Snow got the better of me!!!!

[nasty]

Well it was nice and dry this morning so off I go to work on the bike as usual.

Started to snow quite heavily later on in the morning and for the rest of the working day.

Stopped snowing by the time I was ready to leave work, I thought the roads didn't look too bad and as I had no other way of getting home I started her up, jumped on and off I went.

Weather was terrible, roads were covered in sludge and were well slippy. It was frezing cold and the sleet-come-rain-come-snow started to come down again but that wasn't gonna stop me!

I took my time and was fairly cautious to say the least, stayed on the tyre width parts of the road that the cars had cleared where I could and plodded along.

Not too far to travel, only 7 - 8 miles, I turned off the main road into my estate and duely came to a stop when I saw the state of the road leading to my house.

With both feet firmly planted on the snow I started to ease the throttle open giving it just enough bite to move me along very slowly. I'd travelled about 20 metres towards my house at this point and the end was in sight.

The last 15 - 20 feet or so looked like a real challenge but I was up for it without a doubt!!!!

It was going really well for the first couple of feet and then I had a brainwave, I thought it would be a good idea to move further over to the left onto a block paved walkway that goes along the front of the houses.

Oh what a mistake that was! I forgot there was a slight kerb seperating the walkway from the road surface, only about 1 - 1.5cm, but by then it was too late.

As soon as my front tyre met the slight kerb the front just decided to slide from underneath me swiftly followed by the rear.

By this point I knew I was gonna struggle to hold the weight of the bike and stop it from going over - and I was right!

OVER SHE WENT! to the left handside, luckily though I still had hold of her and all I could do was just let her down gently.

Got a couple of lads to help me pick her back up and push her to my driveway, checked her over and found there was a small scuff on the left hand engine casing but that was it! I thought I was gonna find all sorts of scuffs and scrathes all over the fairing, broken/bent levers but nothing like that, so quite lucky there.

The moral of this story is if in doubt don't, although I was agonisingly close to my drive after an 8 mile ride it just wasn't to be

Watch out for the nasty white stuff and if you can't then just take it easy
____________________
ZX6R F3

[steppen22]

Haha

That is very similar to my experience on Wednesday.

Managed to poodle homeward sub 15, 20 mph - about 7, 8 miles too - as I got close to my mums, who I was visiting that evening, for some daft reason, I got off and pushed the bike through the last few streets. I thought (unlike you!!!) "fuck it! I'm not faling at the last hurdle".

So I took five minutes. Close to her home - literaly twenty metres - I pushed the bike across to the right, forgetting the little curb! The skinny 125 tyres gave out, and the bike fal from my hands. Luckully I could "lay it down" so minimal damage. I was surprised at how "cusioned" it seemed by the snow - but that's deceptive ,really.

Moral of the story: better to be off the bike than on it when it hits the tarmac.

Moral of the story 2: don't push your luck. The last hurdle's the one that can get ya.
____________________
no regrets, no retreat, no apology.
I've made mistakes in the past, and I apologise for FUCK ALL.

[steppen22]

Haha

That is very similar to my experience on Wednesday.

Managed to poodle homeward sub 15, 20 mph - about 7, 8 miles too - as I got close to my mums, who I was visiting that evening, for some daft reason, I got off and pushed the bike through the last few streets. I thought (unlike you!!!) "fuck it! I'm not faling at the last hurdle".

So I took five minutes. Close to her home - literaly twenty metres - I pushed the bike across to the right, forgetting the little curb! The skinny 125 tyres gave out, and the bike fal from my hands. Luckully I could "lay it down" so minimal damage. I was surprised at how "cusioned" it seemed by the snow - but that's deceptive ,really.

Moral of the story: better to be off the bike than on it when it hits the tarmac.

Moral of the story 2: don't push your luck. The last hurdle's the one that can get ya.
____________________
no regrets, no retreat, no apology.
I've made mistakes in the past, and I apologise for FUCK ALL.

[neil.]

On my way home from work on Thursday evening around 8pm, it had started to snow. As I was leaving I said to a colleague - 'Hmm it doesn't seem to be settling so I should be ok...' Famous last words....

So I get a fair few miles into my 30 mile trip home and it gets worse. Blizzardy, constantly wiping my visor, watching the road surface, which starts to become whiter and whiter. Shit... Not many cars at that time in the evening so the few that are driving around turn the snow into pack-ice. As I reach Gallow's Corner roundabout, I slow down and feel the bike getting very twitchy. There's very little grip there, if anything. Farting in the general direction of my back wheel makes it lock and slide. It's too dark to see the road surface properly in case there is any part of it that's a bit grippier to ride in.

With 20 miles to go, I gave up and pulled over and phoned breakdown recovery. I felt that any sudden move on the bike in those conditions would most likely have made me spill it. Another rider was pulled over in the same spot and had his wife coming to pick him up in the car, whilst he left the bike there (in a McDonalds car park) for pick-up later.
____________________
CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[nasty]

At least when the summer months come we can all have some fun!!
____________________
ZX6R F3