Traction can be tricky

Traction in the rain can be particularly tricky. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

On May 16, 2009, 28 year old July A. was riding his 700cc 1987 Honda Magna along a two-lane country road in Fairfax, Virginia. Although it was not raining, the roads were wet from an earlier downpour. It was still daylight at about 7:30 pm as July came around a sweeping right-hand turn. As July leaned his motorcycle into the curve, the rear tire lost traction and slid out, causing a low-side crash.

As he and his bike skidded across the blacktop, July felt himself roll at least one time. He came to a stop close to the center-line of the road. His motorcycle ended up in the grass on the far shoulder.

Luckily, no other traffic had been coming in either direction. July sustained only minor injuries:

a scratch on the left elbow
a minor scratch on the right forearm
a sore right elbow
minor road-rash on both knees

Damage to July’s motorcycle & gear included:

scratches to the headlight bezel, windshield, mirror and brake lever. A bent brake lever and sheered off highway peg. Two “muffler protectors” on the exhaust were torn off
a scratch to the chin bar of July’s full-faced helmet

July stated that he normally wears full protective gear. On this occasion, he made an unusual decision to forego his FieldSheer riding jacket. When he crashed, he was wearing military style cargo pants, a t-shirt, Sidi OnRoad boots, Olympia leather gloves and an HJC CL-SP full-face helmet.

July was asked if wearing different protective gear would have made a difference in the outcome of this crash. He responded: “If I had been wearing my Fieldsheer leather jacket with armor, my upper body injuries could have been lessened. I do not own any leather pants, but the knee injuries may have been eliminated as well." July also acknowledged that without his full-face helmet, injuries to his face could have occurred.

After righting his motorcycle, July had to ride home around the same corner where he had just crashed. As he went around this corner again, July stated: “I noticed a strip of gravel, in the middle of the road. I can only hypothesize that the wet road and the gravel caused the rear tire to lose traction. I did not see the gravel because the rain had darkened the road and gravel (to) very close colors."

When asked what he might have done in hindsight to help avoid this crash, July replied: “Reducing my speed would have allowed me to see the gravel in the road and I may have been able to avoid the gravel.”

July’s crash provides us with several key learning points:

Reduce speed in poor road and weather conditions. Although July had been riding on the wet roads long enough to get a feel for how slick they were, he did not anticipate the gravel that the previous downpour had washed into his path of travel. This was further compounded by the wetness masking the gravel, making it difficult to see.
Proper gear makes a difference. July was much better protected than many riders we see on an average day. His good riding boots, leather gloves and full-faced helmet certainly helped protect him from additional injuries. Had he not been wearing a full-faced helmet, July would almost certainly have sustained some type of facial injury, as evidenced by the scratch on the chin bar of his helmet. July acknowledged that leather riding pants may have better protected his knees from road rash. Kevlar lined riding pants are also an excellent option and can be purchased for less than a pair of designer jeans!
We don’t plan to crash, but we should still plan “for” a crash. July normally rides with all of his gear, including his riding jacket. On this unusual occasion, he decided not to wear his leather jacket. Had he been wearing his jacket, even the minor injuries he did receive would probably have been minimized.

This article is the second in a series of motorcycle Crash Case Studies. All crashes described in this series are actual events, as described by the rider involved. The objective of this series is to learn from their experiences.

If you’ve been involved in a crash and would like to share the experience with other riders, please email me at tbachur@yahoo.com.

Enjoy reading Tom's articles? Click on the "Subscribe to Email" link to receive an email notification when Tom publishes new articles. Please bookmark Tom's home page and stop back frequently.