What's a Highside? Article by Misti

[Misti]

In response to some of the "fishtailing threads" and questions on highsides, here is an article I wrote that was published in both Motorcycle Mojo Magazing and Roadracing World Magaizine.

http://www.mistihurst.com/files/J_F_07.pdf

[Snake]

Awesome article Misti, thanks.

[adouglas]

Excellent excellent excellent

Well-written, very clear.

Thank you!

[BRad704]

Great article Misti.

[Misti]

Thanks!

Now, for those that have read the article, what stands out as the most important info to take away? Anything different in here than you previously though? How might this help with your future riding?

[BRad704]

The main sticking point for me is to not panic when something feels different. Panicking/Overreacting seem to be the common denominator for several different crash scenarios.

I know for myself, when I panic (over anything), I become focused on the wrong thoughts.
Sometimes it's "in too fast - GRAB LOTS OF FRONT BRAKE!". In this case, it is "Whoa the rear feels loose - CHOP OFF THE THROTTLE!".

I am getting much better about staying calm and thinking/feeling my way through a 'different' feeling, than having a panic moment.

Any chance of you and Keith doing a US Tour with that slide bike? Maybe toward Memphis?

[allanoue]

The main mass of the bike is moving outward
and the front wheel turns just the right
amount to stabilize it. This feature comes
free of charge with every motorcycle.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by BRad704

The main sticking point for me is to not panic when something feels different. Panicking/Overreacting seem to be the common denominator for several different crash scenarios.

I know for myself, when I panic (over anything), I become focused on the wrong thoughts.
Sometimes it's "in too fast - GRAB LOTS OF FRONT BRAKE!". In this case, it is "Whoa the rear feels loose - CHOP OFF THE THROTTLE!".

I am getting much better about staying calm and thinking/feeling my way through a 'different' feeling, than having a panic moment.

Any chance of you and Keith doing a US Tour with that slide bike? Maybe toward Memphis?

The key lies in this reply, I think.

The right thing to do is let off the rear brake a bit, but not too fast.

But how many of us can really do that in a panic situation? What's going to stick? Will it be

"I'M SUPPOSED TO LET OFF THE BRAKE!!!" ... followed by a too-quick reduction in brake pressure with a highside hard on its heels?

So often we hear tales of crashes and near misses in which the rider says "it happened so fast I don't remember what I did...."

The armchair answer from someone who has never highsided is to prepare mentally for it so that when the instantaneous, non-thinking gut reaction does take place, it's more likely to be the correct action.

This is an old technique, familiar to athletes, who mentally rehearse before their event. Envision it... run through it in your mind. Physically go through the motions. Code's slide bike is a fantastic tool for this kind of thing because it gives physical feedback not accessible to most of us short of an actual emergency, with all the danger that entails.

I'm not talking completely out of my a$$... I used to be an aviation journalist and wrote a story once that won a minor award, on the topic of panic reactions in an emergency. In the course of research I got to talk to people who actually are experts in this sort of thing.

The bottom line was that if you actually practice the emergency response in a focused way (as opposed to just reading about it), you're far more likely to execute that response without conscious thought. Thereafter, I did emergency cockpit drills in which I not only went through the checklist, I actually reached for the controls and operated them as I would in an emergency, imagining in my mind what would be happening as vividly as I could.

[Misti]

Originally Posted by BRad704

The main sticking point for me is to not panic when something feels different. Panicking/Overreacting seem to be the common denominator for several different crash scenarios.

I know for myself, when I panic (over anything), I become focused on the wrong thoughts.
Sometimes it's "in too fast - GRAB LOTS OF FRONT BRAKE!". In this case, it is "Whoa the rear feels loose - CHOP OFF THE THROTTLE!".

I am getting much better about staying calm and thinking/feeling my way through a 'different' feeling, than having a panic moment.

Any chance of you and Keith doing a US Tour with that slide bike? Maybe toward Memphis?

The slide bike actually goes with the Superbike School to all the school dates all around the country Level 4 students and 2 day camp students (referred by their coach) can ride the slide bike.

Originally Posted by allanoue

The main mass of the bike is moving outward
and the front wheel turns just the right
amount to stabilize it. This feature comes
free of charge with every motorcycle.

Glad this is helpful. It helps to understand that a little bit of wiggle is important and necessary sometimes and that the bike is trying to right itself and doesn't need the rider getting in the way!

