Diesel Spills

[freddytin]

Spent the day on the Triumph avoiding fuel spillage, after fuel spillage in the pouring rain.....I'm thinking everyone has been brimming up ,what with the fuel shortage an' all.

Anybody else noticed this , or have I been singled out by the Stinky , Smelly , Noisy , Dirty , Diesel brigade ?

[Carl-H]

Not noticed it my self but it is annoying. Luckily you can usually smell it but I do cringe when your following someone (often with a dark visr) who goes flying into a diesel covered roundabout.

[Ruttager]

Actually I noticed this, so did my instructor. There was tonnes of oil/fuel on the roads today. You'd think that at the price it is, people would try and keep it where it should be.

[hiccy]

Carl-H said:

Not noticed it my self but it is annoying. Luckily you can usually smell it but I do cringe when your following someone (often with a dark visr) who goes flying into a diesel covered roundabout.

You can smell it around town, but try pulling off a dual carriageway onto a sweeping curved underpass for a bridge that has a nice two foot wide spill all around the corner right where you want to place the bike. In the wet. At speed.

[freddytin]

Ruttager said:

Actually I noticed this, so did my instructor. There was tonnes of oil/fuel on the roads today. You'd think that at the price it is, people would try and keep it where it should be.

That's what I call being thrown in at the deep end. Any tips from the instructor on handling front end slides cornering on diesel ?

[aeropilot]

There was a huge diesel spill this eve on the Bridge Hotel roundabout under the A40, so be warned if anyone is riding in that area.

[Ruttager]

freddytin said:

Ruttager said:

Actually I noticed this, so did my instructor. There was tonnes of oil/fuel on the roads today. You'd think that at the price it is, people would try and keep it where it should be.

That's what I call being thrown in at the deep end. Any tips from the instructor on handling front end slides cornering on diesel ?

ha ha not really, he just said that it was acceptable to move of line to avoid the spills. Not much else you can really do I suppose. Luckily it was mostly on straight bits of road.

[711]

freddytin said:

Ruttager said:

Actually I noticed this, so did my instructor. There was tonnes of oil/fuel on the roads today. You'd think that at the price it is, people would try and keep it where it should be.

That's what I call being thrown in at the deep end. Any tips from the instructor on handling front end slides cornering on diesel ?

I'm not a guru on this particular topic, but my past strategy has been to put all my weight through the pegs (i.e. nearly riding horse-jokey style), and gripping the tank with my knees so that I can get the lightest possible touch on the bars.

If you freak out and tense up, you're likely to grab/weight the bars which may make them tuck in/under if it really is that slipy under the front.

I can't imagine "relax" is the thought that would be first in my own mind if I was flying round a wet bend with the reek of diesel up my nose, but I guess that's what you've got to try and do

Everyone recommends off roading to gain feel and bike control for these situations. All I've done is a couple of experience days. I'd say it helped me, as I started to get a feel for a bike that was sliding around all over the place....

[Pupp]

Really is unforgivable in this day and age... saw two huge slicks yesterday morning on the roundabouts off the A428 into Cambourne and had the car lurching horribly on one of them. A bike would have had no chance. If you witness a spill, report it. If you witness one occurring, report the vehicle as being unfit to be on the road.

[Busamav]

freddytin said:

That's what I call being thrown in at the deep end. Any tips from the instructor on handling front end slides cornering on diesel ?

dont try to stand up 'till you have stopped sliding ?

[Ballon]

Pupp said:

Really is unforgivable in this day and age... saw two huge slicks yesterday morning on the roundabouts off the A428 into Cambourne and had the car lurching horribly on one of them. A bike would have had no chance. If you witness a spill, report it. If you witness one occurring, report the vehicle as being unfit to be on the road.

I agree, it ranks just above one of my other pet hates which are concrete spills.

[black-k1]

freddytin said:

Ruttager said:

Actually I noticed this, so did my instructor. There was tonnes of oil/fuel on the roads today. You'd think that at the price it is, people would try and keep it where it should be.

That's what I call being thrown in at the deep end. Any tips from the instructor on handling front end slides cornering on diesel ?

When and where there is an increased risk of diesel spills it is best try and stay as close to the inside of the corner (contrary to Roadcraft) as possible. This is because the spill will generally occur by the fuel getting ‘sloshed’ to the outside of the bend as the vehicle goes round so there is less likely to be diesel on the inside of the corner. This also gives you ‘maximum sliding space’ before you run out of tarmac so if you do find a spill you may be able to simply let the bike drift until your tyres can get some grip before becoming part of the scenery.

[surfsofa]

OK, so not having had the pleasure, are we talking complete loss of traction here?

[black-k1]

surfsofa said:

OK, so not having had the pleasure, are we talking complete loss of traction here?

Yep, complete loss of traction.

[B15TT0]

black-k1 said:

. This is because the spill will generally occur by the fuel getting ‘sloshed’ to the outside of the bend as the vehicle goes round so there is less likely to be diesel on the inside of the corner.

Only if there wasn't a spill coming from the vehicle in the other direction!

Only time i've hit a bad diesel spill was coming onto a roundabout at low speeds. Bike just would not stay upright with both front and back tyre all over the place.

It eventually just slipped onto the horizontal under me and left me running down the road! Slowed myself down to a walk and then had to turn round, walk back and TRY and pick the bike up. Not the weight that was a problem - the lack of traction under foot and tyre was!

It was ridiculous and I'm terrified of hitting something like that at speed.