11-12-2016, 01:44 PM
It's not the OAT (outside air temperature) it is the dewpoint and temperature of the pavement.
You were riding in hazardous conditions. Good thing no one was really hurt and you were able to continue your ride out.
The last time I rode on ice was not too long ago, a little over a year, I guess. But I did it on purpose, and also took the opportunity to test my ZX-10R's traction control. It was not black ice, but a coating of rime ice, and broad daylight so I could see it. We've got a 5000+ foot pass in the Los Padres National Forest, and I rode over that. On the downhill side, many of the turns were enshadowed and had ice. I didn't halt my ride or turn around, I knew eventually I'd ride out of it to lower elevations. Streetbikes can be ridden on ice, even a supersport bike, but they have to be kept almost completely vertical and ridden with extreme care.
"Smell ice, can you?" - from "Titanic"
Yes, you can smell ice. You can get a sense of what's coming by feel. Some bikes give you an advance warning. My F800GS has dewpoint/ice warning feature where if the OAT gets to where the bike's ECU thinks ice is possible, a warning will flash on the display. No kidding.
In flying we'd call that VFR flight into IFR conditions. That stuff can be anywhere and it can be very warm out as the pavement can remain very cold, especially in shadows.
Forgot to mention this is good example of why engine guards are a good thing if you do these long rides in the middle of nowhere. Lucky you didn't hole the case; with guards, overall damage might have been zero other than perhaps a scratch or two on the bar ends and levers. I tested a set a long time ago and they work.
You were riding in hazardous conditions. Good thing no one was really hurt and you were able to continue your ride out.
The last time I rode on ice was not too long ago, a little over a year, I guess. But I did it on purpose, and also took the opportunity to test my ZX-10R's traction control. It was not black ice, but a coating of rime ice, and broad daylight so I could see it. We've got a 5000+ foot pass in the Los Padres National Forest, and I rode over that. On the downhill side, many of the turns were enshadowed and had ice. I didn't halt my ride or turn around, I knew eventually I'd ride out of it to lower elevations. Streetbikes can be ridden on ice, even a supersport bike, but they have to be kept almost completely vertical and ridden with extreme care.
"Smell ice, can you?" - from "Titanic"
Yes, you can smell ice. You can get a sense of what's coming by feel. Some bikes give you an advance warning. My F800GS has dewpoint/ice warning feature where if the OAT gets to where the bike's ECU thinks ice is possible, a warning will flash on the display. No kidding.
In flying we'd call that VFR flight into IFR conditions. That stuff can be anywhere and it can be very warm out as the pavement can remain very cold, especially in shadows.
Forgot to mention this is good example of why engine guards are a good thing if you do these long rides in the middle of nowhere. Lucky you didn't hole the case; with guards, overall damage might have been zero other than perhaps a scratch or two on the bar ends and levers. I tested a set a long time ago and they work.