[KawiKid860]

That was a very good read. I didn't realize that stopping your throttle roll-on would actually bring the bike back into alignment, I always thought that would end up with you lowsiding which is generally not as bad as high siding :P

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by adouglas

The key lies in this reply, I think.
.............
The bottom line was that if you actually practice the emergency response in a focused way (as opposed to just reading about it), you're far more likely to execute that response without conscious thought. ..........

Agree very much !!!
In my experience, the determination to "not to panic" will be never sufficient.

As it has happened to me several times, you will panic as many times as your brain believes that you are not handling the bad situation well enough to ensure survival.
From that key point on, "the automatic pilot" takes over without consulting you (that is why we don't know what happened).

The problem is that the automatic pilot in our software has nothing to do with motorcycling because it has been programmed to run, stop, jump, etc.
It will try stopping the rider from moving fast into a solid object or surface or bad situation: it will instantly command chopping the throttle, squeezing that brake lever, stopping that fall, etc.

Some believe that the automatic pilot can be educated, many don't.
Maybe being consistently exposed to the danger and being educated about how to handle that danger, avoiding reaching the panic point at all cost is a more practical approach?

As always, a great article, Misti !!!

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Agree very much !!!
In my experience, the determination to "not to panic" will be never sufficient.

As it has happened to me several times, you will panic as many times as your brain believes that you are not handling the bad situation well enough to ensure survival.
From that key point on, "the automatic pilot" takes over without consulting you (that is why we don't know what happened).

The problem is that the automatic pilot in our software has nothing to do with motorcycling because it has been programmed to run, stop, jump, etc.
It will try stopping the rider from moving fast into a solid object or surface or bad situation: it will instantly command chopping the throttle, squeezing that brake lever, stopping that fall, etc.

Some believe that the automatic pilot can be educated, many don't.
Maybe being consistently exposed to the danger and being educated about how to handle that danger, avoiding reaching the panic point at all cost is a more practical approach?

As always, a great article, Misti !!!

I believe the automatic pilot can be reeducated with muscle memory. Muscle memory is created with practice.

[alex.s]

rack a 50cc in muddy concrete and you'll get used to the panic

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by allanoue

I believe the automatic pilot can be reeducated with muscle memory. Muscle memory is created with practice.

i definitely agree with this. my panic situations usually result in me doing the correct thing. i panic a lot. thankfully never highsided above 0mph.

[mst]

Originally Posted by Misti

Now, for those that have read the article, what stands out as the most important info to take away?

Don't ride a motorcycle without proper training.

The first time it happened to me was at Mission Raceway in B.C. during a race weekend practice day.

What year was the "first time" ? and the second ... third ... fourth ?

Didn't your racing license training cover how to avoid high slides ?

Or the level 1-4 training at the superbike school?

Or did all the h.s's occur before the s.b. school training ?

It's disturbing that you were racing, apparently lacking training for that situation.

Also disturbing that it took four crashes for you to finally seek out the proper training.

[tfkrocks]

Originally Posted by mst

text

From what I've learned just from general reading, getting a racing license is a one day thing and is passing a written test and riding evaluation (aka not crashing) so one could theoretically have no track experience at all and still get a racing license. Obviously one is much less likely to pass and get their license without experience, but it's still plausible.

I thought it was a good read. Biggest thing is definitely don't panic and let the bike do its thing. It's too instinctual to grab the brakes or roll off the throttle, which were definitely bad habits I carried around while riding my first bike. Never learned any better since I didn't go on forums or talk to other bikers at the time. Just learning and remembering to not panic by itself has helped tremendously in improving my riding in the past year. Hopefully it's enough to never find myself in a highside.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by allanoue

I believe the automatic pilot can be reeducated with muscle memory. Muscle memory is created with practice.

Yes… hence the "go through the motions" bit.

The catch is that some activities are so dangerous, performing the actual action under real circumstances is either not possible or impractical.

To return to the flying example, an actual engine failure is never done while practicing for an engine-out emergency. You pull the power off, but you don't actually shut the powerplant down because it might not restart.

Similarly, (the slide bike notwithstanding), actually producing the conditions that will lead to a highside would be very hazardous at best.

While no expert, I'd imagine that in this case "going through the motions" would involve engaging the rear brake, then focusing on what it feels like to gradually release it. Also practicing modulating the brake instead of just jamming it on. Same with the front….

[BRad704]

Originally Posted by mst

Don't ride a motorcycle without proper training.

