Tank slappers, how common?

dhart

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A couple years ago on my Goldwing, I came out of a tight curve that was wet from water dripping down from an overpass, and goosed the throttle to merge into traffic when I experience my first--and hopefully my last--tank slapper.

Scared the bejesus out of me, I basically did nothing but ease off the throttle and prepared to die. The bike straightened up on its own.

That experience sits in the back of my head when I round corners with the Busa at speeds I could never take the wing. I'm operating on the assumption that it's the excellerating too hard and too soon out of a corner along with the road surface that I need to watch for.

Any tank slapper survivors?
 
I had one @ 85mph , lowsided. I was not hurt very badly.

I have powered out of corners like mad on the Busa and it wont tank slap, God knows ive tried!
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Seriously though, the Busa is one stable mofo, ive never had even the slightest wobble.

Be smooth and dont deathgrip the bars and you should be fine.
 
just remember and I know it is hard to do but when you get into a tank slapper whack the throttle wide open if you can and get the front end light and this will allow the bike to recover. The main reason tank slappers happens is the front end getting light and not having the wheel pointed in the direction of travel so if you can react fast enough you can just point the wheel in the direction of travel and it should come out of it.

On another note I have never had a tank slapper(knock on wood) with the Busa and I am always ripping it out of tight corners, and make sure your steering dampner is in good shape, this will help with keeping the tank slapper's under control.
 
Two ways to get a tank slapper? Either the front wheel or the rear wheel is out of alignment with the path of travel. Lift the front tire and allow it to touch the pavement out or alignment with the bike and that's the beginning of a tank slapper. If you are doing wheelies, which many of us do, if the front is just slightly out of alignment, all you get is a little wobble and it straightens out on it's own. The farther out of alignment the front tire, the more severe the wobble. There is a huge amount of difference in a wobble which we all get at times and a tank "SLAPPER" which goes from stop to stop. If you get a nasty wobble, give it throttle to lighten up the front and she will settle right down. If you get a "SLAPPER" you can kiss your butt goodbye as you are going for a highside ride! A real slapper is so violent you cannot hold onto the bars. I've had one and the bars nearly broke my left hand when they were ripped from my grip and hit the back of my hand on the first return trip to the bar stop. Next thing I know I'm launche through the air like a missile. You'll know the difference in a front wheel wobble and a slapper.

The other way and most common is getting the rear wheel out of alignment with the bike travel, either caused when traction is lost on a corner by spinning or skidding the rear with the brake? When the rear looses traction in the leaned position it swings the rear of the bike to the outside of the turn. The natural reaction is to let off the brake or throttle. This allows the rear tire to grab traction while the bike is out of alignment. Once it grabs traction it flings the rear of the bike to the inside past center thus the beginning of a tank slapper.

You can also get a tank slapper in a straight line while upright if you use your rear brake while braking hard with the front. Just a little rear brake while braking hard with the front will lock the rear causing it to skid. When the rear breaks traction it will try to pass the front causing the bike to become crossed up. Let go of the rear brake and you can easily get the tank slapper from hell.

There are lots of dvd's out showing tank slappers on the track. Mostly racers. Some were saved but most end up being launched via a high side. I don't think it's possible to have a nice gently lowside as a result of a tank slapper? When the front wheel becomes violent the result is usually your bike becoming airborne. There is a dvd out called "Road Rage II" that has a number of tank slappers as well as the results. These are professional racers and a couple are saved but most end up with the bike as well as the rider being airborne.
 
just remember and I know it is hard to do but when you get into a tank slapper whack the throttle wide open if you can and get the front end light and this will allow the bike to recover. The main reason tank slappers happens is the front end getting light and not having the wheel pointed in the direction of travel so if you can react fast enough you can just point the wheel in the direction of travel and it should come out of it.

On another note I have never had a tank slapper(knock on wood) with the Busa and I am always ripping it out of tight corners, and make sure your steering dampner is in good shape, this will help with keeping the tank slapper's under control.
+1 more gas.

Yes it works. At the time the tankslapper was about the least scary thing that happend taking into account the 20 seconds leading up to it.

...and BTW you can also go into a tank slapper from hitting an enormous rock
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The farther out of alignment the front tire, the more severe the wobble. There is a huge amount of difference in a wobble which we all get at times and a tank "SLAPPER"
I guess I experienced severe wobble, the handlebars were whipping side to side like a dog drying itself, I didn't hang onto them as so much as kept my hands on them in case it straigthend up. I came out of a 20 mph corner and goosed may up to 45 mph when the bronco started to bucking from side to side.

Reading your info, I'm sure my coming off a patch of wet asphalt and goosing it onto dry pavement was the culprit.

Thanks for the info, guys.
 
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