OMG! My First Tankslapper!!!

Canyonball · 05-29-2005, 5:34 AM

I'm just venting...

Anyway, I was on my way to school this morning to take my last final. So I take the Anaheim on-ramp merging on to the 110N and looked over my shoulder to see no oncoming cars behind.

I'm in 2nd gear @ about 8k and decide to punch it as I merge...
She was pullin hard as I'm taching it up and merging into the #2 lane. I had my weight forward and was crouched down behind the windscreen as I reached 100mph. Right when I go the 2-3 shift and to slow down, I couldn't believe what happened...

I had no idea my front wheel was up, but apparently so as my bike's front end came down and started wobbling unbelievably fast left to right
shuddering...

It was so surreal...

I instinctively sit up and was ready to let go if she low-sided. For probably 5 seconds from 100-50mph my bike was out of control but amazingly stayed upright as the front end was shuddering.

I remembered what I read on SportRider.com about tankslappers and how not to fight it and that's what I did, just flowed with it 'till, Thank God, she settled down...

Anyway, the next 5 minutes to school I was thanking God and realizing what exactly caused this mishap and how not to repeat this mistake. Needless to say, I merged on the way home at a leisurely 70mph in 4th.
I was a bit shaken by the whole experience (no pun intended) and I will not be WOT changing lanes again.

I ended up taking the long way home carving PV East at a leisurely pace, just to remind myself what riding's about and not be discouraged, but to respect the bike more than I ever have...

Thanks for listening.

-Eric

"There are three types of people in this world; Stupid, Smart, and Wise people. Stupid people never learn from their mistakes. Smart people do learn from their mistakes. But Wise people... wise people learn from others mistakes."

Hopefully I'm a bit smarter, and thanks to others, I was a bit wiser in this predicament. Thanks SportRider and to my friend Robert who also told me the same info.

jaim · 05-29-2005, 6:19 AM

Make it your last, get a steering damper.

Scout · 05-29-2005, 6:31 AM

You might want to take a look at some dampers as well...

Maser · 05-29-2005, 7:59 AM

I am glad you got way with this one, make sure it doesn't happen again by getting a steering damper. If my bike doesn't come with one, I get one installed before I even get on it.

CBR929RE · 05-29-2005, 2:09 PM

could have been worse. also sounds like you either need some practice or learn to feel what your bike is doing a little better. I can usually feel when my front starts to get really light and I back off just a touch to get the suspension back down. There are of course circumstances where you just can't tell. I still have to get a damper as everyone suggests but luckily I haven't had a bad experiene like this yet.

Canyonball · 05-29-2005, 11:47 PM

Trust me fellas, the damper is definately on the top of my list of mods now...
Any suggestions? Company/rotary/piston?

Canyonball · 05-29-2005, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBR929RE

could have been worse. also sounds like you either need some practice or learn to feel what your bike is doing a little better. I can usually feel when my front starts to get really light and I back off just a touch to get the suspension back down. There are of course circumstances where you just can't tell. I still have to get a damper as everyone suggests but luckily I haven't had a bad experiene like this yet.

Yeah, I was thinking the worst!!! I need both more practice and a bit more feel, but in general, I can sense what's goin on, this case I couldn't though. I hope you, or anyone for that matter, have this experience... scariest 5 seconds of my life...

-Eric

CBRVFR · 05-30-2005, 9:20 AM

You're lucky, Canyonball - A tankslappper at that speed with the traffic density of the Harbor freeway could have easily been your last experience on earth.

I'll predictably suggest:

1. Get a top line damper-- rotary or tube, doesn't matter. Ohlins, Scotts, any of the adjustable, rebuildable ones that can be transferred to any future bike with a mounting kit.

2. Take it to the track and get that squidlyness out of your system.

I spent my high school and early college years in the South Bay area, and I've been there a lot lately visiting my family. Didn't there used to be a CHP station near the Anaheim ramp?

Also a personal observation. I wouldn't commute in LA on a bike for money. I'd get a trailer and canyonride or do track days, but between the crazily rain-grooved lanes that probably initiated your mishap, the unpredictable drivers etc., it just doesn't look to be very much fun.

Baketech · 05-30-2005, 9:42 AM

Damper is a great idea...but I'd put it as #2 on the list...

#1 would be to avoid going 100mph crouched on phucking freeway ramp in traffic....

G-Force Junkie · 05-30-2005, 1:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baketech

Damper is a great idea...but I'd put it as #2 on the list...

#1 would be to avoid going 100mph crouched on phucking freeway ramp in traffic....

How else do you merge into 90mph traffic? I'm not joking here.

Baketech · 05-30-2005, 1:47 PM

He states in his post that there was no merging traffic...

Besides...it's possible to merge at 90mph without wheelieing in a crouch...we even do it out here in the cornbelt...

Supperconductor · 05-30-2005, 3:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-Force Junkie

How else do you merge into 90mph traffic? I'm not joking here.

I'm not trying to bust your chops here though I probably am, but, seriously: Traffic in the right lanes was traveling at 90 MPH?

mr_rua · 05-30-2005, 4:43 PM

My personal experience with tank slappers is not to slow down, but keep the same speed or open the throttle up? I thought slowing down makes the tank slapper worse?

All of my experiences with tank slappers have all been on the track. Most recently going up hill excelerating heavily.

Supperconductor · 05-30-2005, 5:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_rua

My personal experience with tank slappers is not to slow down, but keep the same speed or open the throttle up? I thought slowing down makes the tank slapper worse?

All of my experiences with tank slappers have all been on the track. Most recently going up hill excelerating heavily.

From everything I've read, that sounds like a classic tank slap scenario: unloaded front wheel cause by hard acceleration and going up hill.

G-Force Junkie · 05-30-2005, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supperconductor

I'm not trying to bust your chops here though I probably am, but, seriously: Traffic in the right lanes was traveling at 90 MPH?

On the 110 through anaheim? Yup. I'm not condoning doing 100 on the freeway...but as a fellow southern california commuter, its basicaly war and if your not merging into the 75-90mph traffic flow equal or a tad above it, your going to get a semi truck enema.