SMA. Be carfull

[andymarks]

This was an article in the old bike mart that my dad showed me the other day.

'WE RECENTLY RECIEVED A RATHER alarming from the BMW Club's magazine, courtesy of a rather formally named DW Newland, highlighting the plight of a gentleman by the name of George Saunders from Suffolk.
It would appear that Mr Saunders was minding his own business, ridding steadily, in perfect conditions, when he began to brake lightly for a car a head’s proposed right turn. The next thing he was bowling down the road resulting in a badly broken wrist and a damaged bike. The police motorcyclist who attended the scene could find no evidence of diesel or other problems but remarked that the road surface seemed greasy.
Some time later, Mr Saunders questioned some highway workers who explained that the road surface had been resurfaced some six weeks prior to the accident with stone mastic asphalt, a material that is so slippery they are obliged to leave warning signs out for several weeks. A check with Essex county council confirmed this to be the case but naturally they denied it was a hazardous material.
Mr Saunders then checked out the BBC website and discovered that a number of television and radio programmes had investigated the material, that has proven so slippery will not use it, though it is increasingly widespread in the UK. SMA is jet black and the white lines show up vividly, it looks the perfect surface, though one argument is as it is porous the water soaks through forcing the water content in the basic material to float to the surface.
A dedicated website for highway authorities shows that they are well aware of the situation and the danger it presents to motorcyclists. It is one of its binder materials which gives its low skid resistance and they suggest three was of dealing with it, one – spread grit across it, but this creates other problems, two – put out warning signs, or, three – to simply let it wear away by passing traffic. The later of course depends on the traffic on that particular stretch of road, it may take weeks, months or even years and the centre strip between the tyre tracks will not wear – and that is where the majority of motorcyclists generally run. So take a look at www.bbc.co.uk and type stone mastic asphalt in the search box, see it on www.hacuk.org/newspages/announcements.stone_mastic_asphalt.htm, then make your protest to https://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SMAsphalt/.’


I cant get the second link to work but the other two are worth a look. Has anyone else come across this surface?

Andy
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Bikes--2002 GS500---2006 CG125(For sale, PM me for details)
Theory-PASSED -------Practical-PASSED.
33bhp restriction ends 6/7/2009 .

[cokker]

The second link doesn't work because you have a full stop and a comma included in the address.

SMA FTL
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No longer have a bike due to a DVLA/Court royal f**k up.

[Dalemac]

Ive notices a sudden change in the feeling of my bike, even tho its a small bike it still affects the same as every other bike.

It always get weird when using it, so try to avoid it in wet weather, you can literally see the water on the surface of the road. A bit of bad judgement and the stuff will cause you to aquaplane.

Hate the stuff. its crap.
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000