Had a bit of a "moment" in the wet

[BigOz]

Hi,

Out in the wet today, the first properly wet ride since my little off in the wet earlier this year and I was slowly building confidence and I go and so something stupid.
Coming off a roundabout on the nearside lane of a dual carriageway a big 4 wheel drive ahead in the same lane and not picking up speed.
Checked the mirrors, all clear behind, indicated to change lanes, lifesaver, moved across to the offside lane and gave it a bit more right hand......
That's a bit odd it's not accelerating...... I seem to have got a neutral....no I've got some drive.... engine revving very high....rear feels loose...... rev limiter light on....WTF?......OH S**T THE REAR IS SPINNING!!

I backed off the gas very slowly until it quit squirming then held it still until the revs and speed seemed normal again.

I know what I did wrong, too much throttle too quickly but were my actions after realising what was happening correct? What should I have done?

Andy

[Capo]

You ought to able to detect wheel spin way before it hit the limiter. I suspect you hit some diesel or oil (in which case you were lucky). It should be possible to pin the throttle in the circumstances you describe without encountering excessive wheel spin.

The corrective action you took was appropriate.

[Starter Sprag]

You reacted very well, a lot of people ( gut reaction ) would shut the throttle quickly, this would have you off the bike in a flash !

I always go very steady at roundabouts, especially ones near retail outlets / petrol stations as there is always oil / diesel and crap deposited on them

[Nickj]

That'll be a small patch or oil or diesel, or maybe a patch of slightly slicker road surface.

Unless you're tossing huge horsepower at the road which lets face it isn't exactly what most Monsters do the tyres ought to be able to handle it even in the wet.
Actually you did exactly what you needed to, backed off and find traction gently and reasonably calmly. Just dropping the throttle either increases the slide as the wheel goes from spinning to almost locked, hitting the brakes just makes it worse again and is what usually happens as the riders does an OMG & hits the brakes.

I had that a little off of a roundabout and luckily past the cranked right over section of the exit, revs kicked up and the ass started drifting out. It was just like a good drifting corner on a dirt bike, now that I can do standing on the pegs with the bike sideways. I just backed off a bit turned the front end a tad into the slide and let the bike sort itself out, barely slowed down through the whole thing.

[BigOz]

You ought to able to detect wheel spin way before it hit the limiter.

I think I knew something was wrong quite quickly but then I was a bit slow working out what was happening from what I was hearing, feeling and seeing.

You reacted very well, a lot of people ( gut reaction ) would shut the throttle quickly, this would have you off the bike in a flash !

I remembered reading that chopping the throttle makes a highside worse during a sidewards slide so guessed that a slow roll off was sensible.

[Gordon H]

Saved the spill which means a bit of quality riding - pat on the back methinks (dish yerself out a large single malt and allow yerself a "damn I'm good" moment.........)

Until the next time.......

[scrapps]

As Gorden said you did a good job to stay on and not panic. well done oz you did the correct thing by backing off slowly and not making for the brakes. :thumbsup:

[Yorkie]

Nice one not binning it, it must have been oil/diesel.

I love those moments when you don't know what the chuff is going on, you tend to react the right way!

Yorkie

[JerryT]

Anything that results in you staying upright has got to be right. It just depends on whether you are looking for extra points for style!!

[gary tompkins]

Deffo sounds like oil on the road - nice one OZ :thumbsup:

[J.P]

I'd have gone back and tried it again. Very cool to be coming out sideways, you could then practice it with one hand waving to the crowd....

Glad you're ok, and I hope it hasn't dented your confidence any more than it already was.

[Stafford]

Gotta love that ad between BSB and MSB etc on sky about the fact it mostly our fault and implies that diesel isn't an issue. Whilst leaving the Brentwood services last week in the company car thought "crumbs that's a strong smell of diesel" both front and back end out of shape in the Skoda Octavia (tight wad company) any bike would have been a gonner.

[BigOz]

The bike was bolt upright thankfully or I'd have been off before I knew what the problem was.

I'll be back out on the bike first chance I get but after the off I didn't think my confidence had affected until I realised how much extra I was slowing for corners, it wasn't a conscious choice to slow down but I always slowed more than I did before.

Andy

[He11cat]

Years ago I came flying off on a roundabout and now Im hopeless at going round them absolutley stupid on my part I guess eventually Il be ok .. corners the same , some stupid barrier in my head.

The worst one for me was 2 mins from home I still ride that road everyday and I am fine on it.
I hit something on it years back and went down the road into oncoming traffic and hit my head on the curb the other side of the road. (that may explain my train of thought :)).

After nine years of riding daily had no car that stupid off blew my confidence , well that and the onslaught of guilt chucked at me from people I was pregnant but HAD to get to work I had no car.
I said this before.

You either get up and think oh well .. or your like me and over mull it over..
Get back on.. I didn't / couldn't and its messed me right up plus the "talking to" i got again and again.

Also I am very conscious of riding with others because I have these stupid issues and fears and I don't want to bugger up people rides or slowthem down.

This year every bloody thing that could have gone wrong has gone wrong with the monster and then with it locking up on me , really did scare the pants off me !
I hoped this year to get in some miles and get better again but not to be:(

I ride my little 125 daily and its helping me get back slowley.
I am more conscious on the monster as Id be heartbroken if I binned him.
I could do with trailing someone about who has infinate pateince with me.

Get back on as quick as you can.. and least you know what the cause was.. and chin up :)

[Phatty]

I've had that before on my old TRX but it was crossing the White line that made mine spin up. Only done it once on the S4 giving it some welly in 2nd after some clown who was holding me up finally turned off.