Highside

[bennyboysvuk]

R1gtr said:

At least you can go bike shopping now, and bin those leathers, they should not way have fallen to bits like that. You can get superb leathers for £500 these days, don't bother fixing the old ones.

I agree, but I've crashed in this brand of leathers at over 80 on track and walked away without a mark on me.

I quite like the idea of a £560 set of Dainese with their solid looking shoulders. http://www.dainese.com/en_en/laguna-seca-evo-p-888...

I'm not sure if the fit is suitable for someone as tall and narrow as me though. i'll have to check them out and see.

[Jonjo91]

bennyboysvuk said:

I agree, but I've crashed in this brand of leathers at over 80 on track and walked away without a mark on me.

But you crashed at 40 and they also fell to bits...
Just invest in new ones, I'll be surprised if the repair company doesn't highly suggest the same.

Also, glad you came alright from the spill!

[LoonR1]

bennyboysvuk said:

LoonR1 said:

Plenty of bikes have got TC, as have many cars. You can and will still crash in either. You can't defy the laws of physics, despite the views of many on here.

I've always disliked TC in cars and never felt the need for it unless being really lazy and leaning on it in really slippery conditions.

However, having never ridden a bike with TC, I don't know if it would have saved me or not. From what I remember, the rear went so fast that the first thing I knew about it was that I was sliding down the road on my backside. I've no idea how modern bike TC deals with changing surface grip. Possibly as badly as I do.

On track in slick mode I get the amber light flashing at a few points. I don't know whether that's TC or anti wheelie though, I think it's the latter, as they're both points where I open the throttle fully exiting corners and the front goes light. On the road in a lower mode (more likely to intervene) I have never had it kick in, other than once when it had somehow shifted to Rain mode and it kept kicking in whenever I opened the throttle until I noticed a few minutes down the road. I think TC is more mentor than anything else.

There is also the risk that when it does kick in, you chop the throttle shut and have a different type of accident, but an accident all the same. I still struggle to keep my foot down when TC kicks in when driving, as I'm just correcting the car at the point it kicks in as I can feel the car losing grip.

[BobSaunders]

Good luck with bike and leathers, and subsequent healing, OP.

I low-sided Wednesday night at about 20-25mph - luckily just a couple of marks on the foot peg, due to the angle of the bike during the turn, the bung dug in and stopped the bike dead and luckily the rear wheel just spun with no traction. Caught my foot/ankle under the tank on the way down trying to save it/jumping out the way, and whacked my elbow. Luckily the armour took the brunt.

God knows how people accept the risk to ride in textiles or without proper boots or gloves.

Not proud of myself, but i know where i went wrong.

[bennyboysvuk]

Jonjo91 said:

But you crashed at 40 and they also fell to bits...
Just invest in new ones, I'll be surprised if the repair company doesn't highly suggest the same.
Also, glad you came alright from the spill!

Don't worry, they'll definitely be getting replaced with something more sturdy and possibly tighter fitting too to ensure that the armour stays where it's supposed to be if I happen to be in the same situation again.

[Wildfire]

BobSaunders said:

God knows how people accept the risk to ride in textiles or without proper boots or gloves.

Not proud of myself, but i know where i went wrong.

Decent textiles are fine (having tested them), the downside is the don't have the longevity of leathers. Unless you're really lucky, then they are one shot items. I agree about the gloves and boots. A mate has just bought an R6 and is still convinced he needs the cheapest kit going.

[bennyboysvuk]

LoonR1 said:

On track in slick mode I get the amber light flashing at a few points. I don't know whether that's TC or anti wheelie though, I think it's the latter, as they're both points where I open the throttle fully exiting corners and the front goes light. On the road in a lower mode (more likely to intervene) I have never had it kick in, other than once when it had somehow shifted to Rain mode and it kept kicking in whenever I opened the throttle until I noticed a few minutes down the road. I think TC is more mentor than anything else.

There is also the risk that when it does kick in, you chop the throttle shut and have a different type of accident, but an accident all the same. I still struggle to keep my foot down when TC kicks in when driving, as I'm just correcting the car at the point it kicks in as I can feel the car losing grip.

I think I'd treat it like a mentor, as you say. It would be fascinating to lean on it to see how it responds. But like you said earlier, it can't beat physics so in the case of a surface that suddenly goes from dry to wet, the system won't be effective.

