Feck that was scary

[Snoopy]

Took the bike to work today as it was pretty much ok the last couple days and I became over confident on the 1200's abilities in the snow on Tourances.

It snowed some more in the four hours I was at school and they let us go an hour early. On the way back I fell off four times (luckily at low speed), snapped both hand guards and then proper shitted myself on the main roads.

That was the first time I felt like death or injury was a near certain.

Where the fuck are the gritters. Even the motorway was a slushy ice ... ?

Nee more snow biking for me!

 

[Monsieur]

Another well planned and thought through adventure

 

[cherokee]

School

Shit when i was at school,i only had a suzuki AP50.....

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

Shit when i was at school,i only had a suzuki AP50.....

X2

Better than the Yammy fizz

 

[Micky]

Where the fuck are the gritters. Even the motorway was a slushy ice ... ?

Where the fuck was common sense

You never cease to amaze me Andrew

 

[Mr K]

Glad you're in one piece you daft-ha'peth!

Felt like I was dicing with death in Amanda Panda and the Vivaro today...

 

[Canuck]

Given the you image posted looks like you're getting set up to play some of bakermans bin skittles!?

 

[Mr K]

Where the fuck was common sense

You never cease to amaze me Andrew

It turned quite nasty overnight.... Andy doesn't have a car.

 

[Micky]

It turned quite nasty overnight.... Andy doesn't have a car.

I know that Andrew doesn't have a car Chris. I've been without my camper van since before Christmas and I did get out on the 'bike in the extreme cold spell... before the snow came.

Wouldn't dream of setting off anywhere with the snow as it is ... I couldn't get out of my street at the moment... and my street is almost identical to Snoopy's

I've been caught out when it's snowed, but maybe that's different!

 

[Madasaboxoffrogs]

Snoops

You are a elf n saftey nightmare

I've been calling all the bike riders since the snow arrived and thought us hexperinsd riders knew better

Seems not

ps any action pics

 

[DrFarkoff]

Next Time instead of schittin yersen and yer just tryin to get home Lower your tyre pressures to create more of a footprint

BUT not too Much maybe down to 25 so that the tyre can deform slightly and put a good footprint on the slippy stuff

Also DO NOT RIDE LIKE A HOON when you are running the low pressures the tyres will roll off the rim and nip yer tube! And you will fall off and hurt yerself

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

Right now I've an easy 8" of snow outside my garage, and I wouldn't dream of taking the Ten out. Too tall, too heavy, too expensive. I doubt I'd even go out on a 125 with knobblies on as I might get down the hill at the end of the garages, but I'm sure I'd never climb back up.

I'm not even sure the Landy would be able to do it! Not that I'll be able to find out anytime soon

 

[seamus1504]

Took my 1150 to work this morning as I don't have a car. The biggest problem is getting off the estate onto a main road Once on the main drag not to bad at all just take it easy !! Can't wait until this snow has moved off !!

 

[Packer]

Can't wait until this snow has moved off !!

You may need to. At the moment it's forecast to hang around for the rest of January at least.

 

[Fanum]

Next Time instead of schittin yersen and yer just tryin to get home Lower your tyre pressures to create more of a footprint

BUT not too Much maybe down to 25 so that the tyre can deform slightly and put a good footprint on the slippy stuff

Also DO NOT RIDE LIKE A HOON when you are running the low pressures the tyres will roll off the rim and nip yer tube! And you will fall off and hurt yerself

Low pressures for a bigger footprint?

When what you need is a higher pressure for a smaller footprint with more pressure applied per sq/cm

Look at the tyres they use for ice racing...narrrow as blades....highest pressure per sq cm of contact...poke a needle onto ice, it grips...prod a fingertip, it may slide....dab a balloon, it'll skate over.



EDIT...it's why knobblies are better than slicks on ice.....yes they still slip, but the pressure per cm2 is still greater....and follow it through....studded tyres are even better....the studs increase the grip x100 or more as the surface area touching the ice decreases .

 

[Snoopy]

Sadly the GS has also suffered sticker damage to the front panel (I hit a wall on the 3rd off).

No messing around tomorrow ... bike stays at home.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

I know people might think one thing or the other about you going out on the GS today, but I do feel sorry for you and the bike. It's not nice when you damage something under any circumstances.

Sorry, can't seem to find an appropriate smiley.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

Low pressures for a bigger footprint?

When what you need is a higher pressure for a smaller footprint with more pressure applied per sq/cm

Look at the tyres they use for ice racing...narrrow as blades....highest pressure per sq cm of contact...poke a needle onto ice, it grips...prod a fingertip, it may slide....dab a balloon, it'll skate over.



EDIT...it's why knobblies are better than slicks on ice.....yes they still slip, but the pressure per cm2 is still greater....and follow it through....studded tyres are even better....the studs increase the grip x100 or more as the surface area touching the ice decreases .

Ice racing tyres are studded or spiked to grip the ice. Snow and ice rally tyres are normally narrow to allow the tyre to push through the top layer of snow and then allow the studs to bite into the underlying ice.

By decreasing your tyre pressure and increasing the footprint you 'may' stand a better chance of increasing what little traction you have from you normal tyres, allowing you to carefully creep along the surface in a similar fashion to driving on mud?

A slick incidentally will have no grip what so ever as it can't gain purchase against the snow/ice/mud. A knobbly tyre can push it's surface into the snow and then use it's forward force to push against the snow, unless you spin up the wheels in which case you're just going to dig a hole.

 

[rc mad]

ya daft sod

I did a similar thing a few years back on a 125cc scooter, came off twice within 1/2 a mile and said sod this i'm going home.

Did ride the bike to work today tho, wasn't all that bad this morning.

 

[Fanum]

Ice racing tyres are studded or spiked to grip the ice. Snow and ice rally tyres are normally narrow to allow the tyre to push through the top layer of snow and then allow the studs to bite into the underlying ice.

By decreasing your tyre pressure and increasing the footprint you 'may' stand a better chance of increasing what little traction you have from you normal tyres, allowing you to carefully creep along the surface in a similar fashion to driving on mud?

In sand, you ceratinly let the tyres of your 4x4 down to whatever they will take without slipping on the rims, granted.

Watch a sand racer though.....what do they have? Narrow tyres.

I've seen it myself, in the Sahara, on the plymouth Dakar challenge in '05...the only two vehicles that didnt get stuck in deep sand were a VW beetle (old stylee) and 2CV, bith with very narrow tyres.

Watching cars race on snow, again, it's struck me that their tyres are very narrow.....

I'm sure there's a very complicated equation that will show it's a complicated balance between tread pattern/depth, pressure and coeffecient of drag of the surface, but on fresh snow, on a bike, my instinct would NOT to let pressures down.



PS this could be interesting