Undertaker
Moped
Had a very close call, something that in all my years of riding has never happened before.
Let me set this up so you can get a clear picture.
On a 4 lane, 45mph speed limit.
Raining hard, had been for awhile.
Coming into a red traffic light, about 30 mph.
To the left is a third lane with it's own light, I need to move over to make a left turn into a Walmart. Turn signal on I ease over into this lane.
Downshifting, I am in the third lane running at about 20mph easing back on the throttle, no brakes yet, just using engine/throttle braking, coming up to the light, I still have some distance to slow down in the rain, nice and easy.
Suddenly the rear tire snaps violently to the left and the front wheel gives the feeling of being in a vice. I get two quick tank slaps left and right and the bike goes back to running straight and true. Fortunately I had a relaxed grip on the both the throttle grip and clutch hand grip, as I feel the handle bars jerk hard. I think if I had a "death grip" on the steering the bike would have went down.
Still can't figure out what happened, not like a skid or slide I have ever encountered before, so I make my turn and come back again through the same area to look it over.
Then I see a steel expansion joint running about 30 yards long parallel to the direction I was riding. It is sunk down slightly in the road surface, covered in rain water, centered in the lane. WOW!
I have seen these expansion joints on the end of bridges run 180 degrees across the flow of traffic, but this one is running in the direction of traffic, with rain on the road, it was nearly invisible.
The Good Lord gave me a Guardian Angel, and he lost some feathers on his wings at that stop light!
Just telling of the event so it doesn't happen to anyone else. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't! :-[
Let me set this up so you can get a clear picture.
On a 4 lane, 45mph speed limit.
Raining hard, had been for awhile.
Coming into a red traffic light, about 30 mph.
To the left is a third lane with it's own light, I need to move over to make a left turn into a Walmart. Turn signal on I ease over into this lane.
Downshifting, I am in the third lane running at about 20mph easing back on the throttle, no brakes yet, just using engine/throttle braking, coming up to the light, I still have some distance to slow down in the rain, nice and easy.
Suddenly the rear tire snaps violently to the left and the front wheel gives the feeling of being in a vice. I get two quick tank slaps left and right and the bike goes back to running straight and true. Fortunately I had a relaxed grip on the both the throttle grip and clutch hand grip, as I feel the handle bars jerk hard. I think if I had a "death grip" on the steering the bike would have went down.
Still can't figure out what happened, not like a skid or slide I have ever encountered before, so I make my turn and come back again through the same area to look it over.
Then I see a steel expansion joint running about 30 yards long parallel to the direction I was riding. It is sunk down slightly in the road surface, covered in rain water, centered in the lane. WOW!
I have seen these expansion joints on the end of bridges run 180 degrees across the flow of traffic, but this one is running in the direction of traffic, with rain on the road, it was nearly invisible.
The Good Lord gave me a Guardian Angel, and he lost some feathers on his wings at that stop light!
Just telling of the event so it doesn't happen to anyone else. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't! :-[
