Tar strips reminder
Tar strips are the devil.
Always approach with caution, especially if the temps are above 80f.
Any good rider should be able to list literally TWENTY common road hazards off the top of their head, I'll give it an honest shot:
Tar strips
Potholes
Puddles
Rail road tracks/crossings
steel construction plates
Manhole covers
Manholes without covers
Wet leaves
Road sand
Gravel
Broken asphalt/cement
Bridge gaps
Bridge grates
Swell cracks
Diesel fuel/oil
pieces of tire
random bits of cars (exhaust, body panels, etc...)
broken glass
sticks/twigs
rope/bungee/tie down straps
There I just hit twenty and I wasn't even done.
Always approach with caution, especially if the temps are above 80f.
Any good rider should be able to list literally TWENTY common road hazards off the top of their head, I'll give it an honest shot:
Tar strips
Potholes
Puddles
Rail road tracks/crossings
steel construction plates
Manhole covers
Manholes without covers
Wet leaves
Road sand
Gravel
Broken asphalt/cement
Bridge gaps
Bridge grates
Swell cracks
Diesel fuel/oil
pieces of tire
random bits of cars (exhaust, body panels, etc...)
broken glass
sticks/twigs
rope/bungee/tie down straps
There I just hit twenty and I wasn't even done.
Hey! I know you weren't done...lol...but the biggest one that everyone will run into on a regular basis is the painted lines when wet...they can be like hitting an oil puddle or sand!
Kevin
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Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 670
Likes: 22
From: Umatilla, Fl
Tar strips are the devil.
Always approach with caution, especially if the temps are above 80f.
Any good rider should be able to list literally TWENTY common road hazards off the top of their head, I'll give it an honest shot:
Tar strips
Potholes
Puddles
Rail road tracks/crossings
steel construction plates
Manhole covers
Manholes without covers
Wet leaves
Road sand
Gravel
Broken asphalt/cement
Bridge gaps
Bridge grates
Swell cracks
Diesel fuel/oil
pieces of tire
random bits of cars (exhaust, body panels, etc...)
broken glass
sticks/twigs
rope/bungee/tie down straps
There I just hit twenty and I wasn't even done.
Always approach with caution, especially if the temps are above 80f.
Any good rider should be able to list literally TWENTY common road hazards off the top of their head, I'll give it an honest shot:
Tar strips
Potholes
Puddles
Rail road tracks/crossings
steel construction plates
Manhole covers
Manholes without covers
Wet leaves
Road sand
Gravel
Broken asphalt/cement
Bridge gaps
Bridge grates
Swell cracks
Diesel fuel/oil
pieces of tire
random bits of cars (exhaust, body panels, etc...)
broken glass
sticks/twigs
rope/bungee/tie down straps
There I just hit twenty and I wasn't even done.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,095
Likes: 11
From: Central Illinois
OH man how could I forget roadkill!
I dodged a really big, swollen possum the other day....man if I had hit that thing I'm sure it would have blasted rotten guts all over my bike/boots/etc...
Yuck!
I dodged a really big, swollen possum the other day....man if I had hit that thing I'm sure it would have blasted rotten guts all over my bike/boots/etc...
Yuck!
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 439
Likes: 1
From: Colorado
Here we call them tar snakes, not tar strips. It is always best to avoid them. I use the entire lane so if they are on one side of the lane I move to the other side of the lane. If they cover the entire lane I slow down and if I can ride between them. In very hot weather the tar snakes can become soft and can take you down.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: southeast indiana
I have noticed this a lot more lately. Never had a problem years ago. Makes you wonder what has changed.....cheaper composite material in the tar? Makes you wonder as the price of oil has increased a lot and I assume tar is a derivative? Either that or my street glide is more sensitive to tar lines. I have had her only two years now.
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: tennessee
I had the great opportunity to ride to Sturgis from Miami FL and back... riding back through a different route... I was amazed at how bad some highways / streets are in other states.. compared to those... we have Autobahns here in Florida!!... highways around Memphis TN were terrible (and the city streets even worse).. I almost lost control a couple times... and certainly many roads had those tar strips...
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Advanced
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Delaware
As a fairly new rider (6 months) and VERY new Harley rider (a week or so), I appreciate this heads up.
Is there a way to visibly see these tar strips you speak of?
Is there a way to visibly see these tar strips you speak of?
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 44,893
Likes: 29,868
From: PNW
I avoid them when possible, but sometimes you can't. Drop speed, don't panic, hope for the best when you are forced to hit them. Avoid the ones that run parallel to your course if possible. You don't want to be running down the length of one. Don't over correct when the bike gets squirrely.
I've seen HD demo rides canceled because of wet tar snakes so it's definitely an issue for everyone.
Last edited by nevada72; Sep 11, 2011 at 04:43 PM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,095
Likes: 11
From: Central Illinois
Last night I had to dodge two HUGE raccoons in the road, man if I had hit either one of them I might not have kept the bike up....they were crossing the highway together and I shot in between them.