WEAR YOUR FRIGGEN LEATHERS

[turbines]

This is a tank slapper. When it takes over takes over ain't nothin gonna work

 

[dave_xb12r]

I've recovered from a tank slapper

 

[mowgoli84]

I agree on always wearing leathers and whatnot. I can see why some peopel head out without it, when they are just going across town or to a friends.. I do.. I know its not smart but..on off on off all day.. starts to feel like you spend more time suiting up than riding lol

 

[vanson1200r]

ATGATT!

 

[nwguy]

That video is an old classic. A must-watch if you ask me for those that don't know what can bite you.

I got in a bad high side wreck on a Honda ST1100 a couple of years ago on a gravel strewn corner going down a mountain. Had my leather pants on and an armored textile jacket. The paramedics commended me on my choice of riding gear when they strapped me onto the backboard. I was lucky. Only a broken rib and badly sprained wrist. Leather, yes.

 

[12Redline]

I had the scariest "tank slap" momment of my life about 2 weeks ago. The bars were moving full travel...i coule hear/feel what i think was the forks hitting the tank. It was out of a corner, applying full throttle and shifting hard from first to second. NO LEATHERS :/ Happened fast but slow at the same time...had enough time to contimplate how painful the insuing wreck was gonna be. But luckily enough i kept in ride side up. Not to sure how, i just grit my teeth and tried to control the bars.
BUT i have heard that when you get speed wobble like that, that you are supposed to just lay on the throttle. the idea being lighten the front wheel if not get it off the ground. Has anyone else heard this????

 

[Gareth]

Can anyone recommend a steering damper for an XB? I had a bad accident 24 years ago when I hit a car head on at 50MPH when an under age driver took out his mums car. 2 legs, one arm, and 2 cracked ribs...not fun at all!! This is why I did not have another bike until last year and am still cautious. I had never heard of tank slap.

 

[12Redline]

Yea tank slap is a new term to me. I called it speed wobble...but that is a term form my skating/longboarding days.

 

[Stevenc150]

Head shake is handlebars jostling side to side. Tank slap starts as a head shake, then quickly to a lock to lock on the bars - so bad that your knees are slapping each side of the tank. Hence the term - Tank slapper. Or that's the way I've always understood it.

- Steering Damper Options

 

[onelogue]

I've recovered from a tank slapper

Me too, scared the crap out of me though!!!!!

 

[12Redline]

AHHHhhhh tank slapper!! Like with da knees! ha I get it now. Thanks Stevenc Yea my knees and pretty much everything was "slappin" lmao.
But has anyone heard of this giving more throttle when this start to occur?????

 

[anrkizm95]

my personal experience is yes more throttle.its only happened 3 times to me.once i went down the other 2 times i got the front wheel up and came out of it.ive also heard scrub as much speed as possible.

 

[dave_xb12r]

I let go of throttle and engine braked. It settled down quick.

 

[nwguy]

My 2002 Honda st1100 had a speed wobble when decelerating, usually through about 40mph. After reading a forum post I had the headset bearings replaced (balls to roller bearings) and no doubt tightened in the process. No more speed wobble.

 

[twoguns]

best way is to relax as much as you can with your arms. no imput to the bars when they slap, and just let them find their line. applying throttle is the key as well. if you fight hte bars, or try applying brakes, both will put more input into an already unstable environment. less fight and you will recover from a lot of them. then go and sort your suspension if its adjustable, as usually this is the key to poor handling( ie a tank slapper)on many bikes.

 

[BuellerDueller]

I was involved in an accident once, I clipped a car after dodging one that pulled out in front of me. I was going like 40mph. Luckily, I was wearing my helmet and jacket, they saved my skin. Unfortunately, I wasnt wearing gloves and received 9 stitches in my left ring finger and a rash on my pink. Now I always wear gloves [smirk]

 

[ZeeBeeXB]

Like this post states WEAR YOUR FRIGGEN LEATHERS. I got a tank slapper 2 days after I got my lightning. It was a beautiful summer evening, headed out in jeans and a T-shirt, I rolled thru first and second pretty hard and into third it was lock to lock...hard. Went down doin about 60. Needless to say I went for a 50 yrd slide. As I stopped, I see my new bike grinding by me down the street. My shoes popped off, dislocated my shoulder obviously had plenty of road rash, but walked away. It needed a set of tires and had corsa 3's in the garage but hadn't gotten them on yet. The next day I was pissed having ridden 27 years, something wasn't right. Ya, the front tire was cupped, normal pressure. I started looking at the suspension and the previous owner had all...ALL the compression and rebound settings cranked all the way in and the rear shock on the tallest ramp. I compressed the front end and it took at least a second or two to rebound.

Wear your leathers and though-ally check out your bike before you ride. Keep the shinny side up! LOL

 

[delta one]

Quote:
I've recovered from a tank slapper

Me too, scared the crap out of me though!!!!!

hell to the yea it is, I have had a few head shakes and shimmies and no worries but after my tank slapper I saved up and bought a steering damper.

I saved mine by pulling in the clutch downshifting and dumping it at near full throttle, not a totally recommended tact but I knew the cause of mine.

too much rear preload and rough road as I stood the bike up. more throttle unweighted the front end and loaded the rear. I also tucked into the bike as best I could and squeezed with my knees best I could.

I nearly creamed my jeans with that one.