| Author | Message | ||
     M1combat |
I was headed home from playing paintball (jungleball for those that know) and I was on cold tires. I was weaving back and forth and pitched it in pretty hard to the right and the front got to a certain point and just straight gave up. It slid out a good 8-10" and just when the right peg hit it picked itself back up and just about shot me off the inside of the turn. What saved me? A loose grip and upper body. The bike did it's job completely unaided by yours truly (I may have leaned back just a tad because when the front let go I pretty much just let it go). I've always felt that if you just give the bike it's head it'll treat you right. Turned out to be true on Sunday  . For the record... No steering damper and only two small oscilations once it picked itself up out of the near certain lowside (just a bit of a wiggle is all). I was doing about 65 and there was a guard rail on the outside. That woulda hurt . I've slid the front around corners before while trying to get my setup right but I'd never had it just plain let go on me before. Lesson learned... Warm up the tires before you do stupid stuff . | ||
| Jlnance |
Glad you're ok. but I'd never had it just plain let go on me before. Think you hit ice? | ||
| Leftcoastal |
Glad that worked out for you! Q - If we are going to be doing "stupid stuff" do you think any of us will be smart enough to warm the tires first? AL | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I had a rear D208 on my X1 for a while and when it was cold it was like wood. Not even a soft wood, more like ash or maple. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
I did the same thing the other day. I know exactly what caused mine though. One of those big ol white arrows on the ground. Tires no likey gripy on paint... | ||
| M1combat |
"Think you hit ice?" No, but the pavement was new so probably not much rubber laid down. I've had the rear let go a couple times going over paint but never the front. It was different . | ||
| Bartimus |
I have a problem here in Albuquerque, New Mexico with the strips of tar that they use to fill in the cracks in pavement. The average temp is 40 degrees when I ride lately and i've noticed that the diablo's on my S1W tend to slip when I ride over these tar strips in corners whereas the scorpion syncs on my city-x stick like glue. hmmmm Tires are warmed, but pavement is cold, and tar strips are even colder... | ||
| Keys |
I had nearly the same experience (only with the rear tire) about a month ago. Cold weather - cold tires. When the rear tire caught the regained traction wasn't sever enough to cause a highside. So I regained traction gradually enough to not get thrown off. I would seriously consider a new set of tires. Even with plenty of tread left, tire condition and traction may be compromised. It's at least one matter (besides the road conditions) that needs to be evaluated as well. Sounds like you had good instincts. I believe in pragmatism NOT luck. And at one point all of us (regardless of skill, riding style, or conditions or even judgment) will lose traction. In this case, you saved it. I, for one, won't be pushing it anytime soon in 40degrees with any tire. But I am glad I replaced my stock dunlops! | ||
| Fusa21 |
M1, there are probably a lot better suspension guys out there, but you gave some good clues in your recreation of the incident. You said it "got to a point and straight gave up". That sounds like you were riding hard enough to use up the available compression on the forks until they bottomed out. At that instant it's like riding on solid metal rods, all of your remaining inertia is transfered directly to the tires/road using up all available grip  . The resulting slide was simply the tire breaking loose, for that 8-10"s, giving the suspension some more room to do its job and rebound back a little as you felt the kick out the seat, as the front gained traction back and uprighted the bike. To correct it, check out how a few clicks of Compression damping help the bike. You will slow the dive of the front while being loaded during a turn, or on the brakes. Happy carving |
