Can anyone explain why I suddenly got the tank slaps? It was my last lap of the session, last session of the day, and last day of the season at Gingerman. I was already clear of the turn and going straight. My only guess is that the motorcycle gods are angry with me for some reason. YouTube Video Although, I am very lucky to coincidentally have someone behind me with a tank-cam. Having the video is cool
Hard to tell of course without being there but I would say that you were hard on the gas and griping the bars too tight, couple that with a bumpy surface and you get a slapper. The front gets light, the tire skitteres along the bumps and being too stiff on the bars doesn't allow the bike to deal with things the way it is designed to do.
Yeah, those factors never help. This definitely made me buy a steering damper. I don't remember being specifically tight on the bars but who knows. It might have been that groove in middle of the track at Gingerman.
I agree with the Captain...it looks like the back end broke free just little bit before the front started. watch the video and keep a close eye on the rear. it moves just before the front. compunded by what the captain said and you have a crapper-of-a-slapper. hold the bars like you're holding baby chickens. very relaxed with elbows bent.
Hard to blame the groove in the center of the track when you were in the middle of the right most third of the track at the time. the track is bumpy where you were, and if the front was light under acceleration, it will skip across bumps causing the slap. Grip, fighting the slap, and other factors will only make this condition worse. also possible: flat front tire caused the slap, but it looks like it was fine from what i saw. Just my .02
Another vote for Cappy's reasoning! A side observation is that you were crossed-up on the bike the entire time...
I broke the stearin damper on the Mille there!!! LO!!! Kept it pinned, saved the tankslapper and ended up going WAAAAAAAY deep into 7 like off the track deep!!!!
I was going to say, as violent and sudden as it was, have you looked the bike over to be sure something didnt break? steering damper, one of the axles come loose etc...... it happens
Seems like the bike was ok. I replaced the brake lever, and it rode perfectly after that. The suddenness of it is what prompted me to post. If I was tight on the bars, thats the turn I'd be the tightest on, not my favorite corner Thanks for all the feedback. Watching the video will definitely change my body position. Its fun to think you're doing it right, and then watching how wrong it is on video.
To what everyone has said I'll add: fatigue. When one is tired is the time when mistakes are made. At the end of the day skiing, etc....
Only thing I can think is you are hard on the gas there and got the front slightly up and catch a shift which drops the front down and things go bad from there (from the reasons already stated by others). Never road Gingerman but that looks like a place you might catch a gear.
Was that an F4i with no damper? I had similar problems with one at a bumpy dragstrip. A Scotts damper solved the problem.
It's been a while since I've ridden there, but my old beemer used to shake it's head every once in a while in that same part of the track; not a violent tank slapper, but just enough to let me know something upset it. both of the popo's comments were spot on, as was cpt's. Loose grip on the bars & if it starts to head shake, grab some throttle!
That part of the track has been like that since we started racing there in 98’. It has gotten worse with the power bikes put out now. If you want to go through that section fast, lap after lap you need to either ride a different line (slower) or get your butt up off the seat a few mm, lean back a touch and get real loose on the bars and run it like a set of whoops. You are not the first person to go down there but I have not seen one that violent. Your damper may be screwed down too tight too. If you don’t let the damper “work†and stay loose on the bars the wobble will travel from the front to the whole chassis and you know all too well what you get.