Greg's Corner - All Comments

re: Tankslappers

Greg Gorman — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:00:56 GMT

That's possible. I suspect he either managed to stop it which transferred all that force to the rear wheel and immediately broke the rear wheel loose, or it just flicked him off like a gnat. In any case, trying to stop a tank slapper by holding on equals bad things.

re: Tankslappers

DeltaHotel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:03 GMT

Greg,

As you stated, we as the pilot just don't have the means (mass, strength, rigidty) to stop a slapper. So if the racer in question insist that he stopped it by grabbing hold, something's not right. I would guess that in his zest to wrench it down, he got on the gas, and highsided. And no doubt, breaking the rear lose with gas would indeed stop any tankslapper.

Don

re: Black Beauty

DeltaHotel — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:47:25 GMT

Congrats on that new ride, Greg. I'm inclined to feel a bit envious, but to be honest I really cannot... truth be told that bike would have me over my head. I have my hands full out on the track with my '01 gsx-r 750. And I have a blast on the streets with my FZ1. Still, sure would like to take that prince of yours for a few laps. :)

So have fun man... and hope to ride with you one of these days soon. Post up those vids soon... I'm sure they'll be awesome just as those prior.

Stainless steel brush used for road rash cleansing - did I see this or not? - Page 2 - Kawasaki Motorcycle Forums

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 01:50:37 GMT

PingBack from http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/main-lobby/58529-stainless-steel-brush-used-road-rash-cleansing-did-i-see-not-2.html#post856951

re: Carving it up on the street

Greg Gorman — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:19:10 GMT

The other reason videos of a incidents like this are so surprising is because of the small field of view of the video camera.

Really anytime you are almost hit by a car, it is an extreme situation. It's almost happened to me several times. But that's several times in what, 100,000+ miles of riding? In each case, what saved me wasn't what line I was on, it was being aware enough to see the situation and change my line and/or speed.

It's about being aware and being able to control.

re: Carving it up on the street

DeltaHotel — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:21:53 GMT

This debate is indeed ongoing. :)

I must agree that lining up on the outside of the turn arc is appropriate, even for right hand turns. As you stated, I think the popular argument to the contrary insists that the rider is in a better position to avoid traffic that is approaching left of center. I’ve even seen videos or pictures that attempt to substantiate this sort of position, where a rider is (nearly) clipped as the bike is negotiating a blind right hand corner.

The problem here is that in those cases where a rider suffers a near miss in a right corner, the reason that the miss seems so near and that the incident seems so surprising is because the rider has selected a line that offers more limited vision of the oncoming traffic. When positioned on the inside of a blind corner, an approaching vehicle will indeed appear very suddenly, because we have self-imposed a limited sight line through the turn.

By selecting a line at the double yellow, then delaying the turn-in as appropriate (most of us have a tendency to turn-in too early for all corners, which puts us right back in the blind again on those tight right-handers), the rider is in the optimal position to see and avoid oncoming traffic (or obstacles in the road, etc.). And of course, it’s critical to look through the turn (as far as you can see), beginning just before you flick into the turn.

And the idea of obstacles brings me to the next point I raise in this little debate. What if it’s a very tight right hand corner with a big rock (or a stalled vehicle) sitting in your lane just beyond the apex? And let’s say traffic is heavy in the opposite lane. How does that inside approach (leaving you blind to the obstacle until the very last minute) sound then?

Again, and as you've stated here Greg, I think the optimal line is on the outside, delay the turn-in, make the dive for the apex and make it happen quickly (smooth, but abrupt… don’t slowly drift over), and most importantly, keep looking around the turn as far as you can see. And of course, on the street leave a margin of cornering and speed so that you can react and avoid unknowns.

Having said that, if an approaching vehicle carries excessive speed, then it’s certainly possible that even the optimal approach will still result in a collision. But in these extreme cases, our line position on approach is really not relevant. And an inside line will likely be no safer.

My two cents. :)

re: Riding Angry

Greg Gorman — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 06:54:44 GMT

YEAH! Glad I got that across. Thanks for the feedback!

re: Riding Angry

DeltaHotel — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 19:10:26 GMT

I really like the suggestion to:

"...Find specific objects like road signs, houses, other cars. Actually direct yourself to look at them. Tell yourself, “Look at that ____,” and then say, “Yeah. I see that ____.”"

That's an awesome idea, Greg. It forces you to get outside your head and focus on the environment. But rather than just a passive glance or blank stare at the ether, you are actively taking note in a more physical way. Perfect idea.

I can't recall where I gathered the idea, but I used to tell my children to do something similar with regard to crossing a road or street. Rather than just look both ways, physically point with your finger in each direction, and say out loud what you see.

So same idea... get your attention on the real world, outside of what's going on between your ears.

Great article, Greg.