2 Things i learnt tonight...

Lesson 1, filtering at speed.

Never try to keep up with the rider in front, esp if you consider it to be dangerous...

Ok, i knew this one actually.. Filtering down the A2 home tonight. See a bike come flying up behined me. Treat others how you wish to be treated.... SO 800m or so, when it was safe enough for me to pull into a lane, roll off throttle, pull back out. Bloke gives the friendly nod.

He shoots off between the traffic. Now im on a diddy bandit, he's on a Duvale thingy. 2 people on board. I speed up a little, consider it FAR to dangerous, roll off, carry on poodling along. I don't want to crash. Please let me make at least 1 year

Anyhoo, coming up to Bluewater, Jeep in one of the middle lanes, Duvale on hard shoulder looking scratched up, looks like a low speed crash. Both bikers were standing and talking.... I went past just thinking, "jessshhh, im glad i ride to what I thinks safe......."

Anyhoo, lesson number 2. Tyres + Winter

So im just past all the traffic. The A2 has stopped (so if you got caught in the traffic from 5.45pm coming up the hill, you know why). Traffic clears, knock it down a few pegs into 3rd, open the throttle weeee, wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHH. When i get to top end in 3rd (yup, 3rd, on a 650 bandit!!! All 80bhp) the engine scrreeeemmmms, back end goes skatty. Rear wheel was spinning up for a good 50m until i dropped the clutch, and put it in 4th, 5th, 6th.....

I'd already been riding a good 30 minutes, accelerating, braking etc... Just goes to show, the tyre may be warm, but on a cold damp salt covered motorway, that don't mean poop....

Another reason why to filter at slower speeds in traffic.... Don't wipe yourself out through a bit much throttle (but still, 3rd gear, im astonished still).

Here endith Damiens lessons for today....

Oh, my toes are cold...

Funny you say that about spinning up the rear wheel.
I'm sure that happened to me a couple a weeks back on my sv650?? could be wrong but definately felt like it. But then I thought no this is an SV650 not a 'Blade etc.

I also was in 3rd gear as far as i remember and giving it some wellie when this happened. looks like 70hp and a damp/wet road is all you need!!

When youre not expecting it, its a *surprise* all right.

[yorkie_chris]

I've done it with a wet road and 33bhp!

And also on diesel and 10bhp on the CG I had, but that doesn't really count lol

You can spin the back wheel on a 125, so of course its possible on a SV.

The rear wheel will spin easily in this weather, even on dry roads and when you've been out for a while and think that they tyres should be warming up.

your tyres will go cold if you're filtering btw. You need to keep them up to temperature, not just warm them up.

I think my tyres barely reach 20 deg.C (the rear...the front even less) in this weather. the magazines make out 70bhp isnt alot, but really, it is. And the SV has a tourqey engine too, so this dosnt help. I'm not pushing and I've only got 33bhp...im glad, in a way, because theres less chance the rear will step out

Nasty on winter roads

Matt

Speaking of low speed filtering, you're right!

The day I decide to not filter due to the build up of traffic and only being 5 minutes away from work - BAM, it goes wrong.

But high speed filtering is fine provided all the cars actually SEE you - being from round herts, most drivers will move, some ignorant ones wont, and some inconsiderate ones will see you, then pull over to actually block your way.

What do we do to people who do that? I've been tempted to use that little metal toe slider on their paintwork - but figured that'd probs make me as bad as they!

I have had a car pull over on me like this while I was filtering past - I knocked the guys wing mirror off entirely by accident, but it was their fault by pulling over right?

Funny enough, i've found the same. If im on a "mad one" and on the rush to get home, im things seem to work, traffic does me favours..

But if i've got loads of time, relax, still paying 100% attention, you just seem to get all the cars pulling out etc on you.

I used to spin up the rear on the SV in 2nd all the time for a bit of fun, but on the outside lane of a motorway, in 3rd, it really wasn't expected.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Dualcyclone

What do we do to people who do that? I've been tempted to use that little metal toe slider on their paintwork - but figured that'd probs make me as bad as they!

I have had a car pull over on me like this while I was filtering past - I knocked the guys wing mirror off entirely by accident, but it was their fault by pulling over right?

The wulf sport boots toeslider is great for such uses.