[csk415]

Keep in mind that it's been 105-112 for the last 40 something days. On my way home from work I make it to my street. Lean into turn and the pucker factor hits. Dang street dept has tarred the cracks in the asphalt all the way down the street. Just so happens most of the cracks are at the intersection. This stuff is slicker than snot. Good thing it I wasn't dragging the peg on the turn.

 

[gat803]

They're called "snakes" "tar snakes" or "road snakes" and yes they get slick when hot. They also get slick when wet, or when white........you know, snow. ; )

 

[elfnyc]

man i never seen that much in one spot hahaha holy ****

 

[Homebrewr]

they are bad i hit a few on my way home and when the bike slips at 65 you do pucker abit

 

[csk415]

They're called "snakes" "tar snakes" or "road snakes" and yes they get slick when hot. They also get slick when wet, or when white........you know, snow. ; )

Would love to see them wet or white. We need some moisture around here.

 

[fpavko]

Was on a road the other day that was tar'd and a layer of stones placed over the top. That was no picnic to ride over and no fun ducking stones when cars passed from the opposite direction.

 

[Dunesgirl]

Yeah, tar snakes suck. They suck even more when you're riding on sub-par tires... There's a couple of spots right outside my driveway that I avoid now lol.

A lot of secondary roads around here are getting chipped and sealed which I consider even worst. Lots of gravel everywhere for several months and it always pools near intersections.

 

[Kathy M]

Here's what I can't figure out... I've ridden a lot of miles... tar snakes, grooved pavement, new chip seal, new tar in construction areas, etc... Haven't like all of those, but that's not the point...

Here we have videos of folks on sport bikes riding like maniacs, I've even seen vids of them riding on the same areas I'm riding on... I don't quite get it, what do they have going for them that I don't? Forget the stupid factor... I mean the road surface factor. They're riding all-balls-out on road surfaces that make my hoo-hoo pucker at legal speeds. Is this some clue that we need to maybe use, in what our bikes will do if we just let go of the "fear factor?"

Makes me want to put out there... maybe we need to trust our bikes more, that they'll do OK on surfaces that to us feel oogey... Like how I found out about grated bridges, serious road grooves, tar snakes, rain-soaked roads, and road "deconstruction."

I admit, I'm not comfortable making tight turns on any of the above-listed road surfaces... but comfort aside, just push the handlebar the way you want to go, and the bike will do what it's told even if it does feel oogey to us.

All that said... those videos make me want to biotch-slap the riders, for putting their own agendas ahead of their own safety and the safety of everyone else on the road.

 

[Dunesgirl]

Here's what I can't figure out... I've ridden a lot of miles... tar snakes, grooved pavement, new chip seal, new tar in construction areas, etc... Haven't like all of those, but that's not the point...

Here we have videos of folks on sport bikes riding like maniacs, I've even seen vids of them riding on the same areas I'm riding on... I don't quite get it, what do they have going for them that I don't? Forget the stupid factor... I mean the road surface factor. They're riding all-balls-out on road surfaces that make my hoo-hoo pucker at legal speeds. Is this some clue that we need to maybe use, in what our bikes will do if we just let go of the "fear factor?"

Makes me want to put out there... maybe we need to trust our bikes more, that they'll do OK on surfaces that to us feel oogey... Like how I found out about grated bridges, serious road grooves, tar snakes, rain-soaked roads, and road "deconstruction."

I admit, I'm not comfortable making tight turns on any of the above-listed road surfaces... but comfort aside, just push the handlebar the way you want to go, and the bike will do what it's told even if it does feel oogey to us.

All that said... those videos make me want to biotch-slap the riders, for putting their own agendas ahead of their own safety and the safety of everyone else on the road.

+1 Kathy, I've never heard of anyone actually wrecking because of tar snakes or grooves in the road. Gravel on the other hand... I'll ride in it but I'm very careful and conscious of what's in front of me and where/how the bike will react, especially in deep gravel. As long as I'm going straight, the bike will stay upright I'm sure, no matter how much throttle I give it (to a point? :shock: No idea, lol). In deep gravel and turns, like a turnoff on a secondary road up in the mountains, I idle through lol.

