My experience - Death Wobble

[brownops]

First of let me say sorry i go on abit in this post. I havent posted for sometime, being busy with work and all that, hope everyone ok!

In December 2010 i purchased a Honda CBR 600F 1999, this was my first "big" bike, prior i had driven a Honda CBR 125 for a year to get my licence. Being 17 at the time my CBR 600 was my pride and joy. Im not sure if anyone else feels this way but i felt that after a shit day at school i had something to look forward to, something that kept me going through all the shit (excuse my language) something that let me unwind

Well in November 2011, i had an accident. I was accelerating off, just having started up the bike and letting it run for a minute or 2. I was accelerating up a hill, the road surface was pretty shit (being in the UK im used to that lol). As i accelerated of my front wheel lifted of the ground and when it hit the ground i went into a "Death Wobble". I couldn't recover from it and was thrown of the bike, i burnt through both knee caps cus i wasnt wearing kevlar jeans (yes i know i was stupid) but thankfully i had a leather jacket on... phew

The bike was totalled, and if u ask, yes i was speeding abit, but every biker does that so dont act shocked lol My parents have said to wait till end of Uni to get another bike, they've bought be a car but its not the same, every time a see a motorbike on the road its like putting salt on a open wound. Counting the days till i turn 21 graduate uni and get a bike

Well my question is, how do you recover from a "Death Wobble". I have browsed forums and all that people say is lift of the throttle, but when i had my accident, in the heat of the moment, literately like 3-5 seconds that makes no difference. Even when i lifted off the throttle, before it even had any effect i was already on the ground

Any help will be much appreciated. Cheers guys!

[plugger147]

Bad news about the bike and not riding matey hope the old knee's are sorted now, as for the tank slapper I have no advice I usually close my eyes and hope it's gonna be over soon. My method has worked for me so far
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Tristan the wrote: just whipped off my trousers to find a big bruise on my arse, caused by matt rear ending me...

[Dean-J]

I wouldnt have put any extra input into the bike whatsoever. 99% of the time When things go wrong i just go loose and let the bike do its thing, its better at staying upright than the ape riding it!

[Ariel Badger]

Worst one I ever had was coming out of "Keepers" at Loton Park, I just kept the throttle pinned and recovered after doing a little gardening but binned it at "Museum" as I was so freaked.

https://www.motorsportcircuits.co.uk/html/loton_park_hill_climb_guide.html
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Vincent]

I havn't had a tank slapper for ages but they were quite common when I started riding bikes. I was always told to accelerate through them and hold on tight, the worse thing you could do was brake, esp using the front. Then it was down to too much power in the engine for the frame and/or front end but, with modern bikes, I think it's more often down to something not right on the bike - worn and/or mis-matched tyres, knacked wheel bearings, badly adjusted head race bearings, badly adjusted rear wheel, etc, etc. 'Last bike I had it on it was down to a shite rear tyre that came with the bike - either too old or worn unevenly.
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Space Is Deep

[evoboy]

Keep it pinned.

Used to get them often on the zx6.
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- Fazer 600------CB250RS------Aprilia Rally 70----- Bandit 600

APT Motorcycles

[Sako]

as above, keep accelerating out of it - slowing down will make it much worse.

[mysterious_rider]

More pressups.

Seriously, I hit the weights, am at an ok size and I've had these wobbles now and again without incident. I run cafe racer bars aswell, hitting large potholes is fun when it chucks itself into a bit of a tantrum.

[brownops]

Thanks a million everyone, cant afford to wreck another bike lol

[Deckx]

steering damper... .. i got a few horrendous tankslappers on a 400 I had years ago but i think its more luck than anything else as if you get a really bad one you don't have time to keep it pinned or whatever .....

[Drake]

id say a steering damper aswell, turn it up and you wont feel any twitches coming from your anus or the bars
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was: derbi senda, aprilia sx125, nsr250 mc16, cagiva mito, cb600 hornet now: mk1 bandit, KR1S, landrover series 3 light weight 2.5 petrol, 5speed box

[L4Isoside]

Accelerate out of it, used to get quite a lot of minor ones on the 636 and just powering through it always let them settle down (also, not too much pressure on the handle bars).