Diesel on roundabout?

[Daimo]

I've read a lot of moans on here recently (maybe its always, but i've only recently returned) about diesel on roundabouts.

Is everyone here encountered the stuff every day? its just i've done probably 200,000+ miles on a bike now, commuted for 12 years, plus road trips to Europe, general rideouts most weekends etc, and I can honestly say its once in a blue moon I encounter diesel on the roads.

Sure, theres the odd few days it happens, but generally, I can smell it before I see it.

Also, roundabouts, circles, its always the outside fuel tanks on the trucks that leak, not the inside tanks (think gravity...). Thus the diesel always goes to the outer edge of the roundabout. Whats a biker doing out there, you should be on the inside line? Hence not being effected. And if your coming off the roundabout, how fast are you going? Surley your bikes upright and straight as your exiting the roundabout?

Water, is it water? Lots of trucks/cars have standing water in the chassis/water ways, and this water gets flicked off, again to the outside of a roundabout, looking like fuel spillage, but in fact isn't. For a start, it doesn't stink, its not slippery, and looks different on the road.

So other than "general grime" of cars, rubber, small oil leaks or coolent leaks (all rare), where do all these huge moans about diesel on the road come from? Are you aware of what your actually riding around on the road surface?

just an observation, one of many im making

[Raffles]

[Asharin]

I've only encountered diesel on a roundabout once, and that was just a couple of months ago, couldn't avoid it, it was all across the lane
Needless to say I came off, but with no major damage to the bike I just picked it up and rode off, got home and reported the diesel spill.
Then I went and duct taped my rear offside indicator back on and straightened my handlebar clamps (I'd thought they were bent at first and ordered new on ebay, then realised it was just twisted clamps..doh)


That reminds me, really must remember to order new indicators...

[dogbot]

I think I've also seen it once in my biking career. I don't think it's a common as some people would have you believe.

[Daimo]

[weasley]

I think "diesel on the road" is an oft-used excuse for running out of grip/ability and throwing it down the road.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[0ddball]

It gets all over a roundabout. What if a lorry is turning right hence on the inside lane?

You have a valid point though. In 6 years riding i have seen it for sure about 3/4 times and suspected it a couple of times after unexpected front end tucks on roundabouts.
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ZXR750L

[Daimo]

[dave1rs]

why is it that at the slightest mention of diesel spills,that lorries are deemed the culprit,the vast majority of lorries on uk roads now have anti spill fuel tanks,they are also checked by vosa and the fta on a far more regular basis than any other vehicle.

More often than not diesel spills come from overfilled cars,or where people have forgotten to put fuel caps on.

just my own observations

[Teflon-Mike]

I'm slap on the M6, M69 & M42, where once we had little workshops making bicycles, engines, lathe tools and the like, we now have green belt to green belt 'Disturibution parks'

Dodwells roundabout at Hinkley, is notorious, but the worst was Bermuda roundabout on the A444.

Before Nuneaton DSA lost Motorcycle Testing because of not having off road facilities when they introduced Mod 1, it was almost guaranteed to be on the test route, because it was on about the only bit of unrestricted By Pass an examiner could take anyone, within 15 minutes of the town to get them up to NSL, and its an 'awkward, multi lane, multi exit junction (I think it has six exits!)

Was complained about regularly, but no one would admit to anything or do anything, apart from blame the drivers, and put up vision restricting banks to try and make people stop before entering the roundabout, but AMAZINGLY, when Lynx distribution, that had its own exit on that roundabout, burned down...... people stopped skidding on it!

It may be over reported, it may be a 'convenient' excuse for dumping a bike, BUT, it is a real risk, and in some places, very real, and very common.
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Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Nope.]

I came off turning into a junction in the wet when there was diesel all over the road that I couldn't see/smell. Just off my road theres always spots of diesel down the road, not a lot, but it is always there.

So yes, I see it most days. But its not enough to take you down.
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Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[dogbot]

[Nope.]

[Villers]

No it rarely exists. We have mile long magical road rainbows and lovely slimy colourful arcs on wet roundabouts.

Perhaps its the roads where I live but if you go out on any wet day you will see the stuff everywhere. When I commute on a wet day I know that if I see some at one point then the bastard will have dropped it the length of my entire route. Then you also see the random blobs where they have stopped and started. Very common round here!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[calyx]

Twice in 15 years. (Both were last year though)
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Boris - London

[Glenben92]

I see loads of oil / diesel on the roads. Always annoys me to see it. Especially so since the time the road was COVERED curb to curb in oil and diesel thanks to a blown engine on a bin lorry and needless to say... I ended up coming off. Thanks to the company failing to report the spill and it being so bad that the road got closed off.... I'm getting compensation for my hassle
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57 Huoniao HN125-8 - , 97 Kawasaki GPZ500S -
99 Yamaha FZS 600 -
Mod 2 Passed - 01/10/2010

[Sam_Y_93]

Only time I have ever seen encountered it is in a petrol station. Spilt everywhere, put my foot down and almost dropped the bike cos it just slipped. Told them inside and they went and started clearing it up, but you would think the person who spilt it would tell them eh?
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Bikes Past: Yamaha Aerox (sold) Yamaha R125 (written off)
Bikes Current: Honda VFR 400 (awaiting restoration) Honda CB600f F-4
Theory passed July 21st Mod1 passed August 3rd Mod 2 passed 26th August

[truslack]

I've only slipped on diesel on a roundabout once in the last 100,000 miles or so. Other than that, I've encountered it on the way to my bike test in 2008 on an SR125 and on the A6 a few weeks ago, found the stream of diesel was coming from a bus so promptly pulled it over and gave the driver a talking to!
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[27cows]

I see diesel on the road regularly. Not often at roundabouts and rarely actually slip on it. But certain areas are more prone to it than others. For example it's very common to see massive slicks of diesel all over the place down in Dover, where there are numerous lorries coming and going constantly.
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[LordShaftesbu...]

Well it's extremely common where I live, I encounter it once a month on average. I can see it usually, can only smell it if it's a real slick. Always on the same roundabouts so I suspect it's the same culprits.

[Charlie]

Maybe it was the buses round I lived but in the wet you'd always get rainbow patches on the bus routes. Only a couple of times did it form into a slick which lasted a good 10 miles along this road. Seen on a roundabout once before as well.
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[Minty]

Yeah, seems to be the buses round my way too. Often get a slick stretching from where I live, right into work and then it turns off where the buses turn off.
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My fingers smell of your mum.

[FBSF]

Well, after an absence of quite a while there was a nice rainbow for 3 miles down the left lane of the M32 this morning.

Thankfully, the traffic was slow, or else I'd have been forced to ride in the middle of it...

[DrDonnyBrago]

My comute takes me past a petrol station, there is a diesel spill on a pretty much daily basis there. When I get to work, there is frequently a long spill of diesel leading between the hospital entrance and A+E.

I encounter diesel on the road most weeks.

[Charlie]

This would seem a good time to find out who you a meant to report diesel spills too. Anyone know?
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere