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VS

FALL(ing)

FALL vs FALL(ing) FALL is a beautiful time of year for us in Florida to ride. The temperature is cooler and the afternoon rains are ending. One adverse condition that goes along with FALL is that the potential for roadway surfaces to intermittently have less than favorable traction. Loose debris such as fallen leaves, sticks, and acorns can be scattered on the road. The road surface it cooler and damper first thing in the morning also making conditions more favorable to lose traction. Remember it is the rear tire of your motorcycle you are trying to protect from lose of traction in all riding situations. It is the rear tire that gets most of the stress especially when you are in a lean. If you are crossing a section of roadway with loose debris you should straighten the bike as much as possible thus reducing the amount of side force stress on the rear tire. You should reduce any additional stress on the rear tire during the time you are crossing the loose material. No braking, downshifting, or abrupt rolling off of the throttle. Any of these can add additional stress to the rear tire it might not be able to handle. On cross country trips in Northern States there could be the opportunity to cross sections of road covered with slippery drainage runoff. Sometimes this type of water also contains algae making that section even more slippery. In more extreme Northern States you may also come across portions of the roadway covered with ice or snow. Once again, to cross such areas, straighten the motorcycle as much as possible and pull in the clutch and “COAST” over the slippery area. Enjoy this wonderful time of the year to ride. Ride safe, Dominick

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