oddshot
Active member
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- Location
- Jasper, Georgia
Today I drove the ‘ Duck to school again. I’ve put about 200 miles on it since the bobbin’ … and she’s been running and driving GREAT.
No real probs even in stop and go traffic down by Marietta, Ga or parking or anything.
Until today … and it wasn’t a REAL problem.
I’ve been driving my boibbed Deuce the same way you ( I ) would ride a motorcycle or ski … by keeping my head in the game … and my eyes UP … PLANNING for each corner or braking or traffic situation … instead of “reacting” when I get to it.
Today there was a VERY light rain, just heavy enough to put a shine on the roads … but not enough to really wash them clean.
On the way home from school, I had no difficulty on the highway at all … even in traffic … I kept my speed down … and adjusted my interval between me and the car(s) in front.
When I turned off the highway and headed through the rolling hill back where I live … even that was Ok … no problems at all … until I got to a pretty steep down hill … at the bottom of which I have to apply the brakes to make a right onto a side road.
I wasn’t going very fast at all … maybe 30 or 35 MPH … maybe just a touch under the speed I usually take this turn.
I “carried” my momentum, under braking, as I usually do (when its dry) on this turn … and the tail of the Deuce came around to see what the nose had been looking at!
It was simple math really … I had simply spent all the traction “currency” my military 9.00 x 20 tires could generate on BRAKING … and had nothing left to spend on “cornering” … and, just like that, the tail came around.
The interesting thing? The VERY same thing happened to me at the VERY same corner in my old (beloved) Ford Pickup when I first moved down here … just a *little* water on the road was enough. My old Ford didn’t spin … she “snow plowed” (understeered) through the intersection.
There was no traffic … there is rarely traffic back here where I live … so LUCKILY … no harm … no foul … BUT … !
My (beloved) old Ford and I had that happen JUST ONCE … and we both learned the limits for that corner.
But … I am reminded that after almost EVERY military exercise I have ever gone through … there was always time AFTER for reflection … and a discussion of “lessons learned”.
Sometimes the “lessons learned” were the only thing of value that came from the exercise … by a LONG shot.
My lesson learned this time out … ?
Even if you keep your head in the game … something might come along … and bite you in the butt.
It never hurts to lay in an extra measure of “slow the heck down” and apply a bit more caution … Especially in areas of shallow water.
oddshot
No real probs even in stop and go traffic down by Marietta, Ga or parking or anything.
Until today … and it wasn’t a REAL problem.
I’ve been driving my boibbed Deuce the same way you ( I ) would ride a motorcycle or ski … by keeping my head in the game … and my eyes UP … PLANNING for each corner or braking or traffic situation … instead of “reacting” when I get to it.
Today there was a VERY light rain, just heavy enough to put a shine on the roads … but not enough to really wash them clean.
On the way home from school, I had no difficulty on the highway at all … even in traffic … I kept my speed down … and adjusted my interval between me and the car(s) in front.
When I turned off the highway and headed through the rolling hill back where I live … even that was Ok … no problems at all … until I got to a pretty steep down hill … at the bottom of which I have to apply the brakes to make a right onto a side road.
I wasn’t going very fast at all … maybe 30 or 35 MPH … maybe just a touch under the speed I usually take this turn.
I “carried” my momentum, under braking, as I usually do (when its dry) on this turn … and the tail of the Deuce came around to see what the nose had been looking at!
It was simple math really … I had simply spent all the traction “currency” my military 9.00 x 20 tires could generate on BRAKING … and had nothing left to spend on “cornering” … and, just like that, the tail came around.
The interesting thing? The VERY same thing happened to me at the VERY same corner in my old (beloved) Ford Pickup when I first moved down here … just a *little* water on the road was enough. My old Ford didn’t spin … she “snow plowed” (understeered) through the intersection.
There was no traffic … there is rarely traffic back here where I live … so LUCKILY … no harm … no foul … BUT … !
My (beloved) old Ford and I had that happen JUST ONCE … and we both learned the limits for that corner.
But … I am reminded that after almost EVERY military exercise I have ever gone through … there was always time AFTER for reflection … and a discussion of “lessons learned”.
Sometimes the “lessons learned” were the only thing of value that came from the exercise … by a LONG shot.
My lesson learned this time out … ?
Even if you keep your head in the game … something might come along … and bite you in the butt.
It never hurts to lay in an extra measure of “slow the heck down” and apply a bit more caution … Especially in areas of shallow water.
oddshot
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