Handling Special Situations - VENGEANCE Warrior 2004 Owner's Manual

V E N G E A N C E M O T O R C Y C L E S O W N E R S M A N U A L
The distance between you and the vehicle in front becomes even more important at night. Give yourself room to react.
Wear a clear face shield without scratches. A scratched shield can create light refraction that might confuse you; two
headlights can look like four, and you don't know who is coming from where. One of your biggest hazards at night
may be a "who" coming from a few hours of drinking. Be especially alert for drivers and vehicles doing odd things, like
weaving in and out of traffic, and give them lots of room.

HANDLING SPECIAL SITUATIONS

In the best of all worlds the temperature would always be 78 degrees, the wind would be at our backs, and no
emergencies would arise. Since it is a slightly imperfect world we live in, we should be prepared for whatever
happens.
Emergency Braking
Sometimes you have to stop as quickly as possible. Here are some tips on how to get you and your motorcycle halted
pronto:
Apply both brakes to their maximum, just short of locking them up. Practice in an open, good-surfaced place, such as
a clean parking lot.
Keep the motorcycle upright and traveling in a straight line; and look where you're going, not where you've just been.
You don't want to lock the front brake. If the wheel does chirp, release the brake for a split second, then immediately
reapply without locking it up.
If your rear wheel locks up, do not release the brake. If your handlebars are straight, you will skid in a straight line,
which is all right. You have a more important priority and that is to get stopped! Read on and we will talk more about
"skids."
Braking While Leaned Into a Curve
You should try to avoid this, but sometimes it might be necessary.
You can brake (with both brakes) while leaned over, but you must do it gradually and with less force than if the bike is
standing up straight.
For maximum braking efficiency in an emergency (when traffic and roadway conditions permit), stand the bike up
straight; brake hard.
Coping With a Skid
A skid – that's when your heart leaps up to your throat because your wheels have lost traction! You might hit a patch
of sand on a mountain curve, or a puddle of oil as you're slowing for a stoplight. It's a frightening experience on a
motorcycle, but you can handle it.
In a highway-speed, sand-in-the-corner skid, steer slightly in the direction of the skid. (If you're leaned to the left and
skidding to the right, turn those handlebars a bit toward the right.) Chances are you will clear the patch of sand, the
tires will grip the pavement again, the bike will stand up, and you'll continue on your way.
Should you hit a slippery spot while you're braking for a stop sign, and one or both wheels lock up, you want to get
those wheels rolling right away. Release the brakes for an instant, and then reapply a little more gently. You want
those tires to have traction. At higher speeds, when traction is good and the rear wheel skids when braking hard, do
not release the rear brake.
If your back end is skidding sideways because the tire is on a slick spot and simply spinning, ease off on the throttle.
A spinning wheel provides no more control than a locked wheel.
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Vengeance Motorcycles, Mira Loma, CA USA • 866-483-6432 • www.VengeanceMotorcycles.com
© 2004 Vengeance Performance Products, LLC All Rights Reserved • VOM 2nd Edition Rev 2.0 11/03