TCS moments...anybody else had them?

[Nimbus]

Since the dry and 70 was a lie from the weatherman, I was out riding in the middle of nowhere on wet roads, in some fog in the mid 50's F. I got on this road that was tar/chip, but I started to slow down the more the road began to look mostly like shiny black tar. Right about the time I felt a loss of traction from the rear as I was coming out of a bend, it occurred to me to see just how slippery the shiny stuff really was :lamp:. So, I did what nobody with much sense would do and spotted a big, shiny black strip (most of the road) coming out of the next corner. Still leaned over just a bit, I picked up the throttle. Suddenly (and I mean 'Oh F*&^' suddenly, the back of the bike was a violent 2' from where it should have been. The happy little TCS light was flashing and all was well. I was just glad I had it in TCS1 and not TCS2. I've always assumed that shiny wet tar has about as much traction as ice, but now I'm convinced.

 

[JonnyCinco]

two feet? really

 

[terrysig]

Had to test it didn't you >

 

[creggur]

I've had one TCS moment that I wasn't expecting when I was still getting to know the bike (wet grass turning around) - didn't notice a thing except the little light flashing at me. First bike I've ever had with TCS and was thinking at that moment, "Well, that's awfully nice of the bike to keep me from busting my ass."

Now, the ABS has saved me from really messing myself up once when I made a series of bone-headed moves in quick succession. While it definitely doesn't replace skill and practice it's certainly nice to have, and wouldn't want to ride without it now that I know how valuable it is...

 

[MrTwisty]

I had a TCS moment alright. It almost dumped me on my ass one time. I was 2-up on a mountain road when I hit some fresh, deep, large gravel on a moderate up hill. I was in TCS mode 1 and the bike came to an abrupt stop, even though my right wrist was telling it to GO! I managed to save it, but now when we hit the dirt I stop and put it in TCS 2 or turn it off completely.

 

[Nimbus]

two feet? really

OK Foot and a Half, but I stand by the Foot and a Half. It was the biggest slide I've had excepting the time I was having a blast with TC2 in the grass and then shut down TC completely.

I will concur that TC2 is important in the dirt. I like TC1 for mud though. Another save with stock tires in the mud in TC1 (the sickening pendulum that I managed not to panic through).

 

[carrot]

i was playing in the mud the other day for got all about the traction control scene im always in #1 it was working great entail i got in a rut and had to stop . i gave it the gas and the bike would barley rev but it pulled it self out of the mud but when i pulled in the clutch it reved like crazy that's when i finally remembered ::010::.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

This was a TCS moment. If you listen to the audio you can hear when the drive to the back wheel completely stopped. I was going to be dry up until that point. My fault for accidentally having it in TCS1.

Water Crossing in TCS1

 

[SuperCruise]

I had a TCS moment alright. It almost dumped me on my ass one time. I was 2-up on a mountain road when I hit some fresh, deep, large gravel on a moderate up hill. I was in TCS mode 1 and the bike came to an abrupt stop, even though my right wrist was telling it to GO! I managed to save it, but now when we hit the dirt I stop and put it in TCS 2 or turn it off completely.

+1. Except I was alone and mine dumped my sorry ass halfway up a dirt track hill, taking the gear lever and left footpeg out in the fall. TC2 or off in dirt!

 

[thfraser]

My biggest experience with TC1 is on washboard gravel roads. I actually had the bike die on me once. If I'm doing my normal commute, I just leave it in the default (TC1). If I know I'm going to do some gravel roads, and think about it ahead of time, I'll put it in TC2. Once, in some nasty mud/grass stuff, TC1 saved my arse and pulled me right out of it.

