Crossing train lines

[Hawksam]

Ladies and gentlemen i am in need of your guidence

on my way home from work I follow a sweeping left hand bend (speed limit 70) 3/4 of the way through the bend is a double set
of train tracks, which i normally slow down to cross.

my question is - Should I continue in the lean at 70 or am i right to back off as I come to said train tracks?

I am a bit concerned that I may end up on my side. i always look like this when i come to them

[MrWasabi]

On one of my ways home there are some metal strips on the road which seem to be part of a bridge join. It's on a sweeping bend and limit is 60, on dry days and higher speeds (so I'm told) its no issue and I don't notice any loss inn grip. In wet days however those little fuckers make the rear end slip out even when I'm doing 50.

I've found that entering late and apexing early gave me time to pick up the bike and go over the metal bits with the bike upright. Once I passed the slippery joins of doom I would tip in again and continue the corner.

May not be possible in your situation but scope it out and see if there is a chance for you to go over the lines with the bike upright then continue your corner.

Regardless I would still slow down, anything metal on the road is guaranteed to have a lot less traction than tarmac, specially if wet.

[Wattie]

i find it best to build as much speed as possible and jump the slippery bits....

also works on those rickety wooden bridges out near wisemans.

[P4nza]

i find it best to build as much speed as possible and jump the slippery bits....

also works on those rickety wooden bridges out near wisemans.

Motard riders dont count!!

[seiko1]

Careful when it's wet
Dave and Brian.......Stop pickin on the old, senile people will ya!

[Wattie]

i find it best to build as much speed as possible and jump the slippery bits....

also works on those rickety wooden bridges out near wisemans.

Motard riders dont count!!

I
Havent been down that road on the motard....

[Chitchats]

Fine in dry, but wet look out.

[P4nza]

i find it best to build as much speed as possible and jump the slippery bits....

also works on those rickety wooden bridges out near wisemans.

Motard riders dont count!!

I
Havent been down that road on the motard....

Whens it happening then?

Ok Steve since you volunteerd ill pick on u now

[dilligaf]

I'm have to deal with tram tracks and I try and stand the bike up as much as possible going across them especially in the wet. Like Mr Wasabi. Sooner not fall off. (It hurts) Sometime you can double apex a sweeper so you're more upright in the middle.

[Strika]

:D Ladies and gentlemen i am in need of your guidence

on my way home from work I follow a sweeping left hand bend (speed limit 70) 3/4 of the way through the bend is a double set
of train tracks, which i normally slow down to cross.

my question is - Should I continue in the lean at 70 or am i right to back off as I come to said train tracks?

I am a bit concerned that I may end up on my side. i always look like this when i come to them

As others have said, in the dry the tracks be they tram or train are fine. But, once wet, they become treacherously slippery. So it is always best to square them up when you cross them and have the bike as upright as possible. Same with crossing tram lines wihich run down the street you are riding on. try and cross them with as much as a right angle as possible. I remember hitting some tram lines down the lower end of Brunswiick St on my GPX750 back in about 1989 and the bike let go front and back. I ended up mounting the footpath and used the brickwork below a shopfront window as a berm to turn the bike back onto the road......

[Bogan]

If you put any stock in what they teach in Superbike School, no matter what the scenario you are always best to "stabilise the motorcycle using the throttle". Keep your lean, and wind on the throttle during the turn. In the wet it may be different, but in the dry I'd just keep up it and wind on the gas slowly and gradually.

[MrWasabi]

Problem is that there are no train lines crossing any track I know so that technique wouldn't apply here.

If you are leant over there is less contact patch on the road so your grip is reduced. Throw in slippery metallic surface and you are bound to get some loss of traction, no matter how good your throttle control is.
May not happen all the time but you only need for it to happen once

[tim]

Problem is that there are no train lines crossing any track I know so that technique wouldn't apply here.

This is not "track only" technique. Nor "good traction situation" only technique.

The point of the superbike school theory is that AT THE SAME SPEED a bike will have the best possible traction and chance of staying upright with distribution of the bikes mass spread according to the contact patch size forward vs back, and that is with a moderate wind on of the throttle. (as opposed to braking or coasting or gassing it).

But, if winding on the throttle well BEFORE the tracks means you're hitting them 30km/hr faster that's not going to help with traction. Still, it's better than getting to the track and getting on the brakes

[Blurr]

Problem is that there are no train lines crossing any track I know so that technique wouldn't apply here.

This is not "track only" technique. Nor "good traction situation" only technique.

The point of the superbike school theory is that AT THE SAME SPEED a bike will have the best possible traction and chance of staying upright with distribution of the bikes mass spread according to the contact patch size forward vs back, and that is with a moderate wind on of the throttle. (as opposed to braking or coasting or gassing it).

But, if winding on the throttle well BEFORE the tracks means you're hitting them 30km/hr faster that's not going to help with traction. Still, it's better than getting to the track and getting on the brakes

wont help when the contact patch of the tyre is reduced because of the lean angle.

Straight line and having the tyre on the bit where water dispersion grooves exist would be the best in my books.

No good having constant throttle whilst in lean then you rear tyre hits the slippery metal and decides not to follow the path of the frot tyre. What does CSS teach you then?

To much faith held in Keith Code teachings being gospel

[tim]

wont help when the contact patch of the tyre is reduced because of the lean angle.

Straight line and having the tyre on the bit where water dispersion grooves exist would be the best in my books.

No good having constant throttle whilst in lean then you rear tyre hits the slippery metal and decides not to follow the path of the frot tyre. What does CSS teach you then?

Agree entirely best thing is to be upright on the tracks and keep your speed down, I was discussing the throttle technique ONLY. This is how the technique section could turn into a shit fight