Living in the Bay Area, it doesn't matter if you ride once a month or daily, at some point you're going to get caught in the rain. Knowing how it will affect you and your Vespa should help you adapt your riding style to cope.
As a scooterist, it's impossible to ignore the changing weather, as both you and your bike perform very differently in the wet. The reduction in tire adhesion will be the biggest difference, typically around 50%, but it can be significantly more with soft compound scooter tires as they can have a dry weather bias. Make SURE your tire pressures are correct; 26FRONT 32REAR.
We are all taught that braking distances are doubled in bad weather and that we should compensate appropriately, but it is easy to forget how it also affects acceleration and cornering. The key focus when riding in the rain is smooth control and forward planning.
It's not just about being gentle on the brakes and throttle, but also ensuring that you balance your need for grip. In dry weather it is easy to accelerate away from a turn even when the scooter is leaning over, but the risk of a slide increases in the wet as your available grip is split between cornering and accelerating. If you aim to complete the turn before you accelerate, your demand for grip will be reduced. The same applies to cornering - if you reduce your speed early, you will be less likely to need to brake mid corner.
Obviously, last minute reactions should always be avoided, especially in the wet. Planning ahead will help you anticipate where you need to brake, position and accelerate. This will enable you to make better use of "engine braking" for corners and junctions, rather than just relying on the brakes. It's also important to note any following traffic, which may be expecting to see a brake light before you slow down. Planning ahead also includes knowing that a wet weather commute will take longer, leave a little earlier so you don't have the added stress of having to rush.
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