QuestionI live in West Virginia and so we're in the off-season for riding currently. Right at the beginning of the cold season we had a nice sunny,dry day with the ambient temperature sitting around 20-25 degrees F. I decided to take my bike out to lunch at a restaurant about 3 miles away. The bike itself had been sitting in a garage where the temperature may have been close to 35-40 degrees. When pulling out, I MAY have gone over a small section of damp gravel that could have wet the tire. I made it about a block down the street and came to an intersection from which I gunned it at a medium level. The back tire fished out sideways and when it re-caught grip my entire bike was sideways and flipped over on me. I'd been riding for about 3 months and had had minor fishtails from being stupid and accelerating during slow-speed turns but had never had it get away from me like that. After doing about 500 dollars worth of damage and a pretty graceful jump-and-roll, I picked my bike up and walked it home ashamed of myself.
I chalked this whole experience up to cold-tire meets cold-road and decided that I wouldn't be doing any more cold weather riding until I read some of the questions and answers on here. I've seen many answers indicating that cold tires are not that big a deal. The tires only have about 500 miles on them so I doubt it would be from wear, although I can't say exactly what they are. The hardest part about all of this is that my bike was rendered un-ridable until I had it fixed (which it's still in pieces) and so I have not been able to do what I would usually do and get back on it to recover my nerve.
From what I've explained, might you have a straightforward explanation for what I did wrong? The inability to get back on the thing has left me a little psyched out and I'm beginning to question if I have learned the wrong lesson from the whole ordeal. What's your take on it??
Thanks!
-Mike
AnswerMike,
Thanks for the question. You don't mention the make or model of motorcycle you were riding. Some bikes can be a little for sensitive to cold tires, such as sportbikes with tires that are made for very good traction when they are warm but can be especially sensitive and prone to slipping when they are cold.
All tires that I am aware of will have less grip on the road surface when they are cold. While I am discussing tire slipping another time to use extra caution is when riding on new tires for the first 100 miles or so. Most manufacturers use a mold release that is on new tires. Until that is worn off, always use extra caution when cornering, accelerating and braking.
If you motorcycle is a cruiser type, they can have a healthy amount of torque when starting off from a stop such as you describe. All motorcycle tires adhere to the road surface better once they reach operating temperature.
From the information you give in your email here is what I believe occurred.
When you left the intersection on cold tires, you mention giving it a little too much throttle.
The rear tire began spinning and sliding to the side. My best guess is that the sliding surprised you and you immediately rolled OFF the throttle. This allowed the rear tire to regain traction. However, the motorcycle is no longer pointing straight due to the rear sliding sideways. When the rear tire regained traction, the motorcycle was pushed in the direction of the rear tire's forward motion which didn't match the direction of the front tire or your intended direction. The motorcycle became unstable and you were thrown off on a "highside".
A "highside" occurs when traction is regained by the rear tire and the bike is not in line with the path of travel. This can also occur during braking if you lot the rear tire and subsequently release the rear brake while the rear tire is sliding sideways.
Because of the dangers of a highside during braking we teach in the MSF Basic Rider Course the following advice. If you ever lock the front brake release it immediately. If you lock the rear brake - keep it locked until you come to a stop.
As far as regaining your nerve I suggest that in future rides pay close attention to the weather conditions and even in hot weather recognize that tires should warm up before pressing them into finding their limits. work on riding SMOOTHLY. Acceleration, turning, braking, shifting should all be coordinated smoothly. Once you practice and achieve riding smoothly you will find you will enjoy riding even more.
There are some great books to read during these off riding months. One is Smooth Riding the Pridmore Way. Another suggestion I have for you is to visit a clear, barrier free parking lot such as at a school and practice braking smoothly. Start slow and gradually build on your braking techniques. You will build good habits that will become automatic reflexes if you ever encounter a situation on the street where you need to stop quickly and in control.
I also suggest you do a Google or YouTube search for motorcycle highside. Although sometimes scary these videos can show what happens when the front and rear tire lose then regain traction.
I hope this answers your questions. Please feel free to ask any further questions.
Good luck getting your bike back together and getting back on the road. West Virginia is one of my favorite places to ride. You have some terrific roads that a rider will polished skills can enjoy.
Tom
