STREET SMART

[Spectrum]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/Street%20Smart/2Sec_resize.jpg

 

Street Smart Tip of the Day #112

 

2 seconds or less is about all the time u have to react before a Crash!

[klaywoman]

Originally posted by Spectrum@Mar 2 2006, 11:22 AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/StreetSmart111M_resize.jpg

 

It's simply too great a mental task to go from

one mode of thinking to another.

Riding back after work, people think about the days events.

Decision made. Decisions to be make...

What time ah boy close...

maybe can pick up the spares u need for your bike.

 

And as it creeps in, your concentration on the road goes to the side...

down the drain.

 

Plenty of indication that vehicles are stopping in front...

But u just too deep in your thoughts to notice it...

Till it suddenly occurs to you that..

"*$#!" the car infront just got very close!

 

Remember! When you just got on the road.

And too many things are clogging your head...

 

SNAP OUT OF IT!

 

Return back to riding! Full concentration on the road!

Leave your thoughts till u are off the bike.

 

Point to note... They are all returning from work.

I fully agree on this. Having just gotten my bike yesterday & was out riding, just a second or 2s of distraction is dangerous because when I snapped back to concentrate on the road, the car in front of me had its brake lights on & I had to jam my brakes.

 

This is something all riders should practice & apply because this 1 or 2 seconds make a great difference.

[Spectrum]

We all do day dream once a while... just being human.

Just have to seperate the two... riding & dreamin'

[Spectrum]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/Street%20Smart/2Sec_resize.jpg

 

The Two-Second Rule

 

Interestingly, there is a recomended "2-sec Rule"

That's the distance between You & the Car ahead.

 

And this should double if the road is wet.

 

Reaction time will take 0.7sec...

the rest is for your brakes to work.

 

I still remember that the Scramble 125 I rode long time ago

does not have gd brakes

As such... I had a quite a few close shave avoiding

cars that turn into my path...

 

How the 2-sec rule works...

 

When the car in front passes a convenient landmark.

Start counting... 1-second (eg. one thousand & one, One thousand & two)

 

IF u pass the landmark before u have counted 2-seconds

You are too close... drop back!

 

Another way is to use "3-car length" seperation on the highways.

[Spectrum]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/Street%20Smart/BendResize01.jpg

 

Street Smart #113

 

It is recommended that All braking & gear change should

be done before entering a corner.

 

Doing it in the corner will destabilises the machine.

 

Remember, 2 top places where bikes get into trouble are

Corners & Junctions!

 

Especially so when road is slippery due rain, diesel or sand!

[Spectrum]

True Stories... http://www.whipperleys.co.uk/acatalog/waterproof_boots_webtex.jpg

 

One of my bike mechanic shared with me this...

 

On one of his fast ride in Malaysia,

Saw some sand on the road.

Said all he did was to use some front brakes.

 

Bike skidded and he flew down the road with his bike.

 

The next think that hit him was a piercing pain on his right foot.

The brake pedal had broke and stabbed the front of his foot.

 

His buddy help sent him to the nearest hospital.

He remembered clearly what the doctor said.

$600 ringgit deposit for his leg to be amputated!

 

He took the 1st flt back to Spore.

He is walking fine today.

A scar on his right foot reminds him of that fateful day.

 

He don't ride anymore.

That is his personal choice.

 

He was wearing a pair of sport shoe.

http://www.sidisport.com/_Data/Articoli/MVCHAMPION.jpg

 

Wearing a pair of boots could save your feet.

The closeness of your feet near the ground

at such high speed has it's risk.

 

Avoid Braking over sand.

Especially in a corner.

 

Protective clothings are our last line of defence

[endlessloop]

I can atest the experience of braking over sand.

 

On one of my touring trips up north, I was riding through a village and I saw this road hump coming up.

 

I was already riding at a very slow speed (

 

Guess what? There were some, not a lot, but some sand scattered on the hump.