The first time it happened to me was at Mission Raceway in B.C. during a race weekend practice day.

What year was the "first time" ? and the second ... third ... fourth ?

Didn't your racing license training cover how to avoid high slides ?

Or the level 1-4 training at the superbike school?

Or did all the h.s's occur before the s.b. school training ?

It's disturbing that you were racing, apparently lacking training for that situation.

Also disturbing that it took four crashes for you to finally seek out the proper training.

I'm not sure you realize who you are pointing your finger at here...

And if you are serious, could you please explain how 'untrained' Jorge Lorenzo is?

[eddiekay]

I thought the article showed some of the same insight Keith;s first book did...I didnt read II. Having taken an unscheduled flight myself on FZ6Airlines ( the ones with the high seat so you get to see the countryside before you land)...this piece gave me chills.
What I came away with was re- appreciating maybe the track riders ability to offer 5 pages of analysis and instruction that they're able to execute into 1 or 2 seconds of action. And I would guess that for most..instrux are easy to read yet hard to follow. I thought the tone of the piece was friendly and that, for me made it easy to read because it wasn't too difficult to understand. The piece contained the same info as any crash piece would because they all happen, pretty much, for the same reasons in the same way and might be corrected by very similar courses of action. Yet...what I also come away with is the feeling that the instrux were presented in a more accessible way.

[Panda]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Similarly, (the slide bike notwithstanding), actually producing the conditions that will lead to a highside would be very hazardous at best.

You can practice the conditions of a power on high side somewhat safely on a dirt bike. Which is another great excuse to get one.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Panda

somewhat safely

Gear up well!!! This sort of practice is not for the unprepared.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by mst

txt

Welcome but seems you have some homework to do.

[Panda]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Gear up well!!! This sort of practice is not for the unprepared.

Was thinking tshirt, hockey helmet (unless it's too hot), and flip flops!

[allanoue]

[BRad704]

I almost high-sided my MTB this summer. Quite exhilarating except for the THWACK I got from the saddle.

Trolls. I knew it before I responded... Just couldn't help myself.

I was also thinking about the dirt bike idea. I think that's one reason Colin Edwards teaches his dirt school in TX. From what I remember, they only use 125cc dirtbikes and do lots of sliding practice.

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Yes… hence the "go through the motions" bit.

The catch is that some activities are so dangerous, performing the actual action under real circumstances is either not possible or impractical.

To return to the flying example, an actual engine failure is never done while practicing for an engine-out emergency. You pull the power off, but you don't actually shut the powerplant down because it might not restart.

Similarly, (the slide bike notwithstanding), actually producing the conditions that will lead to a highside would be very hazardous at best.

While no expert, I'd imagine that in this case "going through the motions" would involve engaging the rear brake, then focusing on what it feels like to gradually release it. Also practicing modulating the brake instead of just jamming it on. Same with the front….

I agree it would be difficult to practice loosing the back, unless you can get on a California Superbike School's slide bike, but you can practice hard braking and steady throttle control.

[greenaero]

Misti, great srticle! Excellent discussion ninjetters

[250rr]

Great article. Nice work! I am amazed at how many similarities there are with aviation. Survival instincts make us all do bad things!

[Panda]

I wonder if they've done actually tested using the slide bike of getting the bike out of shape by locking up the rear..say swinging the rear out greater than 15-20 degrees and then trying to save it by easing off the rear brake.

Feels like as soon as the rear tire started to gain traction if the bike is more than ~15 degrees out of shape the rider will get thrown off. I've locked up the rear at slow speeds on purpose and if the bike is still pretty close to in line there are no issues releasing the brake.

[csmith12]

I soooooooo want to ride the slide bike.

Hey Dan, here is a vid I uploaded just over a year ago. I think this near crash would have been a lowside but possibly could have turned into a highside if I would have chopped the throttle. Not sure if the "degrees" it stepped out meets your question, but the rider behind me in the paddock said "dayummmmmmmm you slid waaaaayyyyyy out". I believe I was close. It's one of the few times I have "felt" my front wheel out of alignment with my rear wheel while mid-corner. In the breaking zone is a different thread.

What started the whole mess was "me" trailing to deep and not getting back to the throttle soon enough (SR). I am soooo glad I have semi OK throttle control skills. In this case, I didn't make in big changes to throttle. I believe their could have been 3 possible outcomes;

Chop it
I could have chopped it and left it up to luck to determine my fate. 50/50 chance of highside vs lowside.

