BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Leaving work today I got caught 2nd in line at the first red light. This highway is a divided 6 lane and I was in the far right lane, stopped behind a car. I stopped about 2 bike lengths behind and 6" to the left of the car, angled about 10-15 degrees to the left into what would be my escape lane if needed. I even rehearsed an escape manuever of jumping in between the car and the truck next to him, then doing a HARD left to "hide" in front of the truck should another car plow into my space.

As *usually* happens, no one entered my space at 30MPH and all was well. For about 3 seconds.

The truck ahead and to my left (next to the car ahead of me in my lane, 1st in line for the light in the center lane) was a brand new tractor with no trailer...called a "bobtail". When the light changed green he lurched forward in low and almost instantly declutched to shift to 2nd. The fuel in the right saddle tank, now dead even with me, sloshed forward so hard it forced the hinged "quick-fill" gas cap open and about $5.00 worth of Exxon's finest diesel fuel shot straight towards me. I was already accelerating so it only got "close" but didn't hit me.

I turned on the seat and waved my arm and pointed to his tank area. The old guy was kind of gazing towards the horizon and I don't think he saw me and I had to turn back around and go on.

I know that diesel fuel is now in the "clean track" I had stopped in for the light and that any bike trying to stop where I had only moments before would have a high likelihood of going down. The fuel would have been very difficult to see in the traffic.

Lesson learned: You can do everything right and still encounter something totally unexpected that could take you out. Be very careful out there.


NOTE: Had I come along and hit the diesel in the "clean track" 30 seconds after it was spilled I don't know whether I would have gone down or not, you never really know until you either stop or crash. I don't *think* I would but...

Now, I have often reluctantly found myself on the "anti" side of the ABS/Non ABS debates here, but only because I don't like links or servos. I am a big proponent of "pure" ABS and wish all my bikes had it, just for situations like this. I don't believe it is a panacea for all poor traction braking situations but I do think it would have improved my odds here. Part of the reason I think that is I would still have been carefully modulating the brakes, not just "grab a handful and hold on".

Bad idea. If you manually modulate ABS brakes, you are defeating their function and you render ABS brakes less effective. ABS automatically modulates. Either apply ABS brakes without modulating, or get non-ABS brakes and modulate the hell out of them.

Anonymous wrote:Bad idea. If you manually modulate ABS brakes, you are defeating their function and you render ABS brakes less effective. ABS automatically modulates. Either apply ABS brakes without modulating, or get non-ABS brakes and modulate the hell out of them.

I'm fairly sure Dave has that figured out. I don't think he meant he would modulate ABS brakes should he get a bike with ABS.

Edit: Sorry if that sounded Snotty. Wasn't meant to.

report spill to cops along with trucks tag info.
If anyone goes down at least that jerk will end up paying.

report spill to cops along with trucks tag info.
If anyone goes down at least that jerk will end up paying

Good idea...but this was in the heat of battle in 5:00 PM traffic. And 100 Deg F.
I found out this morning that one of my co-workers in a cage saw this and got the driver's attention. He pulled over and she assumed he properly fastened the fuel tank cap. She thought the fuel splash had gone all over me & the bike.

4th January, 1969 - 2.30 pm - I went down due to a truck fuel spill on a favourite twisty - one I had just 30 minutes before gone around.

The days before protective wear - 1st point of contact right knee and both hands. I still wear significant skin modifications to this day all over as I slid for some while in a T shirt and shorts.

You go down quickly.

Tks for reminding us of that kind of that real danger - one not easily seen until it is too late.

You go down quickly.

That's the truth. I low sided last week coming out of a parking lot on new/cold tires. First time I've had a tire spin up and not hook back up. Before I knew it, I was on my ass next to the bike. Happened so quick, I still had my hand on the throttle while on the ground next to my bike. Talk about a horizontal burnout .