It is so little that I couldn't spot them until like 2 metres away from them. The next thing I know was I felt my bike skidding and I felt like I was going to fall with my big touring bike.

 

Thankfully, by miracle and luck, I managed to recover from the skid and prevented my precious bike and me from kissing the ground.

 

 

This incident shows that:

- I only knew about the danger of gravel and sand. This incident was quite recent. Maybe 3 months ago. And yet, it still can happen to a rider like me.

- The speed that I was crossing over the hump was so slow (sub 10kmh) and the sand was really very little. Yet all these little are enough to throw my bike down.

- Note that had I not been braking while rolling over the sand, I don't think the skidding would happen.

[endlessloop]

I just witnessed, out of my balcony, a spectacular bike skid, as it doing a corner.

 

My balcony on the 16th floor overlooks a typical T-junction. Traffic is very light then and I was just admiring the quiet night scene, when I saw a pair of motorbikes approaching the left split turn of the junction. The left turn is those typical of junctions in s'pore: those types with a zebra crossing in the middle and if there are no cars on-coming, you can take them low and fast like a pasir gudang bend.

 

The bikes are class2b types, with fairings. I distinctively remembered the thoughts, as the first bike was making the left turn, "Wow, that bike sure is cornering low".

 

The sequence next happens like slow motion. As the bike passes the zebra markings and is on the 2nd half exit of the left bend, I remembered seeing an unusual twitch to the bike movement. Then the next thing is the bike went on a low-side. That is, it was cornering left, then it just flatten and lie on its left side. The bike was sliding on the road as it exits the bend. The rider was thrown onto the floor. Rider was wearing an open-faced with visor, white t-shirt and jeans. There was some sparks as the bike continued slidding and finally come to a stop, after travelling at a tangent out of the left bend, 2-lanes across. The rider travelled about the same distance, with the last part, his body rolled 2-3 turns. Ouch! It must hurt, I thought. Bike and rider is less than 1 meter away from hitting the opposite pavement and railing.

 

When bike and rider came to a stop, miraculously, rider immediately jumped onto his feet and went to the side of the road to look at his wounds. The second bike behind came to a stop beside him and dismounted. After a while, both of them went to retrieve and upright the fallen bike. About 5 min later, the pair went off.

 

 

Now, I try to recall why the bike had skidded and fallen.

As the junction is just outside my house, I know the area well. I rule out sand, gravel and oil, as it is a residential area and no heavy vehicles travel this path. The road also looks clean too when I checked the bend again.

 

Could the rider corner so low that his foot peg hit the ground and throw off his turn?

While the rider did corner low, he did not corner that low. So I also ruled out this cause.

 

So what happened?

I recalled the slight twitch of the bike before the bike lose control.

I suspect that the rider open his throttle aggressively mid-corner.

Even though it is a class2B bike where one can normally wind the throttle without much fear, when done in mid-corner, it could cause momentarily lost of traction.

If this was the cause, then the slight twitch was the lost of traction by the rear tire.

The rider was probably caught off guard and did not react, instead continuing with the open throttle motion. The rear tire was not able to bite back onto the road, thus resulting in the low side.

 

 

 

So what should have been done?

 

One, never treat the public road as a race track. If you want to wack, just pay 30 dollars and go pasir gudang and you can wack until you shiok.

The rider was fortuante that there were no other cars around when he fell. Had his entry speed be 5kmh faster, he would have skidded and hit the opposite side of the road which would cause severe impact to his body.

 

Two, understand a bit of physics. When a bike is negotiating a corner, without any braking or acceleration, the tires have to fight off strong centrafugal forces. If the centrafugal force is stronger than the grip of the tires, the tire will loose traction and a slide results. The faster the bike is, the tighter the corner is, the stronger the centrafugal forces.

The otherside of the equation is the level of grip of your tires. Old tires give lower grip. Softer compound tires give better grip but they don't last long.