The marks on my rear tyre look slightly odd to me too. There are scrapes for the entire circumference of the left third of tyre that are at right angles to the edge of it, suggesting that it didn't necessarily spin up forwards so much as just pivot straight around with not much spin.

Here's the left side of the tyre on the completely undamaged side of the bike (other than the gear-lever which is bent back by about 25 degrees) :

[Baryonyx]

Wildfire said:

Decent textiles are fine (having tested them), the downside is the don't have the longevity of leathers. Unless you're really lucky, then they are one shot items.

This. Whilst I wouldn't wear them on track where you're regularly going to go over 100mph, I've seen a few crashes on the road where textiles have done well to protect the rider. You're correct in them being one shot items, in that once they've been crashed in, they're not going to be repaired. However, the armour and slide protection seems pretty good, I've seen a few crashes where the bike ends up mangled but the rider slides out without much bother. So yeah, I can see why people ride in textiles. I'm going to get a one piece leather suit at the start of next year, but I'll keep my textile jacket for riding in the rain.

[jhoneyball]

I'm pretty happy with my Rukka textiles.

But thats a whole different class of protection from "anorak and tescos jeans" which many around here appear to think is ok.

[LoonR1]

bennyboysvuk said:

I think I'd treat it like a mentor, as you say. It would be fascinating to lean on it to see how it responds. But like you said earlier, it can't beat physics so in the case of a surface that suddenly goes from dry to wet, the system won't be effective.

The marks on my rear tyre look slightly odd to me too. There are scrapes for the entire circumference of the left third of tyre that are at right angles to the edge of it, suggesting that it didn't necessarily spin up forwards so much as just pivot straight around with not much spin.

Here's the left side of the tyre on the completely undamaged side of the bike (other than the gear-lever which is bent back by about 25 degrees) :

I meant to type mental not mentor

Here's a thought on the tyres and it is just a thought process being written down. The bike slid form under you, then you will have released the throttle, whether conscious, subconscious, or when you let go of it. At that point the wheel will stop being driven and may well have slid a little sideways, then dug in and highsided you, that caused you to whack the gear lever and bend it, whilst going over the top and the bike having dug in, now flips onto the other side and caused all the damage to it. Tyres are quite small and getting 90 degree slide marks all round it would be virtually instant in a slide.

Baryonyx said:

This. Whilst I wouldn't wear them on track where you're regularly going to go over 100mph, I've seen a few crashes on the road where textiles have done well to protect the rider. You're correct in them being one shot items, in that once they've been crashed in, they're not going to be repaired. However, the armour and slide protection seems pretty good, I've seen a few crashes where the bike ends up mangled but the rider slides out without much bother. So yeah, I can see why people ride in textiles. I'm going to get a one piece leather suit at the start of next year, but I'll keep my textile jacket for riding in the rain.

You wouldn't wear textiles on track for the simple reason that you wouldn't be allowed out on track in them.

[Baryonyx]

LoonR1 said:

You wouldn't wear textiles on track for the simple reason that you wouldn't be allowed out on track in them.

Speaking from the hypothetical position, if you missed that.

[SVS]

jhoneyball said:

I'm pretty happy with my Rukka textiles.

Cheapskate

Mind you, not all Rukka are created equal. Some have Superfabric or Armacor, but others have 500D fabric that's no more protective than other, cheaper textiles.

Also, Rukka only uses Level 1 back protectors in its jackets. For that money, I'd expect Level 2 protection.

[Biker's Nemesis]

Tricky buggers those big bang R1's.

[WaferThinHam]

Biker's Nemesis said:

Tricky buggers those big bang R1's.

Except it's an 07/08 flatplaner. [/nerdmode]

[bennyboysvuk]

LoonR1 said:

I meant to type mental not mentor

Here's a thought on the tyres and it is just a thought process being written down. The bike slid form under you, then you will have released the throttle, whether conscious, subconscious, or when you let go of it. At that point the wheel will stop being driven and may well have slid a little sideways, then dug in and highsided you, that caused you to whack the gear lever and bend it, whilst going over the top and the bike having dug in, now flips onto the other side and caused all the damage to it. Tyres are quite small and getting 90 degree slide marks all round it would be virtually instant in a slide.

I'm finding it a little annoying that I don't know how I reacted. If my little memory of that part of the event serves me at all, then the bike slid so fast from under me that I had absolutely no chance to respond, since the grip level dropped so fast. I've also realised that the tyre was on the slick part when I went onto that damp surface, which can't have helped. I think I need a slightly more wet orientated tyre for my commute.

