bad tires? Need advice please!

[fattyslims]

If any of you have read my intro in the new member's section you'll know I'm a jackass who got his motorcycle learner's after a 10 minute computerized test with very, very little experience. I then went out and bought a 2005 FZ6 (which I'm crazy about...). Although I'm a jackass, I sure don't ride like a moron...

So yesterday I was driving back home on the bike, switched lanes for a turn going about 40 km/hr. I was braking and making a gentle lane change (I was aware of gravel on the road... the city I live in loves to dig holes in the streets and back fill with gravel) when next thing I know I'm on the ground watching the bike slide out in front of me. All I remember is that the back end started to wobble on me, then my helmet is hitting the pavement. Good think it was at a red light and no one was in front of me. Don't worry, the bike is alright.... I little scuffed, but alright.

So... I can honestly say I was driving like a grandpa in a crown victoria rather than a guy on a sport bike. I've read a few threads in here saying the tires on the 05 FZ6 suck... could this have been a problem (I refuse to accept I'm bad driver!) Any advice for this jackass would be appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[jtarkany]

Glad to hear you are ok :thumbup:.

Can't answer the question about the tires though, you didn't give any info.

Type of tire, wear on the tire, are they properly inflated, etc...?

However, you did mention gravel, all I have to say about gravel is
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

 

[MRGM]

Is the tire still on the wheel and properly inflated after the crash?

 

[Andz]

I read gravel.... turn.... braking.... hard to blame the tyres without knowing what those three factors contributed.

BTW my '04 had Dunlops as standard and they were perfectly acceptable.

 

[wrightme43]

Bad tires dont matter when you learn a new equation.

You have 100 points of traction. Thats all thats it. You can use part of it for accel, or decel or turning or a combonation of those. If you use 101 points you get to slide. (way way way simplified but you get the idea)

Each tire has the exact same number of points on each different road surface and each weather condtion, and each roadway debris secnario. The amount of traction will be different for each one but it can still be split into 100 pieces and thats all you have.

You asked the bike to do something that did not agree with motorcycle and tire design. The result is you slid on the pavement. I have slid on the pavement. I did something that did not agree with motorcycle and tire design. It happens. WHY???? Humans do dumb stuff.
How do you make it not happen again???? THATS THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION!!!!!!

Go to Barnes and Noble. Buy a book. Profcient Motorcycling by David Hough read and practice, read and practice, then buy Total Control, or Smooth Riding the Pridemore way, or Ride Hard Ride Smart. Practice somemore.

Bikes rule!!!!! Mistakes can make you die though so use the old brain to learn how to avoid them.

Motorcycling is a thinking mans sport, you will continue to learn untill you quit or the odds of a short riding career are high.

Dont feel bad man, alot of us have slid down the road, and many more will as well. Just take it as a firm hint to learn more.

One last thing. A old timer told me when I started, I expect its been around a long time.

We all start out riding with two bags. One if full of luck, and one is empty of experince. Fill up your experince bag before you empty your luck bag and you will be ok.

 

[lonesoldier84]

based off what you say several thoughts come to mind:

1) if you smarten up and approach your riding more responsibly than what you have shown thus far...you might just make it without getting urself scratched up, hurt, permanently disabled, or worse.

2) I dont know exactly why you made the choices you did but i chalk it up to excitement and over-eagerness. now that you have the bike.....slow down bro. you have your whole life to enjoy riding. tae it one step at a time and LEARN, LEARN, LEARN!!! Proactively.

3) There is nothing wrong with the tires. You were doing a low speed, mild adjustment of position. The stock tires are capable of handing considerably more stress than a 40kph adjustment of position.

4) When you brake AND turn while on gravel....you have to be very careful. If you were using your front brake and your tire locked up you are gonna hit the ground pretty fast if you were in the process of turning. If you were using rear brake and locked up ur rear that is easier to manage and probably isnt what happened.

7) Front brake on gravel:

-This is what caused my crash. I was riding at night and in the middle of an intersection I saw a patch of gravel too late to correct around it. I braked with my front brake coming into it in mid-lean and I lowsided (front end washed out).

That is taken from here:

http://www.600riders.com/forum/new-riders-q/6229-noob-guide-noobs-noob-you-noobs.html

Hope that helps. Learn man. Learn. Proactively. Read....ask....learn....then practice pratice and practice some more.

 

[DefyInertia]

Sounds like rider error. Pics of the tires?

 

[wrightme43]

Bad tires dont matter when you learn a new equation.

You have 100 points of traction. Thats all thats it. You can use part of it for accel, or decel or turning or a combonation of those. If you use 101 points you get to slide. (way way way simplified but you get the idea)

Each tire has the exact same number of points on each different road surface and each weather condtion, and each roadway debris secnario. The amount of traction will be different for each one but it can still be split into 100 pieces and thats all you have.

You asked the bike to do something that did not agree with motorcycle and tire design. The result is you slid on the pavement. I have slid on the pavement. I did something that did not agree with motorcycle and tire design. It happens. WHY???? Humans do dumb stuff.
How do you make it not happen again???? THATS THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION!!!!!!

Go to Barnes and Noble. Buy a book. Profcient Motorcycling by David Hough read and practice, read and practice, then buy Total Control, or Smooth Riding the Pridemore way, or Ride Hard Ride Smart. Practice somemore.

Bikes rule!!!!! Mistakes can make you die though so use the old brain to learn how to avoid them.

Motorcycling is a thinking mans sport, you will continue to learn untill you quit or the odds of a short riding career are high.

Dont feel bad man, alot of us have slid down the road, and many more will as well. Just take it as a firm hint to learn more.

One last thing. A old timer told me when I started, I expect its been around a long time.

We all start out riding with two bags. One if full of luck, and one is empty of experince. Fill up your experince bag before you empty your luck bag and you will be ok.

Oh and hey man, I hope I didnt come across as a jerk. I am bummed for you that you crashed. It sucks and its not fun. You are ok though so now its time to dissect the crash, find out what part was played by the human, and make sure it doesnt happen again. Here is the crazy stuff, barring hitting something a bike will ride along just fine with out us on top of it. The only time they crash is rider error, mechanical failure, or hitting things (some of those things hit us but even then it usually goes back to the rider failing to avoid) Humans crash bikes, not the other way around.

 

[fattyslims]

Thanks for all the replies... I guess knowing many others have hit the pavement is somewhat comforting (as in I don't feel like such a fool). I've looked at the tires and they're fine... I just need more experience it all it is... Thanks again!

 

[ozzieboy]

G'day mate. You seem to be getting plenty of info here so I won't add too much except to say, " Good onya for stepping up and asking the questions.":thumbup:

Learning is far more important than ego or image.:rockon:


Cheers
Mike