Couple lessons here:

1. Don't ride while on cold medication.

2. Beware of lawn sprinklers.

3. Cornering on dry-to-wet-to-dry road doesn't pan out so well.

I've been fighting a cold, so I had to go reload on Halls and cold meds. I figured while I was out I would try to enjoy some air and take a little 40 mile loop. First I stopped to check air and added a couple pounds.

Well I got to this spot that's kinda hilly and has a few nice twists and I was coming to the crown of a hill that has a descending lefty following it, and there was a woman watering her lawn with a sprinkler. Well it was too late when I noticed the sprinkler was also watering the road as well. I was already setting my lean to go into the downhill left hand turn, maybe going 40-ish (posted 30, I think) and my rear broke free. I didn't go into a slapper or set up for a high-side, and didn't wash out for a low-side either. It was weird - some kind of fishtail/back-and-forth kind of thing. It only lasted a couple seconds, and I sort of supermoto'd the thing through the turn, eased off the bar, gave it a little gas, and tried to hook the tank with my outside leg while my inside heel dragged the road.

I don't have the slightest idea if that was right thing to do, but in my case it worked.

I really thought I was gonna bite it again, and if that would have happened I probably would have hung it up for good.

Anyhow, it was a nice pucker moment. I'd give it a solid 7.8. I guess when you've been down twice the panic reactions aren't quite as strong. It becomes more of a sinking feeling in your stomach, like a bit of nausea.

Anyway... keep your eyes peeled. Cornering on water with freshly inflated tires doesn't work so well.

If it's any consolation, I do not get any sense of confidence at all from my Pilot Powers in the wet.

Granted, I'm only 8 months and 4500 miles in on my biking career, but the PPs give me the willies when the road turns damp. Might be my inexperience/lack of confidence, or the fact that they really are a sporty tire, or a little of both.

Coming home from work the other day, I downshifted a little too aggressively coming up to a red light and got my back tire to waggle what felt like about 12" in either direction, on dry pavement. My own recent "pucker moment."

Coming home from work the other day, I downshifted a little too aggressively coming up to a red light and got my back tire to waggle what felt like about 12" in either direction, on dry pavement. My own recent "pucker moment."
Yeah I know what you mean. I practically do that daily. I should be more fluid with my clutch releases going from 2nd to 1st but frankly I think it's kinda fun to "wag the tail" a little.

my theory is that if whatever you did to correct it resulted in not crashing then you did the right thing. stay safe out there!

Isn't it great when everything goes into super slo mo and you know you are either going to dump it or keep it up mostly thru some combination of luck and skill. I have several incidents etched in my memory of being in super slo mo mode, mostly behind the wheel of a car, but making it thru without a scratch is always a good thing. Think about what you did right and have a drink to your luck. And wear your gear all the time dumb ass, LOL!

Were you near a bank or a camera patrolled section of town? I'd love to see if someone got that on tape!

Glad you pulled through it man.