Fell off my bike today

[JackDM]

I fell off my bike today. I was following behind my brother as we were heading home after a ride in the country, it had started raining earlier and the roads were wet and so naturally I was being very cautious.

We came up to a roundabout and started to go around it, my brother was going slightly faster than me however, I decided to keep it slower going round, then suddenly I felt the back wheel begin to slide to the left, as a car driver my natural reaction was to counter steer to try and straighten the bike up again but instead, the back wheel continued to slide out whilst the bike started to fall on its right side.

I let go and slid a bit before coming to a stop.

I got the bike up and went to the side of the road cursing and swearing and thinking to myself "wtf did I do wrong!??"

My brother said he saw a patch of oil as he went around and missed it purely due to where he was positioned, otherwise it would've been unavoidable.

Having had that first time experience, I have completely lost trust in my bike and myself, in the rain anyways. I have completely lost my confidence in taking corners in the wet now - what can I do? If I ever find myself in that situation again, how do I recover the bike?

[rennie]

That's bad luck! hope you and the bike are ok?

You need to just get back on and keep going!

If it was diesel/oil there's probably not much you could have done about it

[Tango]

My first off was on a diesel spill......so, it's just part of the learning curve......get back on, but just be careful on roundabouts, etc in the future.....

[mickster]

hi im new here just got here today ...

thats bad news i hate rides in the rain for that reason ...

i just googled it and this is what i found i hope it helps ...

You’re accelerating when, suddenly, the rear wheel loses traction and steps out. Wet leaves, manhole cover, melted tar snake or just too much throttle. What can you do about it? Here’s how to save a motorcycle slide.

1. Do Nothing

That’s right, nothing. Don’t react. Nine times out of 10, the bike will simply correct itself. If you allow it to. If you close the throttle too quickly, you run the risk of the rear tire regaining traction too quickly, potentially causing a high-side while also shifting the motorcycle’s weight balance forwards, exacerbating the slide itself. If you counter-steer too much, you risk over-correction. Believe it or not, but a bike’s trail will actually cause it to naturally steer into a slide for you. And if you hit the brakes? Well, applying the front brake would likely cause the sliding rear to overtake the front wheel and applying the rear would likely lock that tire, cutting the gyroscopic stability it lends the machine and thereby increasing the odds the bike will end up on the ground.

regards mickster .......

[bonio]

+1 for careful at roundabouts, especially in the wet. Buses and trucks are more likely to spill diesel at a roundabout, as they lean over as they go round.

But to be honest, it's just a bit of bad luck; you're not always going to see the diesel or the gravel before you're in it - so much depends on the light conditions and the condition of the road surface.

[Guest]

Diesel and oil on a wet road can give you rainbow colours reflecting off the road surface, keep your eyes open for that.

If you can smell diesel, that should ring alarm bells too.

In the wet wherever possible (check your mirrors and over your shoulder before entering) cut across lanes to straight line or apex your roundabouts rather than sticking in your lane, so you are not leaning the bike if you don't have to, or any further than you have to.

You already cut your speed, which is the final thing.

Sometimes with that kind of accident it's just bad luck and can happen to anyone.

[Guest]

Shit happens. Get back on as soon as possible to avoid the fear setting in. It might take a little while to get your confidence back but that's to be expected.

I ride in the wet all the time and rarely have any traction issues (Michelin Pilot Road 3/4 are great wet tyres for when you get a bigger bike). Obviously oil, diesel, white lines and man hole covers are best avoided but I've been over a few without traction issues. There's occasionally the odd twitch from the rear but as long as you don't panic and interfere the bike will most likely correct itself. There's really no reason to be scared of riding in the wet, just be smooth and ride a bit slower with no sudden breaking, etc. Good tyres are important and I find my bigger bike is far more confidence inspiring in the wet that my 125 which twitches quite a lot in comparison, although I probably ride it a bit aggressively in the wet.

I've come off twice in four years of daily riding and both occasions were my own fault in my second season of riding just because I panicked (2nd one was a month after the first, so still confidence issues. Still haven't worked out why I panicked on what is otherwise not a bad corner).

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I learnt to ride through city centre streets in mid-winter. My tyres were permanently soaked in diesel and every trip was just one long slither and slide. The one thing it drummed into me is the need to feather the throttle with the utmost gentleness when grip is limited. Most of the time that's all that's needed. Quick sudden reactions and big inputs usually mean you unwittingly change throttle settings - which does more to unsettle the bike than anything else in that situation.

As others have said, you just have to get back on and do it again. Focus on being gentle with the throttle and when the grip is limited use control small inputs - steering / brakes / throttle. Ride like you've got a loose egg in your top box.

[JackDM]

Well cheers folks, it seems that there really is nothing I can do in that situation but let the bike go down and fall with grace. It certainly was daunting afterwards but I had no choice but to continue riding a further 40 miles to get home, think I'll try and stick to dry weather for now.

Thanks for the advice

[Stocky]

In the wet wherever possible (check your mirrors and over your shoulder before entering) cut across lanes to straight line or apex your roundabouts rather than sticking in your lane, so you are not leaning the bike if you don't have to, or any further than you have to.

 

Don't just do that in the wet, do it all the time. It will soon become second nature, just be careful to back off a bit if you're behind someone else that still insists on going the long way round, as otherwise it looks like you're trying to overtake them.

[someone]

Do not try to push yourself too hard, take it easy and let your confidence build back up. And if you have the stock CST tyres then get them replaced.

