Hey all! Been here for a while but haven't been too active. Thanks for all of your great info!
Anywho, I got a bit shaken (not really, more confused, I guess) on my ride today(yesterday, it's late). I was hitting the twisties 2-up on hwy 9/236 in the san jose area. First sign of "problem" was during a mild right-hand sweeper. I was at about 60% pace- nice day, 2-up, just enjoying the scenery. Saw that my line was a bit aggressive for that pace. Headed toward the white line. I wasn't concerned a bit because I was at such an easy pace. Don't get me wrong, I usually avoid paint like a spike strip, but wasn't concerned due to my almost-upright position! Well, felt like front and back slid to the left off the paint. Ok, no big deal. Maybe that particular section of line was slicker than normal due to some oil from an accident, etc. Whatever.
Before I continue, I should put a few things out there. I'm not asking for you guys to deduce "what went wrong." I appreciate all comments and advice, but this is more venting than anything! Also, for those of you that will ask- been riding for 12+ years, newish Z6's, pressure checked before and after ride, 60+ degrees outside, dry, suspension properly set for 2-up, no counter-leaning here, and I may not be very fast, but I'm damn smooth with the throttle and brakes!
So, the second "incident" on the same ride was a fairly tight right-hander, about 20-30 MPH. Felt the front surf a bit mid-turn. Nothing to cause a panic, but now I'm thinking WTF???
I was going way too slow for the shoes to even fathom sliding!
And then- light accel out of a 40-50 MPH, yes, right-hander, rear end kicked out ever so slightly. She was back in line before I could even think about reacting. So, now I'm really thinking - WTF??? These tires have been pretty good up until today. Needless to say, after that last incident I pulled over, checked temps, pressures (I know they were warm, just looking for consistency), anything! Everything looked tip-top.
Well, it took the wind out of my sails. Went into every turn after that with apprehension- not the best way to ride. My fear may have been exaggerated due to a bad car crash I was in a couple of weeks ago. I just remember the moment before the impact thinking, "I'm really not going to live through this." Well, I did. And today, I kept imagining what it would feel like to be sliding at that tree or guardrail at 60.
Sorry this post really has no substance. Just venting I guess. Thanks guys. Keep the shiny side up. Me, I'm going to get up tomorrow, do a thorough once-over, and get back on that horse. By the way, her name's Ivy.
David
Anywho, I got a bit shaken (not really, more confused, I guess) on my ride today(yesterday, it's late). I was hitting the twisties 2-up on hwy 9/236 in the san jose area. First sign of "problem" was during a mild right-hand sweeper. I was at about 60% pace- nice day, 2-up, just enjoying the scenery. Saw that my line was a bit aggressive for that pace. Headed toward the white line. I wasn't concerned a bit because I was at such an easy pace. Don't get me wrong, I usually avoid paint like a spike strip, but wasn't concerned due to my almost-upright position! Well, felt like front and back slid to the left off the paint. Ok, no big deal. Maybe that particular section of line was slicker than normal due to some oil from an accident, etc. Whatever.
Before I continue, I should put a few things out there. I'm not asking for you guys to deduce "what went wrong." I appreciate all comments and advice, but this is more venting than anything! Also, for those of you that will ask- been riding for 12+ years, newish Z6's, pressure checked before and after ride, 60+ degrees outside, dry, suspension properly set for 2-up, no counter-leaning here, and I may not be very fast, but I'm damn smooth with the throttle and brakes!
So, the second "incident" on the same ride was a fairly tight right-hander, about 20-30 MPH. Felt the front surf a bit mid-turn. Nothing to cause a panic, but now I'm thinking WTF???
I was going way too slow for the shoes to even fathom sliding!
And then- light accel out of a 40-50 MPH, yes, right-hander, rear end kicked out ever so slightly. She was back in line before I could even think about reacting. So, now I'm really thinking - WTF??? These tires have been pretty good up until today. Needless to say, after that last incident I pulled over, checked temps, pressures (I know they were warm, just looking for consistency), anything! Everything looked tip-top.
Well, it took the wind out of my sails. Went into every turn after that with apprehension- not the best way to ride. My fear may have been exaggerated due to a bad car crash I was in a couple of weeks ago. I just remember the moment before the impact thinking, "I'm really not going to live through this." Well, I did. And today, I kept imagining what it would feel like to be sliding at that tree or guardrail at 60.
Sorry this post really has no substance. Just venting I guess. Thanks guys. Keep the shiny side up. Me, I'm going to get up tomorrow, do a thorough once-over, and get back on that horse. By the way, her name's Ivy.
David