News

18 April 1998
 

Non-slip road repairs

(Info in French and German will be sent on the respective FEMA lists within a week)

A new road repair compound called STO Flex APS is now available globally through an established distribution network. Designed to be used instead of slippery black bitumen, it has a friction coefficient the same as normal tarmac and is cheaper to use than bitumen.

News of the product last year brought interested enquiries from motorcycle groups worldwide, eager to promote it locally
thereby cutting the number of motorcycle accidents.

Technical and practical information in German, English and French is available from the producer.

"Ice rink road repairs" shall be an issue at the Euro Demo in Bonn on 29 August where 20-30,000 riders are exepcted to
take to the streets in support of biker-friendly legislation.

In problem areas, FEMA recommends local pressure on administrations to start using the product.

STO Flex APS enquiries should be directed to the address at the end of this message.

There follows a presentation by MAG Austria.

--------------------------------

More safety for motorcyclists on Austria's streets by Edwin  Hofbauer, Vienna, 29th April 1998

MAG - MOTORCYLE ACTION GROUP AUSTRIA
 

ICE IN SUMMER

Road seam repairs with Bitumen can mean for motorcyclists slippery ice conditions in summer. Developed in Austria as an initiative by the Motorcycle Action Group Chapter of Upper Austria, use of a new road repair product could prevent hundreds of motorcycle accidents per year, and save many lives.

THE CURRENT SITUATION
BITUMEN (e.g. Fugenplus) is commonly used for road repairs. In the handbooks for the repairing of asphalt surfaces the use of Bitumen is recommended for only limited damage under 5cm width, such as seam damage, cracks and joins between sections. However repairs with Bitumen are often carried out on larger areas, such as pot holes and cracks much wider than 5cm.

Bitumen has a very low adhesive value which moreover depends strongly on the weather. Under wet conditions, both the maximum Coefficient of Static Friction, and the Coefficient of Sliding Friction on Bitumen is about one third of conventional asphalt surface. Wet Bitumen has a friction value which is comparable with the "slipperyness" of ice.

Also at higher temperatures, the friction is small as investigations showed on roads with Bitumen repairs. Already at
23 degrees C of outside temperature, the material is easily deformed with small effort.  Under such conditions, it can be
drawn off like cello tape.  High temperatures create a similar problem as when the surface is wet.

This means in the practise that the rider's maximum angle of lean can be reduced from e.g. 45 degrees to approximately 15
degrees. At the same time there is a higher risk of falling while turning and braking.  For a straight braking the distance
required increases 2 or 3-fold.  This effect is also seen on machines with ABS systems. By reduced frictional contact while
on a Bitumen surface the braked wheel can lock. A locked front wheel loses its direction and its stabilizing influence with a
high likelihood of the machine falling.  A sudden change in the surface adhesion directly effects a motorcycle leaned over in a
curve, outside of the control of the rider.  This results in the likelihood of the rider falling off and possibly a collision with oncoming traffic, or a collision with the dangerous crash barrier posts.

Source: Institute for Motorcycle Safety (IfZ, Institut fur Zweiradsicherheit, Essen)

The smooth or the polished Bitumen surface is sometimes roughened with gravel or broken stone in order to correct the slipperyness of the Bitumen.

However, the long-term effectiveness of this surface is limited and the road surface soon loses its abrasiveness because of high
stress and wear. The gravel is usually rolled into the Bitumen surface by heavy vehicles. At the same volume amount, the
Bitumen grows out of the surface, causing steps along the line of the riders travel. Riding along a Bitumen repair strip always
is an interference on the on stability and 'feel' of a motorcycle. Such repairs are often not straight, and the effect of friction variations plus the steps can be very disconcerting for motorcyclists, especially in wet weather (more effect) and in
darkness (rider cannot see the cause of any wobbles).

Road repairs using Bitumen are regarded as an intermediate solution.  Although there is a demand for a durability of 3 years
for road repairs in the RVS (Richtlinien und Verordnungen fur den Strassenbau Directives for road maintenance), Bitumen does not meet these requirements.  Road markings on Bitumen have almost zero adhesion and thus disappear after a few weeks only.
 

STO Flex APS, THE NEW ALTERNATIVE

The first investigations with alternative materials started in November 1994. In June 1996 there was a meeting with Mr.
Hochmair, Vice chef of the Upper Austria government, at which 9.028 signatures, collected in all of Austria and calling for a
change in repair methods, was presented.

In April 1997 the official product presentation at the firm STO Traun followed, and Mr Ing. Ritzal, Austrian Ministry
for Economic Affairs, Mr Ing. Reisenbichler, province government Upper Austria., Mr Ing Hintringer, testing institution, province government Upper Austria, as well as representatives of the road manufacturers were present. At the beginning the material was presented by videofilm and then the practical work carrying out was demonstrated.  Also in April1997 MAG initiated to built a test track on on the Weichstettner Bezirksstrasse, together with the company STO and according to agreement with the Upper Austria government, Mr. Ing. Reisenbichler. A test track of 160 metre cracks were repaired with the conventional bitomen material "Fugenplus" by the firm Vialit Braunau and 160 metres cracks by the firm STO with "STO Flex APS".

