So I'm on my way to work around 6:15 a.m. this morning enjoying the crisp 36°f air, when all of a sudden a pickup truck from a construction company came out of nowhere on a side street and turned right into my lane without looking. I hit the brakes hard and felt my back wheel hopping (almost felt like ABS) as I came to a stop. Looks like I stopped just a foot short of being hit. Whew...dont need any coffee this morning, as that incident has woken me up like a fire alarm from a deep slumber.
Anyway, why did my back wheel hop like that? I've never had to hit the brakes that hard before, and I'm assuming maybe I hit a little too much rear brake? Anyone have any insight? Any tips for next time?
Yeah, I've got one: BE REALLY CAREFULL WITH RIDIN' ON BIKES, BECAUSE CARS & TRUCK ECT. DRIVERS JUST DO NOT SEE BIKERS UNLESS THEY WON'T BE SHUT DOWN... ;)
It's just called wheel hop, can happen on acceleration or stopping as the suspension tries to handle what's going on.
Not being there and not seeing what happened and not knowing how hard you applied that brake, I would say you locked it up and released it and reapplied it not being conscious of the fact and that cause the wheel to hop.
I hit both brakes about as hard as possible (with a strong but gradual pull on the front brake) . I felt it "hop" probably 5 or so times until I came to a complete stop. Felt like ABS only much more pronounced. I'm just making sure nothing actually went wrong! Rode on my lunch break today and everything seems fine, so I'm guessing it has to do with the suspension maybe being a little stiff.
A few days ago I had to do an emergency stop, but my back-end wagged about like a dog's tail and I slapped my right saddlebag against a guy's rear left bumper area. Didn't experience any hopping though.
It really is an eye opener. The rear end of a very heavy motorcycle waving about like a piece of paper...you only understand it after you've felt it first-hand.
Raiderbill is right. Wheel hop happens when you lock up the brakes and the friction between the tire and road gets very high. Your bike is light, and so when the rear shocks drop to the point where the spring unloads, like during hard braking as the mass of the bike moves froward, the resonant frequency of the unsprung mass drops down to the resonant frequency of the sprung mass. This is going to make the entire system much more sensitive to wheel hop starting. How far the shocks drop won't cause the wheel hop. If the spring comes unloaded, then there is no weight on the rear tires other than the unsprung weight of the axle, wheel, brakes, etc. This is what will lower the resonant frequency and help cause wheel hop. You'll notice this happening on a bike more then a car because the bike is lighter. Pick up trucks probably experience this more then most other 4 wheel vehicles, because they are lighter in the rear.
We used to teach beginners how to handle this situation but about 10 years ago, the exercise was eliminated. All we do is explain the what any why, and how to keep control. Sometimes, especially in the later stages, the beginners will accidentally have this happen. Never had anyone drop the bike, but it sure made big eyeball mark inside their face shields!
Helmet cam. Pass the video to the local police.
I had this a couple of weeks ago. A chap in a car turned across in front of me to get into the petrol station, forcing me to a very rapid stop. I had used my horn early because I sensed what he was going to do.
I asked him which parts of the headlight, driving lights, marker lights and fluorescent yellow jacket he had not seen. The response? "I didn't see you because of the sun glinting off the chrome".
Apparently sun glinting of chrome makes you blind and also makes you deaf. I suspect he was on the phone.
I was forced to use a moderately rude word.
Quote from: Pete on May 03, 2015, 04:17:34 AM"I didn't see you because of the sun glinting off the chrome".
So he did see you! Chrome doesn't magically appear out of thin air. It's connected to a vehicle!
Any excuse for being an a$$hole that shouldn't be allowed to drive...they look you right in the eye and still pull out in front...words are ok, but a 12 ga speaks with more authority.