| Author | Message | ||
     Iamarchangel |
Today I was about an hour and a half from home when the sky turned black. I did the bat out of h-e-double hockey sticks thing and got home in about an hour. It was unfamiliar road to me, a highway through rural areas. There were several full sweeper corners that I took faster than I would normally take unknown corners (because it was a highway, I figured it would be safer). A couple of the corners had a liquid path across them, like a tractor had crossed and leaked something across the road. Really couldn't see the liquid trail until just on top of them. None of them seemed to still be wet. Questions: What would hitting a wet trail leaned over do? I figure I'd slide about a foot and hit dry, then what? How do I make sure I don't go down? Or highside? (I know what to do on a mx.) | ||
| Pogue_mahone |
pray really fast | ||
| Glitch |
I rode down HWY60 yesterday. From TWO past the Rock Pile, was nothing but tar snakes. It was about 90o so the snakes were slippy as everything. Slipped quite a bit, so it kept the speed way down on some of the best twisties HWY60 has to offer. It sucked, quite a few pucker moments. Just keep it at a sane speed, and ride. If it slips, just relax and hope it stays up. | ||
| Birdy |
I've run in to the "Water Bars" before. Really gets your attention when the bike steps sideways like that! I try not to push too hard BUT we all get carried away at times. After the first one slow down a bit as the next could be worse, use to be a road that had a "Weep" in it and was always wet but every now and then it'd be standing water a couple of inches deep! | ||
| Buell666 |
If you hit a wet spot leaned over and your tire starts spinning, then you hit dry road and gain traction again, you're gonna go which ever way your back tire is aimed at after spinning. It's kinda like hitting a reflector in the middle of the road. Loss of traction can put you in some pretty hairy situations. If something like that ever happens, just keep your cool. Dont get scared and brake or jerk your handlebars, or anything like that. Just try your hardest to follow through with the corner and you should be ok. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
What would hitting a wet trail leaned over do? Simple it would require a fresh pair of shorts.  Seriously though there are way too many variables. If going way too fast a high side could be in order. Either way it would be all over before you had a chance to do anything about it. | ||
| Etennuly |
I did one the other day. Haven't had it happen in quite some time. Took a while to work my shorts back into a comfortable external position. Unloaded my bike from a customers truck where the dealers lot is about three miles from the twisties on the way back to my shop. It was a nice sunny 70F + day, around noon. Got into the second 90 degree corner, not really pushing it, and whoosh! The front tire slides over to the left about a foot as I am into a 35 mph 70%(of capable on this corner) lean. Seeing how it was a right hander I was very glad there was no traffic coming the other way. It seems silly at first, but the best thing that I have found to do is relax, back off on the inputs to the bike for just a bit. Just stay with it knowing that a XB will still be able to be recovered even as a foot peg is being snapped off by the pavement. When the tire grips, reel it back in gently. Then start squirming on the seat to fix that panties in a wad feeling. If this doesn't work you wrecked already. Keep your cell phone in a non exposed, zipped pocket. Call for help. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
So, basically, the mx skills will carry through? Stay focussed and let physics do its job. | ||
| Birdy |
That and looking for a soft spot to land!  | ||
| Fast1075 |
Depends on what the trail is...water is much more forgiving than oil...or as in Glitch's case hot slippery tar...water usually causes a momentary step out followed by renewed traction...oil and grease (or in my case in Florida...sand) will put you down quick. Try to stay with the line and it will either make it or (hopefully) just low-side...if you snap the throttle shut and grab front brake, you are wide open for the bike to either stand up and run off the road (if you are in a left hander) or possibly more seriously, run across center head on with the Winnebago or dump truck coming the other way....and/or High-side...the most painful and damaging way to fall. I follow the FAST survival method...on public roads...never blast into a blind corner...(in my neck of the woods, most corners are blind, with heavy vegetation blocking the view, roads are narrow, and generally lined with barbed wire or other fencing and the usual mailboxes and telephone poles...in any case, I never ride harder than maybe 75% on a GOOD turn..(I'm too old to heal quickly...and I have enough scars already).... I will reserve the 100% effort for when I can make it to Jennings for a track day. | ||
| Petereid |
This time of the year up here in Canada water and oil isn't your only worry. Most rural roads up here still have a coating of "sand" in most of the corners. I'd rather make it home soaked from rain then lowsiding on hydraulic fluid or sand on an unfamiliar road. I'm with Fast on this one...... I don't heal as well as I used to and have plenty of scars already. An old pilot saying reworded: A superior rider uses his superior judgment to avoid inferior situations that would require his superior skill. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Yesterday I watched the Moto GP races from Japan...in the 250 class there were several offs caused by a wet spot under a bridge...if you had or have a chance to watch that race....video says a thousand times more than words...and that was some goooood racin' |
