Counter Intuitive Solutions to Street Riding Hazards
#1
05-11-2014, 08:10 PM
Counter Intuitive Solutions to Street Riding Hazards
I have noted there are a number of counter-intuitive (against human natural reaction) solutions to certain riding hazards that can develop, some of which are very hard to train (practice for). Maybe you have some examples of events that you must react to with counter-intuition.
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE: A good example is something NASCAR drivers learn to do in training simulators -- they learn that if they see two card collide (in front of them) they should steer towards the point of impact. That is counter intuitive. Most people naturally steer away from the crash and not into it! The reason why they are trained to steer into the crash is that the situation is dynamic and that is the only location that probably will not have an obstacle in which to collide with by the time you get there. This is of course assuming some significant speed (a highway, etc.).
1) NEAR COLLISION WITH CAR RUNNING RED LIGHT: You are on a side street and stopped at an intersection in which you want to make a left turn. There are 3 cars ahead of you and some behind you also. Your light turns green. As you pull out a car that was approaching the red light continues through it from your left (trajectory is across your path). Most people intuitively steer away from the car (steer right) and doing that puts in right in the path of the errant driver. The correct counter-intuitive solution is to steer where the car was (or behind it).
2) REAR TIRE LOSES GRIP IN A CURVE: You are in a hair-pin curve when your rear tire hits some sand still on the outside of the curve left from the last snow. Your rear tire loses grip and continues to swing wide and you let off the throttle intuitively. The rear wheel now out of alignment with your front wheel it hits a good patch of pavement and regains grip and you are high ended (bucked over the handlebars). The counter intuitive solution (as I understand it presently) is to throttle hard to keep the break in rear wheel traction continuing while the tire hits a good patch of road and tries to re-grip. This creates a "drift" condition and gives you enough time to realign your wheels. Theadditional throttle tightens the path of the motorcycle keeping it from going wide.
3. TOO HOT IN A CURVE: You go into a curve too hot (too fast) due to bad judgement (or maybe you realize the outside of the curve has a pot-hole/debris) and so you lean inside more to compensate and possibly even shift your weight off to help tighten the turn. You are past the apex of the curve and still going wide. What may people to intuitively is slow down (de-throttle) or even worse they begin braking while still in a lean. The counter intuitive solution is to throttle up -- this will tighten up the path of the motorcycle keeping you from going wide.
Probably other examples of this out there you might know about... I would be interested in hearing some of these and and possibly how you train yourself so that your automatic response (trained response) is the correct one. I think past dirt bikers or racers have many of these technique covered and maybe even second nature to them so they respond correctly in a crunch situation.
I had a talk with a number of street bikers the other day that brake while in curves/turns while in a lean. Evidently MANY bikers do this and don't realize the jeopardy they are putting themselves in. Your thoughts.
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE: A good example is something NASCAR drivers learn to do in training simulators -- they learn that if they see two card collide (in front of them) they should steer towards the point of impact. That is counter intuitive. Most people naturally steer away from the crash and not into it! The reason why they are trained to steer into the crash is that the situation is dynamic and that is the only location that probably will not have an obstacle in which to collide with by the time you get there. This is of course assuming some significant speed (a highway, etc.).
1) NEAR COLLISION WITH CAR RUNNING RED LIGHT: You are on a side street and stopped at an intersection in which you want to make a left turn. There are 3 cars ahead of you and some behind you also. Your light turns green. As you pull out a car that was approaching the red light continues through it from your left (trajectory is across your path). Most people intuitively steer away from the car (steer right) and doing that puts in right in the path of the errant driver. The correct counter-intuitive solution is to steer where the car was (or behind it).
2) REAR TIRE LOSES GRIP IN A CURVE: You are in a hair-pin curve when your rear tire hits some sand still on the outside of the curve left from the last snow. Your rear tire loses grip and continues to swing wide and you let off the throttle intuitively. The rear wheel now out of alignment with your front wheel it hits a good patch of pavement and regains grip and you are high ended (bucked over the handlebars). The counter intuitive solution (as I understand it presently) is to throttle hard to keep the break in rear wheel traction continuing while the tire hits a good patch of road and tries to re-grip. This creates a "drift" condition and gives you enough time to realign your wheels. Theadditional throttle tightens the path of the motorcycle keeping it from going wide.
3. TOO HOT IN A CURVE: You go into a curve too hot (too fast) due to bad judgement (or maybe you realize the outside of the curve has a pot-hole/debris) and so you lean inside more to compensate and possibly even shift your weight off to help tighten the turn. You are past the apex of the curve and still going wide. What may people to intuitively is slow down (de-throttle) or even worse they begin braking while still in a lean. The counter intuitive solution is to throttle up -- this will tighten up the path of the motorcycle keeping you from going wide.
Probably other examples of this out there you might know about... I would be interested in hearing some of these and and possibly how you train yourself so that your automatic response (trained response) is the correct one. I think past dirt bikers or racers have many of these technique covered and maybe even second nature to them so they respond correctly in a crunch situation.
I had a talk with a number of street bikers the other day that brake while in curves/turns while in a lean. Evidently MANY bikers do this and don't realize the jeopardy they are putting themselves in. Your thoughts.
Last edited by JayDRod; 05-11-2014 at 08:14 PM.
#4
05-12-2014, 09:02 AM
Stellar HDF Member
Braking while in a corner is referred to trail braking. It can be done effectively, but an inexperienced person is more likely to grab too much brake and cause the front to lock up and lose traction when they're panic braking in a turn. This of course, is not effective trail braking.
#5
05-12-2014, 09:13 AM
Trending Topics
#10
05-12-2014, 01:59 PM
Grand HDF Member
Since this forum doesn't have a thank you button, I'll just say thanks.