Yamaha TRX850 Enthusiasts Forum

so i've been commuting on my TRX, and i noticed something strange.


there's a hill on my commute, with a mini-roundabout at the bottom, and a 90-degree 30mph-40mph corner at the top. the road is banked on the left by earth and hedges.

twice, two days running, i accelerated up the hill to about 75mph and then slowed for the corner... and upon slowing, noticed a sudden and distinct smell of burning rubber.

so let me break down for you what is strange about this:

1- there are no other times i have noticed this smell.
2 - i accelerate/brake much harder on other roads, without the smell.
3 - the road surface is even and doesn't seem like it would cause loss of traction (although the first day, the road was damp)
4 - i didn't feel any wheel-spin on acceleration or braking.

but here's where it gets stranger.

- i tried to replicate the smell the following day from the first, and i got the same thing the second time, in exactly the same place.
- however, i haven't been able to replicate it since.



so here's some of my (probably misguided) thought processes:

- the high bank on the left side of the road creates circulating turbulence as i reach the top of the hill and slow down, which brings the smell into my helmet. the smell might be happening elsewhere but i just can't smell it.
- the smell came from something behind the hedge
- something was touching the exhaust
- leprichauns did it.


i'm at a loss. is my rear tyre just slipping slightly? is the engine about to explode? should i be worried?

honestly i'm finding the whole thing sort of amusing, how it's managed to play on my mind so much.

you dont usually smell your own rubber burning, generally the person behind you smells it.

Were you wearing a condom?

if you are sure you know what burning rubber smells like and this smells like that, then thats what it is, so the omly place on a bike it could some from is the tyres.
Otherwise a quick check round the bike would show anything melted.
Also check your boot soles for meltage off the link pipes.
Or its a tramp behind the hedge burning an old pirelli for warmth.

Old tramp with a wry smile, burning an old pirelli, knowing he's fuk'n with your head without even looking, aka supertramp, (He has the power)

check your boot on the exhaust

as Mince pointed out in previous threads..make sure there's not a speed camera there and it's been torched with a bunch of tyres

I just wish that to happen to ALL the GREED cameras cobba!
Actually get off the bike at the place you smell the rubber and do have a good look around, on the A1 / M1 there is an asphalt / tarmaccadam works that stinks to high heavens.
When the wind`s in the right direction you could almost gag on the smell it`s that offensive.