Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Tips On How to Treat Cold Tires & Roads






One of the most common incidents that can happen to any motorcyclist is over judging a cold tire. It doesn’t matter if you’re Valentino Rossi, or, simply taking your second session at an MSF course; cold tires must be treated with respect or they can turn a fun ride into an unexpected hospital visit. As weather temperatures decrease, the road itself is going to be colder as a result which in turn will require even more additional warm up time.

The best thing that you can do if you’re in an unknown situation is to reduce lean angle and throttle inputs. As lean angles increase, the more force there is exerted on the edges of the tires which could result in a potential slide situation on. Treat the scenario as if it were raining and how you would want to maintain as much grip as possible, especially over slick man hole covers. Do not “flick” the bike from one side to the other but rather keep a relaxed feeling on the bars while making smooth transitions.   

Apply brake inputs with a gentle touch. Grabbing the brakes with a forceful grip only increases the chance for them to lock up.

Maintain a clear view of the road ahead and not directly in front of the bike’s front wheel. Even though this may not sound like it has anything to do with cold tires, it will keep you prepared for what is ahead of you and how you will need to react versus being too late for the unexpected.

For more info, refer to here: http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/08/20/cold-tire-crashes-and-how-to-avoid-having-them/#.UhPE4LRKolc.facebook

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