Hit diesel or similar?

[smegballs]

So I was at work (moped pizza delivery) yesterday heading back to the store, going downhill, on the gas, straight road (ie not braking or cornering, two main scenarios for losing traction), wet roads at night when all of a sudden the back end comes sliding to the right. Front end tilts to the left and down so I think I'm gonna lowside. Then back end regains traction and flicks harshly back upright to the right before levelling out, I guess 50cc and small wheels doesn't have much power (or rotational inertia) to highside with

Scared the shit out of me and took my completely by surprise, especially given on a straight bit of road that I'd been down probs 20+ times that night already without any issues. Saving it was definitely down more to luck that skill as I thought I was going down for sure.

Any ideas what could be the likely cause? I took it a little easier for the rest of the night, certainly in the dry I have good confidence in the tyres, and up until that incident did in the wet too... Was only my 2nd shift so definitely something to watch out for in future...

[notbike]

Probably something slippery in the road like you suggested. You should've just styled it out like "Pff totally planned that"

Yesterday I was out on delivery at late hours too and noticed two things at once, firstly taking a left hand bend it felt like my tyre was "lumpy" or something cause I felt a bit of wobble but the tyres felt planted (difficult to explain) it just didnt feel smooth. There was nothign on that bend like gravel or lumpy road surface because I've been on that bend loads of times. Thought the tyre was flat, and it wasn't. I'm thinking the tyres are out of alignment? Probably doesn't help that the bike is continually abused over years and mechanics don't give a fuck XD

Also the other thing was I felt the front lose a bit of traction and my god I can understand how you'd go down fast. It regained traction immediately but that second where it felt weightless was terrifying. I think I hit one of those very small two-deck-of-cards-sized manhole cover thingies, and that road was damp from leaves. Was a gradual right hand bend.

Never hit oil though but it's very fucking slippery stuff when it's on the floor so that's probably what you nearly slid out on. The only time I've had trouble with oil is when a colleague started up his petrol RC helicopter in the garage the day before, and I was backing up my bike to park it the next day when my foot flew out from under me and I nearly dropped me bike he left a huge patch of oil on the floor where his helicopter was

I just woke up so this is all rambling.

[Andy_Pagin]

I'd guess diesel. A few months ago the Fazer kicked-out on me on a very easy 40mph bend I'd rode hundreds of times, very similar really. Only lasted a fraction of a second, but still makes the arse-hole shut up shop at the same time as the intestines decide to embark on a stock clearing exercise.
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[chickenstrip]

Do HGVs regularly use that route? Do they fill up anywhere nearby? Look for evidence that it could've been diesel; if you do find evidence, then it may be a road to be wary of in future too. If not, just an unlucky one-off. But sounds feasible that it could have been caused by some kind of spillage. Did you smell diesel? A significant spill is easily detectable from smell, as I've found out myself before.
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[Suntan Sid]

Had it happen to me, many years ago, at much higher speed on a NSL road, it didn't end well.
It was raining at the time, all I could put it down to was a change in the type of road surfacing, no diesel, oil or crud on the road, as far as I could see.
Happened as you described, only I lowsided.
I wasn't on the brakes, no change in throttle, no change of direction, as you said, my back wheel just came round on me and down I went.
I slid down the road watching my 350 YPVS sliding along in front of me!
Upside, I ditched the, scraped, standard pipes for a set of Allspeeds.
Every cloud, eh!
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[Mudshark]

I hate the wet roads on some of the commute, they turn into an obstacle course of rainbow patches and long runs round corners where overfilled vans have laid down an arc of the slippery stuff

come off the 600f on a straight empty road years ago, front just went like a sniper had taken a shot at it, was lying in the road before I even had time to think " sh*t".
Picked up the bike and the bits of fairing and carried on with no further problems (except how to put all the plastic together again)
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[Tungtvann]

I had it on a roundabout once, just a small one in town so wasn't going very fast, had to slam my foot down to recover. Bloody hurt! Don't know if I could have done much to prevent it as it was dark so wouldn't have spotted any diesel anyway.

[Thorn]

Happened to me last year on the fazer, straight NSL road, few cars in front, lightly decelerating. Next thing I know the front end goes left, back end goes right, and I'm sliding on my back with the bike chasing after me
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[MC]

These kinda threads scare me. Had front and rear slides, but never felt in danger of going down, although I assume a lot of that's down to luck.
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[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Yes - had something very similar much earlier in the season. Doing about 50-60 on a back lane between Pocklington and Fridaythorpe - conditions were good, and fairly dry - but there was some fabled "microclimate" hither and yon under trees and in the shadow of hedges. Suddenly back end snaked left and right very violently - totally unexpectedly and seemingly for no discernible reason at all. Confounded, and still a bit shaky, I u-turned to see if there was anything on the road - there was, but it was part of the road itself. Which is to say, a puddle of tar a couple of yards long and half as wide. Shiny and slick with damp, my rear avon ditch finder did *not* like it one bit. Said patch had probably been there for years - since the road was last surfaced. More recently the entire stretch down to the A166 has been remade. Excellent bit of lane now.
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[Rogerborg]

Yup, there are some smooth raised bitumen patches on my road with almost no visible aggregate. Effing slippery in the winter.

Sadly, they got put down when I bawwwed about all the potholes.
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