EVERYBODY DOWN! SURFACE CHANGES ... MOTO surface changes take place constantly: of asphalt concrete, concrete ballast, ballast, streams, wet dry, clear road to holes and craters, railways, areas of metal, culverts, slopes, etc.. Part of the survival of the motorcyclist is always go with eagle eyes scanning the road that passes, more if we remember that our bike is not going to have only two wheels, or 50% less drive a car to stay on the road.
If you've ever been in a car and have skidded when braking in rain or in ballast, now imagine twice as scared of this happening by going on a motorcycle. In my case I need not imagine it is something that happened many, many times, especially when I started my motorcycle bustle of everyday. Today, thanks to the experience, accumulated malice shocks and I want to share a bit of learning to peel and draw the eye and spur fang motorbike.
* The general recommendation is always going to be NO move too quickly to give us time to anticipate and react to any changes road conditions
. Once during a walk, about 2 years ago and the rest, came to flying the Tornado as 110km / h taking advantage of the open road to Parrita, Quepos, when I suddenly materialized a giant crater in the very center of the road. Everything was so fast that the only thing that compliance was thinking that would kill me if my front wheel went into the hole and out through the air. The speed and surprise gave no time to achieve a safe escape, so I focused the hole and put me straight and firm as possible. Thank God the arotar 21 "Tornado, speed, and my position made the bike almost to levitate above the frightening gap as hell. I would not have suffered the same fate with a smaller and lower rim of suspension travel. Needless to say that when I stopped to recover from the shock, was white and I still did not believe her. Not the hollow rod that was of colossal proportions and my friend, who was in a Bros 125 and so at a slower rate, also scared to see me go through there. The other issue here is that if you do not know the general conditions of the route traveled, DO NOT RUN! One thing is when one knows the holes, speed bumps and all and another when we took over the account into unknown territory.
* careful when braking on wet roads, especially after the first rain after several days without rain. When falls the "cat hair" everything becomes slippery as if by magic, and reckless driving is easy to slip and have a very hard time on a motorcycle. It is with this initial moisture comes out all oil and gas accumulated and motorcyclists killed in action are beginning to emerge as drones May. In the U.S. it is common for motorcyclists are expected to rain stops completely or at least to about 15 minutes of rain have washed much of the material of the road slippery. Now, in Costa Rica you do not always have that chance and at least I have had countless times having to follow the path as it drops the thin layer of rain on the road. In this case, if we can not stop to wait for the rain to do its thing, we should try to travel on the rail ends, the left very preferably less spot to find oil and let the tires of cars "sweep" a little "stew." Going along the left lane and keep more distance will give us chance to go further in the rearview mirror monitor driver going forward and have better reaction time to a slowdown of that.
* Within the context of rain, something I had mentioned in another topic, we should avoid as far as possible all types of road marking of the road. The more beautiful and better painted these signs are tall, Ceda, pedestrian access and the like, most dangerous and treacherous are going to go for the tires of our bikes. The same goes for the train lines (my first fall at 300 km ... 70000 miles ago), manhole covers, metal grates, reducing speed areas and other smooth surfaces. If it is impossible to move aside, we must be careful to never stop, compression or a sudden change of direction in passing through these surfaces slippery, but try to pass over as straight as possible and without fuss so as not to skate.
If the bike has antilock brakes, or ABS (German
Antiblockiersystem), we to have a much greater safety margin in the rain and low traction conditions, but given that we all have this in our bikes, it is always best to drive carefully and avoid potential slip in the rain. Now, it is always possible that despite all this care at some point a motorcycle tire slippage (usually the back for being direct drive which causes the ground).
In these cases, the best we can do is keep the rear brake (same as usually causes skidding) and guide the bike with the crank and the view we are looking for. Failure to press the rear brake will cause the tire to stop skid and regain its previous rate, thing that would drop us to the other side of the bike. Even doing this, the fall may be inevitable, but "steer" the bike with the crank and eyes focused where it is most certain to fail is better than panic and make the cake worse.
is here anyway, let's assume that you, Dear Reader @, was cautious enough to wear jacket with protectors, knee pads, gloves, boots and a good helmet. If you did not, unfortunately end up paying the lazy, the "I do not gonna happen" and savings in jacket and "such nonsense motorcycle gentrified" with your own skin.
