crr003 wrote: 9:28 - As a lifelong cager I'd have been concerned about going over that metal manhole cover. Would you normally try and miss those but the bend meant staying over it or does years of riding tell you it's OK?
Many motorcyclists will swerve all over the road to avoid inspection covers. Understandably, for fear of nil-grip metal.
However, if you're travelling at any speed*, you'll only be on it for a few moments and [caveats apply] any grip that's lost would usually be regained as soon as the tyres reach good surface again.
the times when I'd certainly change line are if they're raised** or dropped, but I have a theory that more riders have probably crashed in corners by trying (and failing) to avoid the cover but actually clipping it at an angle, possibly with the throttle shut, perhaps even panic braking.
* I was pulling away from a T junction, in the dark and wet, and ended up with my rear wheel on a flat and level inspection cover. The rear wheel span, I sat there with my feet up, for what felt like several seconds (but probably wasn't) until it slipped sideways, got some grip and away we went.
** Southern Television (pre-TVS, pre-Meridian) had a series called 'Talking Bikes'. One programme featured the Dunlop tyre testers. Long curved track, with a radial ridge about 2" high. Bike whizzing into view at about 60mph, sparks flying as he's leant over and grounding the stand. Voiceover: "This test is . . . " CRUNCH daylight under tyres, second crunch as it lands and continues on around the corner " . . . is to test how tyres regain their grip".