- This topic has 9 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by Munch.
some Safety information
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March 13, 2011 at 8:26 pm #4352Jeff in KentuckyParticipant
A tank slapper is where the front end wobbles left and right, and a steering dampener might prevent this, along with straightening the steering if the front tire is not touching the pavement, before the front tire gets back on the pavement.
A high-side is when the back tire slides and the bike leans, then suddenly the back tire gets full traction and stands the bike up fast, usually throwing you up into the air and off the bike.
A low-side is where either the front or back tire slides, the bike falls down, and you fall toward the pavement instead of getting thrown up into the air first.
Generally, NEVER brake in a corner except as a very last resort. Do all of your braking just before you get to the corner. An expert racer may use some back brake and less likely a tiny bit of front brake in part of a corner, but they risk a crash every time they do this. If you can, stand the bike up straight and go straight for a short distance in a corner, before using both brakes, then let the brakes off and steer to lean again.
If a street rider must brake in a corner to keep from hitting something, they will usually use a lot of back brake kept on until the bike stops, to make the bike low-side on purpose, or they will stand up on the footpegs to try to sail over a car as their bike hits it, instead of going head first into the edge of the car roof.
If you are crashing, stay loose with your arms above your head and your legs straight, and try to land butt first and slide with your head up and feet in front of you. You do not want to try to catch yourself by putting your hands on the pavement first, an old tree climbing instinct, and do not roll up into a ball. Do not try to stand up until you have stopped sliding, and after you have checked for traffic coming toward you and obviously broken bones and nerve damages (paralysis). If your neck hurts, do not move your head and tell the people around you that you might have injured your neck and you need to be put on a backboard before being moved. Ask the first people to the scene to direct traffic and call 911 if needed.
To be extra safe on a motorcycle, you can buy a Honda Goldwing with an optional airbag, but this motorcycle is much too big and very expensive for a beginner to start with:
March 13, 2011 at 8:34 pm #29360Jeff in KentuckyParticipanthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kWu8mvXDaE
Hopefully you never do this, sliding the back tire on a painted line then doing 3 highsides and destroying your bike:
March 29, 2011 at 1:32 pm #29419MunchParticipant“””Generally, NEVER brake in a corner except as a very last resort. Do all of your braking just before you get to the corner. An expert racer may use some back brake and less likely a tiny bit of front brake in part of a corner, but they risk a crash every time they do this. If you can, stand the bike up straight and go straight for a short distance in a corner, before using both brakes, then let the brakes off and steer to lean again.
If a street rider must brake in a corner to keep from hitting something, they will usually use a lot of back brake kept on until the bike stops, to make the bike low-side on purpose…..”””
Ofcourse this obviously does not cover rounding exit ramps to find ol’ silver hair thinking it’s Sunday morning and she is off to church instead of Monday morning and time for work. Draggin the rear brake will not always result in a low side…. please try to extend the explanation. There is a such thing as varying pressure for results. This is one part of MSF that aggravated me once I rode highway and really learned. The First time I had to ride to work I have a huge sweeping exit ramp to go around…. yes sport bike fans …. wide enough and long enough to drag a knee if you wanted…… Anyway I was going around and there was Grand ma …. in a Grand Marquis just toodlin along at 35 mph….me… 65 as the speed limit states (well really 60) and started getting a touch worried cause we were in the middle of the turn. Good lean going and started running through what I should or should not do. Only thing MSF tell you …stand the bike up, point straight and break. Ummmm no…not on a major interstate exit. Luckily getting past the noobish thoughts I decided to drag the rear brake to slow me down and VOILA!….got around all happy and safe. New riders….. please learn varying pressures with your scoot and how the bike reacts. It is NOT just on and off as some statements tend to suggest.
“”To be extra safe on a motorcycle, you can buy a Honda Goldwing with an optional airbag, but this motorcycle is much too big and very expensive for a beginner to start with:””This …. I still want to see a video of this… Air Bags on a motorcycle makes no sense to me. About the most I can think it would do is keep you from kissing the handle bars on your way over…. Unless its the same air bags the Mars Rover got to land on :^) .
March 29, 2011 at 2:39 pm #29422madjak30ParticipantThe course that I took, they coached us to use the back brake to “control your speed in a corner”…keep the throttle steady and use the rear brake to control the speed, then if there is any danger there is no lag when you apply the throttle…this was for our slow maneuvering figure 8 and tight left and right turns…but it could easily be translated to an on ramp, or corner where you need to scrub some speed off…
I would also use more rear brake than front in slippery situations…rain, sand, gravel, etc…spring riding conditions basically…fall too, I guess…
Where I live in Canada, the first ride is coming…the thaw is starting, but I still have four inches of rutted ice on my street…a few more days of this and I may be able to get out to the main street without dropping my bike…woo hoo…
Later.
March 30, 2011 at 4:48 am #29428skippersusieParticipantI always learn so much from you guys! At least now I can appreciate the advice and understand it.
Our coach told us the same, basically use the rear brake to control your speed and keep the throttle on for traction. I got caught in a few small showers this winter and I’m glad i practiced this in the parking lot a few times before trying it on the road. I was surprised at how little pressure it really takes. Had I tried this at 55 for the first time on a turn, well, not sure how that one would have ended.
Thanks again!
March 30, 2011 at 11:11 am #29429Jeff in KentuckyParticipantHere are some cornering tips. Generally, the bike will lean a lot farther than you think before the tires start to slide, and in an emergency you want to slow down as much as possible:
March 30, 2011 at 10:58 pm #29430Jeff in KentuckyParticipantThe Honda Goldwing airbag is designed and crash tested for the typical frontal crash at an intersection, at about 35 mph or less. At higher speeds, you will still fly over the handlebars, but a little slower and with less damages likely from hitting the handlebars and hitting any windshield before going over the front of the motorcycle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kWu8mvXDaE&feature=related
Here is some more crash testing, at a slightly higher speed with and without the airbag (talking in a northern European language):
March 31, 2011 at 1:52 am #29431MunchParticipantummm yea… nevermind in that first video that the Dummy still gets unseated and near hangs himself on the windshield anyway. Was a helluva upper cut from a direction the helmet is not designed to protect you from. Yup still not convinced. To each their own I guess. Me personally….. TRAIN riders to Ride safely and alert. Educate automobile drivers about motorcyclists both DURING and AFTER drivers ed.
Both videos the rider is still screwed with or without the airbag. So instead of instilling more false sense of security ….. all the while charging an extra $8 grand on the price tag (guessing) PUT YOUR MONEY TO MSF and more gas money to PRACTICE AND TRAINING!
Added: Also curious as to why the air bag is chest level but in both after shots by the camera both cameras focused on the legs being broke…. ummm wha?
April 2, 2011 at 6:35 pm #29432Jeff in KentuckyParticipantIt looked like in the first video, the bike fell on the dummy’s leg after the crash, and in the second video, the left leg smashed into the back of the fairing during the crash.
Many are still trying to convince dumb riders that a full-face helmet, long pants and an armored jacket are good ideas- every summer I see squids dressed for the beach on their bikes, raising my insurance premiums.
My goal is to never crash, and I have not crashed since 1984. I would probably not pay extra for an airbag, if I wanted to buy a Goldwing, but if people keep buying an airbag, Honda will keep offering it as an option.
April 3, 2011 at 12:06 am #29434MunchParticipantNow how the hell am I supposed to have an engaging conversation when you dont give me something to disagree with?
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