Well I had an interesting morning ....

[rpereira]

Riding to work today and coming up to where I turn into work, rear wheel locks and I power slide and stop right outside the driveway where you turn in.

Ended up putting the bike down Very small scratches on the engine cover and side stand. Have to say NFI why it locked though however the power slide whilst OMG What the hell?!?!?! was ALOT of fun ... Just need to learn how to do them all the time now hahaha

Was a bit apprehensive on riding home seem to notice when changing down into second gear going about 35kph it seems to make quite a racket out the back and feels like it nearly locks but doesn't do it at higher speeds .... (Strange !) Will need to do more testing but seem to be a bit scared of second gear now :/

Russ

 

[Kriswithak]

Very strange, good to hear you are ok though!!

Sounds a bit as though there may have been some crap on the road, or your tyres where not warm enough to really grip, or a combination of things. Did you change down into first gear suddenly/quickly or at speed? If you recently got a new tyre that could also be an issue but I'm assuming since its a pretty new bike that you have already worn them in.

It may also be an issue with your chain, or sprocket so maybe take a look at those incase something flung up and got caught or did damage, having new bad noises after the drop definately isn't good, and its better to find and fix a problem than hope its not there

If you haven't already got them Oggy Knobs are a great investment, as is axle armour.

Main thing to do is go back over what happened, and try and figure out what it was that did go wrong so you can learn from the experience.

 

[Wolfman]

Sounds a bit sus to me...i would get your rear brake checked out ASAP! iT IS VERY HARD TO LOCK UP THE REAR BRAKE ON AN fz6 without trying very hard!

 

[ozzieboy]

Wow. Almost sounds like the back wheel is loose. Glad you're OK. Ditto on checking/getting it checked out. You don't want it to lock up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[Wolfman]

Wow. Almost sounds like the back wheel is loose. Glad you're OK. Ditto on checking/getting it checked out. You don't want it to lock up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yep, highsides hurt...both you and the bike! It's still under warranty...get it checked out!

Good luck.

:thumbup:

 

[alanrim]

Need more detail on what you were doing but...

You locked the back wheel with the brake (easily done until you get used to using a light touch, but even then mine is dead easy to lock up)

The engine stalled as you changed down, maybe tickover too low or some other issue. Pulling clutch back in should have allowed wheel to turn again and stopped the skid.

If it is something else then don't ride again until checked.

 

[Bram]

I had something similar yesterday.

going from third to second gear, and medium rear breaking, and the wheel locked up just a millisecond.

It was the first time where I was in a situation where I had to downshift and brake with both brakes at the same time.

Now I know that in this situation, the rear wheel is locking up very easilly, I will be more carefull when applying the rear brake next time .

 

[Maverick]

A power slide is when you are on the gas hard and break the wheel loose... I'm thinking the rear end swung out due to a rear wheel lock up... <if not, disregard>

When braking, we should be using both brakes at the same time. With the front brake we should squeeze, squeeze a little more, and more as the weight transfers to the front wheel. With respect to the rear brake we should rotate our foot down on to the rear brake pedal and then start easing up on the rear pedal as the weight transfers forward. We are also down shifting, but we need to ensure that we let out the clutch smoothly and slow enough as not to lock up the rear wheel. If you 'pop' the clutch, you may lock the rear wheel particularly in lower gears. Ideally, instead to just letting out the clutch smoothly on the downshift, you want to blib the throttle just before letting out the clutch to match your engine RPM with your road speed. If you get it right, it is smooth as silk as the downshift itself will not effect the weight transfer.

In most cases on the street, it is a good idea to get all your braking done in a straight line. That way if you do lock up the rear wheel, the skid is uneventful. If you are turning and braking and lock up the rear wheel, you risk a highside if the rear tire regains traction by releasing the brake. So it is recommended that if you lock up the rear brake to keep it locked and ride it out. If you feel the front lock, that's another story, ease up on the brake...

Ideally, we should also be braking and downshifting together all the time through each gear - not skipping gears. You ussually want to be in a gear that will give you access to enough power to move with athority if need be - i.e., be in the power band. You have three possible ways to avoid an potential threat - accelerate, swerve, or brake. By not being in the power band, you almost remove one of your choices (yes, you can downshift, but in an emergency, just rolling on the throttle is quicker)...

<I hope I wasn't on a wrong tangent>

 

[Wolfman]

A power slide is when you are on the gas hard and break the wheel loose... I'm thinking the rear end swung out due to a rear wheel lock up... <if not, disregard>

When braking, we should be using both brakes at the same time. With the front brake we should squeeze, squeeze a little more, and more as the weight transfers to the front wheel. With respect to the rear brake we should rotate our foot down on to the rear brake pedal and then start easing up on the rear pedal as the weight transfers forward. We are also down shifting, but we need to ensure that we let out the clutch smoothly and slow enough as not to lock up the rear wheel. If you 'pop' the clutch, you may lock the rear wheel particularly in lower gears. Ideally, instead to just letting out the clutch smoothly on the downshift, you want to blib the throttle just before letting out the clutch to match your engine RPM with your road speed. If you get it right, it is smooth as silk as the downshift itself will not effect the weight transfer.

