Lost his sneaker!! Dragon pics....
#71
10-25-2008, 12:17 PM
I especially liked the part where the first one mentioned that you "MUST" countersteer to turn a motorcycle. I agree completely.
If you are not countersteering, your riding is limited to very slow speed or straight lines.
I stand by the premise of my original comment which was that it is asinine to imply the rider was not countersteering enough, thus he wrecked. I also stand by my secondary premise that it is impossible to capture in a still shot the forces being applied to the handlebar (unless the bars are observed to be distorted from the pressure).
Have a good weekend all.
#73
10-25-2008, 12:29 PM
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He may have a problem with that!
#74
10-25-2008, 12:57 PM
I hate to see wrecks, but I don't jump on the "cagers are always at fault"...top 5 causes for a bike wreck are all operator errors... THEN come the cages
#75
10-25-2008, 01:08 PM
The bike wasn't even leaned over. In fact, it doesn't even look like he was working on making his bike go through the curve.
Just trying to guess here, but it was either target fixation and he hit what he was looking at or maybe he came in too hot and hit the brakes hard enough to slow down and straighten up the bike but not break the tires loose for a low side.
Just trying to guess here, but it was either target fixation and he hit what he was looking at or maybe he came in too hot and hit the brakes hard enough to slow down and straighten up the bike but not break the tires loose for a low side.
My thoughts too, probably came in too fast braked then got target fixation ,once you start looking at something, you lost it.
#76
10-25-2008, 02:06 PM
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Reality is - biker went wide out of a corner and hit a car driving in their own lane!
Counter steering - reality is - can't even ride a bicycle without doing it. It's pure physics. I rode for years without realizing I naturally did it. Once you do though, the power is all yours.
Test - while riding down the road (at any speed) gently push on a grip. It will always turn the motorcycle the opposite direction of the wheel until it settles into it's path.
If you really want to see counter steering in action watch a 250cc Grand Prix race.
They tug and push on those bars to the point of breaking them.
Crazy!!!
Counter steering - reality is - can't even ride a bicycle without doing it. It's pure physics. I rode for years without realizing I naturally did it. Once you do though, the power is all yours.
Test - while riding down the road (at any speed) gently push on a grip. It will always turn the motorcycle the opposite direction of the wheel until it settles into it's path.
If you really want to see counter steering in action watch a 250cc Grand Prix race.
They tug and push on those bars to the point of breaking them.
Crazy!!!
#77
10-25-2008, 02:18 PM
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Well, the motorcyclist screwed up. Whether or not the cage driver could have done anything to improve the situation is (and has been) debateable. Personally, I think the cage driver did a very good job of maintaining control of his vehicle during a "very" distracting situation.
I'm also impressed with the camera person. Note that in several of those pictures, the truck was pointed straight at the camera. If the cage driver hadn't been on top of things and continued through the curve as he/she should, those last few shots would have been completely different!
I hope the motorcyclist recovered Ok and learned from his mistake. I don't think the cage driver had a chance to do anything about this situation. I imagine that the camera was set for multiple shot which means there is less than a second between the frames. All of that happened "very" quickly!
Ride Safe Guys and Gals,
Steve R.
I'm also impressed with the camera person. Note that in several of those pictures, the truck was pointed straight at the camera. If the cage driver hadn't been on top of things and continued through the curve as he/she should, those last few shots would have been completely different!
I hope the motorcyclist recovered Ok and learned from his mistake. I don't think the cage driver had a chance to do anything about this situation. I imagine that the camera was set for multiple shot which means there is less than a second between the frames. All of that happened "very" quickly!
Ride Safe Guys and Gals,
Steve R.
#78
10-25-2008, 04:50 PM
Outstanding HDF Member
Don't forget, this is the DRAGON HE WAS RIDING!!!
To many people that don't know how to ride the curves all of a sudden think they are GP bikers,
I have had these guys pass me around a bend in the other lane, going blind into the turn,
Inexperienced, and Stupid bikers, or a combination of both,
Sorry, but that road is not for learning on,
#79
10-26-2008, 04:41 AM
#80
10-26-2008, 11:08 AM
A few years ago I took a racing course at Infinion Raceway on my commute bike. One of the things I learned was if you thought you were going into a turn too fast and let off the gas, you would go wide every time. Where this was most apparent was turn six -the carousel- where you shoot off a blind straight at sixty plus that drops into an off camber 180 degree left turn that leads you onto the super fast straightaway going into turn seven (see picture below of me chasing my instructor through turn seven). After many times of letting off and going wide, I finally got my brain to trust the instructor's advice and keep the throttle on through that turn. After awhile I was carving that turn like you wouldn't believe.
So what I'm trying to say here is if your bike has enough ground clearance, don't chicken out and let off the throttle when your brain tells you "Mayday-Mayday get off the gas" but instead fight that urge and stay on the throttle and keep it leaned over and you can make the turn. It took me most of the day at Infinion Raceway to undo that bad habit, but it sure made me a much better rider after I did. Practice this technique slowly at first and gradually build up the speed until you feel comfortable with it and it may save your life someday. Of course if you are riding a slammed bike you should know that you have very little ground clearance and should ride at a less spirited pace.
On counter steering - when I ride my FXST I find myself pulling on the opposite bar instead of pushing it. I know that's not the way you're supposed to do it, but with my high and wide bars it works the best for me.
So what I'm trying to say here is if your bike has enough ground clearance, don't chicken out and let off the throttle when your brain tells you "Mayday-Mayday get off the gas" but instead fight that urge and stay on the throttle and keep it leaned over and you can make the turn. It took me most of the day at Infinion Raceway to undo that bad habit, but it sure made me a much better rider after I did. Practice this technique slowly at first and gradually build up the speed until you feel comfortable with it and it may save your life someday. Of course if you are riding a slammed bike you should know that you have very little ground clearance and should ride at a less spirited pace.
On counter steering - when I ride my FXST I find myself pulling on the opposite bar instead of pushing it. I know that's not the way you're supposed to do it, but with my high and wide bars it works the best for me.