Proliferation of Tar Snakes

[nhchris]

Here in New England US of A there is a new craze in road maintenance:   Extensive use of gooey tar to fill road cracks.

Rather than incur the cost of repaving, road crews are spreading tar into any and all cracks they can find.  The crap remains pliable at normal (not hot) temps and is a real PIA.

I can't tell you how many time I've been leaned over and my Mich Road 5 rear slips over one or more of these tar snakes and then regains traction.  I'm running out of tidy whities on longer rides!

Is this half-assed road maintenance technique used in your area?

I think it is a hazard for us motorcycle riders and should be viewed as such.

[kilo3]

It used to be the standard here. Now they do the tar snakes followed by oil overlay and topped with crushed rock.

[whisperquiet]

Some tar snakes are more dangerous than others......depends on which brand and what type of application method.  I’ve ridden on the same type you mention......slick and hazardous, but also on tar snake that feel just like the roadway.  Some road districts throw sand on the fresh tar to provide better traction.

Buyer beware.

 

 

[Salish900]

Here in the Puget Sound area they are everywhere. Just tar. Doesn't get too hot here, normally, but they are slick in all the winter rain we get. It was a tar snake on my daily commute that made me replace the stock front tire immediately. Since much of the country can't ride in the winter much, I think us here in PNW are rare in that we can ride all winter but it is 39 degrees and wet for 5 months. 

I rode today for an hour or so, and was dry and warm, only because of wearing $1,000 of clothes, and having heated gear and grips, on a bike with Road 5 tires and knowing how to hit corners at what speed and lean angle. Crazy what you have to do and know to ride all winter here. 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Salish900
mistake

[NormR]

In Quebec, Tar Snakes are a common thing. Some of my favorite roads are covered with them and on a hot day have to be avoided. I've seen riders overshoot the corner just trying to avoid them and were lucky no truck was in the opposite lane. Makes me suspicious why they use this method in some very popular biker areas? Slows down the riding without a Police presence?

[whistler]

Rode to Sturgis from MD back in 2008 on my little V-Strom.  While there, I took a trip around the intersection of SD, WY and MT.  I remember Wyoming's and Montana's roads in that area had been treated with tar snakes, and my DL650 was squirreling all over the place.  Kept my hands and shoulders relaxed and it worked out well.  The sun was out and the tar snakes were warm, so traction was a bit inconsistent for a little while.  Definitely kept me awake till I left the affected roadways.  One more lesson learned...

Edited February 3, 2021 by whistler
content; wrong damned date

[Waldo Jeffers]

On 1/31/2021 at 3:51 PM, Salish900 said:

Here in the Puget Sound area they are everywhere. Just tar. Doesn't get too hot here, normally, but they are slick in all the winter rain we get. It was a tar snake on my daily commute that made me replace the stock front tire immediately. Since much of the country can't ride in the winter much, I think us here in PNW are rare in that we can ride all winter but it is 39 degrees and wet for 5 months. 

I rode today for an hour or so, and was dry and warm, only because of wearing $1,000 of clothes, and having heated gear and grips, on a bike with Road 5 tires and knowing how to hit corners at what speed and lean angle. Crazy what you have to do and know to ride all winter here. 

“Wet for 5 months”? I’ll take that and raise you another 4 months. 😀

[Salish900]

11 minutes ago, Waldo Jeffers said:

“Wet for 5 months”? I’ll take that and raise you another 4 months. 😀

Ha! Yes, it's only wet and 39 degrees for 5 months. Then it is wet and 45. Wet and 50. Wet and 55. Wet and 60. Shoot, we even get the occasional summer monsoon. I was once sailing up in British Columbia, near Texada Island, in August, and my Buddha that storm was blowing SE 35 knots and hailing peanut M&M size ice in a torrential deluge of easily 1" of precip in 20 minutes. We sure do get our rain out here don't we! 

[Waldo Jeffers]

4 minutes ago, Salish900 said:

Ha! Yes, it's only wet and 39 degrees for 5 months. Then it is wet and 45. Wet and 50. Wet and 55. Wet and 60. Shoot, we even get the occasional summer monsoon. I was once sailing up in British Columbia, near Texada Island, in August, and my Buddha that storm was blowing SE 35 knots and hailing peanut M&M size ice in a torrential deluge of easily 1" of precip in 20 minutes. We sure do get our rain out here don't we! 

I also try and ride every day in the PNW. I stay nice and dry in my little cocoon (klim goretex). 

[fjray]

I live in the upper midwest so we don't get all the rain but we get snow and ice.  A wise old man I know once told me that there aren't bad weather days, just bad gear days.  He lives in GA so he doesn't have snow but I agree, you can ride in rain if you're dressed for it. And I do.

[Salish900]

4 minutes ago, fjray said:

I live in the upper midwest so we don't get all the rain but we get snow and ice.  A wise old man I know once told me that there aren't bad weather days, just bad gear days.  He lives in GA so he doesn't have snow but I agree, you can ride in rain if you're dressed for it. And I do.

Fact. Straight up. My normal riding gear, besides ATGATT, is now a new Aerostitch Darien Jacket, before that an Olympia that served me well, under that is a heated Aerostitch vest, with a neck gaiter. Over all that is my HeLite Turtle Vest. Down below is long johns, pants, waterproof pants of some brand, and I love my SIDI waterproof boots. With all this, I'm dry and not a square mm of skin gets touched by wet or wind. Warm too, enough. After a few hours at 36 and raining on a long trip it's pretty tough to replace heat lost. 

[fjray]

I've had my Aerostich one piece Roadcrafter since 1993!  It keeps you dry if you remember to close the front flaps good.  I also have a two piece Darien set that I like for the convenience but I'd rather go with the one pc.  It has a messed up zipper now and so the Darien gets all the work now.  Most of my friends are all Klim'ed up and that's probably the way I would go now.  But back in 1993, there wasn't Klim gear or good BMW gear.

[Waldo Jeffers]

I sometimes feel like this. 

[Salish900]

@Waldo JeffersOh God Yes! I feel so michelin man it's crazy. But anything less and I'm wet, cold or both. 

[YamaGeezer]

Tar snakes are a fact of life here in Georgia.  Hot summers make them particularly exciting.  More than once I have looked like a flat tracker with one foot coming off the peg in anticipation of putting it down as I drifted across some snakes. There are areas I ride where the snakes look like spider webs and cover entire lanes.  It's enough to feel traction slip, even in a car.  

I have gotten used to the unexpected slips as I run over these things and the FJ handles them OK.   My biggest worry is catching traction too quickly when I hit the tar in the curves.  I've avoided doing a high-side in this lifetime and hope I never find out what it's like. 

Given what the last year was like for riding, I'll gladly ride over the tar snakes, so long as I can get out and keep riding.  

Ride Safe - - -