I’ve been riding for 30 years. I’ve lived in rainy areas and ridden many many miles in the wet. For some reason, when I got caught in a storm on my F 850 GSA today, I got spooked.

I was riding a 2 lane curvy road I’ve been on only a few times. It is an odd color - black with sort of brown sand in it. For some reason I suddenly became convinced it was slippery, like tar, when I was coming in a right hand curve. I freaked out, stood the bike up and aimed for the pull out across the left lane.

Bike did its job. ABS did its job. I made it across, drug my rear tire through the shoulder dirt and put myself in the ditch. No harm to me or the bike. But man I don’t know why I was suddenly so freaked out by the road. Still, could have been hit by an oncoming car but got lucky there wasn’t one. No BS, this was bad riding.

Interesting thing, the motorcyclist behind me just kept going. Don’t know if I looked like I knew what I was doing or they didn’t care.

Now, to seek out more rain and gain back that confidence again.