Tank Slap
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Really ef'd up transfer of energy.
Its normaly caused when the front wheel comes down slightly cocked while the bike is travelling at a nice rate of speed. I said "nice" because it doesn't always have to be a high rate of speed.
Steering dampners were made to HELP prevent this.
Its normaly caused when the front wheel comes down slightly cocked while the bike is travelling at a nice rate of speed. I said "nice" because it doesn't always have to be a high rate of speed.
Steering dampners were made to HELP prevent this.
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Usually it is caused by laziness on the part of the rider. Instead of using legs to get a position change on the bike the rider "Pulls" himself up with the bars. Exactly what was said earlier is what happens. the front wheel comes down pointed in a different direction than the rear is traveling and the two tires try to get back in line. A good steering damper will help a rider correct this but I wouldn't hold much hope on the stock busa damper getting you out of a good one.
Cheers
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Good read.
http://www.msgroup.org/TIP190.html
The most reposted tank slapper video.
It would be REALLY hard to induce a "tank slapper" in a well maintained Busa as it's one of the most stable bike made.
cheers
ken
http://www.msgroup.org/TIP190.html
The most reposted tank slapper video.
It would be REALLY hard to induce a "tank slapper" in a well maintained Busa as it's one of the most stable bike made.
cheers
ken
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IScream
Registered
I came really close one time on a ZX9R. Full throttle in 3rd gear at over 100 MPH. Just ran over a little bump in the road and it started shaking pretty bad. I somehow remembered that it was better to be loose on the bars and it settled back down. Scared the crap out of me though.
The busa has never even done a head shake on me after a couple hundred wheelies at different speeds. I think staying loose on the bars helps a lot...
-Chris
The busa has never even done a head shake on me after a couple hundred wheelies at different speeds. I think staying loose on the bars helps a lot...
-Chris
It can happen anytime the front wheel loses traction. Uneven road surfaces under extreme acceleration and wet pavement with paint stripes are other culprits. Steering dampers were created just for this reason.
Haya01B
Registered
I had it happen to me on my 01' busa. I was in Va on a the back roads and they are not flat. They are curved with the center being the highest point. It had just rained and I was slowing down for a turn and I heard my front tire slide and then my right handle bar flew back towards the tank and down I went. It happened so quick that I could not recover I tried. I was nervous as hell every time I touch the brakes for a long time after.
Zoinks!
Registered
That was a good read, but the only thing I'm not quite sure I agree with is the slowing down part. Think about it. Is the bike more stable when at low speed, or high speed? High speed. Also, I had a cousin that went into a tank slap and he nailed the throttle and that's what saved him. The faster he got, the more stable it became till it was smooth again. Not a wheelie, just hard acceleration. Can't exactly say which is the "correct" way to get out of it, but accelerating obviously worked for him, and it makes sense that goin faster would smooth it out. The guy in that link also made a good point that it loads the front shocks, but I just don't think that adding preasure to the forks would help that much. It's not an up and down thing, it's a side to side thing. But who knows, and I don't exactly want to find out first hand.
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Zoinks!
Registered
Thanks ibified!
I hope this helps--- My Busa has never tank slapped on me-- but my 85 Ninja 900 sure did at well over a 100
Full lock to lock...due to the bumpy interstate 80 in the truck lane...... went on for about three seconds--
I pulled in the clutch..instantly quit--rolling off the gas loaded the front tire..kept it going..untill i did that with the clutch...
Also on my old Concours a worn out front tire.. headshook alot..
Full lock to lock...due to the bumpy interstate 80 in the truck lane...... went on for about three seconds--
I pulled in the clutch..instantly quit--rolling off the gas loaded the front tire..kept it going..untill i did that with the clutch...
Also on my old Concours a worn out front tire.. headshook alot..
Dobieman
Registered
I had it happen one time on a mid eighties Yamaha standard and it was violent. I have heard a couple people say they saved it by pulling a wheelie but I doubt they had a violent one, cause all I could do was hang on for dear life and yes I went down. The old yammie couldn't have pulled a wheelie anyway and I know I had zero throttle control once it started slapping from lock to lock. I didn't even know what it was back then. looking back later I figured it out. Some road rash and minor aches was the extent. Back then jeans, t shirt and full face was the norm. Hope I never experience that again.
Of course the geometry on that bike was night and day different to the Busa.
For those that added a top mount damper, did you take off the factory one?
Of course the geometry on that bike was night and day different to the Busa.
For those that added a top mount damper, did you take off the factory one?
One other safety note!! You will have to pump the front brakes when you get it under control to get the brakes back. When you first grap them it will be like you just changed your front tire and you won't have brakes. This can cause panic in the inexperienced rider as well and lead to other problems.
Cheers
Cheers
If your bars are not hitting the steering stops, it's just head shake. There is a world of difference in a genuine tank slapper and simple head shake. Most of us have experienced head shake at one time or another. However, if you've never crashed, I doubt you have experienced a tank slapper.
In 2003 I totally demolished a new busa at about 80 knots and experienced the real deal tank slapper. It was so violent it instantly snatched the bars from my hands and the sound of the bars hitting the steering stops sounded like a machine gun for about half a second before I was airborne like a missle about six feet off the pavement. As a result, the busa went end over end for about a hundred yards. Hauled it home in boxes.
And by the way, this whole thing began by my touching the rear brake ever so lightly at the absolute wrong time.
From my experience, if you can hang onto the bars long enough to apply WOT, it's head shake.
In 2003 I totally demolished a new busa at about 80 knots and experienced the real deal tank slapper. It was so violent it instantly snatched the bars from my hands and the sound of the bars hitting the steering stops sounded like a machine gun for about half a second before I was airborne like a missle about six feet off the pavement. As a result, the busa went end over end for about a hundred yards. Hauled it home in boxes.
And by the way, this whole thing began by my touching the rear brake ever so lightly at the absolute wrong time.
From my experience, if you can hang onto the bars long enough to apply WOT, it's head shake.
All I can say is you can analize it anyway you wish.A good dampner is the answer!
P-Willy
Registered
Wow, can you elaborate on when the wrong time to hit the rear brake was? Makes for a good story but i'd like to avoid that experience if at all possible.
Tank slapper is transfer of kinetic energy from the front of the bike to the rear. The faster the bike goes the greater that energy becomes. Basically it'll make it worse.
What saved your cousin was not the actual speed, it was the hard acceleration. That caused the front wheel to lighten up a bit which reduced the energy being transfered to the rear which in turn reduced the slapper. In other words, if you can wheelie during a slapper you can almost always get out of it because there'd be no energy being sent from the front to the rear. You might end up hitting a guard rail, but you'll be out of the tank slapper.
I understand your concept of higher speed equals more stable which is 100% true. But the case at hand deals with transfer of energy.
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