[tonered]

This situation was mainly me being stupid (I've long ago detected that trend), but I was on my way home on Friday in some nasty weather. I was irritated to be in traffic with ST as the Ural is down, again, and I really wanted to be playing on the side streets with three wheels. The damn thing drifts so nicely in the wet on skinny, worn rear tires at hilariously slow speeds (when it is running) with no real loss of stopping distance.

I slalomed around a slow mover in the left lane, and as I changed back into the lane, traffic slowed up. I was carrying a lot of speed and started scrubbing it off. It was enough braking to make the rear end light. I could hear the rear brake slowing the engine speed to a near stall. The front kept on biting and biting. It got to the speed of the car in front a wee bit danger close, but still rubber side down.

I give all the credit to the PR4s. I know for sure the Angel GTs would not have pulled it off. I didn't think it was really post-worthy, but I've thought back to the situation since and am still impressed that it all worked out. Definitely just really good tires and a stroke of luck.

I can very much say that I got all my wet riding confidence back with these tires. Now, I got to turn down the excitement just a bit.

Have a good one.

 

[Stick]

Sounds like my 'mornin' commute! Get that back end light! And get 'er to drift, and then the tailgaiters seem to disappear! Gee I wonder why?

 

[tonered]

Whew! I'm not the only one then.

Have a good one.

 

[spikey1973]

Hmm i know the feeling,

I feel my PR3's (at that point) save my live to while i was cut of in pooring rain with not more than 2 meters distance to spare when the idoot steped on his brakes, fully and immediately.
I kept grip quite long.., but it skidded at one point, i got the clutch to grip again for a fraction of a second and let go of the brakes just to get some traction again so it straighted out.. the car was still braking fiercly and loosing grip himself while i got till about a 1/2 meter close. braked again and just at the moment when it started to break out again he stopped braking and pulled up. I didn't touch him but it couldn't have been more than a meter difference.

Without the PR's and without the car aquaplanning i wouldn't have kept it straight up.. I survived the small hart attack and continued the journey. fortunately it was not more than 1 mile or so to go and i was still shacking when i got of.

not one of the funnest moments in my life i must admitt, but i'm glad i was witty enough to respond correctly.

Kind greetz

ps: one might think why i pulled the clutch in the first place... it was to shift down.

 

[PACABADA]

Good to know as I have the 4's on mine also. Straight line performance in rain is excellent also. Glad you guys just rec'd a butt pucker. ?

 

[Stick]

The most foolish time I had to use threshold braking was on the highway, many years ago. I'm guessing early '90s. I bought this shat-box VW Rabbit as my "winter beater" -- it really wasn't that awful.

So I'm just getting on the highway after work. I hit the LH lane to go like 65 or 70. This new 'Vette pulls to LH lane and proceeds to do 55 over there. I flash the passing beams after I realize he's "parked" himself there. He then treats me to a demonstration of his ABS. I guess the gent really wasn't in love with his car. Why would you risk that? I had all I could do to match his stopping power!
I think the rear even "got light".

Then, we proceed again. But limit at 55 ?? WTF? I flash again, and he repeats the above. I'm about ready for a fresh set of undies... If I remember right, when I finally tried to move right and pass, he nails the loud pedal and he's gone! What a touch-hole!

 

[tonered]

Oh man. Road rage around here is an art form. The self-deputized, passive-aggressive herd made my old 35mi / 1.5hr commute absolutely infuriating for 4.5yrs until we moved further south. The old saab had its brakes tested so many times. Thankfully, the car was relatively light and those nice, big 11.3in rotors up front and perfectly calibrated ABS, when needed, could haul it down in what I used to describe as violent braking.

The left lane campers have made the highways around here work more like roads in the UK. The fast lane is on the right, and passing on the right is just a matter of course. If folks simply followed lane etiquette, used a safe but not exaggerated following distance, and didn't commit over-braking (a driver tries to maintain the same distance, not time, from the car in front when braking in traffic), we would have zero congestion around here. But, the herd needs to be able to text, eat, sip their lattes, and read their books while making sure that no one else gets to work, the mall, or Starbucks before they do.

The moto-commuting is relaxing by comparison, esp with the use of the HOV, now damn toll, lanes.

It also amazes me that our winter days are not much colder than our late spring / fall nights. Yet, all the bike commuters have disappeared. I'm lucky to see one or two other riders in a week during the winter.

I used to want to live in toward the urban areas. The recent couple years has me yearning to return to a rural area.

Have a good one.

 

[GiantAntCowboy]

+1 on Pilot Roads.

I run Pilot Powers on my 900ss, but PR3's on my daily bike -a Versys 650- and love them.

A few weeks back I got stuck in a torrential downpour for almost an hour and due to flash flooding I was riding through water higher than my foot pegs! The PR3's never got weird, I really like them.

 

[spikey1973]

It also amazes me that our winter days are not much colder than our late spring / fall nights. Yet, all the bike commuters have disappeared. I'm lucky to see one or two other riders in a week during the winter.

Same here, actually yesterday i walked around in just a t-shirt. and it's winter here, well supposed to be anyway. Ofcourse i'm not riding at the moment but i was untill a week ago.

And in contrairy to the summer, when there is a second traffic jam of motorcycles inbetween the 2e and 3e lane in the morning 'cause some really haven't found back there balls yet, the winter is a lonely desert road. Some time a completely covered scooter and a lost enduro but usually that is it. I do notice that is so that there are a lot more cars nearly diving into the mud to make headway for you and blinking there blinkers even more to the left showing that they actually saw you (this kind of behaviour is truely a gods gift for motorcyclists), i always feel like those are my summer motorcycle buddies that now transfered themselves into there metal riding coffins in trade for some comfort.

Kindest greatings.

 

[brutus72]

Yup , the PR4's are great rubber boots .... best all round tire I have had on the ST .... way more wet grip than the Angels .... only con is the PR4's are costly around here ... but seem like they may be long life , so not so serious a con ...
Craig

 

[Stick]

Oh man. Road rage around here is an art form. --- Thankfully, the car was relatively light and those nice, big 11.3in rotors up front and perfectly calibrated ABS, when needed, could haul it down in what I used to describe as violent braking.
Have a good one.

The thing I was fighting was a pre-historic 1981 Rabbit vs. idiot with his shiny 1995 or so 'vette. HE had the ABS. I think he was praying for impact. Either that, or he was 5 short of a six-pack! Dumb Fluck

Stick

(And with a Rabbit made in Mexico, ya gotta wonder..."Are ya feelin' lucky"?)

 

[Broadie]

Yes the pr4's do make the St feel inch perfect.
However on my first commute with the St on bt021 the throttle response got me in trouble and I was all crossed up skidding towards the rear of a car whilst feeding in the front brake. The St also has a real responsive progressive chassis almost dirt bike like.