In insurance news, the bike has been deemed uneconomical to repair by Fourth Dimension (the people who are estimating the damage). They have sent the damage report to my insurers and I await their settlement figure.

[moanthebairns]

bennyboysvuk said:

LoonR1 said:

I meant to type mental not mentor

Here's a thought on the tyres and it is just a thought process being written down. The bike slid form under you, then you will have released the throttle, whether conscious, subconscious, or when you let go of it. At that point the wheel will stop being driven and may well have slid a little sideways, then dug in and highsided you, that caused you to whack the gear lever and bend it, whilst going over the top and the bike having dug in, now flips onto the other side and caused all the damage to it. Tyres are quite small and getting 90 degree slide marks all round it would be virtually instant in a slide.

I'm finding it a little annoying that I don't know how I reacted. If my little memory of that part of the event serves me at all, then the bike slid so fast from under me that I had absolutely no chance to respond, since the grip level changed so fast. I've also realised that the tyre was on the slick part when I went onto that damp surface, which can't have helped. I think I need a slightly more wet orientated tyre for my commute.

In insurance news, the bike has been deemed uneconomical to repair by Fourth Dimension (the people who are estimating the damage). They have sent the damage report to my insurers and I await their settlement figure.

Your first crash is always dramatic. Ahhh my worlds ended how could I not have saved that etc, we are all guilty of it, your playing it over and over but its getting you no where. Once you crash more its easier to laugh at it or go, "I fked up" and move on

Warning though, you become rather callous after seeing so many crashes, the next time some daft bint drives into the back of someone, don’t offer words of condolences with your new cavalier attitude towards road safety, saying things like, “coulda been worse” how “you could have hit me” or “well look at it this way it’s easier to parallel park now” sends young women into uncontrollable sobbing about their smashed in supermini. Definitely don't offer to dig a hole at the scene of an accident, people loose all sense of humour I'll tell you.

[LoonR1]

bennyboysvuk said:

I'm finding it a little annoying that I don't know how I reacted. If my little memory of that part of the event serves me at all, then the bike slid so fast from under me that I had absolutely no chance to respond, since the grip level dropped so fast. I've also realised that the tyre was on the slick part when I went onto that damp surface, which can't have helped. I think I need a slightly more wet orientated tyre for my commute.

In insurance news, the bike has been deemed uneconomical to repair by Fourth Dimension (the people who are estimating the damage). They have sent the damage report to my insurers and I await their settlement figure.

You'll never know. Quite often the brain shuts down / completely blocks it out. Many people can remember just before or just after a crash, but not during.

Fourth Dimension? Here we are weeks and weeks on and it's only just been assessed as a write off, which I said at day one. The joys of MCE.

[bennyboysvuk]

moanthebairns said:

Your first crash is always dramatic. Ahhh my worlds ended how could I not have saved that etc, we are all guilty of it, your playing it over and over but its getting you no where. Once you crash more its easier to laugh at it or go, "I fked up" and move on

I agree, but this is my 19th off, I think. I fell off a lot when learning how to go fast during my racing days. This is the first crash I've had when I didn't think I was pushing my luck though. I think every other crash had an element of me pressing on or lack of respect for cold tyres, ha! This is why I've been breaking this one down in my mind more intricately.

[bennyboysvuk]

LoonR1 said:

You'll never know. Quite often the brain shuts down / completely blocks it out. Many people can remember just before or just after a crash, but not during.

Fourth Dimension? Here we are weeks and weeks on and it's only just been assessed as a write off, which I said at day one. The joys of MCE.

It's the strangest feeling to not be able to recall the details of something so spectacular. I'd love to have seen it from another angle.

Quite, although I added 5 days to that due to not being around when they could pick the bike up. I should get the settlement figure on Friday. From what I've read on here before, getting a reasonable settlement figure isn't as simple as it should be, so I'm expecting to have to haggle.

[bass gt3]

bennyboysvuk said:

I agree, but this is my 19th off, I think. I fell off a lot when learning how to go fast during my racing days. This is the first crash I've had when I didn't think I was pushing my luck though. I think every other crash had an element of me pressing on or lack of respect for cold tyres, ha! This is why I've been breaking this one down in my mind more intricately.

Sounds like you lost it on oil/diesel for it to go so suddenly. Not much you can do in that case.
Hopefully MCE will come right.