Lesson No 1 for today.......

**pritch** · 22nd May 2005, 15:10

Condolences. You've got me thinking. My route out of here is tight, it winds across the lawn through the shrubbery. Maybe I had better get the clippers out (or even the axe).

**Skyryder** · 22nd May 2005, 15:16

Originally Posted by Ixion

Anyone know WHY wet grass is so damn slippery ?

Dry grass has good grip - maybe not as much as seal but pretty good. Obviously anything's going to have less grip when wet, but why does grass become so *very* slippery. The effect is much more than seal , or gravel, or just about anything except hard clay, or some beach rock (and I think the latter is really a version of the grass case, because its the slime that makes it slippery)

You'd think that grass would be less affected than seal by water, because it can drain easier.

Its not the drainage that's the problem but absorption. One soil is wet (absoption) the soil particles lose adhesion under tension. Wheel locking up = weight tension.

Skyryder

**Ixion** · 22nd May 2005, 15:18

Originally Posted by Skyryder

Its not the drainage that's the problem but absorption. One soil is wet (absoption) the soil particles lose adhesion under tension. Wheel locking up = weight tension.

Skyryder

But if you lock up on wet grass you don't (usually) see uprooted grass. You seem to slide OVER the grass. The grass itself looks "damaged" but not uprooted.

**Hitcher** · 22nd May 2005, 15:42

Slipperier than a vat of melted butter full of eels.

**Skyryder** · 22nd May 2005, 16:01

Originally Posted by Ixion

But if you lock up on wet grass you don't (usually) see uprooted grass. You seem to slide OVER the grass. The grass itself looks "damaged" but not uprooted.

There's grass slides and grass slides. Leaves have epicuticular wax crystalloids, that serve among other things as water repellent. Place water on wax and bike wheel on wet leaf....................etc

Skyryder

**eliot-ness** · 23rd May 2005, 17:27

Picture this. Eldery gent tootling along country road near Leigh. Cookin phat runs across road. Despite his vast experience and swerving wildly he still manages to miss it. Pulls on to narrow strip of gravel between seal and ditch and enquires about the health of his feline friend. After ascertaining it is indeed alright drops clutch. Back wheel slips off gravel into ditch leaving front wheel pointing skyward. Using great ingenuity he manages to wriggle bike around until both wheels are in ditch and bike is on it's side trapping right leg. Undaunted he wriggles some more and with great loss of skin frees himself, hauls bike upright and rides along ditch until he finds a way out. Goes on his way leaving one very puzzled cat wondering who the Cluck would take a Triumph off road on Bridgestone Battleaxes. Could have been worse. Might have scratched the bike.

Won't tell you his name. Some of you guys might take the piss out of m--him

**Waylander** · 24th May 2005, 03:06

Yea the XV1100s arn't very light. Dropped mine getting it out of the shed where me and Hondacmx450 were working on it. Small door with a 3 foot drop or so about 2 feet away from the door. Anyway they take quite a bit to get back upright. Good thing I still go to the gym regularly. Though if it had fallen on me I probably couldn't have gotten it off without injury. So have ya got pics of the minor dammage? Wonder if you have actually mannaged to make it look worse than mine.

**Wolf** · 24th May 2005, 10:30

Originally Posted by eliot-ness

Picture this. Eldery gent tootling along country road near Leigh. Cookin phat runs across road. Despite his vast experience and swerving wildly he still manages to miss it. Pulls on to narrow strip of gravel between seal and ditch and enquires about the health of his feline friend. After ascertaining it is indeed alright drops clutch. Back wheel slips off gravel into ditch leaving front wheel pointing skyward. Using great ingenuity he manages to wriggle bike around until both wheels are in ditch and bike is on it's side trapping right leg. Undaunted he wriggles some more and with great loss of skin frees himself, hauls bike upright and rides along ditch until he finds a way out. Goes on his way leaving one very puzzled cat wondering who the Cluck would take a Triumph off road on Bridgestone Battleaxes. Could have been worse. Might have scratched the bike.

Won't tell you his name. Some of you guys might take the piss out of m--him

That's one hell of a "hypothetical situation", there...

**eliot-ness** · 24th May 2005, 11:49

Originally Posted by Wolf

That's one hell of a "hypothetical situation", there...

Wish it was. The old skin don't heal like this modern stuff

**chickenfunkstar** · 24th May 2005, 12:04

That sucks to hear.
At least the bike isn't too damaged.
Even better, ego's heal for free!

**Biff** · 24th May 2005, 12:20

You slipped on grass?
Oh what an arse
Not you, the scene
The bike so clean
But now its bent
Not much, but yet
Another lesson one must not forget
When grass it wet
You can always bet
That for heavens sake
Don't touch that brake
As now you know
The bike will go
The curtains twitch
"Oh what a bitch"
You blush with shame
The blood does drain
But all the same
Those pills you take
Will compensate......

**Virago** · 24th May 2005, 12:44

Originally Posted by Biff

You slipped on grass?
Oh what an arse
Not you, the scene
The bike so clean
But now its bent
Not much, but yet
Another lesson one must not forget
When grass it wet
You can always bet
That for heavens sake
Don't touch that brake
As now you know
The bike will go
The curtains twitch
"Oh what a bitch"
You blush with shame
The blood does drain
But all the same
Those pills you take
Will compensate......

Thanks for that Biff, you've brightened my day (I think).

**Virago** · 24th May 2005, 17:31

Originally Posted by Waylander

Yea the XV1100s arn't very light. Dropped mine getting it out of the shed where me and Hondacmx450 were working on it. Small door with a 3 foot drop or so about 2 feet away from the door. Anyway they take quite a bit to get back upright. Good thing I still go to the gym regularly. Though if it had fallen on me I probably couldn't have gotten it off without injury. So have ya got pics of the minor dammage? Wonder if you have actually mannaged to make it look worse than mine.

Nar, not near as bad as yours mate! Estimated speed at time of binning: 3kph. I tried to hold it up (hence slightly sprained wrist), but it was all over too quickly.

Damage is pretty minor, but heart-breaking for a "cruiser cuddler". Broke off the right side mirror stem at the thread, a scrape on the chrome "bug-eye" pod, and a slightly bent brake lever. Didn't bother taking photos. As I said, the ego took the biggest knock!

Being a short-arse, I haven't got the leg-spread to hold the bike up when it goes wrong like that. New respect for the weight now!