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+--- Thread: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel (/showthread.php?tid=834)
My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - the Ferret - 06-19-2013
Riding with my younger brother yesterday. We had stopped for lunch in the next county over. After lunch we decided to hit some of our favorite curvy roads. Mind you we are not road racers. We ride at the speed limit +- 5 mph. Just a nice pace for us. One we are both comfortable with. We have been riding together for 45 years, ever since he turned 16 and got his 69 CL 350 Honda...red and white.I had a 68 CB 350 Honda..green and white. We've both had a gazillion bikes since and still manage to ride together at least once a week.
Anyhow, at one point I came around a corner and the turn was covered in gravel and the bike did the getting all squirrely thing, which required several quick corrections to stay up. Jezzalou, glad I wasn't hot dogging it, that could have been bad. As close to ending up on the ground as I have been.... for many years, but I managed to stay on 2 and we continued on.
About an hour later we hit our absolute favorite road. It's 8 miles of perfect snaking curves, not tight, what I call rhythm curves, where you just get into a back and forth rhythm..no need for brakes, just left sweep...flip it...right sweep...flip it...left sweep...flip it...with small elevation changes thrown into the mix. The speed limit is 55. I have found if I run it at 52 I don't have to touch the brakes for the entire 8 miles. It's a rhythm thing.
Well apparently the state did a crack fill job on it and there were a million tar snakes. Very disconcerting under the wheels, never felt planted. Felt like riding on marbles. THEY HAVE RUINED MY FAVORITE ROAD..... Arrrrgggghhhhh
Oh and I got gas on my way to little brothers house and got my first guy to walk up and ask what year the bike was. When I said 2013 he got this dumbfounded look on his face, and says " I thought it was an old one..didn't know they made them like that anymore" then proceeded to tell me about the 72 CB 750 he had and how fast it was etc etc lol
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - meowguy_imp - 06-19-2013
I have noticed the tar snake squirliness as well. I don't think it's this particular bike, but rather the nature of the beast in general. I did have a chance to get my bike out on the Maine Turnpike for the first time and found anything over 70mph to be not to my liking. The bike becomes very light on the suspension at that speed and I suspect also that it is just in the nature of a 550 lb. machine to feel that way. At 55 to 65 the ride is very stable and controllable and that's my comfort zone.
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - Randy_S_imp - 06-20-2013
(06-19-2013, 09:36 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: Riding with my younger brother yesterday. We had stopped for lunch in the next county over. After lunch we decided to hit some of our favorite curvy roads. Mind you we are not road racers. We ride at the speed limit +- 5 mph. Just a nice pace for us. One we are both comfortable with. We have been riding together for 45 years, ever since he turned 16 and got his 69 CL 350 Honda...red and white.I had a 68 CB 350 Honda..green and white. We've both had a gazillion bikes since and still manage to ride together at least once a week.
Anyhow, at one point I came around a corner and the turn was covered in gravel and the bike did the getting all squirrely thing, which required several quick corrections to stay up. Jezzalou, glad I wasn't hot dogging it, that could have been bad. As close to ending up on the ground as I have been.... for many years, but I managed to stay on 2 and we continued on.
About an hour later we hit our absolute favorite road. It's 8 miles of perfect snaking curves, not tight, what I call rhythm curves, where you just get into a back and forth rhythm..no need for brakes, just left sweep...flip it...right sweep...flip it...left sweep...flip it...with small elevation changes thrown into the mix. The speed limit is 55. I have found if I run it at 52 I don't have to touch the brakes for the entire 8 miles. It's a rhythm thing.
Well apparently the state did a crack fill job on it and there were a million tar snakes. Very disconcerting under the wheels, never felt planted. Felt like riding on marbles. THEY HAVE RUINED MY FAVORITE ROAD..... Arrrrgggghhhhh
Oh and I got gas on my way to little brothers house and got my first guy to walk up and ask what year the bike was. When I said 2013 he got this dumbfounded look on his face, and says " I thought it was an old one..didn't know they made them like that anymore" then proceeded to tell me about the 72 CB 750 he had and how fast it was etc etc lol
Which county was this? I'm originally from Preble county and I do ride over there when I get the chance.
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - the Ferret - 06-20-2013
Brown. We ate at the Country Kitchen in Georgetown , then went down 221 to 52 in Higgensport, turned west and picked up 505 up to 125 in Hamersville. from the west again to 774 and took 774 over to 743. 743 south to the river rt 52 in Moscow. Then 232 back north to 222 and 222 to home.
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - offroadfx4_imp - 07-31-2018
Question about tar snakes.
Do you avoid them in turns?
Had anyone crashed from tar snakes?
Are they slippery regardless of temp and moisture?
I've felt them make me slide but traction has always caught on the other side of the tar snake.
Trying to decide how much respect to give them.
Right now the speed at which i take a turn is based on tar snakes, rock, sand, breaks in pavement etc
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - Cormanus - 07-31-2018
offroad, I make no claim to being an expert, but I find tar snakes more dangerous in really hot weather when they seem to melt a little and become really slippery. I've also hit one in the pouring rain once and had an unpleasant wiggle as a result. I treat them with respect and caution these days.
I agree with Ferret that letting them loose all over a good road is to ruin it.
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - MaFiHa_imp - 07-31-2018
"Tar snakes". Now I know the English word for this sh'*t things!
I hate them. In the town I live in they put it right in the middle of the
curve (ideal line)
Very tricky when rainy AND when it's hot like this weeks ( > 30°C)... [/align]
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - Gumby 1100_imp - 07-31-2018
My 2014 CB, even with new Bridgestone EVO tires, got very squirrely on gravel-covered or sandy sections of asphalt, and especially on TAR SNAKES. Either the front or rear tire would laterally slide off the tar snakes, even at low speeds...very unnerving!!!
My 2018 Road King, on the other hand, has no problems on the very same sections of road...admittedly, a much heavier bike with wider tires.
I think that the CB's higher center of gravity, steering geometry, suspension and narrower tire contact patch all contribute to the problem. Slightly reducing the tire pressure from the recommended settings seemed to help a bit.
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - misterprofessionality - 07-31-2018
the standard reccomended upgrade from the stock Bridgestones to the Micheline PR3 tires (probably PR4 these days) really helped with my CB's behavior around gravel and tar snakes. I think it was just the increased contact patch. I still treat gravel, sand, and **especially** leaves with a huge amount of respect though.
RE: My CB hates tar snakes ...and gravel - HansenCB_imp - 07-31-2018
I really dislike tar snakes and avoid them at all costs. My 2014 Honda CTX1300 is big, heavy, and has much larger tires than the CB yet it still slips and slides every-time I run over those mother truckers! I have not encountered them on the CB yet.
Tar snakes are worse in hot and wet whether. They soften up in the heat. On a hot day you can mess with them with your fingers and see how 'playdough-like' they get.
I understand that applying tar on cracks is the cheaper option than complete road repair, but the DOT is inadvertently creating hazardous driving conditions.