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Lose Traction or Ride Off? You Decide.

LadiesMan

LadiesMan

Listen to ME!
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Location
Livermore
Moto(s)
2006 GSX-R1K & Aprilia SR50 Factory (My Sport Putter!)
Name
Joshua
I just had a thought when reading in the crash section, but felt that it was so universal that it should be posted here.

For all of us who have run wide and gone down during a spirited ride in the canyons, (I know I have) was it because you lost traction, or because you were AFRAID of losing traction, meaning you went wide or something. It just seems to me like so many people crash because they end up blowing turns that they could have made if they had just leaned further. Without yet having a trackday under my belt, (something I plan to remedy very soon) I don't even know how far you CAN lean before you slip, except that I've scraped a peg once or twice.

Any comments, experiences?
 
Well, it isn't possible to make blanket statements that cover every bike and the tires, and the riders finesse. But generally, what is happening, is the rider is afraid. In that state of mind, fearing because a situation is out of their known experience. They may also be braking, tryin to slow it down. Then they are doing two things wrong, not leaning enough and braking. But wait, there is more, also not on the gas, and not focused on the line. So that makes it four things they are doing wrong. Guess what, things go wrong, and the fear turns out to be self fulfilling. Is that how it went?
 
Yeah, I guess it might be too general of a question, but when I first started riding the canyons, (with people I shouldn't have been riding with, like Newbee) and I went into a turn too hot, there was a part of me that was so scared of slipping that I wanted to just give up and ride into the dirt, tree, off a cliff, whatever. But somehow there was a stronger part of me that said "NOOOOOO", made me grit my teeth, lean harder, and somehow made it through.

It just seems that soooo many people end up just riding off, that maybe we should teach riders, myself included, that you should ALWAYS just lean more and, like ARMworker said, never give up.
 
My mentor (and brother) has gone down at the track a few times and never, he says, because of speed alone (though speed was a contributing factor).

I've had a couple of occasions to ask "lie down gently or hit the outside?" I put my knee out and didn't have to drag it (I never have, and there is still just a little bit of tire I've not used yet, owell).
Fear doesn't kill, panic does.
 
... the EASIEST way to stay out of that situation is to not get into it in the first place, that's what I try to do.

It also helps to not let that "EGO TRIGGER BUTTON" get pushed, because after that it's really difficult to make good decisions

and ya, don't give up, look where you want to go!
 
I think almost everyone knows they can lean their bike more in threory. It's the fact that you have to react and make a panic decision which goes against instinct in a very short amount of time. That's why a wondering mind when riding is such a bad thing.

Panic almost always equals standing it up on the brakes or fixating on where you think you are gonna crack...
 
The other thing (or another thing) is when it comes to canyons, it also comes to blind corners. Blind corners on a public road, that has unknown, beyond what can be seen. In this case, (if the corners are blind) another rule is getting violated. Never ever ride faster than what can be handled in the visible distance. And in this area that distance can drop to 15 feet or 25 feet, that takes some pretty damn slow speed when the hazzard can be coming at you. The Ducati and BMW riders getting taken out by the pickup truck above Stinson beach being the most dramatic example.

I had to stop riding with everyone, because they just won't observe that rule.
 
just slow down..

it solves most problems on public roads....:cool
 
My philosophy is never, ever give up on a turn. Turn more, lean harder, and do whatever you can not to stand it up and run off the road. In my view, a lowside is much more likely to turn out better than running off and hitting a fixed object or going over the handlebars.
 
If I go into a turn too hot, I just say to myself "Lean, Lean, Lean". The bike and the tires can do it...I just need believe in them!!
 
I like Go2Trackdays post. On public roads, don't get into the situation. It's easy, the corner is there, it can be seen before you get there. I've seen a corner before, I know what one is.
On the safe side of the situation, the focus on the line and lean and gas it (with finesse) is fun. Taking the stress off the front tire, with power is fun. Fun is good :)
 
Pretzl28 said:
If I go into a turn too hot, I just say to myself "Lean, Lean, Lean". The bike and the tires can do it...I just need believe in them!!
Click to expand...

Sounds like that sums it up. I myself have not crashed from running off, but instead crashed from another rider ramming me mid turn at full lean. But I know a lot of our new and even some more experienced riders are crashing from just plain giving up. So I guess that answers my question.

NEVER GIVE UP

LEAN, LEAN, LEAN

DON'T GO IN TOO HOT IN THE FIRST PLACE
 
I think the third point should be the first point. That's the best advice for riding on the street.

A superior rider uses superior judgment to avoid situations requiring superior skill, or something like that.
 
Go do trackdays and learn how to trailbrake. I would feel naked going into a blind turn without at least some trailbraking.
 
In the words of my high school basketball coach: "Go after it, don't be a fucking pussy and leave it short."
 
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