Lucky escape

[Fluffer]

What is the actual way to deal with these? Happened to me mid dec on the one good day between the snowfalls, road was wet and rear tyre was new so putting power on coming out of a roundabout and back wheel came out and I wobbled for what felt like eternity.. Stayed up but on reflection not really sure how...

i had a cool looking one yesterday in birmingham city centre, just turning left onto a main road and mid-turn, my back tyre started spinning and i think i slipped on a manhole cover, but it looked like a mini-drift at like 12mph. felt like B.A.Baracka's

Originally Posted by tom-k6

i had a cool looking one yesterday in birmingham city centre, just turning left onto a main road and mid-turn, my back tyre started spinning and i think i slipped on a manhole cover, but it looked like a mini-drift at like 12mph. felt like B.A.Baracka's

Haha, I had a little tail slide the other month. Was greasy roads and was leaving work so I was driving around the industrial estate. Just turned left onto the road leading out and started over taking a couple of cars straight out of the turn as it was clear ahead. Lost all grip at the back and did a little drift thing past them! I **** myself

We have all been there, or will be one day. i have had a couple of dodgy moments, but the worst for nearly loosing control was just after i passed my test, and it was my first or 2nd trip to Poole quay (a big old weekly bike get together for the non locals) and me being young/naive and stupid, was trying to keep up with GSXR600, bandit 1200 & a fazer thou i think it was, on my little SV still restricted to 33BHP!! came to a roundabout, with far to much speed, hit the breaks far to late, locked up the back wheel, front started to wobble......everything went into slow mo, but somehow managed to end up at the front of the roundabout after filtering past several cars (not sure how many maybe 4/5) with everything pointing in the right direction to be able to slowley pull away from the roundabout and preceded to go slow and steady the rest of the way to the quay......i met the others there!!!

[Stu]

Originally Posted by cccsssddd

What is the actual way to deal with these?

It's all Voodoo & witchcraft

Hang on and don't give in. 9 times from 10 you'll survive the worst of them.

I still remember my first big tank slapper circa 1978... Landed a jump (more like a big whoop with a lot of air) and broke a shock as I gave the beast a big fist full. The thing started bucking like a mule at both ends with the bars going from lock to lock as I am heading straight at a huge stump from some ancient tree. At one stage my feet were above my head. I managed to hold on and bring it all together, but I was sore for a week after the beating that the bike gave me.
The big GS demands to be ridden hard off road (80kph minimum and a lot of throttle on sand, 90-100kph about right when loaded), but it likes to give its head a good shake every time it tops a dune or big whoop if the damper is not set. Nothing particularly dangerous, but unnerving the first time. Just one of the joys of riding.
On the road, I've never really had a bike do much more than wriggle around and shake its head a bit.

I think its a much debated subject, some say give it some throttle, some say ease off a bit, some say keep it cracked on.

Chances are though, when it happens you will do whatever your instinct tells you to do, becuase it's happening so quickly (and over so quickly generally)...

I guess experience helps to keep the panic levels down, but unless you want to go and try recreate a slapper, just keep on riding I say!

Had a couple in my time. But the best one I've had I wasn't even riding. Was on the back of my mates bike. He rode over a railway crossing and got a bit of air time from the front wheel. He went over the crossing not quite straight and we were heading for oncoming traffic. He forced the bars to steer before the wheel was back on the ground. It was as the front wheel hit the road with the steering twisted it started to shake. I have an idea it was the additional weight of me on the back that helped the bars start to slap rather than the gyroscopic effect to happen and straighten the bars back out. Well we went down the road with him fighting with all his might to regain control, but the harder he fought, the worst the slapper got. Eventually he gave up and just let go of the bars altogether. Almost instantly the bars settled down, he grabbed them and wound the throttle back on again.

What I didn't know was that when he let go of the bars, he was actually getting ready to depart from the motorcycle. It was only because when he let go the wheel came back to centre that he changed his mind and stayed on.

Another time he got a slapper was when going through some road works, he thought it would be a good idea to kick a traffic cone over. I don't think he realised just how heavy one of those are and gave it a kick as he went passed. As his foot made contact with cone, he was almost dragged off his bike, which caused a tank slapper. Was the most funniest thing I had seen in ages. I nearly had to stop riding myself as I was laughing so much. Believe me, it was one of those 'had to be there' moments.

Originally Posted by Stig

Another time he got a slapper was when going through some road works, he thought it would be a good idea to kick a traffic cone over. I don't think he realised just how heavy one of those are and gave it a kick as he went passed. As his foot made contact with cone, he was almost dragged off his bike, which caused a tank slapper. Was the most funniest thing I had seen in ages. I nearly had to stop riding myself as I was laughing so much. Believe me, it was one of those 'had to be there' moments.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA i wouldve loved to see that, ive come close to some cones and ive had the misfortune to be working collecting those cones they use on the motorway, they are bloody heavy, made up of old tyres for the base

Originally Posted by Stig

What I didn't know was that when he let go of the bars, he was actually getting ready to depart from the motorcycle. It was only because when he let go the wheel came back to centre that he changed his mind and stayed on.