The standard Tyres

Hi all,

First time I've posted on this section. So here goes.

Went out last night on the Cow and it was pretty sh1tty weather, the road surface looked very slippy and didn't inspire me with confidence (if you know what I mean).

On the way to where I was goign wasn't too bad, but on the way back, I had a full pelt of rain, running down the inside of my visor, couldn't see a bloody thing (fog city now on order) and rolling down the gears to come to a roundabout, doing all of about ooh 15 - 20 mph, and then slows right down to let a car go round coming from the right.
So I throw the cow into first gear, HEEELLLOO there's my ****
Didn't manage to come off, but boy it was soooo slippy.

I know it was me and my in-experience
- but is it a combination of me and the tyres also, they're the standard Dunlops, which if I am to be corrected, you lot think they're not that good ?


Mass

Plus I had some idiot as close as they possibly could to the back end of my bike for the majority of the way home

The standard tyres would certainly have contributed to the backend trying to overtake the front, but I'd say the main problem was that you dropped down a gear without blipping the throttle.
It'll catch you like that quite easily. Even a little CG125 will step the back end out if you change down too fiercely.
I wouldn't worry about it, just get the hang of blipping.

Cheers Carsick,

Yeah trying to get the hang of blipping, but probably didn't do on this occasion cos I was going so slow. Yeah I must remember to do it!

I will also put it down to experience - riding in those conditions really does make you think harder, and brake a little easier.

Full credit to you lot who do this every day

Yeah the rear does love doing that if your not carful with that 2nd to 1st downchange in the wet.....

as i've found out many times

Read this Mass

Watch those white painted areas too Mass, slippery indeed and the roads (especially at places where you want good traction) seem to be coming more and more covered in them. I nearly came a cropper many a time on the SV due to road 'safety' markings in the wet.

Originally Posted by The Mass

I know it was me and my in-experience
- but is it a combination of me and the tyres also, they're the standard Dunlops, which if I am to be corrected, you lot think they're not that good ?

They're not wonderful tyres but believe me all tyres are pretty crap in those conditions (even the so-called stickiest). You just have to learn to ride with delicate inputs in those situations.


.

If the tyres were warmed up enough, and it sounds like they were, then I doubt they contributed much, if anything to the back sliding... used to chuck the back out on the ER5 a lot due to changing down too much without blipping or braking first. It can be fun if it's done under control, but probably best avoided on the road. More and more bikes look they'll be coming out with slipper clutches in the next few years so this won't be a problem - like the new zx6r - can get away with sloppy down-changing into a corner with no need for blipping the throttle...

Go on, though, you know you just want *any* old excuse to blip the throttle on a v-twin...

Originally Posted by Cloggsy

Read this Mass

Cheers Cloggsy,

Really interesting read.

I'll stick with em for now, until they need repalcing me thinks, (shouldn't be too long, with the mileage I'm planning )

Cheers t yers all

Mass