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Strega

The Anatomy of the 'High Side'

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Good pics, unfortunate rider.

Reminds me of another ride/rider :angry::):)

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The branches caught the bike before heading further down this slope

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where those pics of me up at bar 10??.................... oh no there is no f-in mud involved. :angry:

never high-sided the crotch rocket in all my trips to the track back in the days, plenty of low side skids but never had the privilege of going up and over

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Whoever said that protective riding gear was "skid for surface and impact for dirt".

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Good Pics....I think the rider was quite FORTUNATE actually to walk away from that one

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Looking at the pics you can see as the back wheel starts to slide out his knuckes come forward (closing the throttle) Maybe he holds on, maybe he doesn't had he stayed on the gas.

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Looking at the pics you can see as the back wheel starts to slide out his knuckes come forward (closing the throttle) Maybe he holds on, maybe he doesn't had he stayed on the gas.

Yup slappin the throttle closed is bad juju for sure

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Slightly off topic, but can you feel the tires slipping and stop leaning/slow down to save it, or does it just go without warning. I've been very hesitant to lean the bike like I used too before I got knobbies...I've been leaning it hard (well, hard to me) in 10-15 mph curves just to see if it'll grip, and it's been fine so far, but I don't want to push it too hard into a 50mph curve...And if you can save it, what do I watch for and how do I save it?

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Looking at the pics you can see as the back wheel starts to slide out his knuckes come forward (closing the throttle) Maybe he holds on, maybe he doesn't had he stayed on the gas.

Yup slappin the throttle closed is bad juju for sure

Many years ago I was racing a Nelson Ledges, I took the carrosel way off line passing a slower rider... I ended up doing quite well in that race, because I paniced and did not close the throttle. The next time I was there I had a guy two bikes in front of me, in the same spot not get so lucky, he got shot over the tire wall and into the swamp. I know they did not recover the bike for a couple of days, he was lucky to be alive.

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Wil....I'm by no means the guy with any formal knowledge or track experience but from my reading and trial & error, if I go too hot into a corner I focus on steady right hand, lean, stay off the brakes. I don't ride that aggressively and I've managed to stay upright so far.

I still have video in my head of Fakey dueling with two liter bikes on Japatul Valley on knobs. He's had some formal track schooling tho. There's a ton of street/track knowledge here so I'm sure you'll get some info.

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Slightly off topic, but can you feel the tires slipping and stop leaning/slow down to save it, or does it just go without warning?

.And if you can save it, what do I watch for and how do I save it?

Easy answers, Wil:

Yes.

Ok, I sense you want more detail. ;)

There are a lot of variables; motorcycle design, tire compounds, riding surface are just a few. Some bike/tire combinations provide very predictable results, others less so. Some of the stickiest tires will allow big lean angles, but will let go immediately when pushed too far.

On the street, all predictability goes out the window due to surface changes, sand, oil, dirt, potholes. That's why you can/should never push a bike to it's limit on the street- there's simply too many variables to do that with consistency and safety. Tracks, however, are the playground and the classroom. If you ever get a windfall of cash, try a track school. I've never met anyone that has not received huge benefits from a track school.

That typed, your response is the same no matter what the nature of the slide. Slow, steady throttle control, no brakes, and do not try to straighten up the bike. If the bike is going to recover, it will be by gaining traction, not by modifying the lean angle. You do this on the dirt all the time, but it's reflexive in that environment.

The other big lesson: your bike will do far more than you can believe. It will lean further, and hold traction better than your head can. Most street situations are pretty easy if you remember to just LEAN THE DAMN BIKE as I've yelled to myself over and over for years.

I still don't lean enough, on or off road.

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Thanks Paul. Usually on dirt you can feel it loosing traction and save it, but apparently that's not the case on the street.

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Thanks Paul. Usually on dirt you can feel it loosing traction and save it, but apparently that's not the case on the street.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. So, in the words of the great Inspector Callahan:

You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?'

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Well do ya... PUNK!

I've had a few slides and close calls on pavement. Knobbies tend to be loose and slidy, but predictable. Street rubber is confusing, the bigger tires with stickier compounds hold like crazy, but when they slip they tend to grab back for the hi-side. The skinnier, harder (touring) compounds will slide out easier, but you can feel it coming a little more, and oil or debris is a total wild card. I once slid my 750F Honda like a flat-tracker when I hit a patch of oil coming off the 78 at ECR (West to South) on a green light. My dirt background kicked in and I just leaned into it, kept the gas on, and rode it out. Fortunately there weren't any cars close by and I was able to pull into the mall parking lot and walk around until my heart rate slowed down, my hands stopped shaking, and I was able to pull my boxers out of my puckered butt!

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