Pot holes/uneven road

[Ixion]

Hang on tight and pray that Helmut von HorniHumper is feeling in a benevolent mood that day.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Seconds and seem like minutes in the situation below. I've left my seat a few time due to potholes - thank christ my rear end found it again!! It's all been said keep your eyes to where you want to be.

[sunhuntin]

On a similar note, how do people dead with those lumpy sections of seal on corners (anyone riding the scenic drive will know what i'm refering to)? They're bad enough in my car at speed, let alone on a bike..

learn where they are and ride to avoid them, or else avoid the road entirely if you can. the back road to marton has two corners which seem like the ground underneath has vanished on the very inside of it....i know its there, and cant really ride to avoid them with out crossing the center line, so i simply avoid that road entirely.

generally, i consider my bike is like an animal....it knows the best path, all i have to do is make sure i stay on and keep her within her lane.

[bert_is_evil]

If you notice the pothole at the last second a quick jab on either side of the handlebars and your bike will dodge around the hole and end up happily upright on the other side.

Of course it's worth practising this a bit at low speeds dodging an imaginary pothole before you try it out to get a feel for how your bike reacts but I find it really effective.

I'm probably going to get a lot of people disagreeing with me here but I actually learned this from the original motorcycle road code (when it first came out about 15 years ago).

[beyond]

Potholes

And just as bad, as has been mentioned, is the hollows and lumps pushed up by trucks that are hard to see when travelling fast but turn into major upsetting occurrences.

First big pothole was coming down Ararimu Hill, near Bombay with missus on the back. Right hand sweeper, sun in my eyes, right there in my cornering line before I had a chance to do anything at all. Hit so hard it bottomed out my forks, slammed the back end up in the air and wobbled towards the side of the road. Managed to get her lined up again to finish the corner. Both mirrors slammed down from the shock. Bike took care of it pretty well considering, but it was hard jarring moment and the missus was a little upset.

Next close, sphincter puckering moment, was overtaking a Fireblade out Naike way at around 160kmh, truck subsidence and pushed up seal which wasn't visible till nearly on it. Bike went airborne, came down on some pushed up bits, went into a semi tank slapper as I landed back on the seat, bike slowly straightened out on it's own and allowed me to get things back in order.

Further on the same road, more subsidence from trucks, following a mate and we were both going fast, dropped into the dip with such force it gave my back a good jarring and again unsettled the bike which straightened out on its own again.

Therefore, from experience and numerous holes, dips etc, relax your grip on the bars and allow the bike to sort itself out, which it will do in all but the worst holes and dips which will likely be ditches anyway.

Avoid where possible but don't lose your bike if unavoidable to try and save on damage. Better to bugger a wheel than try to avoid a hole in the last split second and write your bike or yourself off.

[XP@]

Get an adventure bike, they are designed for bumps. A 21' front wheel and a heap of suspention travel smooths over most bumps.

NEVER have your front brake on when you hit a pothole. If you have to hit the pothole then brake first and just before you hit it throttle on a bit. The same applies if you are going to ride over a kurb, some timber, someones legs. Also if you can try and hit it as square on as possible, it stops your front from being thrown to one side or another.

[Ixion]

Nay, sprotsbikes are better. What y'do, is when you ee the pothole coming up, you pull a wheelie until the front wheel is on the far side of the hole. Then drop the front and pull a stoppie to get the rear over. Dead easy I reckon for those sprotsbike fellas. Should be anyway, based on what they say.

[Motu]

And they don't use their titanium toe and knee sliders at all? Seems an awful waste to me...