Road obstruction

[tnfleming]

A) i learned today that one has to be careful about objects on the road (road kill, metal objects etc.). Being a cager, I usually straddle loose road objects with my car so that i drive over objects without striking them with my tires. Ah, but with the spyder that causes the center back tire to hit the object dead center! So avoiding roadway debris is tricky! Hard to swerve around as one would do on two wheeled bike, but can't straddle either! as one would do in car! Bummer. Any ideas?

B) Anyone driven with tire studs in winter? How do they do on dry pavement? (Can they be left in all winter even when not snowy?)

 

[ataDude]

A) ... Ah, but with the spyder that causes the center back tire to hit the object dead center! So avoiding roadway debris is tricky! Hard to swerve around as one would do on two wheeled bike, but can't straddle either! as one would do in car! Bummer. Any ideas?...

Practice makes perfect... I actually make it a game... gotten pretty good at running objects (narrow ones) between the front tires and missing with the rear. Ladders don't work, though.

.

 

[tnfleming]

Wow. Do you look down at object and swerve or look straight ahead?

 

[BRPjunkie]

Small critters like squirrels can pass just inside either front tire and miss back wheel. Larger road kill won't clear low Spyder ground clearance and requires artful dodge. Front cowling might actually scoop up a large coon.

 

[tnfleming]

Yeah i went out and looked at bike and ground clearance is minimal. Maybe swerving is best idea.

 

[ataDude]

Wow. Do you look down at object and swerve or look straight ahead?

Small critters like squirrels can pass just inside either front tire and miss back wheel. Larger road kill won't clear low Spyder ground clearance and requires artful dodge. Front cowling might actually scoop up a large coon.

Yeah i went out and looked at bike and ground clearance is minimal. Maybe swerving is best idea.

Agreed... the smaller (or flattened) things/road kill. I generally like to see several vehicles of road ahead to make that decision. When the occasional surprise occurs, I tend to swerve.

 

[bjt]

I swerve if road conditions and oncoming traffic (lack of) allows. Otherwise, straddle and hope for the best.

 

[Star Cruiser]

I swerve if road conditions and oncoming traffic (lack of) allows. Otherwise, straddle and hope for the best.

:agree: That is my technique! The first "straddle" got me by suprise too though. I just was NOT expecting that "bump" on the rear tire. :joke:

 

[BRPjunkie]

Bigger threat is not roadkill, but asphalt alligators. While retread tire pieces are notorious for biting motorcycles, never try to straddle one with a Spyder.

 

[NancysToy]

A good reason to learn to follow traffic much further back than you would with other vehicles. That gives you more room to see the big stuff coming, and swerve to avoid it. The smaller stuff that sneaks up on you can be taken just inside a front tire, with practice. No matter what they say in the MSF courses, I have found under those conditions you do have to look at the object until your line is assured, and not straight ahead as is taught.
-Scotty

 

[bjt]

Our biggest problem here in Genessee county are the potholes. :yikes:

 

[FANG]

:agree: Scotty; Have tried the MSF technique several times only to feel a good bump out of one of the tires. I tend to look at the object now and drive a line the takes the object to the inside of one of the front tires and hopefully misses the rear. If adequate time and clear traffic I also prefer to swerve to avoid.

Ryde safe

 

[nickcaro]

I have come up with an interesting style for this. Roadkill can be tough, large potholes and large solid objects can be more difficult.

* please, this is just my experience *
* not some specific set of instructions for you to try *

My first few I always brought the object down the middle. When it was road kill, it was a bit disturbing to think about what I just did. When it was a few large potholes, it really felt like something was about to break in half. So I stopped taking hits on the rear tire and started aiming for the area between my left front and the rear.

One time I was cruising on the highway and someone lost an entire headlight housing with turn signals and all. It was about the size of a basketball and just flying across the road like a missile. I was in the left lane, it came crusing from the far right, it bounced of the center cement barrier and came right at me. I changed my angle at the last second and hit it with the suspension area. It exploded and when I got home I was picking pieces of it out from within that area.

Anyway, on the streets of NYC, there are some potholes/debri that you just wont be able to swerve out of your lane to avoid. We are packed in like sardines and someone will be in that lane next to you. There will also be several candidates behind you who wont understand why you are slowing down.


So... I noticed how the front tires get light on turns and this will be hard to explain, cause I'm not really sure about how I do it. I know it works because there are several roads that I'm on everyday that put me in this situation.

Example;
There is a massive pothole on 42nd street between 11th Ave and the WestSide, its in the right lane as you cross over 11. The dip is dead center and goes on the left side then slightly enters the left lane. On two wheels, its easy and I just hug the right edge.

(this is getting long enough so I wont explain why I have to be in that right lane at speed)

I hit with the rear wheel a few times and though for sure that I shattered my frame. I hit with my left wheel and almost lunged in to a left turn as the wheel seems to get grabbed by the hole and it just felt horrible to bottom out.

One day I spaced out and forgot it was there.... At the last second I came up on it with heavy speed and thought for sure I was screwed. Just moments before hitting, I made a slight change of angle as if I was going to make a right turn plus placed a ton of pressure on the right peg.

Amazingly, I floated right over it.
So, I've been doing this ever since. If you take all the right actions you can make one of your front wheels very light and get through some hairy stuff.