The exhilarating freedom of riding a bike through the city and on the open highway is second to none. While this adrenaline rush is enticing, it comes with some inherent risks. The fear of your bike skidding under poor road conditions or bad weather is foremost among these. Bike skids happen when your two-wheeler loses traction on the road, and the braking effect is significantly diminished. Regardless of how experienced you are as a rider, watching your bike skid out of control can be one of the scariest sights.
With the rising traffic on the Indian roads, increased number of two-wheelers, uneven roads, and not following traffic rules properly, bike skids have become fairly common. However, there are ways to avoid them. You can easily avoid bike skids with proper knowledge of riding techniques and best practices. In this article, we cover the reasons for bike skids and offer tips on controlling your two-wheeler in such dangerous instances.
Common reasons for bike skids
Avoiding bike skids is easier than controlling the two-wheeler once it skids. To this end, assessing the common reasons for bike and scooter skids can help shed light on how to avoid them. Here are a few common reasons for bike skids.
- Taking a sudden turn: While riding a bike or scooter through India’s congested roads and streets, you may find yourself in situations where sudden turns and braking are necessary. From avoiding a collision with another bike to avoiding a jay-walking pedestrian or an animal that suddenly crosses your path, in some instances, sudden turns may be unavoidable. However, these last-minute turns can send your bike skidding.
- Leaning on the bike: Cornering and manoeuvring road turns on a bike can be tricky since your body balance needs to be in perfect sync with the bike. Depending on the sharpness of the turn, your bike has to be tilted to the side of the turn at the correct angle. While you need to lean on the two-wheeler to get the right angle, leaning too much on the side of the turn can cause a bike or scooty to skid.
- Wet roads: Riding your two-wheeler with extra caution during monsoons is advisable since rainfall makes the road slippery, making bike skids much more common. Apart from the annual rainy season, roads may be wet due to water run-off from shops. Whatever the reason, applying hard brakes on wet roads lead to bike skids due to the lack of traction between the tyres and the road.
- Unnecessary and sudden brake use: While you might wish to avoid unnecessary braking, Indian road conditions may force you to apply sudden brakes. For instance, you may have to use the brakes suddenly to avoid colliding with another bike from the opposite direction. Or, you may have to suddenly brake due to a signal change, coming to a halt instantly. In such cases, applying sudden brakes hard can lock up the tyres, causing back-wheel skids in a bike. This type of rear-wheel bike skid can be extremely dangerous, especially if you are riding at a relatively high speed.
Tips to manage bike skids
A skidding two-wheeler can cause panic, even in the most experienced riders. When anxious and scared, your judgement may be clouded. Having a few bike skid control tips up your sleeve can help avoid any major damage. Here are a few tips that you can implement.
- Shift your weight: Your weight is the key to determining the tilt of the two-wheeler. Sometimes, shifting your weight to the rear wheel can help reduce bike skids.
- Avoid using the clutch: The engine braking is a smarter alternative to using the bike’s clutch. If you need to brake, downshift the gear to reduce the bike’s speed. Doing so will bring the bike to a halt with a jolt, but it will reduce bike skid risks, which are common during hard braking.
- Ease throttle control: If the bike skids due to excessive throttle, try gently disengaging the clutch to minimise power to the rear wheel and gain traction.
- Avoid sharp turns: Managing sharp turns can be daunting regardless of your cornering capabilities. Sharp turns require you to tilt to a certain angle and can cause skidding, especially on wet roads. While avoiding sharp turns is prudent, depending on your route, it may not always be possible. If you have to take a sharp turn, try slowing your speed down and balance your tilt while taking the turn.
With these tips, you can better manoeuvre the road when riding under slightly poor weather and bad road conditions.
Conclusion
Bike skids can occur due to several factors, including slippery roads, abrupt braking, and over-acceleration. Two-wheeler skidding can be extremely dangerous, causing severe damage to you, the pillion passenger, and your two-wheeler. However, you can regain control as a rider by staying calm, deploying a few handy tips, and investing in the right protective gear.
oreover, you can even invest in a bike with good safety features like dual-channel ABS that prevent wheel locking when braking to minimise skidding worries. If financial constraints are holding you back, you can opt for a Bajaj Finserv Two-wheeler loan and fund your next two-wheeler purchase. You can convert the cost of the bike into pocket-friendly EMIs and repay the same over 12-60 months against affordable interest rates. You can even get 100% finance plans to side-step all upfront payment requirements, as two-wheeler loans from Bajaj Finserv come with up to 100% funding of the two-wheeler’s on-road price.
