My bike caught fire once.
I thought, “Wow, motorcycles can actually burn…” I also remember thinking, “So a fire extinguisher turns pink when you use it,” and I found that oddly touching (*’ω’*)
This happened over a decade ago when I rode my bike out to the track for a track day session.
It was a weekday with few riders, no wind, and clear skies—a beautiful day.
After the first session, I checked the bike and noticed fluid spray coming from around the rear master cylinder cap.
I opened the cap, wiped everything down with a rag, dealt with it on the spot, and went out for the second session.
Fuji’s straight is ridiculously long, so it’s brutal.
Around the final lap, I’m always torn between pulling in and pushing for one more lap.
Then, on the exit of turn 13 on the map above, the rear tire suddenly lost grip. I thought, “Oh no!” and kept the throttle open, and then the tire suddenly caught—and I went “lock to lock.”
The handlebars swung all the way left and right until they hit the stops.
*The state where the handlebars turn fully left and right while riding until they hit the steering stops
I honestly had no idea what was happening on that machine.
It was probably only a few seconds in reality. The bike ran up to the 85R mark on the map above, then went down to the right, the titanium silencer threw sparks as it slid into the gravel, and I stopped.
Just as I thought, “Oh no,” flames shot up from around the TMR.
I think the sparks from the titanium silencer ignited gasoline pouring from the leaking Pingel petcock, which then caught the TMR’s ram air filter.
I tried to pat it out with my gloves, but it wouldn’t go out. Throwing gravel on it helped a little, but… this was bad.
Wait! I’ll get someone to use a fire extinguisher.
I shouted toward the corner post, “Fire extinguisher!”
and got the reply, “We don’t have one!” ( ﾟДﾟ) Seriously?
After that, the rescue car arrived, used a fire extinguisher to put it out—that’s my story.
That’s when I really thought, “A steering damper really is necessary…”
By the way, a steering damper doesn’t change the weight of the steering, so please note that. It was a day when I had a lot to think about regarding the titanium silencer, the Pingel, and the steering damper.
