Stock 1975 at our local Bikes and Breakfast

fatcaaat

Well-Known Member
I took my completely stock 1975 Mighty Green CT70 to the local bikes and breakfast on Sunday. Usually, I take one of my built up bikes or some other custom because I usually go out for a ride afterward, but this day I had a lot of chores and it was a little rainy, so i figured I'd take this one out.

This bike has 650 original miles on it and is still sporting the original tires. It does run perfect and will reach a smidge over 40 on the flat, but the winding, hilly road to the destination means that my speed is all over the place, and in some areas, I have to downshift to 2nd to pull.

Anyway, just before you get into town, there is a sharp left turn. The roads are wet, but it's only drizzling at this point. I decide to make the turn at about 25-30mph which is about as fast as I take them on my other CT's...well...old hard stock tires didn't like that too much. I received a good test of my skills. I have never had the back end of a bike skid out as far as the ct70 back end came out....I want to say that it was probably at about a 45 degree angle to the front tire and basically drifted around that corner. I didn't drop it or even go in the other lane...but it was really scary. The guys behind me from another group came up once we parked and asked if I did that on purpose...they thought i was messing around.

So, for all you guys out there rocking your old hard tires, be careful on the road with them...especially wet road. 25-30mph doesn't seem too fast but it will hurt if you come off. I would have been in someone's fence if I did.
 

69ST

Well-Known Member
I dunno if I could've executed that maneuver successfully, as you did. I have the distinct impression that you're a much more accomplished rider. On wet pavement, anything can happen once traction is broken. Knobbies take that to another level...in the worst way possible. Even on dry pavement, with fresh rubber, when they let go it's sudden and complete. Trailwings, imo, are as good as it gets...in terms of knobbies on pavement. That can be dangerously deceptive, since they have ~40% less grip, at best. Unlike a road tire, that last band of tread blocks creates a shoulder without a transition; a real lean into a corner reduces the actual contact patch down to ~2 square inches of squirmy half-blocks then to nothing. The sidewall is too far recessed to make ground contact, until it's too late. That's why I went to road tires. And they're no panacea, either.

As for riding on 40+ year old rubber...wa-a-a-a-ay too risky, imo. I've had vintage original `Wings that still had their whiskers. They're great for display and nothing else. No joke, the rubber was ossified to the point where it would take a soft polish; I'm talking about a better shine than ArmorAll on non dry-rotted rubber. That'd be terrific for a display case, for riding...not so much. When in doubt, the "pinch test" is reliable enough, I suppose...deflate the tire, pinch the tread and look for tiny cracks to appear between the blocks. That said, I not only agree with your warning, I'd go further by staying away from any tire that was manufactured prior to this century.

For those with minimal bike experience, beware of brand new tires, regardless of tread design & manufacturer. Expect them the be on the slippery side until the all of mold release compound has been scrubbed-off. That means taking it easy for the first few miles.
 

fatcaaat

Well-Known Member
Did anything flash before your eyes, such as your life?
I don't think so on this one. I wasn't too nervous as it happened...my body just went into autopilot and I got around the turn with the back wheel spinning. As soon as the curve was over, that's when I realized what was going on and I was pretty happy I wasn't laying on the ground, particularly because I was wearing jeans and a hoodie rather than my gear. I was surprised the people behind me thought I was goofing around because this is not something I have experience in...i don't do burnouts or any other stunting on the bikes other than the occasional wheelie. But I kept my right foot on, and my left foot down like a flat tracker, and went around that turn. 100% instinct that must of looked cool.
 

69ST

Well-Known Member
I don't think so on this one. I wasn't too nervous as it happened...my body just went into autopilot and I got around the turn with the back wheel spinning. As soon as the curve was over, that's when I realized what was going on and I was pretty happy I wasn't laying on the ground, particularly because I was wearing jeans and a hoodie rather than my gear. I was surprised the people behind me thought I was goofing around because this is not something I have experience in...i don't do burnouts or any other stunting on the bikes other than the occasional wheelie. But I kept my right foot on, and my left foot down like a flat tracker, and went around that turn. 100% instinct that must of looked cool.

Accurately and well stated. When you find yourself in this type of situation, there's no time to do anything but react. You either have the skill set, where the correct reaction is second nature...or..."you going down, boy!!!" ...excepting guardian angel-type luck. Life flashing before your eyes, uh-uh, not enough time for that.o_O

That said, this kind of experience tends to stick with you...in a big way. I dealt with something similar in 2015. I was riding, two-up, going into tight, reverse-camber, decreasing-radius turn...right at the posted 55mph-25mph transition point. Having been through the area a number of times over the years, I knew what to expect...kindasorta. After a dry summer, the previous two-days of heavy rain washed a ton of sand & gravel right into the apex of the turn and I hadn't expected to hit the marbles. Couldn't have been going more than 20mph and saw the hazard before hitting it...felt the front wheel lose traction, reflexively counter-steered, then felt the rear wheel catch-up, just as the front regained traction and managed to just hold onto the bike. My wife hadn't noticed anything unusual. Inside my head...drama...and I don't much care for drama, particularly while riding. In reality, the total amount of lateral drift was probably less than a foot, total elapsed time maybe a second. I spent a lot of my youth on racetracks, developing those trained reflexes needed to survive...and be successful. What we're only now hearing about is how the mind becomes trained, a.k.a. the "time dilation effect". I won't speak for Jarred, but I can tell you that these "panic" situations seem to go on forever...in super slo-mo, until you're through them. That, imho, is how experienced riders/drivers get through them without ever panicking. Panic, and you're all done. There is a big postscript to this. Ever since then, when entering a turn with limited visibility, I now reflexively let off the throttle until I can see pavement all the way through the turn. It's a valuable addition to the survival instinct, I reckon...also further proof that "ignorance is bliss".:whistle:
 

andrewdell19

Active Member
Yeah new tires are always a good idea and not the cheapies either. I've had a few near casualties of varying degrees all of which really make you think and wonder. I'm glad you made it all through all intact.
 
Did something similar on gravel this past weekend. Scary, even though I was only doing like 10 mph, lol.

Also, "Local bikes and Breakfast". Lucky!!
 

kirrbby

Well-Known Member
I had a little roll on the gravel trying to cut a quick left, rather than wait for traffic, on my Black and Red...signalless bike. I don't like being stopped on a busy street waiting to make a left hand turn, without a signal light blinking. So I turned in quick, a little early, and a little too fast. Front tire slid over on the gravel in the intersection. I'm quite sure I didn't look cool at that moment.
 
Yes! (Also this weekend. I did a lot of riding.) Saturday was a beautiful day in Middle TN. Actually found a route from my house to the town square, avoiding 40 mph roads. Only required a church parking lot, pedestrian bridge, city park, and a friend's driveway. :ninja:
 

69ST

Well-Known Member
Ever run over at patch of freshly fallen green walnuts in tall grass?..That also can get your blood pumping.

We're well into black walnut season, here. Those things are difficult to walk over. Riding over a patch of them...fugheddaboudit :eek:
 
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