Riding a turn with sand on it

larryjmiller

Last weekend I was riding through the twisties and hit a curve a little too hot and the curve had sand and water on it. I couldn't find a clear path on the road without some sand on it. I slowed the best I could then rode through it sweeping wide into the left lane. I could see that no one was coming in that lane. I put my right boot down, turned my head in the direction I wanted to go (right) and I made the turn without sliding much.

Is there a tried and true method for doing this manuever? I probably was riding slightly beyond my riding capability as we were in a group. I certainly did slow it down a bit too after that.

One of my buds said that on a dirt bike you would try and place more weight on the back wheel and ride it out.

Any suggestions for next time?

Fatboy07NH

Slow down, ride within you own abilities or sell the bike.

Davidw2415

I've been riding for almost Three years now. I've been on group rides with some that have about the same amount of time on a bike as I or less , and with some that have been riding for 20 years or more. When we've started these rides the guys with more experience will agree to let the newbies set the pace but it always only a matter of time before they pick up the pace to higher speeds and the newbies will try to keep up sometimes riding beyond the skill level. After a couple of these rides I decided that when riding with this group I would always be the last one in line and ride at a pace that is good comfortable for me. I tell the others that if I fall behind on the curves I'll try to catch up on the straits or at the next stop. I agree with Fatboy07; if you are going to ride beyond you skill level; get rid of the bike. I'd rather see your bike listed on E-bay than to see R.I.P. below your name on this site. Have fun and ride safe

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NEWHD74FAN

LJM...the mere presence of water and sand by itself should not have engendered evasive tactics beyond slowing down and keeping motions smooth and NOT steer into oncoming traffic LANE (fortuanate that it was not occupied with oncoming 2 ton vehicle). Consider it a learning experience regarding how you ride within a group and how important it is, imagine if someone was using you as the proper "pace"...ending could have been considerably more painful knowing this.

That said, take a new approach by taking on technical twisty mountain roads for the rush as a learning experience in itself...no need to push beyond 7/10ths to gain the cornering speeds that are satisfying enough, remembering this especially in a group ride environ.

Practice when solo heeling the bike over and counter leaning the bike so as to keep it more vertical for better traction, "hanging off slightly should feel natural and relaxed" and give you even more "reserve" should additional input be necessary if a hazard were to appear. Better yet, do as SledDog and others do, get some track time if you want to get a feel for how far you can "stretch your legs" if you need to push the envelop further without the danger of doing it on a public road. Okay I'm off my soapbox now...

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larryjmiller

Thanks, great tips. I slowed way down. Probably won't be riding with those guys for a while. They have many more riding years than I do. What do you mean by 7/10ths?

Hobbit

basically ride were its still fun but does not become a white knuckle ride = 7/10ths for most, i have 3 times ridden outside my envelope twice i saved it (FZ6N S2) and once i had a trip to A&E to have my foot reset - and it still hurts now 5yrs down the line, i know ride to my limits and occasionally will really push it but again my limits are a fair bit more than most (downhill MTB racer/adrenaline junkie/allround petrol head)

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STEVE07

7/10ths.= 70% of what you think your riding ability is.
I just want to add one thing here,if you find yourself getting into a sandy corner a little too hot DO NOT BRAKE once you are into the corner,ABS or not the front end will slide out.Throttle down ,downshift and power yourself the rest of the way through.even these big bikes can be nimble when the proper amount of throttle is applied.

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Dr. Doolittle

In addition to what everyone else has stated about slowing down and staying well within your capabilities, I'd like to add that this is a good way to develop a terribly dangerous habit. You got away with it this time but you should ride at a speed that allows you to remain within your lane at all times. It only takes one time for you to think it's clear when it's not to really ruin your day. If you want to explore the fastest lines through a curve regardless of lane markings, sign up for a track day somewhere.

With all of that being said, the MOST important thing here is that you learn from this experience and never forget it.

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harley@16

ride the turns like the racers do. put your body into the turn, that lets the bike stay more upright. practice in some slow easy turns until it becomes a somewhat natural to feel. sometimes the instinct is to resist leaning which puts the bike at more of an angle. bottom line tho, keep it slow, within your limits.

silentflyer

Just slow down a bit, the extra 1 minute you "gained" will be lost in the days/weeks of recovery from a nasty spill, learned that lesson the hard way on dirt bikes years ago....