Highside - when?
Discussion
I have read that a highside occurs when you spin the rear then the tyre suddenly grips again (because you have come off the throttle?) which results in you being thrown off the bike.
When is it likely to happen when riding on the road? I see videos of people deliberately spinning up the rear tyre (without being thrown off).
One of my bikes has no electronics and I’ve accidentally had the rear slip on occasion. Having experienced lowsides in the past I don’t really want to add a highside to my collection of crashes!
Also: if you have a bike with electronics does that make it impossible to highside?
When is it likely to happen when riding on the road? I see videos of people deliberately spinning up the rear tyre (without being thrown off).
One of my bikes has no electronics and I’ve accidentally had the rear slip on occasion. Having experienced lowsides in the past I don’t really want to add a highside to my collection of crashes!
Also: if you have a bike with electronics does that make it impossible to highside?
Esceptico said:
When is it likely to happen when riding on the road? I see videos of people deliberately spinning up the rear tyre (without being thrown off).
This is done by controlling the throttle during the drift. Basically not backing the throttle right off in a panic. There’s much more too it than that though. Skills are easier and safer to learn on dirt bikes, then supermoto. Not sure what you ride, but if you want to drift a big superbike then it will be a steep and expensive learning curve.rufusgti said:
Powering too hard from a corner.
Not necessarily, it is the rear tyre loosing grip then gaining it again basically, unfortunately experienced this and yes it hurt fortunately it was the first bike I had insured fully comp so it did not hurt my wallet as well 
And to the op, yes it could happen to a bike with TC
rufusgti said:
This is done by controlling the throttle during the drift. Basically not backing the throttle right off in a panic. There’s much more too it than that though. Skills are easier and safer to learn on dirt bikes, then supermoto. Not sure what you ride, but if you want to drift a big superbike then it will be a steep and expensive learning curve.
Who said anything about wanting to drift a superbike? All the OP said was that it has happened accidentally on occasion. rufusgti said:
Esceptico said:
When is it likely to happen when riding on the road? I see videos of people deliberately spinning up the rear tyre (without being thrown off).
This is done by controlling the throttle during the drift. Basically not backing the throttle right off in a panic. There’s much more too it than that though. Skills are easier and safer to learn on dirt bikes, then supermoto. Not sure what you ride, but if you want to drift a big superbike then it will be a steep and expensive learning curve.On the 500 GP bikes the problem was a combination of how the engines produced their power and the profile of the rear tyre. Racers always wanted an engine to rev out past peak power because peak bhp and peak torque were somewhere within about 500 rpm of each other.
The rear tyre would be drifting as the bike exited the corner, hopefully at peak revs but as the rider stood the bike up onto the centre of the tyre the increased rolling diameter could raise the gearing just enough to drop the rpm back to peak torque, the tyre would slide, the revs would rise and the torque required to keep the tyre sliding would drop causing the tyre to grip and bingo, up you went!!
If you could exit the corner a 1000 rpm or more past peak power hopefully as the bike was stood up the revs would still drop down but not enough to provoke a high side.
The rear tyre would be drifting as the bike exited the corner, hopefully at peak revs but as the rider stood the bike up onto the centre of the tyre the increased rolling diameter could raise the gearing just enough to drop the rpm back to peak torque, the tyre would slide, the revs would rise and the torque required to keep the tyre sliding would drop causing the tyre to grip and bingo, up you went!!
If you could exit the corner a 1000 rpm or more past peak power hopefully as the bike was stood up the revs would still drop down but not enough to provoke a high side.
Rear wheel spins while you have some lean on so it steps quite a bit out of line, you close the throttle abruptly (which you know you shouldn’t, but once it’s stepped more than a few inches out of line, I don’t have the composure to feather it progressively) .... and it grips and spits you off. I’ve had one on the road about 15 years ago (and I don’t want another). And a handful of near misses where I haven’t came off, but I’ve been out of the seat, feet off the pegs and wobbling into the kerb or grass verge.
dc2rr07 said:
rufusgti said:
Powering too hard from a corner.
Not necessarily, it is the rear tyre loosing grip then gaining it again basically, unfortunately experienced this and yes it hurt fortunately it was the first bike I had insured fully comp so it did not hurt my wallet as well And to the op, yes it could happen to a bike with TC
Max5476 said:
dc2rr07 said:
rufusgti said:
Powering too hard from a corner.
Not necessarily, it is the rear tyre loosing grip then gaining it again basically, unfortunately experienced this and yes it hurt fortunately it was the first bike I had insured fully comp so it did not hurt my wallet as well And to the op, yes it could happen to a bike with TC
Sounds bloody scary.
