[pramods]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NTtSUfbnQ4

this video from Bret Tkacs might help.

-Pramod

[IshaanIan]

Quite simple; keep a loose grip on the handle bars and use your body to shift the center of gravity if you need to change lanes. Avoid muscling the bike into anything. The stiffer you become the more the bike will break traction, the more supple and flowing with the motion you become, the easier it will be to control weight shift and maneuver the bike in such a scenario.

[GTO]

Also note that low profile tyres tramline noticeably more, at least in my experience - full discussion (Why do cars with low profile tyres tramline more?).

[2000rpm]

These are abominations very common on Mumbai roads!

These are very difficult to navigate on a activa / access.

I go to the right most lane, and slow down until I feel in control.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

These are abominations very common on Mumbai roads!

These are very difficult to navigate on a activa / access.

I go to the right most lane, and slow down until I feel in control.

Wouldn't the right most lane be the one dedicated to faster moving traffic? Might be best to stick to the left isn't it?

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Wouldn't the right most lane be the one dedicated to faster moving traffic? Might be best to stick to the left isn't it?

Apologies, I meant the left most lane. You are correct!

I hate people on the right most lane at low speeds myself.

[shancz]

Just wanted to add that the worst kind of tramlining I have encountered was due to those long and deep scratch/gorge marks on the road as a result of "broken axles". Common culprits are the trucks of varying sizes.

Reasons :
1. They tend to happen on highways/by-pass/ring (read faster) roads since the trucks use them to go in/by-pass the city.

2. They're can be pretty deep depending on the weight of the axle and speed of the vehicle involved.

3. They're rarely straight and usually curve to the left/right at the end as the vehicle would be trying to come to a side.

This means that you encounter them unexpectedly, on an otherwise fine and fast road. It's deep enough to upset most two wheelers and in the end leaves you turned to the left/right in a position ready to run off/high side if you aren't careful.
If this happens in a scooter/lighter bikes, it will be quite a scare.

[Arun_S]

Experienced it a lot here in Chennai, as mentioned earlier by other members I used to slow down considerably still would feel, I might fall down from my bike.

Then noticed a guy in Activa comfortably crossing it, when checked he told to maintain normal speeds (30-45 KMPH) you can safely negotiate.

Tried this couple of times looks like it works.

But still terribly afraid of these tramlines.

[Starfire]

Tramlining on a road is like the wheels of a train/tram riding on rails. The Steering wheel/Handle bar will turn along the direction of the parallel lines once grooved in and fighting it will only make things worse. (Attaching a diagram and picture below for clarity)

There are certain things you can do when crossing such roads to avoid mishaps: (A 5 point Mantra that I learnt from personal experience and some research)

• Slow down.

• Avoid making sudden inputs. Turn, brake, or accelerate very slowly and smoothly.

• Hold the bars firmly, but not rigidly. They will move as the grooves grab the tires. You want to allow them to move enough to avoid breaking contact, but not to jerk out of your hand.

• Maintain your situational awareness at the highest level. Look farther ahead than usual, in case you have to plan for stops or turns.

• Remember that with a reduced contact patch, you will stop far more slowly than usual. Plan ahead for stops. Above all, do not panic-grab the brakes.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by pramods

this video from Bret Tkacs might help.

Thanks, useful video. I had faced this issue on certain highways and as pointed in the video, key is to find the right speed, keep hands lose and most importantly don't pay much attention. After a long ride, this can get nervous if you happen to be on a big bike.

[Sheel]

Very useful post .

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

-Look as far and straight ahead

True for corners too, in-fact applicable everywhere. You will go where you are seeing. Target Fixation.

Originally Posted by locusjag

My first instinct is to tighten up my shoulders and lock my elbows when riding through those grooves.

Other than slowing down, upper body part should be loose [comparatively] than the lower, I hug the fuel tank tightly while riding, but my upper body stays loose [relatively].

[RevItUp]

This thread reminded me of my first ride from Delhi to Goa back in 2014, thats when I encountered the scratched roads (thats what we called them then). They were there through Rajasthan and Gujrat mostly.
It was nerve wracking and scary crossing it in the middle of a highway on a motorcycle for the first time.
Inspite of the wide tyre on the Iron883 it still moved like crazy, you cant control it at higher speeds, just go where it takes you.
Fast forward to 2020, its much easier on the Tiger to cross these.
Again, the key is to slow down and relax your grip and let it pass and look ahead. No sudden braking or changing directions.

[chinmaypillay]

The main thing here is not move the handlebar suddenly/violently when going through these surfaces, as long as you don't panic and allow the bike to cross on its own momentum you should be able to glide peacefully. Its when you try to jerk the handlebar that things can get really bad.

Allow the bike to slow down on its own and go on a decent pace, suddenly slowing the bike by reducing the gear might invite some one to crash from behind. If you are used to the route and know when this section comes up, slow down much before that so the person behind will also know this.

The worst thing is that many of them don't put boards to warn of this section, I have seen many bikes violently shake when they unexpectedly touch this. Scary indeed. And another advantage of Enfield is that you won't be going in really high speeds to slow down :P All this from the experience of Standard bullet of mine.

[Gansan]

Slow down and shift to a lower gear, move as far left as possible, and ride gently till you cross the stretch. No quick acceleration or deceleration, no quick change of direction or change of lanes. Do everything gingerly, kind of go with the flow. I encounter this from time to time in the city for short distances, but in highways this can go for a couple of km or more. Don't hold the handlebars firmly, and do corrections slowly.

[AirbusCapt]

A fatter sidewall and smaller diameter tyres will help in this case. My Versys has 17 inch rims with 120/80 and 160/60 tyres and I really don't feel anything on these sections.

Tramlining is really acute on cruisers with a narrow front tyre and bigger wheel size. The Thunderbird has this exact problem with a narrow 19 inch front rim. Also the feet forward stance with a high set handlebar is a culprit by not offering enough leverage.
If you ride on soft dirt roads/sand trails you will face similar issues.