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| Tips & Training Riders new and old can always learn. Share and experience ideas for making motorcycling safer and more enjoyable here! |
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11-14-2005, 12:05 PM
| #1 (permalink) |
| Sprocket Pilot   Join Date: Nov 2004
Bike: 2005 BMW R1200RT
Location: Bellevue, WA
Posts: 893
|  *Almost* went down this morning
Well I'm a pretty cocky bastard when it comes to riding in the rain, do it all the time, no biggie but this morning the rain stopped and I was off to work. Weather 42F, sun shining, roads wet from basically three days of non-stop rain. Just around the corner from my house I'm going down a hill and past the bottom of it is a crosswalk I see a lady with a baby in a stroller angling for the crosswalk, I've got plenty of space and time even with the roads wet so I decide to stop for her. I start my usual casual braking routine which means lead with the rear brake then bring the front brake into play for last half of the stopping so I can hit my mark more accurately. As soon as I touch the rear brake the backend breaks loose and the bike starts whipping side to side, the rear end sliding like crazy. I took my foot off the rear brake and worked on keeping the front end straight. For the first half second I was positive I was going down but I kept the front end straight and dabbed a little boot on the ground on both sides and the sliding stopped and I kept the bike going straight. Needless to say I didn't stop at the crosswalk and the lady waiting waved me on by with a funny look on her face, I think she preferred not to be killed by a motorcycle this morning, me too! As I went the rest of the way down the block it could have been just me but the back end still felt slippery to me. I took a slow right turn very carefully and continued on my way. After another block or so the bike felt fine. I'm thinking, I'm not sure, but maybe I got into some oil or something on the road. It's hard to say. It definently made for an interesting morning! |
