California Motorcycle Handbook - Antevia

pavement seams to cross at anangle of at least 45°. Then, makea quick, sharp turn. Edging acrosscould catch your tires and throwyou off balance.Grooves and GratingsRiding over rain grooves orbridge gratings may cause yourmotorcycle to weave. Thisuneasy, “wandering” feeling isgenerally not hazardous. Relaxand maintain a steady speed andride straight across. Crossing atan angle forces riders to zigzagto stay in the lane. The zigzag isfar more hazardous than thewandering feeling.GRATECROSSING-WRONGGRATECROSSING-RIGHTMECHANICAL PROBLEMSYou can find yourself in anemergency the momentsomething goes wrong with yourmotorcycle. In dealing with anymechanical problem, take intoaccount the road and trafficconditions you face. Here aresome guidelines that can help youhandle mechanical problemssafely.Tire FailureYou will seldom hear a tire go flat.If the motorcycle starts handlingdifferently, it may be a tire failure.You must be able to tell from theway the motorcycle reacts if youhave tire failure. If one of yourtires suddenly loses air, reactquickly to keep your balance.Stop riding and check the tires assoon as possible.If the front tire goes flat, thesteering will feel “heavy.” Afront-wheel flat is particularlyhazardous because it affects yoursteering. You have to steer wellto keep your balance.If the rear tire goes flat, the backof the motorcycle may jerk orsway from side to side.If either tire goes flat while riding:• Hold the handlegrips firmly,ease off the throttle, and keepa straight course.• If braking is required, graduallyapply the brake of the tire thatisn’t flat, if you are sure whichone it is.• When the motorcycle slows,ride to the side of the road,squeeze the clutch, and stop.Stuck ThrottleTwist the throttle back and forth28