Gravel, a Tightening Curve, and an Oncoming Tractor
You are riding a 400 lb dual-sport motorcycle with a rear tire that has about 300 miles on it. You are on a rural two-lane Oklahoma county road, posted 55 mph. The road is dry, but a recent rain washed gravel from a driveway across both lanes at the entrance to a right-hand curve. The curve is posted 35 mph and tightens near the exit. You are traveling 50 mph when you see the gravel about 150 feet ahead. A tractor pulling a hay trailer is coming the other way, slightly over the center line. Your last tire check read 24 psi rear; the manual says 22 psi solo and 25 psi two-up. You are solo. The right shoulder is grass, about 6 feet wide, then a fence. There is no traffic close behind the tractor.
1. List the hazards in the order you must deal with them, and explain why the oncoming tractor changes your path.
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The immediate hazard is the gravel across both lanes; the next is the tightening right-hand curve; the oncoming tractor is a moving hazard that limits your escape space. The narrow grass shoulder and fence matter if you run wide, and the rear tire pressure is a background factor but is within the solo specification.
The tractor prevents the normal outside-inside line for a right curve, because using more of the center or left side would put you closer to a vehicle that is already slightly over the center line. Your path must stay in the right half of your lane. Do not fixate on the tractor; identify the least-graveled path through the right tire track, then look through the curve.
2. How should you adjust speed and lane position before the gravel, and what braking technique do you use?
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Brake while upright and before the gravel, using both brakes smoothly and downshifting so you are in the correct gear. Aim to enter the gravel at or below the posted 35 mph, not at 50 mph. If you wait until the front wheel is on loose gravel, you have already given up most of your traction margin.
Choose the right tire track or the cleanest strip you can see, stay right because of the tractor, and avoid any sudden steering input. Release the brakes before the gravel; a rolling, neutral-throttle motorcycle crosses loose material better than one with the front brake applied. If you must brake on the gravel, do it in a straight line with light, equal pressure and accept a longer stop.
3. Your front wheel begins to slide as you cross the gravel at a lean. What do you do?
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Do not grab the front brake and do not add lean. Smoothly reduce lean angle by letting the bike stand up slightly, keep your eyes on the exit of the curve, and hold a light, steady throttle or neutral throttle. A front-wheel slide on gravel often recovers if you avoid abrupt inputs.
If the rear steps out, stay off the rear brake and do not chop the throttle. Once the tires are back on clean pavement, roll on gently and continue through the curve. Braking hard or standing the bike up abruptly while the front is sliding is more likely to cause a fall than a controlled recovery.