- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by briderdt.
Two rides, two slides… but no gravity check.
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July 6, 2009 at 9:38 pm #3113briderdtParticipant
So this weekend I decided to take some long rides on the SV to take advantage of the GREAT warm weather (how many times cal you say that in Seattle?). July 4th, a “local” leather store (Eagle Leather in Tacoma/Lakewood, for the PacNW folks) had a bbq in the afternoon, so I went there first to socialize a bit before heading out. Rode to Elbe on some great twisting roads. Had an overloaded Subaru try to keep pace… Didn’t work out so well. On the return trip,I was heading for a turn off, on the brakes, about to make the turn, when I felt the back end sketch out a bit. Wasn’t going fast at all (this was a 90 degree corner I was coming to). But I did exactly what I wasn’t supposed to and let off the brake. Everything straighened out fine and I took the corner, if a little wide. Still don’t know why the slide happened. I wasn’t on the rear brake hard, there wasn’t any loose sand/gravel that I could see… The only thing I can figure is that the tar had just gotten too hot on the sun (near 90 degrees out). I continued the rest of the ride without incident. I think what saved me from a high side here is that I stopped the slide just as it was starting, so even when it caught it didn’t jerk the bike more than an inch.
The next day I took another 120 miler, and about 30 miles in I was doing a left-hander. Slowed down plenty, leaned in, and just as I was straightening up, the front wheel sketched out a good foot. This time might have been loose gravel. But anyway, it caught and I straightened out fine (with a foot out just in case), but that was a scary moment as the wheel just turned hard left (not enough to slap the tank though) and it was like it jumped (before any one says I pulled a wheelie mid corner, remember this IS an SV…). I wasn’t on the gas much either. Again, continued on the rest of the ride without incident, but this time required a little longer to get the heart rate back in check.
So I survived to fight another day. Rides were otherwise awesome, taking in some roads I haven’t been on in decades…
July 6, 2009 at 10:22 pm #20425MunchParticipantCongrats. On all aspects….getting some good scenery in, not going down… and well….enjoying a ride with out a heart attack.
July 7, 2009 at 5:46 am #20426eonParticipantGlad you managed to stay upright and enjoy your rides. Now that you have had time to think about it are you any clearer on what happened? Tires (tread/pressure) ok? Was it rider error?
I know about a month or so ago I had a close call that was entirely rider error. Not entirely sure why I messed up but I did. Since then I’ve slowed down some and now try to be smooth through the corners, practice what they preach about rolling on the throttle the whole way through the corner. Slow in, fast out etc. Hopefully it will improve my technique and keep me sunny side up.
ps. for the locals, I went on my first ever trip round Mt Rainier on Friday. It was a bit of a letdown as it had been hyped so much. But I guess I missed the best bit as Stevens Canyon Rd is closed due to flood damage. If they fix it I plan on going again in a month or so with my scooter group.
Hey, your bike is yellow if I remember correctly. You were not stuck behind a bunch of slow moving cruisers heading west on 508 past Cinebar on Friday were you?July 7, 2009 at 1:58 pm #20427briderdtParticipantI actually didn’t get a chance to ride on Friday. No, I was stuck behind slow moving cars on Saturday…
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