Just be careful out there ...

It had just rained for the first time for a day, just a little drizzle.

Just left home, got about a mile, turned onto a side road. Opened the throttle, and WWWWWOOOOAAAAHHHH, the back end started quite violently sideways.

"Oh, SH!T, not again" thought I, desperately banging left foot, right foot, left foot down. "I am NOT GOING DOWN" I shouted to myself, mindful of a previous event.

I kept the bars pointing to the front, meanwhile a mental picture went through my overloaded brain of Rossi hanging on to the bars whilst in the middle of a high side from which he recovered. "This is only a little wobble" said I. (But it felt like a big wobble.)

Eventually the bike settled, trundling along at a gentle 20, all innocently, as if nothing had happened.

After years of riding in the UK's weather you'd have thought I would have known that

• New rain = slippery road
• Cold tyres = poor grip

and that

• FJR throttle = loads of torque

At least I didn't panic, got surprisingly little adrenalin (just as well, I might have seized up or done something really silly), just strong after-thoughts about what might have been, and what SWMBO would have said, particularly after I've only recently tidied the bike up after my "Not my fault" tip-over.
Oh, yes, no really nasty result = no pictures.

So, as the inclement weather increases, please, just be careful out there.

Sounds like a nice save. Good on ya for keeping your head and "riding the bike."

The other day I noticed some serious fluid trailing into my neighborhood on the street, probably from an automatic transmission. Followed it all the way through the hood and to a shop just the other side. At least they made it there. Made a mental note to watch out for it during the next rain. IMHO, wet pavement is not the place to push your tires. I corner like a squid when the road is wet. A track is the only place to expect decent traction when it's wet. Do it anywhere else, and you're begging for trouble....

mcatrophy said:

It had just rained for the first time for a day, just a little drizzle.
Just left home, got about a mile, turned onto a side road. Opened the throttle, and WWWWWOOOOAAAAHHHH, the back end started quite violently sideways.

"Oh, SH!T, not again" thought I, desperately banging left foot, right foot, left foot down. "I am NOT GOING DOWN" I shouted to myself, mindful of a previous event.

I kept the bars pointing to the front, meanwhile a mental picture went through my overloaded brain of Rossi hanging on to the bars whilst in the middle of a high side from which he recovered. "This is only a little wobble" said I. (But it felt like a big wobble.)

Eventually the bike settled, trundling along at a gentle 20, all innocently, as if nothing had happened.

Click to expand...

So have you pulled the seat out of your a$$ yet? Sounds like a real pucker moment.

We have leaves to watch out for now also.

Especially slippery in the morning.

Had a similar experience, but in gravel. Was pulling out onto a two lane and gunned it a little. Had my eye on oncoming traffic not on the pile of sand and gravel I was heading for. It is quite a sensation to have that big old beast swing it's rear end out on ya. Dirt experience pays dividends at times like that. Just eased the throttle a little, turned into it and straightened right up.

Nice save there buddy. I hear ya on not crashing it after just getting it tidying it up. :clapping:



Is this wet enough for ya? This is southern Missouri after an overnight of 6 INCHES of rain. This is murph and I trying to get down to Arkansas last Friday.



Yeah, we kept the speeds down a little bit with the downpour, wet leaves, gravel washouts onto the road, 40 degree temps...

...no need to be Rossi when it is cold and wet out.

Unless you like to use the road as a cheese grater on your bike and gear.

I got a little reminder that cold = less grip this morning. It was about 40 degrees F and dry, but it was enough to contribute to an accidental drift around a corner. Strangely, I never felt the least bit of any panic or adrenaline. Afterwards, I just thought to myself, "That was kinda cool; I wonder if I should have been scared..."

Sound like a good save..several times in the last 30 years , in a desperate last ditch attempt to save it, I gave into reflex and did the flat track thing..Worked every time too, especially if you can get the boot to slide, but it's a tad rough on ankles and groin muscles.

Great save!

Best story is the one where your telling how you missed a bad story.

