Sphincter strengthening...

[slofox]

Had another of "those moments" this morning...passing through Ngahinapouri in the half light of early morning. Stuck behind a slow ute. Get to 100km zone and pull out to whizz past. Just hitting peak velocity when a bad ass bump in the road makes its presence felt...didn't see it at all - gloomy light conditions an' all. Bike goes into a momentary tank slapper...an' that's where the strengthening bit happened...Fortunately it self corrected very quickly - maybe three oscillations and back to normal. Me, I did nothing - just waited it out...actually didn't have time to do much - it was all over in less than a second. But it did cause a momentary "twang!"

Pleased I read the thread on how to cope with such things...thanks to whoever put it up. (It was Riff Raff)

[madbikeboy]

I hate nasty slappers. Especially that bitch I used to live with.

[Chrislost]

I feel sorry for ya! I mean, after getting it up, 3 strokes and your out! you need more then sphincter strengthining!
You need nasal delivery.

[Mystic13]

Ahh ... tank slappers are wonderful things aren't they. And only 3 times you could hardly call that a decent slapping.

I've never triggered the slapping on my bike that has a steering damper so what happens with those, do you get no slap or just a minor bit of movement.

Of course what I'm really concerned about is when you clip something at speed. On bikes without dampers you just get a really good tank slapper going. On newer bikes is that going to pull the bars to one side a bit and then slowly return because if it does won't a steering damper lead to a crash in these cases.

I ask only because I've clipped a truck after misjudging a gap at just under 100kmph then had a humongous tank slapper before riding off into the sunset with no steering damper. Actually it was mid afternoon. The sunset was a figure of speech thing.

So what's the story with steering dampers and tank slapping. Anyone know?

[Chrislost]

Ahh ... tank slappers are wonderful things aren't they. And only 3 times you could hardly call that a decent slapping.

I've never triggered the slapping on my bike that has a steering damper so what happens with those, do you get no slap or just a minor bit of movement.

Of course what I'm really concerned about is when you clip something at speed. On bikes without dampers you just get a really good tank slapper going. On newer bikes is that going to pull the bars to one side a bit and then slowly return because if it does won't a steering damper lead to a crash in these cases.

I ask only because I've clipped a truck after misjudging a gap at just under 100kmph then had a humongous tank slapper before riding off into the sunset with no steering damper. Actually it was mid afternoon. The sunset was a figure of speech thing.

So what's the story with steering dampers and tank slapping. Anyone know?


you get full on slaps. The bars just move a tad slower(k5 gsxr with a standard damper) then a bike without(pre-historic vfr 400)

ive only ever managed to get them after geting airborne, or putting down wheelies wayyy out of shape.

Headshakes are easy tho, all you need to do is get a little sideways and get off the gas.(not to be mistaken for a highside, which is what happens when you get a LOT sideways and let go of the gas) or to ride a dirt bike.

[madbikeboy]

you get full on slaps. The bars just move a tad slower(k5 gsxr with a standard damper) then a bike without(pre-historic vfr 400)

ive only ever managed to get them after geting airborne, or putting down wheelies wayyy out of shape.

Headshakes are easy tho, all you need to do is get a little sideways and get off the gas.(not to be mistaken for a highside, which is what happens when you get a LOT sideways and let go of the gas) or to ride a dirt bike.

Scoot moves her head and bars a little when I'm being silly with lean angles and traction. But it's not a full on slapper, the stock damper with 2.5w is perfectly acceptable for damping it out. I have owned a bike that used to shake it's head for no discernable reason. Scary and horrid.

[martybabe]

I have owned a bike that used to shake it's head for no discernable reason. Scary and horrid.

I hear ya MBB, just about every bike I rode back in the seventies would have random slappers, one in particular would do it at exactly 52 mph, no friggin idea to this day why. Scary as poo but nothing was ever found to be wrong, just had to cope with them.

Most of mine had slappers at high speed, riding an FJ1200 in the 80s was the first time I trusted a bike not to go horrbly wrong on me.

[Patch]

maybe you should ride a little slower in such conditions