Dropping your bike and garage woes

[daktulos]

Between Christmas and New Year, there was a nice dry day where I had nothing on, so went out for a ride. I got half way from the garage back towards my house when I slowed for an oncoming car, my front wheel locked, went sideways and I came off. I had no idea why, but it can be quite a slippery road when it hasn't rained for a while, plus it was a cold day.

Eleven weeks later, and I've finally managed to get everything fixed and been out for a short (9 mile) ride. I was so cautious - I can't believe how much I've lost my faith in the wheel's ability to grip the road. I tried braking hard occasionally to build confidence, but I'm sure it felt like it was catching or slipping when braking hard.

So, I managed to get back safely, and opened up the garage - and I realised that the floor of the garage is very black and very wet. It's a council garage, with another garage above it, so there's nothing I can do about the stream of water when it rains, but it did look very greasy.

So, now I'm thinking that maybe I have an oily spot on my tyre from where it's been sitting. Does that sound likely?

Clearly I'm going to have to scrub the floor, but should I be scrubbing the tyres, too? Any advice for what to use?

Also, I can't stop the flow of water from the garage above (or wherever). I could try diverting it, but is there a simple solution? Some sort of mat, perhaps?

Thank you!

[R1ffR4ff]

Carb/Brake cleaner for the tyre/s.Will evaporate quick and won't damage the synthetic rubber or the Screwfix Degreaser of recent threads as it's water soluble so can be used on the floor as well for oil spills with a bit of Scotch pad.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-heavy-duty-degreaser-5ltr/88668?tc=SA1&ds_kid=92700023752918956&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1243318&ds_rl=1247848&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=CjwKCAiAwojkBRBbEiwAeRcJZAMnW9WlRXBHsM_Bm-2jXbJTJNL9-AYIJg1AmVAoKOnYI4PGDgO6UxoCsBUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

After you have cleaned up you could spread some Cat litter in the areas where the water/rain pools to keep it soaked up and then discard and refresh when needed.I use Cat litter in my garage for soaking up oil spills and walk it into the spill area.It's as good as any more expensive oil/water etc soakeruppers.

Cheap as chips from Aldi/Lidl :)

:)

My 10 Penn'th :)

[daktulos]

Carb/Brake cleaner for the tyre/s.Will evaporate quick and won't damage the synthetic rubber or the Screwfix Degreaser of recent threads as it's water soluble so can be used on the floor as well for oil spills with a bit of Scotch pad.

Thanks. I'll give some degreaser a go. I have a large pot of IPA somewhere which would probably work, too.

I'm not sure about the cat litter, when it's raining hard, it would be quickly saturated.

Thanks!

[R1ffR4ff]

Thanks. I'll give some degreaser a go. I have a large pot of IPA somewhere which would probably work, too.

I'm not sure about the cat litter, when it's raining hard, it would be quickly saturated.

Thanks!

Is there no way you can channel the leak/Rain so it's not a problem?

[daktulos]

Is there no way you can channel the leak/Rain so it's not a problem?

I'm going to try that - I need to clear the floor first to work out where which direction it would naturally flow.

[DarrenSV650S]

If the floor is that bad I'd keep the bike on paddock stands or even a plank of wood

[R1ffR4ff]

I'm going to try that - I need to clear the floor first to work out where which direction it would naturally flow.

Remember to keep good ventilation when using IPA as it can eat up oxygen pretty quick :O

[Bibio]

you say its a council garage.. then its up to the council to upkeep it. give them a phone and tell them the problem. remember you pay rent for that space.

[R1ffR4ff]

you say its a council garage.. then its up to the council to upkeep it. give them a phone and tell them the problem. remember you pay rent for that space.

+10 :smt035

[Craigg]

whats the date code on the tyres..? how old are they?

i had a set of 2012 dated Metzlers on my VFR last year, and they were like riding on Ice...

[SV650rules]

whats the date code on the tyres..? how old are they?

i had a set of 2012 dated Metzlers on my VFR last year, and they were like riding on Ice...

