mickey@proper.UUCP (Michael Thompson) (02/29/84)
{munch munch}
As a relatively novice biker, i have become increasingly distressed at
the appearance on our freeways of what i believe should be termed a
road hazard. I am refering to those parallel but wavy grooves or
gouges that have plagued our freeways since the '70s.
Apparently designed to prevent hydroplaning, or the formation of a
sheet of water on the surface of the pavement upon which tires can
slide, these grooves are not noticeable in 4 wheel vehicles. But their
"wavyness" tends to make one feel that the front tire of one's motorcycle
is floating from side to side, which many of you might recognize as a
not-too-confortable feeling.
My questions are:
Is this in fact dangerous, or does it just seem that way?
Does the weight of the bike make a difference as to the degree
of this feeling? ( I have a 392 lb Ascot VT 500 )
Is there anyone out there who isn't bothered by these grooves, and
if so, what kind of bike and tires do you have?
Will i get used to this feeling?
Is there anything can do about this ( like adjust tire pressure )?
Thanks much....bill@dual.UUCP (Bill Kanawyer) (02/29/84)
Yes, rain groves are a pain. The best (only) thing that can be done about
them is to change your tires.
Take a look at the front tire on your bike. I think you will find that,
like most imports, it has groves that run parallel to each other arround
the tire. These 'catch' in the rain groves and try to follow them like a
street car. If you change the front tire over to some other tread pattern
say like a hash mark... \\|// this should help alot. Changing the back tire
will also improve handling if it too has parallel treads. Sorry, I know of
no better (cheaper) way other then staying off the groves.
Happy trails,
Bill Kanawyer
{ucbvax,amd70,ihnp4,cbosgd,decwrl,fortune}!dual!bill