2002-10-06

Slip and fall!

I met Fred Bill for lunch today. We've been friends for over twenty years. I entertained him with some of the funny and strange stories from my travels. Fred doesn't ride a motorcycle so, as it always does, the subject of motorcycle safety came up. I proudly congratulated myself for not having had a road accident all the way around the world (on the dirt is another matter.) And I assured Fred that while you can never guarantee safety I always rode within my limits and that reduced the chances of having an accident.

You know, whenever you brag about your safety record you might as well not ride for a few days because you are about to have an embarrassing accident. You can count on it.

As if on cue, while we were standing in the parking lot saying our goodbyes a storm began to blow in. I got on the highway hoping to outrun it but instead the wind and rain became more furious. My little KLR was getting pushed around on the highway and the rain fell so heavy it was difficult to see. There was no choice but to pull over at a gas station and wait it out. This was no little storm either. I later learned that the wind gusts exceeded 50 mph at times. Nothing to do but let it pass.

An hour went by and the storm spent itself. All that was left were a few rain sprinkles to keep the road damp. You have to be extra careful when it hasn't rained in a while. Oil collects on the road and the rain lifts it up. The rain will eventually wash it away and clear the road but the first hours will be dangerously slick. If you must ride be mindful that your traction is compromised. No sudden moves! Start, stop and turn slowly. Watch for the road to foam up- a sure sign of oil and grease.

I didn't know it but it hadn't rained in many weeks. I drove about thirty miles into Dallas to meet some friends. Everything was fine and I was driving with care. Probably even more care than usual due to being self-conscious about the conversation. Gentle on the throttle and brake. No quick changes in direction. I didn't feel any loss in traction but I was staying away from the edge and not pushing it. Almost there. I took the exit ramp off the highway. Travelling in a straight line, braking gradually, and wham! the bike fell under me and I was sliding. No warning, no feeling of losing and regaining traction, no sense of the wheel sliding out, just a sudden drop. The bike slid on ahead of me and I followed behind for what seemed like several seconds. I came to a stop and I tried to get to my feet but the asphalt road was so slippery it took a few moments to stand. I walked over to the bike, hit the kill switch, and tried to pick it up. But my feet couldn't get enough traction. A man who saw the accident came over and after asking if I was ok helped me get the bike upright. I rode it slowly to a lot around the corner, parked it and got off to collect my wits.

Fortunately I was ok. I would be a little stiff from the fall but only had the smallest bruise to show for it. The bike landed on its left side and ground down a little of the aluminum on the bark-buster handlebar protector and the corner of the pannier. No problems.

What happened? My theory is the oil on the elevated highway had washed down the exit ramp, the only place for it to go, and built up near the bottom. The tires hadn't failed me. It was so slick that no tires could have provided enough traction. The only thing to compare for slickness would be ice. I had instinctively thrown out my hands and you could see where I hit the ground with my deerskin gloves as they were now permanently stained from the oil. And, by the way, thanks, Helge, for lecturing me on the importance of always wearing gloves. It did some good.

What could I have done different? And what can I do better next time? The best thing to do in that situation is wait for the road to dry or for the rain to go on long enough to wash the oil from the road. Sometimes that may not be an option. Or you might be visiting a place and not know how long it's been since the last rain. In that case be extra careful, wear your safety gear (as you always should), and watch for places where the oil is going to be worse than others. I knew to watch for foam on the road and I knew to stay out of the middle of the lanes (where vehicles drip oil) but it didn't occur to me that it might wash down the exit ramp and collect at the bottom. I'll chalk this one to experience and be glad it wasn't a serious accident.