mcatrophy
Privileged to ride a 2018 FJR1300AS
For whatever reason, for some time I've not been going out for rides like I used to, merely using the bike for shopping trips. Today, after a week of stormy weather, the sun was shining, the wind had calmed a bit. I decided to force myself to ride for riding's sake.
As a sort of destination, I chose this ford that I've been across a couple of times.
(Click on image for larger view)
Tissington Ford (December, 2015)
[edit: photo shown in a previous post [/edit]
Approaching the ford (from the far side, so in same direction as the bike is pointing), I was following a car. He paused before entering the water, I hung back in case I decided to turn round before committing - the slope down is considerably steeper than the picture shows, turning round near the water would be very tricky. The driver obviously was being cautious, the water was significantly deeper than in my picture, and flowing quite quickly. Anyway, he decided to cross, and I could see the water level covering most of his wheels, so probably a little over a foot deep. (The depth gauge that used to be there had disappeared.)
He got through without a problem, but paused on his way up the far slope (about where my bike is in my picture). I went down to the water, but before entering, waited the minute or so for him to depart. I didn't want any distractions as I went through.
He left, I entered, holding bottom gear, doing maybe 10 mph? (never looked at my speedo). I could feel the water riding up my boots, though it never went over the top.
Got three-quarters of the way through, and I suddenly found that the back end of the bike was going sideways. Whether because the flow of water was sufficient to push the back-end out (the front didn't lose grip) or the increase in throttle setting needed to keep my speed when going up the exit slope, or some combination of the two, I don't know.
Using all of my knowledge and experience, I assessed the situation and decided to hold the throttle steady. Erm, I froze.
Luckily for me, the bike didn't topple, but it had me very worried for a while, a slewing bike in foot-deep water and me having no real off-road experience. After maybe two or three seconds (it felt like a lot longer), I reached dry(ish) road, and the bike wriggled itself straight and upright.
I was going to stop to take a similar picture to the one above, but I was so relieved to have got through without a disaster that I forgot about the picture and just kept going.
In the past I've turned the bike round and gone back through, but this time I chickened out, found another way home.
Traction control? I believe it saved me from a lot worse, it seemed to hold with just enough torque to keep moving, although not actually gripping enough to align the wheels. I'm pretty sure that had the rear wheel spun up, I'd have been over. Finding someone to walk into that minor torrent to help me lift the bike would have been difficult, and it may well have sucked water into the cylinders before the engine cut.
As a sort of destination, I chose this ford that I've been across a couple of times.
(Click on image for larger view)
Tissington Ford (December, 2015)
[edit: photo shown in a previous post [/edit]
Approaching the ford (from the far side, so in same direction as the bike is pointing), I was following a car. He paused before entering the water, I hung back in case I decided to turn round before committing - the slope down is considerably steeper than the picture shows, turning round near the water would be very tricky. The driver obviously was being cautious, the water was significantly deeper than in my picture, and flowing quite quickly. Anyway, he decided to cross, and I could see the water level covering most of his wheels, so probably a little over a foot deep. (The depth gauge that used to be there had disappeared.)
He got through without a problem, but paused on his way up the far slope (about where my bike is in my picture). I went down to the water, but before entering, waited the minute or so for him to depart. I didn't want any distractions as I went through.
He left, I entered, holding bottom gear, doing maybe 10 mph? (never looked at my speedo). I could feel the water riding up my boots, though it never went over the top.
Got three-quarters of the way through, and I suddenly found that the back end of the bike was going sideways. Whether because the flow of water was sufficient to push the back-end out (the front didn't lose grip) or the increase in throttle setting needed to keep my speed when going up the exit slope, or some combination of the two, I don't know.
Luckily for me, the bike didn't topple, but it had me very worried for a while, a slewing bike in foot-deep water and me having no real off-road experience. After maybe two or three seconds (it felt like a lot longer), I reached dry(ish) road, and the bike wriggled itself straight and upright.
I was going to stop to take a similar picture to the one above, but I was so relieved to have got through without a disaster that I forgot about the picture and just kept going.
In the past I've turned the bike round and gone back through, but this time I chickened out, found another way home.
Traction control? I believe it saved me from a lot worse, it seemed to hold with just enough torque to keep moving, although not actually gripping enough to align the wheels. I'm pretty sure that had the rear wheel spun up, I'd have been over. Finding someone to walk into that minor torrent to help me lift the bike would have been difficult, and it may well have sucked water into the cylinders before the engine cut.
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