Had my first "tankslapper" today

A little wiggle is nothing, if it was a proper slapper and you shut the throttle it might have got worse as the engine braking loaded the front, mostly likely you were gripping the bars too tight and it felt worse than what it was.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

But it is really hard to make the SV have a proper slapper.

Yup, it is, but i've cracked it! We've got a narrow single track humpback bridge near us and i noticed with a bit of welly i'd crest it on the back wheel with a satisying 'thump' as the front wheel hits the deck on the other side.

Because of this i've got faster and faster over this bridge to see how long i can get 'air' and the last time i did it was at super speed and must've landed crossed up as the SV threw an almighty slapper with me hanging on for dear life going 'myaaaahrghuuuuurgh'.

Miraculously managed to hang on and at least i now know exactly how fast that bridge can be taken and that the SV will slap if you are stoopid.

Yep,done the same miself.....gives you the heebie jeebies don't it??

I used to get a few of these on the SV but I think I got them often as the suspension was on it's way out. (Severe wobbles but not slappers)
Bit scary clipping a big bump mid corner and getting one and when your front tyre screeches!

.

[northwind]

I've only had one- did it to myself, I'd fitted a new shock and never bothered to tune it in...It packed down, then bumps were pinging the bike onto the front wheel, then it'd bounce back but the rear wasn't soaking the hits at all so it'd just bounce bounce bounce- big brave overtake on a bumpy road and waaaaaaah.

Luckily, it turned out that with my one, the best way to stop it was to completely freeze in terror. People say "accelerate out" but I always wonder about that, all I could do was keep my hands on the bars, actually controlling anything was out of the question. It was worse than any of my crashes, more violent, and far scarier.

So, don't do that.

Originally Posted by northwind

Luckily, it turned out that with my one, the best way to stop it was to completely freeze in terror. People say "accelerate out" but I always wonder about that, all I could do was keep my hands on the bars, actually controlling anything was out of the question. It was worse than any of my crashes, more violent, and far scarier.

So, don't do that.

That sounds just like what happened with mine. People are saying "accelerate out of it" and things but I seriously cannot imagine how that would have cured it. My handlebars were shaking side to side pretty violently and the front tyre actually screached a little due to the force that the handlebars were shaking. Slowly letting of the throttle and letting my speed drop seemed to work fine. However, it was easily the most terrifying experience I've had on my bike so far.

Originally Posted by northwind

People say "accelerate out" but I always wonder about that, all I could do was keep my hands on the bars, actually controlling anything was out of the question.

Originally Posted by radicalry00

That sounds just like what happened with mine. People are saying "accelerate out of it" and things but I seriously cannot imagine how that would have cured it.

I don't think accelerate out of the slapper is what I was getting at. What I mean is if you go over a crest for example, keep the front wheel light by staying on the throttle to keep the front wheel light rather than shutting it off and dropping the wheel down.

Same with exiting a corner, and staying hard on the gas, keeping the front light makes it way less prone to slapping.

More prevention than a cure.

Accelerate out of a tankslapper is advice for people with bikes a lot more powerful than the SV.

You have to be at full throttle, at certain revs and cresting bumps to get the SV with a healthy rear shock to waggle it's head, never mind have a tankslapper. If your having a tankslapper on an SV that wasn't induced by loosing then regaining grip in some way, then you can't accelerate any harder than you already are 'cos there's no bloody power left. Keeping on the gas and hope is the best you can do.

[yorkie_chris]

That isn't a tankslapper if it's just "half a highside", it's just a twitch because the tyre has regained grip and kicked back into line.
A tankslapper is a vibration at a particular frequency that gains in force with each cycle.

And you must admit, making it waggle its head over bumps and on bumpy corners is great fun. Way more of a laugh than a perfectly composed bike.