 

[rmw]

I know someone who low sided because of a tar snake in a corner.

I had a potentially nasty encounter with one exiting I-74 onto I-80 outside Moline/Davenport. It was a fairly tight ramp, temps were around 101 and fortunately I was doing my granny routine and only doing 35-40 mph on the ramp. There was a 6-7" wide tar snake across the whole ramp. When my front tire hit it, it slid maybe 5-6" and gave me a really good jolt in the hands and arms. Back tire slid a fair bit as well. If I had been leaned over more, it probably would have been ugly.

One place that stopped my heart though was in Cedar Rapids. The interstate there runs through town and over a river. When I was going though town it was raining and on I-380 the turns up to the river are tighter than normal on an interstate.

Traffic was moving pretty fast, around 60 and I was leaned over in the cuirve and right ahead of me was this wicked looking metal saw tooth expansion joint running across the whole road that was maybe a foot across. I figured for sure I was going to go down and was checking traffic to my side to see who was going to run over me as I slid out of the corner. Went over it and the bike didn't even wobble but it scared the dickens out of me. I'd still like to meet the brillant engineer that put that joint at the apex of a curve.

 

[Endy]

One place that stopped my heart though was in Cedar Rapids. The interstate there runs through town and over a river. When I was going though town it was raining and on I-380 the turns up to the river are tighter than normal on an interstate.

Traffic was moving pretty fast, around 60 and I was leaned over in the cuirve and right ahead of me was this wicked looking metal saw tooth expansion joint running across the whole road that was maybe a foot across. I figured for sure I was going to go down and was checking traffic to my side to see who was going to run over me as I slid out of the corner. Went over it and the bike didn't even wobble but it scared the dickens out of me. I'd still like to meet the brillant engineer that put that joint at the apex of a curve.

Yes, the infamous "S" curve. :mrgreen: Even driving my truck on it when it's wet can make me a little nervous. Driving my truck on it in the winter with snow and ice makes me a lot nervous. Was only on it a couple of times with the VLX, but when it was dry.

As for tar snakes... I think I mentioned that this past spring I hit one just right going really slow (and straight) and my front tire tried to slide out from under me. Somehow I managed to keep the bike up. Of course, also managed to hit my horn in the process so that all the people in cars around me could watch. :mrgreen:

 

[gat803]

Makes me want to put out there... maybe we need to trust our bikes more, that they'll do OK on surfaces that to us feel oogey... Like how I found out about grated bridges, serious road grooves, tar snakes, rain-soaked roads, and road "deconstruction."

The problem with that is that most motorcycles are far more capable than most riders. Most riders can't ride worth a sh!t, and while a good rider can make a bad motorcycle handle, a good motorcycle will only put a bad rider in over his head.

 

[Lakota]

Here we have videos of folks on sport bikes riding like maniacs, I've even seen vids of them riding on the same areas I'm riding on... I don't quite get it, what do they have going for them that I don't?

Nothing. Eventually, nature will select them out.


Kathy, I won't trust my bike to do anything I can't tell it to do.

 

[markspike]

I love tar snakes!!!

 

[Big B]

I love tar snakes!!!

I wanna know where you get all these sig pics from.

 

[Gaffney31]

I have yet to experience them...let's hope i don't!

 

[markspike]

I wanna know where you get all these sig pics from.

I...I...don't know...:shock:

 

[jwiley]

My first and only motorcycle wreck was on a Honda Express and I turned a corner where there was a significant tar patch. It was July in Oklahoma and my rear tire slid out from under me just like that. BAM

I learned very quickly to respect the tar snake. Especially when it's hot.

 

[watercooled]

I have yet to experience them...let's hope i don't!

You will air assault.
RAKKASANS!

 

[csk415]

Definitely something I don't look out for but that has changed.
Markspike love the signature pics.