TOO HOT! by Reg Pridmore

[8541Hawk]

Another of my trying to pass some info to newer riders posts......

This is an old article, and I'm not even sure where I originally found it at but it does give some real good advice that newer riders (and even some riders with a bit of experience) should really pay heed to....

And for you young guys who don't know who Reg Pridmore is: British-born Reg Pridmore is a former BMW factory rider and U.S. Superbike Champion. He founded the CLASS safety school, which he now teaches with his roadracing son Jason.


Sooner or later, it hits even the best rider -- the sudden realization that your approach speed is much too fast for the corner rapidly filling your face shield. It doesn't matter if you're a commuter cruising home from work or a racer who just suffered a lapse of attention at speed; riding out of this mess gracefully demands attention, skill and mental preparedness. Let's take the problem a stage at a time.

DECIDE TO MAKE IT: Your first emotion should be a firm determination to "ride through the corner". You have to stay mentally strong and suppress any doubts, which can quickly explode into panic, and can overwhelm your ability to take charge of the situation. Too often a rider panics and locks the rear brake, losing his ability to control the situation. He then slides off a corner that he could have made if he simply had been resolved to do so.
Some riders simply freeze, and never make any control inputs at all. It's more common for a rider to crash when he panics entering a corner that he could have completed than it is for a rider to fall trying to corner too hard. Learn to relax and maintain your body position and motorcycle control in these high-pressure circumstances.



LEAD WITH YOUR EYES: You go where you look, so LOOK UP THE ROAD AND THROUGH THE CORNER where you want to go. Don't let you eyes begin searching for a place to crash. Part of overcoming panic is wrenching your eyes away from the ditch or railing or even the open field looming ahead and putting them where you want to turn. It's also the first step in actually turning that way.



BRAKE DEEP, LEAN HARD: If there's ever a moment when your braking practice pays off, it's now. As long as you have some significant pavement ahead, there is room to brake. The slower you go, the tighter an arc you can ride through the corner. Of course, the closer you come to the edge of the lane, the tighter an arc you NEED to stay there. Given sufficient room and hard enough braking, at some point your speed drops below the point at which you can safely lean it over and drive through the corner. That speed is probably higher than you realize, however, unless you have spent some time on a racetrack exploring the outer edges of your bike's performance abilities. The only way you will learn how much your bike has left and how to use it fully is to practice.



LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE: A close call should reinforce your confidence if you handle it successfully, reminding you that you have a reserve to tap. It should also remind you of your limitations. In other words, either know your road, or slow down.

[benny hedges]

yep many times ive sailed effortlessly through a corner, only to see a following bike bail/ditch/crash.

and many times others have easily made the bend thats caught me out!

momentary lapse of concentration / overconfidence / failure to read the road properly....

[VTRDark]

Interesting read especially after yesterdays mishap with me because that's exactly what I done, lack of concentration and too hot into a corner. Well, I hadn't quite reached the corner but had already decided I was too fast because of my own stupidity. I was lucky there was a side road to use as a run off.

For some reason I am naturally extremely calm in any emergency situations and don't panic. It's weird because by brain sort of goes through thought processes without thinking about it or is that questioning ones thought if you know what I mean. It's like the brain processes, right, will I make it or not? what to do? where's my escape? What's going to hurt the least? But it happens so fast that I'm doing it without thinking. I don't know if that makes sense. Maybe it's something to do with the adrenaline that kicks in. Everything happens so fast that it sort of slows down enough to remain calm and give the time to make decisions without putting thoughts in the way of a decision. A bit trippy really.

I couldn't go for the corner, first, because I had already decided that I wouldn't make it, and second, I don't have any knee sliders so don't have the confidence to lean that extra bit to counter steer and lean that extra bit into corner at speed. Sliders are on my shopping list, I'm fed up now with not having them. I wonder what I would have done if that run off was not there. Anyway it was a wake up call to not be so throttle happy especially when tired.

I would like to know more about target fixation. I understand what it is, but don't understand the reason behind it. The why's and how's. What can one do to limit/stop it. Is it just a concentration thing. Something that distracts the brain for that moment. With the exception of the middle of a bend, It's all well and good saying that one should look in the direction your going, which on a track I can see as being of more importance. But on the street ones eyes have to be everywhere looking for dangers. Pedestrians, other road users, animals, lights, junctions, Police, speed cameras, obstacles in the road, different road conditions etc etc. There a lot going on.

(:-})

[lloydie]

A few time on Sunday I went into a bend to hot (forgot how tight sone bends were)but I have learnt from the past to look around the bend and release the brake and chuck it into the bend .
It takes some large nuts to do it and not to fall off

[8541Hawk]

For the target fixation topic, maybe this can help a little

http://www.sportrider.com/riding_tips/1 ... ing_panic/

The way I look at it is that Target Fixation is part of the "Fight or Flight" instinct and as such you "natural" reaction is to look at the danger and on a bike that is the last thing you want to do.
So like the article states, the answer, while simple can be hard to do.

You have to force yourself to look where you want to go. This has to be your over riding though when ever you feel the first twinge of panic.

It will never be natural but can become easier over time.

[VTRDark]

Thanks for the link, I shall have a read up and do my research.

(:-})