Tar Snakes
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 8,039
Likes: 1,305
From: Jayhawk Country
Tar Snakes
I'm sure you guys have seen these Tar Snakes where they patch the cracks in the asphalt roads with this liquid goo. This crap is slippery as hell on a motorcycle. On 2 different occasions in the past weeks I have hit one of these at a low speed turn and thought the bike was going out from under me. Both times my natural reaction was to put my foot down on the side it was falling. I'm guessing this is may not be the practice. How do you guys handle them? Scary as hell when it happens.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,625
Likes: 129
From: Black River Falls, WI.
Yep!!!
I had the exact same thing yesterday. You did the natural reaction, and it is hard to do much other than that. Just keep in mind that it is just like that 1 little rock that is only 1 small slip and as soon as you clear it or have time to react, it's almost already too late, and there is ultimatley no harm. Had an instructor do a better job of explaining that years ago, but I keep my feet on the pegs/boards in those situations and just know it will slide a very litte bit and proceed with caution until ya clear it, again way easier said than done, but an ankle takes a long time to heal too!!! Hope this helps
Kris
Kris
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 8
Likes: 1
From: Tulsa, OK
Yeah we have them here in Oklahoma too. They'll certainly pucker you up. I kind of treat them like gravel and just loosen my grip up and let it slide. Forward motion generally gets me past them quickly. Hit a patch outside Deadwood on a hot summer day and the road was almost covered with them, plus it was a banked turn!!! I was seriously thinking of trying a little off-road on the ultra, but thought better of it.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 285
From: Edmond Oklahoma
Yes, I also live in Oklahoma and the roads are full of them. I treat them like sand, but my frustration around here are the huge tar snakes on highway cloverleaf on/off ramps where the bike has to be leaned. I just slow way down, but they still slip a little now and then.
Beary
Beary
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 37
From: Rockland County, NY
The reason they feel so bad is that the skin on the top layer actually will shift as much as an inch when hot, then snap back after you've passed over them. Ride conservatively over them like on ice and don't put your foot down. That is NEVER a good idea.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,757
Likes: 4
From: Northern Illinois
Just ride through them...Eventually the pucker factor will go away. The road I take to and from work is full of them even in the s corners. First few times I was the same but you get used to them. The worst thing you can do is put your foot down at highway speeds you can F yourself up pretty bad by doing that.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
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From: Jayhawk Country
Yeah, I know putting the foot down is the wrong thing to do. Just natural to do that. Both times it has happened was at low speeds making a turn from a stop. I believe they are less noticeable at higher speeds.
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It feels like riding over marbles, seems like you slip a mile, but in reality it's only an inch or so... keep your knees against the tank, look through your turn, and roll on the throttle.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 449
Likes: 22
From: In a van, down by the river
Ride over them all the time, but I know the bike isn't going down because of them either. Usually I aim for them just for kicks. Now hitting them on a dark rainy night... different story. Yeah.. I 'm crazy...