UselessPickles said:

I got a little reminder that cold = less grip this morning. It was about 40 degrees F and dry, but it was enough to contribute to an accidental drift around a corner. Strangely, I never felt the least bit of any panic or adrenaline. Afterwards, I just thought to myself, "That was kinda cool; I wonder if I should have been scared..."

Click to expand...

Just come forward on the bars a little bit,hold the throttle steady with maybe just a little goose for fun and let her eat. I love doing that when it is intensional, but when it catches you off guard it can be scary.

Part of our drive way at work is made from hard packed fine grade lime stone. Some time's when I get there in the morning I am still a little wound up from my ride, so I will give a little power slide coming up the drive. Just to help start my day!

I guess I'm just lucky. My bikes won't lean when the road's wet! No, really. I've tried to make them lean - they just won't... :lol:

Sweet Save MC, That wasn't your day to fall. :yahoo:

Thanks for the comments, people. Just a couple of observations.

I've never had real dirt experience, maybe that would have helped me. But at 67, I feel too old of a dog now to learn new tricks . It's all I can do to remember the old ones .

As for wet experience, I'm well used to riding on wet and slippery roads, the piccies below show one such - wet pebbles, greasy with mud, and note the umbrella!:

(click on image for larger view)



My first farkle was a fenda-extenda to reduce the mud getting onto my radiator - these pictures taken after one trip, with it fitted.



Not untypical of my bike after a ride.

No, my problem was simply "Mind not on the job"

Thanks for the post.

BTW, that's some really nice scenery in your photos.

wheatonFJR said:

Thanks for the post.
BTW, that's some really nice scenery in your photos.

Click to expand...

My favourite touring is in Scotland. Some excellent motorcycling roads, and wonderful scenery.

Of course, to get all that green, you need lots of rain .

I've many pictures taken over the last few years, they are linked to from here.

Good save, mcatrophy. Glad to hear the only casualty in that experience was your underwear.

And thanks for the pictures. Interesting looking country. But I would pretty much avoid roads that look like the one you are riding on, unless I was on a dirt bike.

Also, here's another bit of advice (or warning). I had to learn this the hard way.

New tire = cold AND slick. Several years ago I took my Yamaha Maxim to a local bike shop and had them mount a new rear tire. Leaving the parking lot I took a right turn onto a highway and before I knew it, I was on my butt in the middle of the road. Besides getting a huge bruise on the right side of my ass and cutting my right hand, I also had the embarrassment of having to push my bent up bike back to the shop where there just happen to be several bikers hanging around outside.

But being the good bikers that they were, they fixed my bike (good enough to ride) while the shop owner bandaged my hand.

New tires have some kind of a coating on them that is very slick until you wear it off while riding (or maybe wash it off).

Anyway, keep this in mind whenever you get new tires.

mcatrophy said:

wheatonFJR said:

Thanks for the post.
BTW, that's some really nice scenery in your photos.

Click to expand...

My favourite touring is in Scotland. Some excellent motorcycling roads, and wonderful scenery.

Of course, to get all that green, you need lots of rain .

I've many pictures taken over the last few years, they are linked to from here.

Click to expand...

Hmmm Scotland, that's reputedly my Father's ancestral home. I might have to travel to there, and Denmark (my mom's ancestral home)...as well as the good parts of the rest of Europe...some day when the economy is more certain.

QUOTE (wheatonFJR @ Nov 6 2009, 05:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...Hmmm Scotland, that's reputedly my Father's ancestral home. I might have to travel to there, and Denmark (my mom's ancestral home)...as well as the good parts of the rest of Europe...some day when the economy is more certain.

Many Scots emigrated to the 'States during the Highland Clearances, and many have gone since, so there's no shortage of Scottish ancestry in the USA and Canada.

Not much to see now at this village except a plaque ...

(Click image for larger view)



... unless you like bleak scenery ...



Scotland is well worth a visit, particularly if you can travel by motorcycle. That goes for Denmark as well, but I've not been there by bike (yet?).