Total Motorcycle Community Forums

RhadamYgg wrote:Some of us play avoidance maneuvers with the manhole covers. I do it sometimes, but I am concerned that people will think I'm a freak zigging and zagging on the road.

RhadamYgg

Excellent Idea. Let them think you are a freak, RY, and they will give you extra room. They would certainly have a different view of you if you went down just in front of them.

My local coucil loves to put herds of manhole covers on sharp bends and at the entrance to junctions. Most local authroties and utility companies here are completely motorcycle blind.

I usually avoid them at all costs, but if I must ride over one, I'll do it slowly with the drive wheel disengaged.

The things that bother me more are the giant metal slabs they put over the road when they've excavated under it for fiber/sewer work or something. Those are harder to avoid, since they usually cover the whole road. I once rode over the very lip of one on an older bike with skinny tires, and the couple inch difference in height nearly threw me off the bike.

Maybe I've been lucky too. I'm still a Rook but I ride over them all the time with no problems. My main concerns are potholes and gravel/oil. Maybe I should add covers to the list....

Gunslinger wrote:Maybe I've been lucky too. I'm still a Rook but I ride over them all the time with no problems. My main concerns are potholes and gravel/oil. Maybe I should add covers to the list....

I think it is reasonable to think of manhole covers as a threat. Just considering the idea that the metal has a different, lower amount of friction and that motorcycles have only a small amount of contact patch - I'd think it would at least be a concern.

It does get lip time in the Proficient Motorcycling book and I think the Motorcycling Excellence book as a threat.

RhadamYgg

we dont really have many man-hole covers in our roads, what we do have are tram tracks up the centre of most roads and thats the same as haveing train lines on most of your major streets, they are steel, some what proud of the road surface, and are lethal when wet, and each of the 2 traks have a groove in them big enough to trap a tyre.

The way I manage the steel tracks is to urinate on the tyres before I ride, I really hose em down, spray a bit on the pipes as well cause I like the smell, then charge at the tracks as hard and fast as I can, like i stole it, it has worked for me so far.

Somebody down under is rollin' on the X big time...

Gunslinger wrote:Somebody down under is rollin' on the X big time...

Ah, I spy a non believer ????


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