Riding a turn with sand on it

[RSQCAL]

I was lucky enough to learn a few years ago NO FRONT BRAKE in sand with out any major damage. It open my eyes to ride with in my skill level. I hit the corner and sand way to fast, started to skid, touched my front brake, layed her down. I had slowed quit a bit by then, just wore a flat spot on my grip and took a mirror out. Pretty cheap learning experience.

 

[The4opps1]

I spend a lot of time riding the Pine Barrens and their numerous back roads. It is not uncommon to find debris of all sorts on the roadway and particulalry on turns. The advice that has been given is my tried and true method for not dumping the bike: Slow down, ride within your abilities. My purpose for riding is to enjoy myself. Truth be told, going really fast, isn't enjoyable. You have to find your niche...

 

[robertc]

Slow down!!!
Like the old saying goes...It's better to lose a second in your life, than your life in a second!
However when the need arises, don't panic! You have to fight the adrenaline urge to over correct or death grip your bars and brake. I always ride the curves while maintaining good RPM's 2700 to 3000 in my case as it gives me the ability to better control my bike. Lean into the curve and let the bike pull you out of it. A rider safety course would be a good idea as they teach you how to perform basic safety maneuvers. Don't let your buddies ruin the rest of your life by trying to keep up with them. Friends don't let friends ride beyond their abilities. Stay safe, not sorry!

 

[twinrider]

If you use brakes at all on sand while turning, make sure it's not the front.

 

[larryjmiller]

Thanks all. Great tips.

I suppose the most important one is to stay in your own lane. I saw that on several other riding tips looking at Google. Because we were coming down from a left sweeper and going into a long right hand sweeper which was again going up in elevation. I could see the road clearly and see that no one was coming. That's why I took more room than I probably needed so I didn't slide out. Had I not been able to see the road ahead, I would have (hopefully) tried to ride it out in my lane and most likely would have slid out but it all happens quickly so I'm not sure. I am not sure if I was actually sliding either as I placed my boot on the pavement.

The only reason I brought this up was to pick your brains on riding through sand in a corner. Sand even wigs me out when I'm going fairly slow. Most guys say the same thing. I've slid out many times on a bicycle doing this but have always relied on sticking out a foot for balance. Not sure if this is a good idea on an 800 lb motorcycle although it seemed to work this time.

And NO, I'm not selling my bike! DOH!!! And believe me, I'm not a smart aleck so I do take the serious tips seriously. I will slow down, ride at 70% and make sure I stay in my lane. I feel very lucky to have rode away from that sandy curve without getting hurt or damaging my bike. I took the MSF course but we didn't do sandy curves. I will look for a place to practice. I found a place to practice my friction zone and now I don't panic if I have to make a tight Uey! Thanks again...Larry

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

LJM...no worries, just keep in mind if you had been doing the same thing going down hill, it could have been worse because you actually have to use combination of brakes, clutch and throttle control and be in the right gear in order to smoothly deaccellerate...chopping the throttle, dropping the clutch lever while in the wrong gear makes running over the self imposed safety margin even easier.

Going up hill on deserted roads but crossing the double yellow is one thing, but doing the same downhill is a disaster waiting to happen. Don't get me wrong, all who have posted here have been there, and all at one time or another were caught in the moment...just don't do it once you know it happened, learning from it. Don't beat yourself up. This is a skill achieved by experience every time we suit up...now go out and enjoy the ride using the 7/10ths rule...it works.

 

[cdn-bigfoot]

7/10ths.= 70% of what you think your riding ability is.
I just want to add one thing here,if you find yourself getting into a sandy corner a little too hot DO NOT BRAKE once you are into the corner,ABS or not the front end will slide out.Throttle down ,downshift and power yourself the rest of the way through.even these big bikes can be nimble when the proper amount of throttle is applied.

Even gearing down in this instance could be enough to initiate a rear tire skid. The engine braking could be enough to cause the back tire to lose traction. I often pull in the clutch in these circumstances. Even rolling off the throttle too much without the clutch in can initiate engine braking. Counter-steer and move your weight slightly off the inside of the seat.

Hold on loosely
but don't let go
If you cling too tightly
You're gonna lose control

-.38 Special

haha,
I just got the musical reference.
Now I can't get it outa my head.
Love that song.