tank slapper

[etherwagon]

problem ... my new xb12r just violently spit me off like a fly on a dogs ear at the top of third gear in a FTA (full throddel acceleration)and crossed a small bump in the road . would a stearing dampener have helped ? the motion was so instant and violant there was no chance of slowing down or gassing out. when my body came to a stop i couldn't help but wonder other than never going fast on anything other than a purfectly smooth road was there any thing i can do?when my wounds finaly heal i desperatly want to twist that grip to the stop but is my dream bike just to unstable to trust?

 

[kyle_dewald]

yes it will, it keeps the handle bars from jerking in a motion quickly.

 

[kalifornia]

bummer man that sucks bad, sorry to hear it.

 

[kyle_dewald]

BTW, make sure you setup the suspension properly, tire pressure is correct, there are many things that can contribute to that problem. I have never had that problem with mine, but I would still feel better with one as well.

 

[strmvt]

if you gun it the front wheel gets light and lifts slightly and if you got your arm<s> stiff it'll turn the wheel one way or the other and when it comes back down to go straight again could cause a tankslapper I know hehe happened to me lol saved it though so mind the stiff arms when you gun the throttle

 

[etherwagon]

i set the suspention and the tire pressure with the dealer to my body waight when i got it less than 1000 mi ago . i see how that might be a factor for sure if it wasn't set . i think the stiff arm might have ben the straw that broke the camels back combined with the bump and the weightless front wheel. i wasn't sure about the dampener and its true function but you can bet its on my shopping list . I went down at close to if not over 100 mph and walked and rode away with less than $500 damage to the bike and skinned butt and elbows . can we say lucky ? thank you

 

[strmvt]

forgot to say 99% reason you got stiff arms is to keep your ass in the seat from the G's lol if your gonna gun it scoot all the way back til your butt hits the passenger seat cover so you don't slide back and stiff arm the bars to keep from sliding back/off lol

 

[etherwagon]

good point its all i can do to hold on and stay smooth through the shifts

 

[xtremelow]

Had my bars slap around a couple times but the hardest part about it is knowing when and when not to either give it gas or let off.

In your situation having a small bump you should have goosed it to lighten up the front end and then take it under control. But with that said you may have still been to far into the wobble to have it matter.

I just went with a damper, I do know the lighter the rider the more likely it is to happen, I push 175lbs so figure it is worth the investment.

 

[etherwagon]

how was the install?

 

[kalifornia]

talking about recovering from one, reminds me of the "jet wash-flat spin" scene in top gun. Etherwagon you didn't mention if you were going straight or how far you were leaned over at the time.???

 

[konarider94]

i dont like reading about these. it is a scary thing to think about. i ride pretty loose on the bars and my suspension is set up right. my bike always feels stable.

 

[Drkside79]

Beware this may be a Forum TROLL!!!!!

First time posters complaining about tank slappers on a new bike?


Sounds fishy.

 

[dorado29]

i don't see how this would be a trolling.. i would think most tank slappers occur on a bike that's new + unfamiliar to the rider. if he's a troll, he's a really bad troll

that being said, now there's more information on buellxb about tank slappers and how to avoid them. good to hear you aren't dead and damage is minimal.

 

[racepro716]

Jeeze.."tank slappers". Wondering if the people who complain about them have ever actually experienced one. As I understand it, it's when your bars go lock to lock about 5 times a second. Anything else is just the bike shaking it's head. There's a BIG difference. Get used to it if you're gonna ride fast, it happens. As for Ether crashing his bike, sounds like he lifted the front wheel over a bump and it came down slightly turned. THAT will set up a god awful shake if not a true "tank slapper". Wayne

 

[etherwagon]

i was straight lining no lean and yes it was a true slapper stop to stop my pegs shanked my legs .. by the way what is a troll ? is that someone who is realy lonely and wants attention ? well thats not the case here i had to swallow my pride and ask for your help . I almost lost my life to this and i thank all the riders for the advice that will help me prevent this from happining again . no one starts out a pro we all have to learn and earn our badge . thank you .

 

[xtremelow]

how was the install?

You remove the triple tree nut then it bolts to the steering stem and locks in with a larger nut, then an upper part bolts to that. the arm bolts to the frame where the air box screws are at and is connected to the inner part of the damper for the resistance.

 

[etherwagon]

thank you

 

[BuddhaBuell]

glad your ok ether..

I have found that due to the short wheelbase, when your flying along a section of road that is bumpy or really uneven, things can get weird..FAST!

On roads that I am familiar with and ride often you tend to 'know' the road and how it is going to effect you and the bike...
when its fresh pavement (meaning your not familiar with it) you have to 'learn it' in my humble opinion..

I ride it rather mildly at first in both directions until I learn the lines of it and the charachteristics that make each section of road unique....

only then do I tear that **** UP!!!


heal up quickly! [up]

 

[Drkside79]

Listen I'm not saying he is or isn't a troll. But i have read almost the exact same thread elsewhere. if this really happened then I am sorry and i hope ether heals quickly. However i have yet to hear about a single buell have a real tankslapper while the rider was following the letter of the law.

Just sayin