All tests and grinding hearts showed the clear superiority of STO Flex APS over all other repair materials.

- This material has greater surface adhesion and resembles the roughness of the asphalt coating, also in the wet. This
improves the safety of the motorcyclist and helps to avoid accidents where people can be hurt or killed.

- The new process provides very effectfully that those repair strips are egalized, i.e. not higher than the surrounding
asphalt layer. So it is without importance wether the strips are straight or not, or if they are carried out as a fishnet pattern
or as big areas. Anyway the coefficient of friction is equal.

- Long term tests have so far shown a durability of 2-4 years on test  tracks in the districts of Kremsmuenster, Wels,
Freistadt BS and Linz-Land. The repairs are still in good conditions.

- Road markings have a better adhesion than on tarmac, let alone on Bitumen.

- The product is solvent-free as well as free from pollutants and  therefore environmental friendly.

- Devices and tools can be cleaned with water (no detergents)

- Repairs up to 100 metre can be carried out at any time, without  expenditure to rigs, only with hands

- STO Felx APS" is elastic and fills the seams completely.

- The machines to process STO Flex APS are the same as for wall plastering, with only a few modifications on the jet.

- The demand for manpower, time, machinery and energy is considerably lower than for Bitumen.

MAG believes that apart from a new tarmac layer, repairs with "STO Flex APS" currently are the only reasonable alternative
for safe road construction!
 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

MAG-Motorrad-AktionsGruppe
contact: Ms Romana Schoergendorfer (german only)
Landesstelle Oberoesterreich
Freiung 9
A - 4720 Neumarkt/H.
Telefon: 07733 / 81 31
Telefax: 07733 / 81 47
 

Material Manufacturer:
contact:  Mr Alois Mauhart
(german by phone; fax also in english)
Firma STO GmbH
Gewerbepark 7
A - 4063 Pasching
Telefon: 07229 / 64 100
Telefax: 07229 / 64 10 22
 

or MAG Austria Chairman Edwin Hofbauer,
Tel 0043-1-817 68 71 or +43-1-1707 22793;
Fax +43 1 1707 53560 email: <edmagvie@ping.at>

Well, I still can't quite believe what I saw, but it essentially boils down to a watching a  Ducati 748 being nicked in about 20 seconds right in front of my eyes.

This happened yesterday, round the back of the Wigmore Hall in W1, early in the afternoon. I was doing a gig in the hall and, taking a break during the rehearsal, I stuck my head out of the window at the rear. I'd seen the Ducati earlier (it was a yellow and white one) only now there were two guys kneeling next to it. One was in a (decent) leather jacket and jeans, the other just in jeans and T-shirt. The first guy had the side panel off and seemed to be doing something to some wiring underneath, the other bloke was by the front wheel.

Before I knew it, almost as if I was watching a magic trick, the guy at the front whips out some bolt croppers - with people walking up and down the road right next to him - and snips off a disk lock in about 2 seconds flat. He immediately then went round to help the other guy - he'd pretty much done his stuff and so, picking up a helmet, he jumped on the bike, fired it up, and rode away so fast I didn't get a chance to get the registration. Remaining bloke picks up the broken lock, walks off casually, realises at this point that I'd seen everything, turns round, two-fingers me, and then legs it.

I reported it immediately, of course, and gave a pretty accurate description of the two of them, but somehow I don't think they'll be caught. If they were that skilled, and relaxed, at nicking the thing in the first place then I don't suppose they'd manage to get themselves nicked. I would *love* to shop the bastards though, given the opportunity at an identity parade.

A few things occurred to me in the hours that followed this:

1. The fact that it was daytime and a relatively busy street didn't count for anything in deterring this particular pair.

2. If you can afford a Ducati 748 then why the hell can't you afford a disk lock that doesn't come off in two seconds????!!!! Personally I'd have a couple of Sold Secures and a bloody loud alarm on a bike like that, and *still* be worried...

3. Pro bike thieves - like these two undoubtedly were - are little shites, but undoubtedly very skilled at what they do. They had it all down to a very fine art - I'm not exaggerating but is *was* like watching a magic trick. The way the bloke with the bolt croppers just slipped them out of his pocket, kept them hidden from nearly all angles of view, and then quietly slipped them away again. Quick as a flash, very slick - very practised, actually.

4. But they'd never have even gone for this bike if it had been better protected. I'm pretty certain these guys would stop at nothing given the right situation, but yesterday they went for the Ducati because they could get it quickly and quietly. You can bet your life that if it had ad security which meant that they'd have had to work on it for more than a couple of minutes then they would have passed it by. Too risky. Easier pickings available close by.

Of course, an R100RT isn't *quite* as desirable as a 748 ;o) but this whole thing has definitely made me reconsider at those times when you've just parked up, you see your lock, and you think "Shall I, shan't I?".  The answer, if you value your bike, has got to be "Shall"!

Robin Bigwood
R100RT, London