zippo6
Well-Known Member
So I was out Friday night and got caught in the rain. I went to see how my wife was making out at the Motorcycle Safety Course. I waited out the rain there and eventually headed for home.
Roads were still soaking wet from the rain and I even noted in the back of my mind coming to a red light how easily my boot slid on the asphalt. So this is were it gets interesting. Let me paint the picture for you. From this intersection the road goes into a downhill grade (I dunno, 30-35%?) anyway, at the bottom there is another set of lights. So as I'm heading down this grade follow a cager (Too close given the road conditions:bang head
the light changes to yellow. We were close enough when the light changed that I had that split second debate in my head given wet roads, that I was likely going to run the light.... then it happened, brake lights on the car in front of me, she was stopping:ummm:. So without thinking I had to react, all at the same time I came onto both front and rear brakes as well as dropped down a gear (from 3 to 2) and dumped the clutch. So to recap, 900lbs of bike and rider traveling downhill at probobly 50-55Kmh. Needless to say the rear wheel locked and began to slide out to the right, engine compression was of course no use as the engine died as soon as the rear wheel locked (clutch was out). I was still sliding, what felt to be, rather quickly towards the rear bumper. It actually took me half a second or more to realize that I had indeed stalled the bike so I grabbed the clutch before sliding to a stop and releasing the brake. I was NO MORE than 5 feet from her bumper. :eusa_dance:
I hit the starter, bike fired right up. I was still in second gear so I kicked it down into 1st, as soon as took my foot of the shifter, the neutral light light up. So I hit again, same result. I cycled the clutch out and back in and tried again, it went easily into 1st. Light went green and off I went. Shifted into 2nd and hit a free rev, looked down, neutral again. I grabbed the clutch and shifted again, it went normally into 2nd and I never had another problem. What I can't say for sure or not is if the shift into second was actually a problem or a lazy shift on my part?:ummm:
Anyway. I thought I would put my stupidity out there as a reminder to those who don't ride in the rain very often (me included) to be extra careful.... :clapping:
Roads were still soaking wet from the rain and I even noted in the back of my mind coming to a red light how easily my boot slid on the asphalt. So this is were it gets interesting. Let me paint the picture for you. From this intersection the road goes into a downhill grade (I dunno, 30-35%?) anyway, at the bottom there is another set of lights. So as I'm heading down this grade follow a cager (Too close given the road conditions:bang head
the light changes to yellow. We were close enough when the light changed that I had that split second debate in my head given wet roads, that I was likely going to run the light.... then it happened, brake lights on the car in front of me, she was stopping:ummm:. So without thinking I had to react, all at the same time I came onto both front and rear brakes as well as dropped down a gear (from 3 to 2) and dumped the clutch. So to recap, 900lbs of bike and rider traveling downhill at probobly 50-55Kmh. Needless to say the rear wheel locked and began to slide out to the right, engine compression was of course no use as the engine died as soon as the rear wheel locked (clutch was out). I was still sliding, what felt to be, rather quickly towards the rear bumper. It actually took me half a second or more to realize that I had indeed stalled the bike so I grabbed the clutch before sliding to a stop and releasing the brake. I was NO MORE than 5 feet from her bumper. :eusa_dance:I hit the starter, bike fired right up. I was still in second gear so I kicked it down into 1st, as soon as took my foot of the shifter, the neutral light light up. So I hit again, same result. I cycled the clutch out and back in and tried again, it went easily into 1st. Light went green and off I went. Shifted into 2nd and hit a free rev, looked down, neutral again. I grabbed the clutch and shifted again, it went normally into 2nd and I never had another problem. What I can't say for sure or not is if the shift into second was actually a problem or a lazy shift on my part?:ummm:
Anyway. I thought I would put my stupidity out there as a reminder to those who don't ride in the rain very often (me included) to be extra careful.... :clapping:
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