Pin it to win it!
I could have rolled on harder and rode the slide out and prayed it stuck or drifted the corner like a boss (unlikely).
Per training!
No abrupt changes, continue slight roll off, when it hooked back up... roll on as normal.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Panda]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Hey Dan, here is a vid I uploaded just over a year ago. I think this near crash would have been a lowside but possibly could have turned into a highside if I would have chopped the throttle. Not sure if the "degrees" it stepped out meets your question, but the rider behind me in the paddock said "dayummmmmmmm you slid waaaaayyyyyy out". I believe I was close. It's one of the few times I have "felt" my front wheel out of alignment with my rear wheel while mid-corner. In the breaking zone is a different thread.

Hey Chris, Yeah I think staying on the throttle or slowly trailing it off can prevent a high side when you spin up the rear.

I'm not convinced that if you lock up the rear and it gets out of line by say, 15 or more degrees even the most gently disengagement of the rear brake will prevent a highside.

I'm in a meeting so I can't listen to the video so I can't hear if you lost the rear due to being on the brake or you spun it up so my response might not be applicable.

[csmith12]

I didn't spin it up, not even close...

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by allanoue

I believe the automatic pilot can be reeducated with muscle memory. Muscle memory is created with practice.

More on the psychological part of practice and proper training:

"A major fear that blocks action (to hold the throttle steady in this case) is the terror of being overwhelmed. You build confidence as you face and live through any fear. Studies have confirmed that as little as thirty seconds of staying with a feared situation while using positive self-talk is enough to start the process of replacing a phobic response with positive alternatives. Learning to stay with any fear will be much easier when you have weapons and tools that give your brain alternatives to running away." - Neil Fiore, Ph.D.

[mst]

Originally Posted by BRad704

I'm not sure you realize who you are pointing your finger at here...

And if you are serious, could you please explain how 'untrained' Jorge Lorenzo is?

Who's Jorge Lorenzo ? (Ok I googled him, how does he relate to the PDF ?)

I was commenting on the PDF which was apparently written by OP.

Mike

[Panda]

Originally Posted by csmith12

I didn't spin it up, not even close...

Did you lock the rear or just slide it out?

[csmith12]

It slid out

[GearMonkey]

Originally Posted by mst

Don't ride a motorcycle without proper training.

It's disturbing that you were racing, apparently lacking training for that situation.

Also disturbing that it took four crashes for you to finally seek out the proper training.

Lorenzo is one of the untrained riders in this video...

Link to original page on YouTube.

Great article Misti!

[Panda]

Originally Posted by csmith12

It slid out

Yeah, my comment re: not being able to save is if you lock the rear up. I don't think you can ease off the rear at more than 15degrees and save it if you've locked it up.

I'm curious to see if they tried this on the slide bike.

[choneofakind]

Sub'd because I love reading Misti's posts on riding skills.

Originally Posted by adouglas

I'd imagine that in this case "going through the motions" would involve engaging the rear brake, then focusing on what it feels like to gradually release it.

Andrew, I enjoy reading your posts too. I feel like we have very similar thoughts on practicing and testing things before requiring the skills in a panic. It's important to practice in a controlled environment in order to tame your SR's so you can react rationally under pressure.

I've only had my rear step out once on my 250. It was a really rainy Saturday morning at about 8:30. I was in my 1-piece, and since I seldom ride in the rain, I decided to have a little fun in a neighborhood at slow speeds and practice things like braking and turning on wet pavement. I downshifted to first (about 20-25mph?) at about 8000 rpm, took a left turn at an intersection, and cranked it open at apex. Needless to say, the rear spun up, stepped out, and clawed/slid it's way back into alignment as I kept my head low, throttle open, and steered into it a bit.

Anyhow, the whole point of my little story was that even though braking the rear too much (or downshifting and clutch-feathering aggressively) can make the back wheel slide, the feeling is very different than when you spin up the rear with the throttle. The only way to really see what a power slide feels like in a controlled environment is to use the throttle to spin up the rear wheel.

Was it fun because I was expecting it? Yes. Was it a good learning experience? Definitely. Should every motorcyclist experience this at some point so they know what to expect? Yes!

[mst]

Originally Posted by GearMonkey

Lorenzo is one of the untrained riders in this video..

And he relates to the original pdf ... how ?