In most cases on the street, it is a good idea to get all your braking done in a straight line. That way if you do lock up the rear wheel, the skid is uneventful. If you are turning and braking and lock up the rear wheel, you risk a highside if the rear tire regains traction by releasing the brake. So it is recommended that if you lock up the rear brake to keep it locked and ride it out. If you feel the front lock, that's another story, ease up on the brake...

Ideally, we should also be braking and downshifting together all the time through each gear - not skipping gears. You ussually want to be in a gear that will give you access to enough power to move with athority if need be - i.e., be in the power band. You have three possible ways to avoid an potential threat - accelerate, swerve, or brake. By not being in the power band, you almost remove one of your choices (yes, you can downshift, but in an emergency, just rolling on the throttle is quicker)...

<I hope I wasn't on a wrong tangent>

That's good advice....

:thumbup:

 

[grommit]

Using both brakes well requires some mental programming. I'd concentrate on the front and get that right and then you can work at adding the back brake.

Arriving with your back wheel locked in front of the new girlfriend was always pretty stylish I thought, at the time. :spank:

 

[rpereira]

Thanks for all the replies, I have been going through it in my mind and I think I might have changed down too quickly, however the road seemed to be slippery (It was 5:45am) as the rear tire was sliding with no grip.

I do know though I wasn't using the front brake only the rear so I do think it was my fault.

Will be alot more careful in the future and ride more carefully. Thanks for the braking advice as well

 

[mbramlett]

That's your problem, your using only the rear break. That's bad news any time of day. If your going to only use one break make it the front. And remember under hard braking your rear tire can have less than 100 pounds on the rear tire so start heavy on the rear, but let off as the nose starts to drop as it does so heavily on our bikes.

 

[robaho]

Another piece of advice is to "separate your actions". In other words, finish braking/slowing down before you start turning if at all possible - don't try and brake and turn at the same time.

 

[Evitzee]

Unfortunately there are a LOT of riders who use the back brake only in the mistaken belief the front brakes will lock up and pitch them off the bike. You have to use both brakes to get the best and safest performance on a motorcycle. Relying too much on the rear brake will eventually get you into trouble, especially in a panic situation (like a car pulls out in front of you). New riders must make a conscious effort to practice and use both brakes.

 

[deeptekkie]

I'm going to assume that you were doing everything right. If so, only two things come to mind: 1) Your rear brake caliper piston ****ed slighty and locked up. (Rolling the wheel backwards always releases them when this happens) If this was the problem only a caliper rebuild or replacement will fix it and it will do it again!
2) As you mentioned a noisy back wheel, I wonder if either your wheel bearings are shot and/or it's been apart and someone left a spacer out?
Good luck and safe riding!

 

[Kazza]

Thanks for all the replies, I have been going through it in my mind and I think I might have changed down too quickly, however the road seemed to be slippery (It was 5:45am) as the rear tire was sliding with no grip.

I do know though I wasn't using the front brake only the rear so I do think it was my fault.

Will be alot more careful in the future and ride more carefully. Thanks for the braking advice as well

You're ok, the bike is ok and you learnt from it.

That's the main thing :thumbup:

 

[Kazza]

Another piece of advice is to "separate your actions". In other words, finish braking/slowing down before you start turning if at all possible - don't try and brake and turn at the same time.

Great advice. I was taught NEVER to brake around corners. Ride around them. You're supposed to enjoy them

 

[rpereira]

Thanks again for more replies

Well I have booked the bike in for its first service on the 10th, will cost $160 will mention to them about the rear and get them to have a look.

Noticed that the roads seem alot more slippery than I remember, but riding in the dry when its sunny gives me the most confidence when riding and have yet to have a problem.

I think the rear brake usage problem is from my work, that is basically the brake that you use all the time and you can tramp down hard on it and it will not lock at all.

Thanks

Russ

 

[Bikebiz]

Does your bike have the stock BT020 tyres? If so please get them changed on your service, they're crap! I locked my rear twice (in a straight line) involuntarily, and I've never before then locked the rear involuntarily in over 15 years of riding. They really are crapola.

 

[ozzieboy]

Does your bike have the stock BT020 tyres? If so please get them changed on your service, they're crap! I locked my rear twice (in a straight line) involuntarily, and I've never before then locked the rear involuntarily in over 15 years of riding. They really are crapola.

^^This is excellent advice. I hung in there and wore out the rear. Put on a better tire, and immediately swapped the front out too. If only I'd known sooner. They are *Expletive Deleted*!!!