Emergency stop - rear wheel lock?

[Daveog]

Morning,

Just had a near miss. Had to emergency stop so hit the brakes and changed down into second - rear wheel completely locked up and the gearbox seemed jammed.

I've stopped suddenly before and the gearbox has struggled to change down (odd bit of clanging) but I must have gone quite some distance today before I had traction again, veering from left to right trying to stop it tumbling either way. Luckily the car didn't turn. Very rarely have I thought, "I'm coming off here" but this was close. In hindsight, I should have tried pulling the clutch in to release the rear wheel...

Anyone else experienced this on an SV?

MAny many many times, Im quite short so sit over the tank more than over rear. Couple that with weight shifting forwards under heavy breaking the rear has very little imposed load so I found gearing from 3rd to 2nd used to lock the rear quite a bit, a nice little judder would be felt to serve as a reminder to be smoother.

[andrewsmith]

Its normal under emergency braking (or very hard) for the rear to lock going down 3rd to 2nd

As owenski has said just a little reminder

[timwilky]

go back to when you were a learner, it is a fail to change gear etc in an emergency stop. so of course in the real world it doesn't matter. But far better get it into your head to simply brake.

V twins do lock up if you go down under power. so don't.

I know under panic braking you can tend to grip the bars hard, even increasing the revs.

Have a bit of practice on an empty car park to remind yourself how it should be done

Originally Posted by timwilky

I know under panic braking you can tend to grip the bars hard, even increasing the revs.

Very true, my first emergency stop in the yard on my lessons I accidentally revved the tits off the poor little bike as I held on so tight and accidentally pulled the accelerator at the end!

[Viney]

Dunno. I just usually hit the deck and crash horribly. However, i do get the rear squirming every now and again through over enthusiastic down-changes

[Stuuk1]

Used to get this all the time when I first passed and seemed obsessed with changing down at high revs when turbot corners... Don't ask, the back would lock up, I'd **** myself and then everything would be ok again...

I also had a thing for my back brake and almost stuffed the bike up a cars ass when I didn't see she had slowed to turn right and I stuck the rear brake on.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Stuuk1

turbot corners... Don't ask,

I've got to. How the devil did you ride an SV underwater?



Just to be awkward to everyone, it's not a LOCK, it's a SLIDE. As long as you're pointing vaguely in the right direction don't worry about it.

To the OP, it sounds like something MAY be wrong with your gearbox. However the only things to cause a full lock (i.e worn or knackered forks letting you go into 2 gears at once) will completely grenade the 'box.

So go practice changing down in a big hurry. Make sure your timing with blip and shift is alright as the odd clanging is usually someone who shifts down like a size 12 spastic and a maladjusted/crunchy chain.

I had it on my first trackday I'd only been riding a few months and hadn't mastered the blip on down changes, (still haven't really should probably practise it a bit more) Braking hard for a tight turn i knocked it down a few gears released the clutch and the rear locked just pulled in the clutch to get it rolling again.

[Daveog]

Thanks guys, it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one. I've had the juddering and clanging before where it's tried to get traction and felt halfway between gears but never a full-on, long distance, lock-up.

I shall be practicing heavy braking and avoid changing down - somehow I've rode for three years and never heard that you shouldn't change down while emergency stopping. Additionally, I'll attempt a little blip of the throttle on the down change in practice.

Originally Posted by Viney

However, i do get the rear squirming every now and again through over enthusiastic down-changes

<-- I burst out laughing after reading this quote!

Thanks everyone!!

Dave