Warning to newbies and others.

[beyond]

Went for a quick spin today to get some more material together for my comedy video which should be up later this evening on youtube under beyondkiwi. It will be the only video up since recent events. It's taking a while to upload at higher res being a 450meg file which youtube will mutilate as normal.

BUT: I left home around mid morning and it was cooler and a nice breeze blowing. At this point you could cross the shiny tar patches with no problem at all.

This time of the year as the heat builds up on the roads those shiny tar patches can change there consistency in under an hour and quicker in the right conditions. Corners that were safe to take at speed had the front wheel pushing out within minutes from taking them earlier.

I'm aware and used to this change but if this is your first summer out then take extra care. In the heat of the day or if there is no breeze or if a corner is sheltered, then avoid those shiny patches like they are ice.

Take heed of this advice and you will be here to ride come winter

[Ixion]

I'll second that. Avoid those shiny glistening patches like death, because that is what they are. Death.

Slow down and steer round them . If you must cross them do so upright and do not trust your tyres for a few miles afterward.

(They are lethal not only to bikes. I knew someone was killed in his car when it slid on a melt patch - into the path of an oncoming truck. And he was a very careful safe driver. And not speeding according to the cops)

[toycollector10]

Ditto wet or moist clay that has been washed down onto the road after rain. Sound familiar to you beyond?

[beyond]

Ditto wet or moist clay that has been washed down onto the road after rain. Sound familiar to you beyond?

Yeah. love wet clay....great for practicing drifting

[Ixion]

I think I should also mention the most dangerous situation of all.

The slipperyness is due to oils melted out of the tar by the heat and settling on the top .Normally the oil will settle back into the tar and soldify overnight.

If there occurs a longish stretch of hot days and warm nights the melted tar may not soldify overnight. Which is bad. Worse is if there then comes a cooler morning. In that case a fine condensation of water will settle on the oily film. That makes it more slippery than ever, and also makes it harder to see, beccause the damp surface does not gleam. Be very very careful if riding early after such a stretch of hot days and warm nights. Be most exceeding careful .Slow down. Slower. Slower still. That stuff is as slippery and treacherous as anything I know.

[beyond]

I think I should also mention the most dangerous situation of all.

The slipperyness is due to oils melted out of the tar by the heat and settling on the top .Normally the oil will settle back into the tar and soldify overnight.

If there occurs a longish stretch of hot days and warm nights the melted tar may not soldify overnight. Which is bad. Worse is if there then comes a cooler morning. In that case a fine condensation of water will settle on the oily film. That makes it more slippery than ever, and also makes it harder to see, beccause the damp surface does not gleam. Be very very careful if riding early after such a stretch of hot days and warm nights. Be most exceeding careful .Slow down. Slower. Slower still. That stuff is as slippery and treacherous as anything I know.

Good point Ixion....water and tar melt are not a palatable brew for motorcyclists

[TOTO]

good reminder for summer.

[tonyg26]

also for people in hamilton, be careful on terapa strait on rounabouts on a saturday, because on friday night the boyracers pour diesel all around it so they can slide ect, its a cunt to get diesel out of ur tyre makes it slipery as hell, and hitting dieseled rounabouts with the gas on ur bike and you will be fucked, this has hapend a few times already to some people!

[scumdog]

good reminder for summer.

'Summer ice' it's called...

[trumpy]

++1 on the wet tar thing.
Be also aware that sometimes the top surface doesn't look too bad (ie still has coarse chip showing) but that surface can move quite considerably under pressure from your bike. Failure to pay enough attention to this (plus reduced capacity to react due to dehydration - my bad) cost me a slide down the tarmac a year ago. Speed wasn't the issue, I was doing less than 70kph in a corner i would normally take at about 90kph, my failure, for a number of reasons, to read the road surface properly was my undoing.
It took almost as long to clean the tar off the bike, and my leathers, as it did to repair it, in fact I still have some tar on the inside of my boots.
One day (maybe) we will be able, or more correctly willing, to build roads that don't melt in 20 degs of ambient temperature...until then, go gently people.

[fliplid]

I've seen some of these roading firms spend more time an effort laying carparks at shopping centres than highways.

[MSTRS:Me]

I've seen some of these roading firms spend more time an effort laying carparks at shopping centres than highways.

Because the centre owners are paying for it, and they do not want to be paying for repairs all the time. Unlike the prats who spend OUR money....

[retro asian]

Cheers for the heads up!

[Gummie]

When Most people are back at work some of us are still riding the highways.
And there was a few i got to nod at.(Happy riding Guys'n'Girls)

Thanks for the heads up us noobs need a reminder now and then, I came across a few of those yesterday, luckily avoided them.

[The Pastor]

take care when it rains for the first time in a while, esp if its just light rain - mixes with the oils on the roads and makes the road very slippery, but heavy rain washes it away after a few mins.