Should I fear the Tar Snakes?

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sdrutledge

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Hey all, Ive got a S curve right near my house that unfortunately is laced with tar snakes. Every morning on my way to work I cautiously avoid the snakes as I round the bends but I found tonight with the high winds I kept hitting them while leaning over. Even though it was dry, the bike got really squirrely and I had a moment when I thought I was going down.

Do you old pros just ignore them and expect the bike to wiggle a bit or should I fear them like a puddle of marbles?
 
I'm no pro and I'm not old but my advice is to avoid them when possible but don't panic if you ride over one, just keep looking forward. The bike might squirm a bit but the chances of you going down due to panic is probably higher than going down due to the tar snake. Old pros feel free to correct me.
 
I found different tires can really make a difference in how tar snakes feel. I just ride over them and kinda enjoy the squirrely feeling, you won't go down, my suggestion for what it's worth is to stay relaxed, focused, and don't try to overcompensate because that's when your bike will end up where you don't want it.
 
Tango is right. I have had Contis that hated tar snakes and slipped sideways an inch or two as I rode over them while leaned over (mind you I ride like a moron), that my current Bridgestones seem to shrug off.
I also find thatthe snakes are alot worse on hot days in direct sunlight when they are soft and gooey.
In Pennsylvania I have even wandered down a few twisty backroads that were tar and shipseal, that had most of the tar bubbling up thru the surface in the hot summer sun, and it was like riding on ice, literally.

As for changing my riding to accomodate the snakes, I don't really do anything other than be smooth, and don't do anything sudden or aggressive while turning on a bend laced with snakes. I try not to ride over 75-80% on the street, and I think this leaves enough grip for catching the one or two inch slides that often occur when I ride on these roads.
The worst tar snake road I have encountered is The Wolf (Hwy 60 sounth of Suches) in Georgia, a couple hrs south of Deals Gap....The road is completely covered in them, and even then, we still rode it pretty quickly.

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IIRC, the feeling you get riding over tar snakes is called "nibbling." The tires aren't actually losing traction, but give a loose feeling as if they are.
 
Tango5 said:
I found different tires can really make a difference in how tar snakes feel. I just ride over them and kinda enjoy the squirrely feeling, you won't go down, my suggestion for what it's worth is to stay relaxed, focused, and don't try to overcompensate because that's when your bike will end up where you don't want it.
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+1 ... The Pilot Road 2s on my ZX11 pretty much ignored tar snakes. Whatever the stock tires are on my Ninja 1000, they *hate* tar snakes and feel freakin' spooky going over them.
 
i am still new, just in my second season but when i was newer the snakes would bother me, especially in turns.

if you loosen your grip on the bars the bike will sort it self out. when you are a new rider, its common to hold the bars tight, because you think its the right thing to do and its a natural reaction

but in reality this makes everything worse. the bike doesnt need much from you aside from some directional input to tell it where to go. so go easy on the bar and squeeze the tank with you legs.

the bike corrects its self so stay loose on the bars and let it do its job.
 
Some tires and tire widths are affected by snakes more than others. They are also more of a problem in the rain than when dry. But, they will not drastically upset your bike's traction. If you aren't close to the edge of traction, the slight wiggle that the snakes can cause will not be a danger.

They affect your tires similarly to the open steel web bridges. If you aren't ready for it or if you tense up it can scare the crap out of you. If you are loose you'll be fine. The worst thing you can do in a corner if you hit snakes and your bike wiggles a bit is to drastically come off the throtle or hit the brakes.
 
cbcanada said:
i am still new, just in my second season but when i was newer the snakes would bother me, especially in turns.

if you loosen your grip on the bars the bike will sort it self out. when you are a new rider, its common to hold the bars tight, because you think its the right thing to do and its a natural reaction

but in reality this makes everything worse. the bike doesnt need much from you aside from some directional input to tell it where to go. so go easy on the bar and squeeze the tank with you legs.

the bike corrects its self so stay loose on the bars and let it do its job.
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This.
Light hands, squeeze the tank and roll thru. Don't fight the wiggle, just focus on your line.
 
Thanks all, this is exactly what I did wrong - I tensed and came off the throttle, making the whole experience much worse.
 
I find going over the thin tar snakes fine and not squirly. The first time I experienced a squirly feeling over a tar snake was when I was changing lanes on the 115/35 just north of the 401. Those ones are a few inches thick and I had a holy **** moment but now that I know what to expect, the squirlyness is no biggy. Like everyone else said already just relax and don't panic and you will be fine.
 
Under no circumstances should your eyes be looking down at the road immediately underneath you (you go where you look, right?), nor should you be trying to manoever around road imperfections in a corner. Most modern motorcycles are equipped with suspensions and tires that can handle a lot more than you think - I own a Vespa 300 cc, a Triumph Street Triple and a BMW R1200 GS - three very different bikes - and they all handle tar snakes just fine. The key is executing a smooth turn with good throttle control. Let the bike do it's job.
 
omnivore said:
As for changing my riding to accomodate the snakes, I don't really do anything other than be smooth, and don't do anything sudden or aggressive while turning on a bend laced with snakes.
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This is what you do
 
sdrutledge said:
Hey all, Ive got a S curve right near my house that unfortunately is laced with tar snakes. Every morning on my way to work I cautiously avoid the snakes as I round the bends but I found tonight with the high winds I kept hitting them while leaning over. Even though it was dry, the bike got really squirrely and I had a moment when I thought I was going down.

Do you old pros just ignore them and expect the bike to wiggle a bit or should I fear them like a puddle of marbles?
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I fear all tar snakes... gravel, cars etc... (being somewhat of an "old pro").

I do agree with the other posters that some tires handle the snakes better - When I ride, I evaluate my risks and ride accordingly.

When riding in a straight line the tar snakes rate a one as the risk of slipping is low. On the other hand when riding in a corner or tight turns the "danger" of slipping on tar snakes increases so my risk rating goes up to 9 and I try to avoid them as much as possible.

Ride safe, gear up and be aware of all risks.
 
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I will have to add, that I have a super increased awareness to the tar snakes, but mostly from what I've read prior to actually getting out on the road.

I have felt them, but they seem almost non existant thought. It may have something to do (as it was already mentioned) with the tires. I bought Michelin Pilot road 3's for my YZF600.
 
My first encounter with Tar Snakes freaked me out a couple of weeks ago.
I was on the Tar Snake for the majority of the long turn and I 'wiggled' throughout the entire corner.
Do these cause high or low slides?
 
you can now start fearing cold tires in the morning...
 
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