| Author | Message | ||
     Percyco |
So I have seen this term used here a few times . I'm certainly not a newbie to motorcycles, I raced MX in the 70's and 80's and now own a H-D and a XB not to mention dirt bikes and sport/racer 4 wheelers. Back in the day a "tank slapper" was probably when you came up short on a double at your local motocross track. I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it  . anyhow...whats your version ? PMC | ||
| Paint_shaker |
I believe the term "tank slapper" as used here is describing the wobbling of the front tire (usually at speed), the utlimately causes the bars to move side to side, sometimes hitting the steering stops. It looks (and probably feels) like the bars are slapping the tank. | ||
| Jlnance |
It is a lock to lock oscillation of the bars. | ||
| Percyco |
Ahhhh.... I see, Back in the day and here in the east we called it the high speed wobbles. A scary thing ! PMC | ||
| Cygnus_x1 |
I'm still in the dark about the meaning of the 3%'rs. | ||
| Ortegakid |
All you have to do is ride a kawi triple really fast and back off the throttle and try to turn!!, you will know the meaning of it!! Seriously, never had one,(EVER),on my bolt, and it doesn't have a damper, doesn't need one! | ||
| Chiefiron |
Cygnus, i asked that question on the 3%er thread the other day. Buells are 3% of Harley sales is what they told me. Tim | ||
| Cygnus_x1 |
Ah, cool, right-on! Thats me then, a 3%'er!!! | ||
| Chance |
Cygnus, you own 2 Buells..you're a 6%r | ||
| Chance |
Ortega, you should try riding outside of school zones... | ||
| Niceharleystuff |
Riding Skills Series: Tankslappers Riding Skills Series: 1 , 2 , 3 | ||
| Mountainrider |
If you ever have a real tanK slapper you will not forget it. I had one that ended up in a highside and hurt really bad for months and I was not going very fast. Just came out of a corner hard on the gas and the front end got lite and we went for a ride. The next one I had was really scary. I was doing about 130mph in a long sweeper and the handlebar starting slapping the fuel tank on both sides. The guy behind me said that the back of the bike jumped up in air and he just knew I was going to highside. At that speed I would have been no more. I just held the gas on and rode it out. (Message edited by mountainrider on February 21, 2006) | ||
| Black_sunshine |
The real 3%ers are here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/37/47796.html?1140491799 Its our local BRAG chapter here in Atlanta, Ga. sponsored by Stone Mountain H-D/Buell. We are about 35+ strong and growing. If you would like to come and play with us in the Twisties then check this out: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/37/172168.html  | ||
| Cataract2 |
Black, I might be up there for that. If all goes well I will certainly come up. | ||
| Black_sunshine |
Good deal....I'll keep a lookout for ya. | ||
| Mou5e |
a tank slapper can also be used as a laxative. | ||
| Midknyte |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/4062/111285.html | ||
| Blake |
My understanding is that a tank slapper is a violent repeating left-right turning oscillation of the front end of your motorcycle so fierce that the handlebars are ripped clean out of your hands. You have almost no means to control the bike until/unless it subsides. In my view, a "tank slapper" is never accurately characterized as a "wobble." | ||
| Glitch |
Tank Slapper--Isle of Mann TT | ||
| M1combat |
In my view, a "tank slapper" is never accurately characterized as a "wobble." Whole heartedly agreed. They say the best way to stop a tank slapper is to get the front end off the ground ASAP... Yeah... Try doing that before it rips the bars out of your hands and then comes back and breaks all your fingers... | ||
| Keys |
...if you have skin graft scars over all your knuckles - you've seen a tank-slapper... | ||
| Blazinc5 |
I always thought that a tank slapper was when two bikes "usualy while raceing" came in to close and wacked their tanks together..  Guess I just a colition. lol Devin 05 XB12R W/kit 86 Fazer FZX700 | ||
| Midknyte |
I always thought that a tank slapper was when two bikes "usualy while raceing" came in to close and wacked their tanks together.. You're thinking of Cowboys & Indians | ||
| Bluzm2 |
In the old days of motocross racing, a tank slapper occured when you were running wfo through a sand wash or a long series of whoopers. If you got out of shape, your back end would start slamming back and forth. You didn't dare get of the gas, just keep it pinned and hope for the best. This usually caused the gas tank to slap the inside of your thighs. Usually you lasted about 5 or 6 cycles and you were done for. Particularly sucked when you were at the front of the pack and went down due to the dude next to you tank slapping into you! Don't ask how I know for sure... I still hurt from that one (kind of hosed up my shoulder). Ortega, you hit it on the head re the Kaw triples! Those were one scarey bike. Too fast for a frame that seemed to be made of old noodles. Yikes!!! Sure sounded neat with a set of chambers though.. Brad | ||
| Ortegakid |
Yea, an incredible sound!!, made me buy my first race bike, a TR350 yam, and it didn't handle all that bad, and was wonderfully competitive for it's day, still got passed by elr at riverside 'tho. | ||
| Jackbequick |
"I'm still in the dark about the meaning of the 3%'rs." A little more history on it here. I think the AMA made that comment in the national press in the way distant past (like after the Hollister Rally in the late 1940's or something). The outlaw bikers immediately had some "1%" patches made and those became an essential part of their "colors". Simply stated, it says "I'm a bad a$$" and you won't find anyone from the old school, "dark side", clubs that does not have a 1% patch on their colors. And the true and original 1%'ers rode Harleys, no exceptions. So then the rest of the evolution was that in recent time, when it was realized that Buell accounted for 3% of the H-D production, someone here cleverly came up with the 3% thing and it identifies them to the knowledgeable as Buellers. The 3%'er thing seems to be well distanced from any the antisocial connotations that came with the 1% thing. I think it goes more to the "stepchild" relationship between H-D and Buell. I'm sort of wondering what the 1%er's that don't know the whole story about the 3% thing would think if they saw a "3%" patch. Is there such a thing as a 3% patch? Jack | ||
| Black_sunshine |
Jack....A few of us have a 3%er patch on our jackets. I don't have a pic but I know that Myself, Shred and Glitch have them. It's just a club thing (our name). Maybe Glitch will chime in. | ||
| Buellfighter |
As far as tank slappers go, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Bluzm2 perfectly described the version I'm aware of and Glitch's version was performed flawlessly. | ||
| Xb9 |
Back in the early '80's while racing at Nelson Ledges on an RZ350, I came barreling down on a backmarker at the kink (fastest turn on the course, about $1.20) and the backmarker obscured my line of sight to the point where when I got by him, I was running wide and went off into the grass on the exit of the turn. It had rained the day before and the grass/mud was pretty slippery. Well, as soon as I went off the pavement, the forks did a few instantaneous lock-to-lock oscilations, but somehow I kept it upright. When I got back to the pit, other than shaking like a leaf, the only damage done was a dent on each side of the tank from the triple clamps hitting the tank, along with broken steering stop bolts on both sides. Now that was a tank slapper!! | ||
| Cmm213 |
I'm with M1 I have seen some bad ones and have experienced one myself. Most end up badly but I had recovered from mine, my left hand recieved two hard blows resulting in smashed fingers and some scars. But my right hand didnt come off I think thats what saved my butt, because I kept accelerating and as fast as it started it cleared up. So now I make sure my tires and suspension are set right. This was not on a XB by the way | ||
| Buellnewbie |
technically, there are 2 definitions..... 1) it's what happens right before you crap in your pants, pee down your leg and have a heart attack all at the same time 2) it's what I do with my left hand while riding down the road and laughing because my ex-wife's new husband is cheating on her |
