When In Doubt, Accelerate
There’s a great book called "Twist of the Wrist 2: The Basics of High-Performance Motorcycle Racing", in which racer Keith Code very simply explains the physics of a gyro in motion combined with braking forces and traction dynamics, and suggests that all our gut reactions are wrong — fear based — when we think we’re going to die in a firery speeding crash. Keith says doing the opposite of the fear reaction is the best policy, all physics concerned. His suggestions? See if they seem useful improvisational tools for life..
1. When in doubt, accelerate. The bike is most stable when the throttle is cracked open a bit, accelerating, especially useful in scary turns and unstable conditions. Bike is least stable while braking.Brake + turn = disaster.
2. When the road gets rough, let go. Bumpy road means bumpy bike means use your body as a shock absorber - squat rather than sit, and loosen on the bars. Relax your hands arms and shoulders.
3. Pick a line in a turn and hold it. Correcting course mid-intitaitive curve creates a moment of extreme instability in a gyro. Momentum is lost as accelaration drops.
4. Look where you want the bike to go. If there’s a haybale or truck in the way suddenly, look at the space between obstacles while hurtling forwards, not at the truck. The bike will follow your balance & focus.
5. Counter-steering: push where you want to go, don’t pull. To turn a bicycle or motorcycle to the right at speed, you push right and pull left. Its just true. The gyro again, somehow. But push seems building, while pull to get what you want feels limiting.
Doing this stuff makes it possible to go really fast on a motorcycle, and to find the edge where your speed exceeds your skills. Keith suggests racing at 85% to your edge. Try applying his skills to your life & decision-making. Experiment, and send me post cards….
August 19th, 2005 at 2:20 pm
A good lesson about motorcycles can be had by watching some good ol fashioned flattrack (short track sprint) racing.
The races are run around a dirt ovel with the bikes geting swung sideways in the turns. Which crosses up the controls quite a bit.
You jump on the gas to slow down, you turn the bars right to go left… it’s all mixed up.
On top of this. In europe the sprint classes of race don’t aloow any brakes for safty reasons. which dosen’t take anything away from the fact that your still hitting 70 mph heading into the turns.