What causes high sides?

usrodeo4 · 01-14-2012, 05:53 PM

Is it caused by sticking with an almost low side (or maybe a better way to put it is a severe loss of traction when leaned into a corner) and staying on throttle and when the bike rights it self and catches some additional traction that the sudden change in direction causes the momentum to toss you into the sky over the handlebars?

I'm trying to get it straight in my mind...

What are the possible remedies along the path that leads to one?

bigspin · 01-14-2012, 06:08 PM

I may be wrong, but i think your misunderstanding the whole thing ... A low side : you lose the front and fall on the side your turning
A high side: the rear slips and kick back so you are ejected in the air (to the opposite side of the bike of which your turning ....)
Plz can someone confirm this?

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AMPforE · 01-14-2012, 06:49 PM

The rear slips while leaning giving you and the bike some lateral acceleration. Then the rear catches, usually because you crapped your pants when the rear slipped and you chopped the throttle causing the rear to momentarily gain traction and because the rear is traveling slightly sideways. The problem is you now have lateral acceleration that can not be stopped and your thrown over the high side of your lean.

CBR1000 Highside Crash - YouTube

jumpfiend · 01-14-2012, 07:33 PM

A low side isn't always the front tire. Just anything that causes your bike to lose traction and slide out from under you.

From reading (I'm definitely not a pro rider or uber racer) if you feel the back tire slipping the worst thing you can do is chop the throttle. That's typically what causes high sides, as the rear wheel slows it's rotation (due to lack of throttle input), regains traction, but because it's no longer in line with the front tire, flips you off.

To avoid it, be easier on the throttle on exit (or have an s1000rr not in slick mode

). To deal with it, steer into the slide while maintaining throttle position...you should regain traction shortly as long as you have pavement left.

If my perceptions are off, more experienced riders please chime in

ETA: btw, this is one of the reasons I love this board. At a lot of other sites, someone asking a question like this would get dog piled and ridiculed. Here, you get a positive environment and constructive replies. Honestly, it's another reason I want an S1K, the community who rides it.

kuroshio · 01-14-2012, 07:43 PM

I've slipped the rear on several occasions for various reasons, none intentional. Never highsided. What I did: nothing.

Left the throttle where it was, didn't even glance at the brakes and didn't change body position. I know the bike is gonna sort itself out. All I'd do is screw it up more. So I just waited for the kick and a chance to change underwear.

It does help to know the kick is coming tho

**AMRRA12** · 01-14-2012, 08:01 PM

The only sure way to stop a highside is to never get on a bike!

A typical highside is caused by the rear tires loosing traction and the regaining traction flipping you to the outside

Torasin · 01-14-2012, 08:53 PM

The basic definition of a highside is an accident in which you go over the top (or highside) of the bike where a low side is a crash in which you come off under (or lowside) of the bike.

The most common cause as already mentioned is a loss of grip followed by a sudden regain of grip usually caused by chopping the throttle.

RC51Player · 01-14-2012, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuroshio

I've slipped the rear on several occasions for various reasons, none intentional. Never highsided. What I did: nothing.

Left the throttle where it was, didn't even glance at the brakes and didn't change body position. I know the bike is gonna sort itself out. All I'd do is screw it up more. So I just waited for the kick and a chance to change underwear.

It does help to know the kick is coming tho

Easier said then done...

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Rainman · 01-14-2012, 09:08 PM

Over simplified but, chopping the throttle, and grabbing the handlebars tighter than they need to be when you panic. Maintain throttle, and be ready for the correction shake and let it happen while loose on the bars.

Let the thing realign itself. You grab it, there you go.

kuroshio · 01-14-2012, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC51Player

Easier said then done...

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I'm no expert. Heck, I'd bet against myself in a race against any of y'all

But something I've learned, both the easy and the hard way, is most of the time we interfere with the bike when something goes wrong. Because of the gyroscopic effect, under power a motorcycle is self-correcting. Giving more throttle, hitting the brake, changing position... the rider further destabilizes an already unstable condition. The bike corrects for the new instability, usually by applying more force to correct it.

Staying loose on the bars and maintaining throttle seems to be the solution to a lot of potentially dangerous situations.