+1

Even leaving bike in garage for 5 months or so over winter can make tyre surface a bit shiny, I always take it very easy for first 10 miles or so when I first take bike out after winter ( good advice anyway to get some skills back) and give the tyres as much road contact all over as I can ( even staying more upright to lean the bike over more MotoX style ).

[R1ffR4ff]

People often forget or don't know that tyres have an optimal heat hysterisis running temp.

I've checked several of my Motorcycles tyres over the years with an Infra-red temp gun and they all seem to be about 35 DegC when warned up for the Rear and around 23 Deg C for the fronts :)

It's good advice not to do any harsh cornering or braking when setting off from cold for at least a good few miles :)

PS

Infra-Red temp guns are great for finding a Cylinder that is mis-firing/cutting out on Multi-cylinder machines.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Temp-Meter-Temperature-Gun-Non-contact-Digital-Laser-IR-Infrared-Thermometer-New/323318556434?epid=8028393691&hash=item4b4749a712:g:zVYAAOSwGdhbMgpF

Just point at a down-pipe and the bad one will be cooler.

[punyXpress]

. . spit on the down pipe is cheaper! :D

[650]

Sounds like old tyres to me. A wet garage floor isn't going to cause you to lock up and drop the bike when on the way back from a ride. Think about how much petrol slime you're picking up when sticking petrol in the bike. It's gone within a few meters of riding.

So I say check the tyres code, it lets you know the age.

Another thing, braking isn't just dependent on your calipers - the amount of fork travel, pad temp (I'm assuming they're HH sintered, something people seem to obsess over - that gives zero benefit on the road and arguably detracts from braking ability in anything other than optimal ambient temperatures and almost traffic free riding), Tyre temp and quality all play a part.

But start with the simple stuff.

[SV650rules]

Yes the manufacturers standard pads are probably the best for everyday riding, you should not need to get them hot like sintered ones need, and if you are using your brakes often and heavily enough to get them hot on normal road riding you probably need to revise your riding style a bit....especially with the amount of engine braking available on SV

[daktulos]

Thanks for all the replies - I've been away for a week and just caught up.

whats the date code on the tyres..? how old are they?

i had a set of 2012 dated Metzlers on my VFR last year, and they were like riding on Ice...

I've not checked the code, but I will. I bought them three years ago, so hopefully aren't much older than that!

you say its a council garage.. then its up to the council to upkeep it. give them a phone and tell them the problem. remember you pay rent for that space.

Unfortunately, I read somewhere that someone was kicked out of their garage for using it for motorcycles (I have no idea why - I couldn't find any reference to it anywhere in the documents). However, they definitely don't allow storage (which I also use the garage for) so I'm not going to cause any trouble. There's a high demand for garages and I can't really afford to lose it.

Ta!

[650]

Ok, so the tyres are three years old. So, no - it won't be those.

This is a non-issue. You've had an unlucky lock up. Happens to all of us.

Build your confidence back up by getting on a quiet bit of road, hitting 70mph and learning to brake gradually and firmly again. Stick your legs out if you're not confident the front will hold, as soon as it slips, let off the brake and the bike'll pop upright again.

[daktulos]

Ok, so the tyres are three years old. So, no - it won't be those.

This is a non-issue. You've had an unlucky lock up. Happens to all of us.

Build your confidence back up by getting on a quiet bit of road, hitting 70mph and learning to brake gradually and firmly again. Stick your legs out if you're not confident the front will hold, as soon as it slips, let off the brake and the bike'll pop upright again.

Thanks - I will. I may give the tyres a wipe down, which will help at least for psychological reasons. I'll probably give the garage floor a clean and clear some of the mess up. It all can't hurt, but you're right - I just need to rebuild confidence in the tyres.

Thanks.

[650]

Good stuff.

I was taking a sharp left turn that I take every day, same line...always. Took it one day a couple of weeks back and the front washed out quickly. I kept the bike upright - no idea what caused it, couldn't see anything greasy. Conditions were warm and dry....so who knows. Just happens, it's about your reaction to the slide, rather than expecting it to happen.