 

As the tires are fighting off centrafugal forces, if you brake when you are any part of the corner (start, mid or end), you are adding another dimension of force acting on the tires. Your tires then have to cope with the braking force, in addition to the centrafugal force. So this can cause the tires to loose traction more easily.

This is why Spectrum and our good singapore riding school, advise us to complete our braking before we start our cornering.

 

If you apply heavy acceleration when exiting the corner, you are also applying extra force onto your tires. Like braking, this would impose additional load to your tires. This heavy acceleration may be enough to cause the rear tire to break traction.

 

The safe way to apply acceleration is to wait until your bike is almost level, that is when you are almost or out of the corner, before you apply your acceleration. The acceleration should also be gradual and not abrupt to avoid breaking rear tire traction.

 

There are advanced racing techniques that are quoted in bike magazines such as trail braking and early powering out. When people read about them in magazines, it can easily misled people to think that it is easy to learn and apply on, and of all places, public roads. Trail braking means, late braking, or braking when you enter the corner. The aim is to brake late to overtake the opponent to enter the corner ahead. Early powering out is what the fallen biker tried to do. You apply acceleration before you are completely cleared of the corner. But little does normal bikers know that when you want to do that, you got to ride and feel with very sensitive buttocks. This means that you got to be very sensitive to lost of the traction of your rear tires. Once you sense that rear traction starts to loose, you know that you must immeidately not open your throttle further (but not close throttle completely either or it would also cause bike to loose balance!) Easier said than done, when doing this in the midst of a corner. So please don't practise on the public roads. Don't believe, ask the fallen rider if it hurts!

 

Even experienced and professional riders have to practice hundreds of laps ON THE TRACK to understand when their bikes will about to give way for a particular corner. Should the bike give way, the riders are protected by gear and the track is designed to allow riders to slide without hitting anything dangerous. And on the track, there are no cars, lorries, pedestrian, cyclist, etc.

 

Once again, a public road is a public road, and not a race track.

[EarlyBird]

Hi endless & all,

 

The above was indeed a good article, even experience rider will fall when you underestimate the corner. As quoted by endless, if you need to practice the racing techniquel, do it in the track.

 

Happy & safe ridding

[Spectrum]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/Rides/Corner01M_resize.jpg

 

As u can't really see other half of the Word "Cornering" above....

U can't see around the corner.

 

Too many people had fell due to excess spd round a bend.

Over shooting the corner will mean u are head on with the

Vehicles from the opposite lane. Fortunate if there is none...

 

Banking further to get back to your own lane will risk a skid and

A Slide towards the on coming traffic.

Letting the bike steer to the opposite over run will mean a sure drop

when the bike hit the grass.

 

Slow down to appropiate spd for bend.

Better slower than faster...

 

 

STREET SMART #114

[endlessloop]

This morning, I received a sms from my wife, who had already left the house:

 

"A motor bike hit a stray dog across the road near our house towards PIE.

Man fell on the road right in front of me and dog got pinned down by bike can't come out.

I stop car to help dog cos man can walk to side of road himself.

I lift bike and dog scramble out only bai kar (hobbling) but can run away into the woods.

I help call 995 and left man there cos I have a flight to catch.

 

It was a sports bike but not bike's fault he couldn't have stopped in time.

Dog sprinting trying to beat traffic without looking."

 

 

I guess I would add "Dog at road side" as another potential hazard to my list of road hazards to bikes.

[Spectrum]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/Street%20Smart/Gentle01M_resize.jpg

 

Could be just a simple drop riding to the provision shop for some groceries.

I have witness some extensive injuries for just a slow speed spill.

Put the rider out of action for months. Very deep wounds & fractures.

 

On the other side,

there are some that walk away with a few abrasion

sliding out at 160kmh wearing the usual touring gear.

 

Now if rider hit something or something hits him...

...wearing protection can only lessen the final bill.