Tango13 said:
On the 500 GP bikes the problem was a combination of how the engines produced their power and the profile of the rear tyre. Racers always wanted an engine to rev out past peak power because peak bhp and peak torque were somewhere within about 500 rpm of each other.
The rear tyre would be drifting as the bike exited the corner, hopefully at peak revs but as the rider stood the bike up onto the centre of the tyre the increased rolling diameter could raise the gearing just enough to drop the rpm back to peak torque, the tyre would slide, the revs would rise and the torque required to keep the tyre sliding would drop causing the tyre to grip and bingo, up you went!!
If you could exit the corner a 1000 rpm or more past peak power hopefully as the bike was stood up the revs would still drop down but not enough to provoke a high side.
That's knowledge!The rear tyre would be drifting as the bike exited the corner, hopefully at peak revs but as the rider stood the bike up onto the centre of the tyre the increased rolling diameter could raise the gearing just enough to drop the rpm back to peak torque, the tyre would slide, the revs would rise and the torque required to keep the tyre sliding would drop causing the tyre to grip and bingo, up you went!!
If you could exit the corner a 1000 rpm or more past peak power hopefully as the bike was stood up the revs would still drop down but not enough to provoke a high side.
Thanks for this, nice to learn something new.
j80jpw said:
It can happen very easily when you have just had a new rear tyre fitted, as I found out on my old RSVR. On the exit of the first roundabout after leaving the fitter, luckily it was a very slow one but all the same I went up in the air and down with a thump.
This.My second highside was after fitting two brand new tyres. Stupidly I didn't check the tyre pressures and ambient temp was around 2 degrees C.
After working on bikes I used to give a little wiggle and weave to see if everything felt "right". I felt the rear get away and all of a sudden I was flying.
The first highside was on track so not as relevant.
Tango13 said:
On the 500 GP bikes the problem was a combination of how the engines produced their power and the profile of the rear tyre. Racers always wanted an engine to rev out past peak power because peak bhp and peak torque were somewhere within about 500 rpm of each other.
The rear tyre would be drifting as the bike exited the corner, hopefully at peak revs but as the rider stood the bike up onto the centre of the tyre the increased rolling diameter could raise the gearing just enough to drop the rpm back to peak torque, the tyre would slide, the revs would rise and the torque required to keep the tyre sliding would drop causing the tyre to grip and bingo, up you went!!
If you could exit the corner a 1000 rpm or more past peak power hopefully as the bike was stood up the revs would still drop down but not enough to provoke a high side.
For a masterclass on this one needs look no further than one Mr R Mamola.....The rear tyre would be drifting as the bike exited the corner, hopefully at peak revs but as the rider stood the bike up onto the centre of the tyre the increased rolling diameter could raise the gearing just enough to drop the rpm back to peak torque, the tyre would slide, the revs would rise and the torque required to keep the tyre sliding would drop causing the tyre to grip and bingo, up you went!!
If you could exit the corner a 1000 rpm or more past peak power hopefully as the bike was stood up the revs would still drop down but not enough to provoke a high side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtD_U187zv0
Nutter!
You'll be fine as long as you were putting the power down progressively and then reduce the power a small amount.
The highside comes when you put way too much power in giving big angle quickly which is pretty much impossible to save for normal people. The shorter the bike the less time you have to react. On the tuono when it comes out it goes fast and you have to be really on it. on the zx14 it feels like you have an age in comparison.
With TC you'll be more likely to highside with a lower setting as it let's you get more angle and spin which is fine if your expecting it on track and feathering the throttle but if you chop it's still going to snap back.
The highside comes when you put way too much power in giving big angle quickly which is pretty much impossible to save for normal people. The shorter the bike the less time you have to react. On the tuono when it comes out it goes fast and you have to be really on it. on the zx14 it feels like you have an age in comparison.
With TC you'll be more likely to highside with a lower setting as it let's you get more angle and spin which is fine if your expecting it on track and feathering the throttle but if you chop it's still going to snap back.
cbmotorsport said:
I had a bum off seat experience at the Old Hairpin at Donnington, rear slid, I backed off a little, bike thought about a HS but I got away with it, popped me a foot off the seat though. I shat myself. Steep learning curve.
I had that same experience at the gooseneck at Cadwell in the damp ..... bike finally got me at Turn 2 Valencia when it sent me into orbit !!!!!Its true what they say 'Fat lads bounce better' ...
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff