neoprene, slip over normal boots (we generally ride in ‘street clothes’ so far as jeans and boots) and they work well adding both warmth and a level of waterproofing.
So far as the bike getting dirty.. never worried about that, bikes are a tool to me, in my mind they should be used, getting dirty means you have the chance while cleaning to get to know it better. I’ve found that intimacy helps keep the bike in good order and provides another level of confidence for me when riding.
So for me, wet or dry, bring it on, I’ll always prefer to be on my bike. 
What a fantastic response, I can’t wait to get out now. I actually hope it’s raining when I do!
Dont forget that after months of dry weather, it’s going to be really slippery when it’s wet until the roads have had a thorough soaking to wash off the grime, oil and dust.
I think that’s happened while I’ve been away luckily.
Hehe. Again, Lancashire! Not quite the same climate as most of the rest of England has been experiencing lately, I imagine? Generally colder, damper, and darker than the rest of the UK?
Yep, that about sums it up. Spain was lovely though.