Not good to happen I always try and break in new tyres just towards the end of summer to get the edges over , went out today and no grip felt like new tyres on no heat goes in plus damp under trees etc.... Wouldn't want to be scrubbing in in these conditions Good to know you are all ok at least you now what to ask for Christmas. All the best, ride well all
Bloody nightmare slick sorry to see this I went out Tuesday and road was as slippery as hell... On supercorsas and they were slipping around all over the place. Glad your ok though bike can be fixed.
I know this isn't any help to you now but this is a good read. A lot more emphasis is put on heat rather than just gradual leaning How to break in a new set of motorcycle tyres - Motorbike Writer
At least you lived to tell the tale, I agree it's probably down to road conditions and no heat in the tyre
Decent article on tyre heat, but the reality is very different in day to day winter riding. I always need a set of tyres sometime during winter months and I do not have any inclination to then go and ride 100+ miles in freezing temps often on damp cold tarmac, to warm them up, so you just get on with it. If you look at most commuters tyres when sitting there in traffic, the often derided chicken strips are evident, it don't mean you are a shite rider, it means you have adjusted riding style and are keeping the bike in a position to give you the best chance of survival, the last thing on my mind during 4 to 5 months of winter commuting is taking a 50 section tyre edge to edge, more getting to work and back sunny side up. Even after a 30 mile commute run, there is not a lot of external heat on these tyres, so you just have to adjust your riding brain to take account of the conditions I guess, its automatic not something you actually dwell on, otherwise if it was simple temperature we would be falling off every day. Slick has just suffered being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I very much doubt it had anything to do with nearly new tyres, more a combination of temperature, road surface conditions and crap bad luck.
A good, clear, well-written post that Kentblade (if you don't mind me saying) and I totally agree with everything you say.
Performed a CSI on the junction in question and confirmed an almost bloody invisible scattering of gravel on my line - just my luck!! Sent a note to the council to clean it up. I normally ride with a good glob of self preservation. My commute is hazardous at the best of times!. Even today there was some poor dude slumped on the black stuff next to his scooter and a truck near Harrods, he was being attended to so I hope he's OK and has a speedy recovery When I ride a 'little' faster it is normally when the conditions suit. Anyway back on road now with my confidence semi restored in my own abilities and that of the tyres.
Might be worth having a chat with the council as they are bound to keep roads clean and usable for all users, especially if the gravel has been left by them in the first place
would you fecking believe it, day after my off I run out of fuel on the M4 - never ever happened before. them biking Gods are against me - need to sacrifice a virgin!
You are going to struggle to find a virgin on the M4 corridor? Try Norfolk as apparently it doesn't count if it is incest
I'm jinxed, got a weepy fork seal now. Might as well pack this biking lark in and buy a season train ticket. Hopefully that concludes the 3 bad things otherwise I'm hiding under a rock till the spring.
Make sure you check your brake pads as well. If the fork oil has contaminated them it could make life interesting. Have put this warning up here before and a little while later someone discovered why whilst on track, can't find the vid they posted though.
you may find it cheapest option to get a complete set of fairings from China to fix bike up - or do what I did and change it to all black in the short term as that is the most common set of plastics available as Black blades have been sold for all years 2008 - 2012. Nose cone fairing is the tough one to find on its own - Maybe edit the first post with a list of all the parts you need and update as you progress - makes it easy for people to see what you are still looking for / in need of PS - gaffer tapped blades rule - mine was like that for about 6 months after pavement / police station interface in France one summer!
Ha, that was me at Bedford Autodrome. Now that was scary but maybe also a combo of dodgy ABS - fixed now I might add
Thats what I might do. Going to buy some Chinese fairings, quite partial to either Honda Legends or maybe even SP copies