Two years ago I was going around a corner and thought I had avoided a patch of mud in the road but the bike just went over, with no time to react. I rode home, about 30 miles, which went okay but it turned out I had broken my elbow. After recovering from surgery I felt mentally okay about riding, yet I became very cautious approaching corners and my confidence just got worse every time I rode.

So I just gradually rebuilt my confidence. Firstly by riding around the neighbouring local streets, the next time around my part of town, after that adding in neighbouring parts, and so on. An annoying and slow process, but it worked. I guess failure on one thing made simpler ones more difficult, whilst starting with success on the little things made greater ones seem easier.

But late last year I had been riding in heavy rain, which had stopped, and was braking gently whilst going in a straight line to a red traffic light. Unfortunately the same thing happened again, the bike just went over with no time to respond. It happened when I crossed a very smooth section of road where the tarmac had been manually laid and smoothed around a manhole cover.

I had read previously that the Yamaha's stock tyres are supposed to be really bad, especially in wet conditions, and so I am pretty sure they were the cause of that accident. And in hindsight, given how quickly I went over, may have been the main cause of the other accident too.

Once I recovered I made sure to get the tyres replaced before I would even get back on the bike. Given what happened last year I also had doubts about my confidence, so went straight to riding around the block to build it up again. Thankfully this time it did not seem necessary, so that ride quickly extended out and a couple of days later I was back riding around the countryside.

The wheels on the YBR125 Custom are an award size though, and not the same as a regular YBR125. The only alternative tubeless tyres I could find to fit them are the Michelin City Pro. Although the tyre person I used could only get a tubbed version for the front wheel, so maybe the tubeless one there has been discontinued? I cannot say I have noticed any difference, but they look better and have not been a problem, although I have only ridden in light rain.

http://moto.michelin.co.uk/GB/en/tyres/products/city-pro.html

[JackDM]

http://moto.michelin.co.uk/GB/en/tyres/products/city-pro.html

 

That's unfortunate you broke your elbow, I got away with a stiff shoulder on Monday but all good now, Thanks for the information, I'll defo see if I can change the tyres for a set of stickies if possible.

[Six30]

In the wet wherever possible (check your mirrors and over your shoulder before entering) cut across lanes to straight line or apex your roundabouts rather than sticking in your lane, so you are not leaning the bike if you don't have to, or any further than you have to.

 

Don't just do that in the wet, do it all the time. It will soon become second nature, just be careful to back off a bit if you're behind someone else that still insists on going the long way round, as otherwise it looks like you're trying to overtake them.

 

[Throttled]

Bikes fall over, end of. Any off which results in being able to get back on and ride off is par for the course. To expect to ride a bike and never end up on your side at some point is pretty unrealistic. From that starting point, the aim is to reduce the chances of damage and injury. You did that by taking it slowly. Think of this off as part of being a biker and you managed to walk away with a bike you could still ride, which is a good result. The only way to keep going is to keep going, back on the bike and ride off.

[WinstonR]

I had an off just a couple weeks ago in similar conditions. It had been raining earlier and the ground was wet so I was taking it easy around a roundabout and next thing I know the front end just washes out from me. I was only going about 10mph (if that!) and went across a diesel spill - just didn't see it. Confidence took a bit of a bash but all I could do was get back on and keep riding. Fairings got scratched, front indicator was broken and frame slider was damaged and bent! Such a pain!

[Westbeef]

I had an off just a couple weeks ago in similar conditions. It had been raining earlier and the ground was wet so I was taking it easy around a roundabout and next thing I know the front end just washes out from me. I was only going about 10mph (if that!) and went across a diesel spill - just didn't see it. Confidence took a bit of a bash but all I could do was get back on and keep riding. Fairings got scratched, front indicator was broken and frame slider was damaged and bent! Such a pain!

 

Sorry to hear that mate , Nice bike though Where did you get those indicators? Could do with some on mine.

Also I see you're on Maxxis I'm led to beleive they're not too good in the wet, but then no tyre would save you from a diesel spill.

[Throttled]

WinstonR has the right attitude. There is a risk, you minimise it and when it happens, back on the bike and keep riding

[WinstonR]

Sorry to hear that mate , Nice bike though Where did you get those indicators? Could do with some on mine.

Also I see you're on Maxxis I'm led to beleive they're not too good in the wet, but then no tyre would save you from a diesel spill.

 

The indicators I couldn't recommend! I made the change to LED and completely regret it! It's a nightmare trying to find decent LED indicators that are actually visible in daylight. Those ones I bought off Ebay, supposedly a good set but they are rubbish! Didn't know about the Maxxis, I just got them because they were cheap! Guess that says it all really.

[Westbeef]

I shall stick with the standard indicators then! If you find a tail tidy let me know .

[WinstonR]

I shall stick with the standard indicators then! If you find a tail tidy let me know .

 

Tail tidy available here:

https://www.pyramid-plastics.co.uk/accessory.html?h=100032&accessoryCode=1267&d=CBR600+Sport+2001+-+2004+Unpainted+Undertray&partNumber=770100054

It's what I've got on mine. You can get non-LED lights for it too.

[JackDM]

I had an off just a couple weeks ago in similar conditions. It had been raining earlier and the ground was wet so I was taking it easy around a roundabout and next thing I know the front end just washes out from me. I was only going about 10mph (if that!) and went across a diesel spill - just didn't see it. Confidence took a bit of a bash but all I could do was get back on and keep riding. Fairings got scratched, front indicator was broken and frame slider was damaged and bent! Such a pain!

 

Amazing it only takes a tiny patch and the bike is away!

[MR_W]

I shall stick with the standard indicators then! If you find a tail tidy let me know .

You checked r&g racing for both?

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