n00b question: can someone explain highside/lowside?
#11
10-23-2006 | 08:21 AM
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,989
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From: OldFatGuy's garage - stealing parts
RE: n00b question: can someone explain highside/lowside?
I can confirm first hand that a highside does indeed suck big time! And flying through the air isn't too fun either, especially the landing
As it's been said above ^
Lowside is when you lay it down and slide with it/around it somehow
Highside is when the back swings around and when it grabs traction again - pretend there's a lever point where the tires meet the road -and the top of the bike rotates around that point in the direction you were going and literally catapults your *** violently off the bike and you become airborne and fall like a huge lumpy rock and do lots of tumbling and cursing every time you hit the ground and continue to tumble until you get stopped by a barb wire fence. At least that's my explanation
As it's been said above ^
Lowside is when you lay it down and slide with it/around it somehow
Highside is when the back swings around and when it grabs traction again - pretend there's a lever point where the tires meet the road -and the top of the bike rotates around that point in the direction you were going and literally catapults your *** violently off the bike and you become airborne and fall like a huge lumpy rock and do lots of tumbling and cursing every time you hit the ground and continue to tumble until you get stopped by a barb wire fence. At least that's my explanation
#12
10-23-2006 | 09:57 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,127
Likes: 1
From: NS, Canada
RE: n00b question: can someone explain highside/lowside?
One more comment about lowsides, highsides and the events that lead up to them.
If one were in a turn and realized that 'I wasn't going to make it' - turn into it as firmly (not abruptly) as you can. Until you're dragging hard parts you're not at the limit (given good tires). Look hard into the turn and turn for all you're worth.
Braking at the point it's already 'too late' doesn't really work - if you had that much spare grip then you weren't at the limit. If you're having this sort of discussion, then you probably aren't in the upper 5% of riders who could actually modulate brakes at this tiny threshold. Personally, it'd do more to upset the bike than help.
Turning into it gives you a chance to make it. If you do have an acciddent you weren't hard on the brakes or hard on the throttle. The bike should stay staight - meaning you've got a much higher chance of lowsiding than highsiding.
Conversely if you drop anchour and do lock up a tire, you have a much higher chance of coming out of line, and of much higher chance of highsiding than you did before.
Just my take on being in a turn too hot... it's a different story than when you're coming in hot. Then there is a chance to brake harder and enter later...
Link to a brake induced highside (animated image - you might need to refresh if the page doesn't load the first time)
http://hibernia.jakma.org/~paul/highside.gif
Link to a low side:
http://www.supermoto.co.il/Lowside.jpg
If one were in a turn and realized that 'I wasn't going to make it' - turn into it as firmly (not abruptly) as you can. Until you're dragging hard parts you're not at the limit (given good tires). Look hard into the turn and turn for all you're worth.
Braking at the point it's already 'too late' doesn't really work - if you had that much spare grip then you weren't at the limit. If you're having this sort of discussion, then you probably aren't in the upper 5% of riders who could actually modulate brakes at this tiny threshold. Personally, it'd do more to upset the bike than help.
Turning into it gives you a chance to make it. If you do have an acciddent you weren't hard on the brakes or hard on the throttle. The bike should stay staight - meaning you've got a much higher chance of lowsiding than highsiding.
Conversely if you drop anchour and do lock up a tire, you have a much higher chance of coming out of line, and of much higher chance of highsiding than you did before.
Just my take on being in a turn too hot... it's a different story than when you're coming in hot. Then there is a chance to brake harder and enter later...
Link to a brake induced highside (animated image - you might need to refresh if the page doesn't load the first time)
http://hibernia.jakma.org/~paul/highside.gif
Link to a low side:
http://www.supermoto.co.il/Lowside.jpg
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