Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge. Obviously the best plan of action is avoidance of the situation in the first place, but unfortunately that's not always possible. I appreciate your input and ride safe everyone!
What/how to fall?
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
As many have mentioned thinking takes up reaction time. This is why you train. If you practice something long enough you react without thinking. I don't think Rossi goes into corners chewing his fingernails over whether he should use his rear brakes etc. He is one with his bike.
Re the OPs scenario you would need a parking lot wih concrete barriers and a supply of bikes to be wrecked, EMS standing by, to do a full practice. Not realistic.
You theoretically can practice panic stops and avoidance turns until they become second nature. Use your imagination to create and get out of the various scenarios but one has to accept that, as Queen Lizzy says, "Manure will occur".
I have seen online multiple choice tools to show good and bad examples of accident avoidance.
I say theoretically practice because I can see stunting charges arising out of some maneuvers if an over zealous cop sees you.
PS Don't try to copy Hollywood stunt men. It's BS for the camera.
Re the OPs scenario you would need a parking lot wih concrete barriers and a supply of bikes to be wrecked, EMS standing by, to do a full practice. Not realistic.
You theoretically can practice panic stops and avoidance turns until they become second nature. Use your imagination to create and get out of the various scenarios but one has to accept that, as Queen Lizzy says, "Manure will occur".
I have seen online multiple choice tools to show good and bad examples of accident avoidance.
I say theoretically practice because I can see stunting charges arising out of some maneuvers if an over zealous cop sees you.
PS Don't try to copy Hollywood stunt men. It's BS for the camera.
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rmemedic
Well-known member
I had a situation just like that last summer out on an 80km/hr road.
I watched her coming down the side road, slowing down, and obviously stopping, but I was still ready to avoid. She ALMOST came to a full stop, checked both ways and then continued to go! She had no obstructions in her view, and I ride with my high beams on in the day, it wasn't at sunset with the sun behind me, she should have easily seen me.
She pulls out, no way could I have locked up the brakes and avoided T-boning her, couldn't down shift and gas it in front of her so I rode the brakes hard and aimed for the gravel shoulder. When she gets totally in my lane she sees me and STOPS! I missed her back bumper by inches, rode it out through the gravel, sliding all over and then back up on the road. When I stopped and looked back, she was driving away and had obviously not stuck around to see if I was ok.
I chased her down, blocked her at the next stop sign, got off the bike, opened her car door and told her what I thought about her driving and her concern for other peoples lives, in a not so polite way. Her husband was in the passenger seat and kept saying "sorry man"... Which doesn't cut it.
You can't plan what to do. Most of the time I'm avoiding something, its when it's unexpected like coming over a jump and then realizing someone is down in my line. No reaction time, you just do it. Sometimes you can lock em up and stop, sometimes you are able to swerve a tad, and sometimes you wheelie over the bike and hope the guy isn't in the way.
Your only defense is experience and knowing your levels competence and what the bike is capable of.
Ninjitsu
Well-known member
Nobody gives a ****. Like that baby left in the street.
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slogan
Well-known member
Not quite so...
Stopping is decreasing your kinetic energy [(m*v^2)/2] to zero... But there is a question about the way of that energy decrease, who, or what will absorb that energy?
an impact of two opposite vehicles of the equal mass, moving with 60kph will be equivalent of ~120kph if hitting the same standing vehicle or just ~85kph if hitting a wall.
something like that... :scratch:
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OpenGambit
Banned
2 vehicles hitting each other head going 60 km a piece would be the same as hitting a wall at 60. its because the energy is spread between 2 cars (assuming they are the same car).
it would NOT be the same as hitting a wall at 120.
(see mythbusters, they tested this)
it would NOT be the same as hitting a wall at 120.
(see mythbusters, they tested this)
If you're braking or not, if you're moving at 60km/h and collide with another at 60, it doesn't change anything. The calculation is done at that instant when u collide.
Your mass remains constant, because I'm comparing you riding at 60km/h & 120km/h
We're talking about a bike here, not 2 cars. Bikes do not have crumple zones, so does your body
My first ever bike crash on the street I rear ended a car while I was looking at some girl. The only thing I had time to do was steer towards the curb so when I hit the guy I wouldnt be thrown into oncoming traffic. As it was I hit the car square on and rolled off the boot onto the wrong side of the road so my cunning plan failed.
In my experience, sadly a fairly large amount of same, you don't have time to worry a whole lot about how you're going to fall. If you have the time and presence of mind to do so, pull in your arms so that they, and your hands don't get smashed to bits as you flail around. Fight the urge to brace yourself, by putting your hands out in the fall.
That's nearly impossible though, so just put on the best gear that you can afford and HOPE.
That's nearly impossible though, so just put on the best gear that you can afford and HOPE.
Try explaining that to the wife
Crashing at the track has taught me to get away from the bike as quickly as possible, once the die is cast. Holding onto 500lbs of sparking metal and gasoline doesn't slow you down and you won't be able to stop the bike sliding, spinning, end over ending etc. It's best if you're hands are nowhere near the grips and you push away if you can. So speaks a man whose tried holding on twice and broken his thumb for his efforts.
I was 16. She's best off not knowing what I did back then.
I was taught to get up on the bike and slide with it. Took me one crash, to figure out what a stupid idea that is.
Oh boy. Here we go again.
It depends on the bike and it depends on how much traction you have. It depends on whether you are carrying a passenger.
Every motorcycle that I own, is capable of lifting the rear wheel off the ground with the front brake only, on dry pavement with warm tires and no passenger. The rear brake is not capable of contributing anything useful in these circumstances. I'm better off concentrating on getting maximum braking out of the FRONT brake, the rear is only a distraction that uses up mental effort better spent on something else.
If you have a long, low touring bike or a rear-weight-biased cruiser then it is a different story. But some of these have linked-braking systems that handle the front/rear brake balance more-or-less automatically ... as long as you apply enough FRONT brake lever.
The error of using too much rear brake and not enough front, is made far more frequently than vice versa.
Side note: Now that it is starting to become a viable choice - If you have the option of getting ABS on your next street bike, do it. The ability to just hammer both front and rear brake levers with impunity without regards to surface condition or weight distribution is worth a lot when a car driver pulls a bonehead move in front of you.
I agree with nearly everything you say here.....
What are your thoughts on this, specifically this paragraph.
The rear brake is important: Even if you ride a sportbike that transfers most of its weight to the front wheel, during that first half-second or so, while the rear wheel is still weighted, any braking you perform will have the greatest effect, since you are moving faster than when the weight has been transferred. Most riders can begin to apply the rear brake slightly sooner and harder than the front. Of course, on a cruiser, the rear wheel continues to carry substantial weight and the rear brake continues to be effective right through the stop. Finally, the rear brake also applies some stabilizing effect, so the back wheel won't try to pass the front. One of the test riders was in the habit of not using the rear brake, but even his braking improved noticeably when he was instructed to use it.
Read more: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/0608_crup_effective_braking/index.html#ixzz1t0JH6ZEn
Read more: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/0608_crup_effective_braking/index.html#ixzz1t0JH6ZEn
I realize that, but the first two sentences of that paragraph do seem to have some bearing on sportbikes.
