The rear wheel breaks out ..... then what?

I was out practicing slow speed riding in the wet, around small roads in a semi pedestrianized housing estate. I turned a corner. I might have gone over a metal manhole cover. Anyway, the back went out. I stayed shiny side up but I have to wonder:- what are you supposed to do when the back tire slips? In a car you turn into the skid and keep a little power on, but I've never heard it discussed for bikes.

If you stayed upright it seems you already know what to do. It's instinctive.

I was out practicing slow speed riding in the wet, around small roads in a semi pedestrianized housing estate. I turned a corner. I might have gone over a metal manhole cover. Anyway, the back went out. I stayed shiny side up but I have to wonder:- what are you supposed to do when the back tire slips? In a car you turn into the skid and keep a little power on, but I've never heard it discussed for bikes.

The bike is the same as the car and you must have instinctively reacted.

In an ideal world, you instinctively do the right thing and by the time you realise something is up it's already dealt with... If that makes sense

I think the comments about instinct are correct, in that - unlike in a car - you don't have time to make conscious decisions. Everything is instantaneous.

so: I'm in a right hand turn, under low power

What did I instinctively do?

Didn't fall off

so: I'm in a right hand turn, under low power

What did I instinctively do?

The little slip lowered your lean angle.. You adjusted the handlebars to correct the lean angle, we do this all the time whether skidding or not

You turned the bars to the right slightly. If you had to turn them more you could have high sided

The instinctive part was not tensing up and fighting the bike.

When the back wheel steps out of line the bike will attempt to correct it's self. If you had gripped the bars for dear life you would have prevented the bike countersteering and correcting it's self.

you

tighten your sphincter

tense all your muscles

release vast amounts of adrenalin

Lol, bikes don't ride themselves Joe. Shows how much of our thought process is subconscious. They reckon the vast majority of our brain activity is subconscious.

Lol, bikes don't ride themselves Joe. Shows how much of our thought process is subconscious. They reckon the vast majority of our brain activity is subconscious.

Motorbikes are surprisingly stable which is why they can ride along no handed or with no rider in control.

The bike is a stable system and will do what it can to return to equilibrium so when the back end steps out so long as you don't have a death grip on the handlebars the steering will automatically countersteer which has the effect of correcting the slide.

You are not quick enough to do that subconsciously even if you think you are.

I like this one. Guy can't even kick it over.

The other things you didn't do (correctly) were to grab the brakes or throttle. The thing you did do was to be riding at a speed appropriate to the unseen hazard.

The wheels generate a force like a gyroscope when turning which is why a riderless bike can stay upright. There is a certain truth is learning to trust the bike because there are laws of physics at work which we mere mortals usually bugger up if we try to be clever. The difference with a slide on something like a manhole cover is that the tyre soon hits tarmac which gives it grip so the bike will right itself so long as you don't throw in huge control inputs. If you did the same on ice it would be a different story as there's less chance of regaining grip. It's when you hit a manhole going like the clappers that by the time the tyre contacts tarmac the force of the skid is such that the force overcomes the ability if the tyre to regain grip. So you got it right to begin with by riding at a speed which anticipated a potential problem.

you

tighten your sphincter

tense all your muscles

SPHINCTER RELAXES release vast amounts BROWN of adrenalin

There you go I have corrected that for you...

I think my most alarming rear wheel slip involved a cow pat at 60, 2 up on country bend, we stayed shiny side up thank fook...

As stated, a bike travelling at speed is stable and will look after itself - hopefully it will find a grippy area again and it'll all be fine. "Do nowt, it'll sort itself out" is the usual motto..

If the bike keeps sliding all the way off the road you were knackered anyway unless you have mad offroad or speedway skills.