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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: hang man on August 27, 2008, 05:35:57 PM

Title: pot holes
Post by: hang man on August 27, 2008, 05:35:57 PM
I searched and couldn't find much on it.....How do you deal with pot holes , what i mean is if you hit a big one , is it enough to send you flipping over the handle bars?...I know one took out the rim of my car , so if you are riding in places you never been and hit one how much damage do you expect to your bike and yourself?
Title: Re: pot holes
Post by: fred on August 27, 2008, 05:47:04 PM
Avoid potholes. Have fun swerving around them. I'm sure you could find one big enough to take you down, like this one for instance:
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/347381721_d7e0a40e0d.jpg)

Since you take up less lane than a car, you've got way more room to move around and make sure you aren't driving in to potholes that will cause you pain. Riding a motorcycle takes way more concentration than driving a car...
Title: Re: pot holes
Post by: Skeets on August 27, 2008, 05:50:43 PM
You should have enough time to avoid the pot holes. If you cannot, slow down and go head on into it. Do not abruptly brake as the vehicle behind you might not. The things I worry about are humps in the road. I almost lost it a couple of times because I wasn't paying attention and BAM it hit me and I wasn't ready.

Be safe.

Skeets
Title: Re: pot holes
Post by: scottpA_GS on August 27, 2008, 07:47:33 PM

Living in PA the pot hole is very common. I hit them all the time, some by surprise, others that you just cant avoid.  As long as I have some time to react, I just loosen up a little, put my weight mostly on the pegs and to the rear, wait... and react to the aftermath  :icon_mrgreen: I have hit some massive holes on my GS and so far just being relaxed and staying focused keeps me on 2 wheels  :icon_mrgreen:
Title: Re: pot holes
Post by: the mole on August 28, 2008, 03:29:52 AM
Try and avoid them, a big one could cause a tyre to deflate suddenly.
Title: Re: pot holes
Post by: wildbill on August 28, 2008, 06:11:00 AM
i hit one afew months after i got my gs. riding 2up, wound up blowing a fork seal. it wasnt crazy deep but was maybe 3in. jst get use to being good at swerving to avoid them. humps becarful too.. they will surprise you. when approaching a pothole/bump that i cant avoid i crouch a little to soak the shock up like on a dirtbike.
Title: Re: pot holes
Post by: hang man on August 31, 2008, 08:40:51 AM
Thanks for the advice , my MSF course is in October and never really payed too much attention to the surface of the road but lately when driving i try to imagine that I'm riding a bike and take notice of everything that can mess you up , there is quite a lot that will mess you up, constant road Construction that changes patterns and the road surface , Stupid drivers in a hurry who honk at you just because you slow down to make a turn even though they had plenty of warning by the Blinking light :dunno_white: , people who have no respect for others and the rules of the road (just plain assholes ), I've seen them reading the newspaper , putting on makeup, eating , using their car as an office and using the cell phone while doing these things... :cookoo:

I've also tried to picture what to do in case one of these people try to run me over by accident or on purpose (i had  dudes try to run me off the road twice and intentionally)so i figured that the shoulder of the road would be a good bail out but then i noticed on my commute to work that the pot holes are even worse there