Locked front wheel twice in a row and stayed up!

[BP_LONDON]

Was heading home from a shopping trip. Early evening and the roads were very wet. I was following a car a little too closely around 25-30mph and it suddenly braked hard. I grabbed a fistful of front brake and locked the front wheel, it skidded for about 50-60cm, I let go and it locked again and skid for the same distance. The bike somehow stayed upright and balanced - I was a little shocked and it's a lucky reminder to me about staying focused and aware at all times.

[Patrick the Scot]

Congrats on keeping the shiny side up.  Makes you wonder about all that ABS business. FJRw/ABS? What is that like...? Hmmm.

[BP_LONDON]

I've always been a great proponent of ABS on bikes. Is there a way to upgrade a Tiger to ABS? Guess that'll have to be a Triumph issue with the 2006-07 models....

[52blackshadow]

Hate to sound like I'm having a downer on you, but if you're so close to the car in front in the rain that you lock the front wheel up trying to stop in time, then rather than congratulate yourself on not losing it, or suggest that the bike needs ABS, perhaps you should be reviewing your riding style and considering whether advanced training would be appropriate.



You were lucky this time, next time you may be banked over slightly when it happens, and you'll lose it and hurt yourself (and quite likely others!).



Pleased you kept it up, but I don't get the impression that you've learned from the experience!



Cheers,

       

Shadow  (30 + years riding in all weathers, average 30K+ per year and can't remember when I last locked up my front wheel - Tiger or anything else).

[BP_LONDON]

Shadow, thanks for the speech. You sound like a very experienced rider that never makes mistakes. Congrats :)



I do however agree with you that it's all my fault. What I intended to say is that I lost focus and concentration for a few seconds (the lockup happened 20 seconds after I pulled into the road, so I did not even really have time to adjust my 2 second follow distance.) and even losing concentration for a small amount of time is not good on a bike at all.

[52blackshadow]

Like I said at the start of my last post - Sorry if it sounds like I'm having a downer on you!



Of course I make mistakes, but if I'd locked the front wheel up on my bike twice in close succession then I'd be looking for a lesson to learn from it (note:  Not looking for blame!).



Please don't take it the wrong way - I don't know anything about you, how experienced you are, what else you rode before getting your Tiger etc, but it takes a pretty ham fisted grab to lock the front end on a bike like this, which suggests to me that you don't have a great deal of experience on big / powerful bikes.  If that is the case then you need to see it as a warning and mabee practice braking a bit more gently!  If I've got this totally wrong, and you're a very experienced rider who doesn't need to listen to advice then please feel free to ignore everything I've said - it's not my arse that's going to slide up the road if you get it wrong again!



All the best,



Shadow.

[BP_LONDON]

Shadow thanks for the advice. I'm actually taking an Advanced Training and Bikesafe London course with a friend in a few weeks time/We discussed it a month or two ago. I've told him earlier that incidents like these shows me that I can do with some more discipline and training - especially when 80% of my biking is inside busy London. I don't want to become complacent on my Tiger - I am confident, but know my limitations and I do try and learn from my mistakes - heck, I ride like an angel compared to most L platers and couriers I see everyday. I've been riding on and off for around 11 years which is not a lot compared to most Tiger riders out there.





PS: Coming back to the locking wheel thing. Is it just me or are the tiger front brakes a little 'grabby'.  :? Another thing that might have contributed to the front wheel lock was the adjustment of my front brakes after I had the front pistons (calipers) rebuilt a week ago (see earlier post). The brakes feel better, but a little snappier now. I have a feeling it's taking longer for me to get used to them than I thought! Any thoughts?

[Badger]

PS: Coming back to the locking wheel thing. Is it just me or are the tiger front brakes a little 'grabby'.  :? Another thing that might have contributed to the front wheel lock was the adjustment of my front brakes after I had the front pistons (calipers) rebuilt a week ago (see earlier post). The brakes feel better, but a little snappier now. I have a feeling it's taking longer for me to get used to them than I thought! Any thoughts?

I have a 6 month old Tiger and I wish the front brake had a bit more bite. I find compared to the back the front feels soft. Just after I got the bike I bled the brakes which improved it but compared with past rides I would like a bit more. Care to swap.  



Bob

[NortonCharlie]

When I 1st rode a Tiger I thought the front brake felt a bit grabby, but I was coming off a 73 Norton 850 Commando.  I was informed by other Tiger riders that what I thought was grabby was simply modern brakes.  Enough of that.  



After my stock pads wore out,  I replaced them with EBC organic pads.  They definately felt smoother and more progressive than the stock pads, but they definately were weak when wet ond wore out in about 1/3 the miles the Triumph pads did.  I have since changed back to the Triumph pads and they definately come on harder than the organic pads did.  After alot of miles (40,000) I have to say I like the more aggressive Triumph pads.



I think you will find the same thing and that the grabbyness you are talking about is something to get used to and it is a good thing.  Find a deserted stretch of road and practice your stopping.  The brakes will start to feel normal and you may start thinking they should more powerful.



BTW,  I locked my front tire a couple of times in the 1st few thousand miles riding the Tiger.  It has taken some practice to avoid a full handfull of brake when some idiot runs into your path.  Also it is alot easier to  lock that wheel at 20 MPH than at 80 MPH

[Chris Canning]

Best ABS system I've came a cross is the one that keeps my ears apart!!, I to locked my brakes up the other day the reason??? not paying attention!!



Tiger??? Powerfull are you kidding me god knows what you'd make of a Gixxer thou!!!.



I found my brakes e'rm OK very average but certainley not grabby,I took e'm off and replaced them with Beringers.



Chris



IF you switch the box on this weekend for the Valencian GP and it's pissing down!! think of me i'll be in the grandstand,i'm told they forcast rain!!! I hope not.

[Badger]

...IF you switch the box on this weekend for the Valencian GP and it's pissing down!! think of me i'll be in the grandstand,i'm told they forcast rain!!! I hope not...

And I'm not even slightly jealous.      



Bob

[52blackshadow]

I have to admit that I don't find the Tiger brakes grabby, but I've ridden quite a mix of modern (ish) kit over the years and seem to have reached the point where I swap bikes often enough to be comfortable on a new machine pretty quickly.



Some sound bits of advice on earlier threads, it may be worth experimenting with different pads, and if it's really grabby it could be worth taking the discs off and checking they are true and not cracked?(rare, but it could be the problem). Any advanced training is good, but so is riding your bike and getting used to it's character. Perhaps more mileage outside Londons traffic would let you concentrate on the bike instead of the traffic conditions (I don't know your circumstances, but family commitments prevent me getting off for jollies most weekends. Many of us now ride more for work etc than for fun, and that often means we never get used to our bikes in a relaxed rideout.).



Hope you get it sorted -  let us know if you find a problem.



Shadow.

[Brock]

What brakes?

The trick is only use 'em when you're stopping.

Your eyes are far more useful on a bike.

Sermon over.

[Badger]

What brakes?

The trick is only use 'em when you're stopping.

Your eyes are far more useful on a bike.

Sermon over.

You been drinking Chris.  



Bob

[BP_LONDON]

What brakes?

The trick is only use 'em when you're stopping.

Your eyes are far more useful on a bike.

Sermon over.

Agreed. Would not need to brake that hard again if I keep to my following distances, then again, this is London...