[gohjohan]

Don't mind me saying, but I got a feeling that this was posted somewhere earlier

[Spectrum]

Originally posted by gohjohan@Mar 17 2006, 11:41 AM

Don't mind me saying, but I got a feeling that this was posted somewhere earlier

Hi Johan,

Perhaps, but never enough to emphasis the importance of wearing protection.

 

Bikers on Tour usually dress up for the ride.

Eg Full face helmet, Armour Jacket, Touring Pants, Glove & Touring pants.

That's good.

Last line of defence.

But for city riding... not so pratical.

So...

 

I have observe that a simple fall on a bike

can result in horrific damage to the body.

Depending on what strike your body... Especially our legs.

 

As such, perhaps it will be a good idea to put on a pair of shoes & jeans

(eg thick pants) for our short city rides.

 

 

Better let these garments take some of the abrasion...

Save some skin.

 

Wearing a Vented armour jacket maybe a worth while habit to develop.

RJ @ $150 are available @ Regina (Jln Besar)

Arai @ $100 available 218 (Lavender st.)

They will definately help.

The Upper body... especially the Spine!

 

Do also consider a pair of gloves... Hands are usually

1st to reach the rd as we try to break our fall...

[Spectrum]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/Street%20Smart/StreetSmart116Tip_resize.jpg

[gohjohan]

Originally posted by Spectrum@Mar 19 2006, 10:17 PM

Hi Johan,

Perhaps, but never enough to emphasis the importance of wearing protection.

 

Bikers on Tour usually dress up for the ride.

Eg Full face helmet, Armour Jacket, Touring Pants, Glove & Touring pants.

That's good.

Last line of defence.

But for city riding... not so pratical.

So...

 

I have observe that a simple fall on a bike

can result in horrific damage to the body.

Depending on what strike your body... Especially our legs.

 

As such, perhaps it will be a good idea to put on a pair of shoes & jeans

(eg thick pants) for our short city rides.

 

 

Better let these garments take some of the abrasion...

Save some skin.

 

Wearing a Vented armour jacket maybe a worth while habit to develop.

RJ @ $150 are available @ Regina (Jln Besar)

Arai @ $100 available 218 (Lavender st.)

They will definately help.

The Upper body... especially the Spine!

 

Do also consider a pair of gloves... Hands are usually

1st to reach the rd as we try to break our fall...

Thank you for the list of places to get protective clothing.

 

I think we should include a list of shops where to get the gear from and which models are the best.

 

Back to falling on hands, I heard that the pinky will be the 1st part of the hand to be hit. So for racers, they cut off the pinky when it gets damaged from a fall and then carry on racing

[endlessloop]

"Back to falling on hands, I heard that the pinky will be the 1st part of the hand to be hit. So for racers, they cut off the pinky when it gets damaged from a fall and then carry on racing "

 

I don't know about professional racers, but here, most of us do street riding, a bit of touring and atmost, a little amateur track.

 

When one is about to hit the ground, the instinct is to break fall with your hand.

Hence, the first points of contacts would likely be your palms and the fleshy part of your thumb.

 

I don't advocate those half-gloves--looked like for gym-lifting or for army type with fingers exposed.

Because during a fall, after your palm contacts the tarmac, the next points of contacts are your fingers. Try scratching the road with your fingers to find out how rough it is.

 

The protection offered by gloves really comes in handy from high speed falls to carpark speed fall to standstill drop. So wear gloves at all times.

 

If one is does not want to wear a heavy duty and bulky glove for daily street riding, and opt for a lighter, more compact and flexible glove instead, ensure the palm areas are covered by leather.

From my personal experience, leather is really an excellent protector against abrasion. Kevlar and carbon guards are optional for street and touring.

[endlessloop]

"I think we should include a list of shops where to get the gear from and which models are the best."

 

I had leather, cordura(commonly called touring or gore-tex jackets), meshed and even israel-imported kevlar jackets.

 

For sg and my weather, I recommend meshed jackets for street riding and touring.