* Arena, piedrilla, Ballast is quite common to find low-traction surfaces on long walks outside the Metropolitan Area, where from time to time we went from asphalt to rougher roads. We will also find this in the places near
construction and public works sites, where wind, rain and traffic spread the material on the streets and the lack of care on the part of motorcyclists do the rest . When passing the asphalt ballast never hurts to slow down, because the brakes and tires of the bike are not going to respond or how they would like on a stable surface.
Personally, I always wear boots to ride a bike (and not) and I am careful when to stop the bike and pose feet on roads with gravel or stone, but even the best monkey you drop the sapote. The last time it happened was during the epic journey chronicled in another blog topic, when we went to Monteverde to Tilarán by a gravel road over 35 km. Wanting to get off the bike to check the rear wheel of my friend, my sole, which was a bit worn, made my foot and I slipped out the side in slow motion as a duck shooting gallery, complete with bike . I spent a great deal, but have not had the protection he brought up the blow to the knee, elbow and shoulder have been considerable to receive more than 150 kg of the Suzuki DR650 he had rented for the trip. No fun!
* drain notches: the same as a fall of Carthage is to Three Rivers by the court. It's good to lose a little speed to go through these, especially if it rained, but in reality, apart from feeling ugly the rims of the bike, nothing happens. The thicker the rim to relocate we will have more stability, but even with a thin type casters Suzuki AX100 and the like, nothing happens to these grooves down the street. It is a matter of knowing who is going to feel bad and get used to the idea without panicking. More than once I had to go at night and down in the rain or road GN125H soaked in history and spent my very scared, but now is nothing from the experience and knowledge of the drainage grooves "bark but no bite.
* Shadows on the road: shadows trees and similar large objects projected onto the road can often help hide gaps and surface changes such as gravel and rocks, wet leaves, mud, gas and oil stains, etc.. Although it is just for precaution, we cast an eye before entering these areas and lose some speed if you can not dismiss the suspicion of surprises in the shadows.
* Ponds and creeks: Here we assume that if we try to go through a certain body of water like a pond, pool or riachula, muffle our bike is high and we have already ensured that the water level does not increase as we enter the water with the bike. The evil is set in the water ripples, so that if the surface is smooth and calm we can infer that the water level is high. Otherwise it would be if some run of the current
is foam or irregularities, which are indicators of the stones and logs in the background cause changes in surface water movement and depth will not be so. For daring and lack of caution and I had to ask crane from La Fortuna de San Carlos to Curridabat to try to pass a pond that started with little depth and became more serious as you go. Whole story to tell another day longer! Moral: check the water level closely and métanse if it is the case, but is not going to shoot for them off the bike a half ago. In the worst case, I hope you have insurance and can ask crane, and ended up doing me and not pay a five.
* Clay: the anger with clay is that unless we walk a good taco wheels, two touches our tires can be so full of this gloss coffee going to start skating without much control. Also, if you go into a mud puddle that is lighter the bike will not make it out easily because it will weigh a thousand devils.
Ojo video with our partner and friend Steven during our trip to Cinchona several months ago. * Moss: this is how a whole range of different surfaces when there is sufficient moisture and other conditions. Although sometimes it looks nice, you have to remove all traces of moss in areas where walking or hiking with our cars, unless we do not care to go forward and a second one to be messed up and hit us in the fall. The latter was courtesy of my father, while returning from a barbecue at home. Although he had already recommended the passage of a root brush not there for no slip walking or passing by car, I had to 'my go skating down at the Tornado to finish on the floor, with the bike and the crank arrecostada twisted and broken directional.
If you've read this far, congratulations! "Force will have learned a thing or two, or at least, have confirmed things we already knew and now will have more fresh in the mind. We must never forget that as we trained to deal with different scenarios of surface changes on our bike we can enjoy greater safety to return home and continue enjoying the wonderful world of two wheelers. See you on the road!
R.
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