 

[viewdvb]

I won't say that we never have continuous shiny tar sections anywhere in the UK but it almost unheard of compared with the US. Probably because we could sue the Highways Authority if they caused an accident. I crossed America and back a couple of times in winter and I was horrifed at how often the system of patching cracks with pure tar resulted in multiple overlaid pure tar areas with zero grip in the wet. I was also mortified by the practice of covering dug up holes with a large smooth shiny steel plate, often in town near junctions where you want to brake. This was on a GoldWing which has plenty of watts of stereo and a reverse gear but not something useful like traction control. Oh, and I also had a minor slow speed "off" in Texas when I encountered some diagonal tramlines at a junction in the wet. The attending officer commented that there were no warning signs because they didn't use the tramlines except once a year at Mardi Gras. That was all right then - just the bike didn't know that! All in all, I believe that American road authorities have little or no concern or even awareness of motorcycles. The same can, sadly, be said for most American drivers. Not that we don't have our fair share of those. Do you have the acronym SIDSY - "Sorry I didn't see you!". UK motorcyclists are very familiar with it!

 

[MrTwisty]

All in all, I believe that American road authorities have little or no concern or even awareness of motorcycles.

::026::

 

[20valves]

All in all, I believe that American road authorities have little or no concern or even awareness of motorcycles.

When the the local DOT has the road screwed up here with big, sharp drop offs between lanes, they put up a sign saying "motorcycles use caution" which is nice. It's more than they did before!

The same can, sadly, be said for most American drivers....Do you have the acronym SIDSY - "Sorry I didn't see you!". UK motorcyclists are very familiar with it!

SIDSY may not be known by its acronym, but it is most definitely the default answer for our many, many distracted/inattentive "drivers" who cause bike crashes.

 

[kgfire]

I've had one TCS moment which happened when making a 90 degree right turn from a 65 mph highway onto a 35 mph secondary road. After slowing down to make the turn I guess my right wrist didn't see the bit of gravel on the road and I immediatly noticed the TCS 1 kick in. Those guys from Yamaha must have had riders like me in mind when they made traction control standard equipment on the ST.
TCS 2 is great when riding gravel fireroads.

 

[Nimbus]

I had a guy roll his window down after he pulled out right in front of me to mouth "I didn't see you." I saw it coming as he was looking right, still moving, and didn't appear to be going to turn left. As I had anticipated his move, I was already coming to a rapid stop and yelled back the obvious: "You'll never (expletive) see me if you don't (expletive) look."

::010::

 

[~TABASCO~]

One of my TCS moments happen just off the side of a country two lane road. Out in the country in TX you have really wide mowed areas off the side of the two lane roads. I pulled off at about 60 to wait for a friend. I didn't see it had a low lying water that was also mud. It looked like hard grass but it was really about 6" mud I hit at 60mph... LOL Ok, got the bike to a stop and I turned off the bike. When he showed up we both laughed about being covered in mud.

Well I started the bike and didn't turn the TCS off, and it was in TCS 1. As he and I watched for cars going by he sped up real quick and got going back on the back country 'high-way'.. I was timing the cars too so I could hop back up on the road. I had to ride back across this wet section of side road, up the little grass embankment and up on the hot asphalt road.. As I did the TCS1 kicked in and cut all power about a thousand times and I almost fell in the mud, then going up the grass hill I almost fell again as the TC kicked in again, as im looking for cars. Then I make it up to the road and hammer it because the cars are heading toward me at 60... I punch it and the TCS1 kicks in once again and cuts all the power with the muddy wet tires, covered in burnt brown dried grass on hot asphalt... The bike thought it was on ice.... That whole thing really, REALLY SUCKED !!!!!!!!!! That's why I ride in TCS OFF most of the time........... LOL O'well, I didn't fall or die.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

That reminds me of the other TCS moment. Second time I took my wife off pavement I neglected to tell her to turn off TC. She was in TC1 following me on a road full of mud holes and puddles. She went down in a particularly goopy section. I have no doubt the TC was to blame. Well...the TC and the more guilty, ME.

 

[MrTwisty]

I'm beginning to see a pattern here. TCS seems to be beneficial on the street, but often detrimental on the dirt, especially on level 1. I just wish the damn thing didn't default back to TCS1 because I often forget to turn it off again after stopping. What a pain in the ass.

 

[Banzai600]

8 like the ootion of TCS. Here can be damp & cold so if you give it a handfull crankedoover it helos ;D

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I just wish the damn thing didn't default back to TCS1 because I often forget to turn it off again after stopping. What a pain in the ass.

For the most part I've trained myself to release the starter button then immediately go to TCS button. It's automatic now and very rare for me to look down and find myself in TC1.