 

For a good balance between price, quality and level of protection, I recommend (as Spectrum), the RJays (think from Japan) mesh jacket at Regina.

 

There are a few models of RJays sold at Regina.

It is almost standard that mesh jackets come with shoulder and elbow hard/soft guards. I particular recommend getting jackets with back/spine guards as that will be the part you would be sliding on and you would want a something to lie as you slide.

 

If you want half-leather jackets (that is jacket for the upper body only), I recommend the leather jacket from Taichi sold Motorworld.

It is another quality jacket from Japan. It is not cheap $500+.

Why I recommend it? It is very well tailored and fit our asian physiques very well (instead of the angmoh type that tend to be very loose). It is also relatively better ventilated than most angmoh brands (but mesh is still much cooler).

[bigwhizkid3]

I remember back then while i was riding sport bike. I was at PG track. My bike low side at turn one at 160km/h as on the speedometer. I was wearing full leather and the around the knee area are usually very thick and padded. The leather at my right knee area was shredded totally with a big hole about 2.5 inch wide and 1 inch deep till I can see the hard shell in the knee area. Imagine without it, i would believe I will be left with one knee only. So i always shake my head when i see rider go on track with just normal riding jacket and jeans.

 

I had seen quite a few "hantu" lorry on my night trip to tapah/genting/malacca. They are really slow and invisible. Just be careful when riding on the left lane.

 

If you see a tour bus coming fast at you from behind. Please keep very left. If not the air tubulance will push you bike around or these buses will go very near to you. They dont care if they hit you or not.

 

One more thing, if need to ride in malaysia in the night. Please bring a clear visor so that you can see clearly.

 

Ride safe...

 

[Spectrum]

Leather with padding is like a second skin.

But it is also quite costly & hot for our climate.

 

Jeans...

It certainly true that with jeans... there would still be abrasion in a spill.

But some protection as against shorts with slippers...

 

As for Spine protection...

a quote from the strait time...

Many of the patient with spinal injury is the result of motorcycle

crashes.

Mmmm... I think it is the 1st impact of the spine.

If u have a protector there to to absorb it... it may just help.

 

[bigwhizkid3]

Originally posted by Spectrum@Mar 20 2006, 03:35 PM

Leather with padding is like a second skin.

But it is also quite costly & hot for our climate.

 

Jeans...

It certainly true that with jeans... there would still be abrasion in a spill.

But some protection as against shorts with slippers...

 

As for Spine protection...

a quote from the strait time...

Many of the patient with spinal injury is the result of motorcycle

crashes.

Mmmm... I think it is the 1st impact of the spine.

If u have a protector there to to absorb it... it may just help.

 

My leather cost me $950 at that time. But right knee... priceless....

I would think leather with padding is more than just second skin. More like ten layers of skin.

 

I agree jeans is much better than short but a large margin. So i always jeans or pants when riding. with covered footwear of course...

 

I had seen some rider cornering GP style on sport bike wearing shorts and slippers... I will promptly keep my distance from them... It is a scary sight if the drop infront of me...

 

[eyke]

Originally posted by Spectrum@Mar 8 2006, 09:35 PM

True Stories... http://www.whipperleys.co.uk/acatalog/waterproof_boots_webtex.jpg

 

The brake pedal had broke and stabbed the front of his foot.

in both my falls, my toe area of the shoes i was wearing got scrapped on the tarmac.

 

so if you value your toes, even if you don't wear boots, do not wear slippers, sandals, or other unsecured footwear that don't protect your toes.

[Spectrum]

http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/images/products/471-5061.jpg

 

A Mesh Armour Riding Jacket...

Will make a meaningful birthday present for your gf/bf...

& even dad... need not really be his/her birthday... ha ha...

[Spectrum]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/2100spectrum/Street%20Smart/Pickup01M_resize.jpg

[gohjohan]

I don't understand the pic. Initially I thought that the gray coloured area is dirty flood water!!