RE: Engineering 101 - Was:[ST] New Member

[Rich Weyand <rfwlists@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:23 AM 2/5/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>I also don't recall seeing any posts about people going down and being
>trapped under their bikes, so it seems like it is uncommon.  Anyone care to
>post a theorem on the physics of a low-side?

I think it is simply that the bikes slide on pavement better than people do.  When you hit the pavement, you stick pretty good, as the leather and denim at your contact points with the pavement have pretty good friction.  The bike slides pretty easily once the rubber pieces are off the road, sliding easily both on the pavement and on your clothing, so the bike slows down less and slides right off of you.  At least this is what happened with my low side a couple years back.

My one previous low side was 25 years earlier and was on the gravel & grass shoulder.  There I stayed with the bike, as both the bike and I slid pretty easily on that.  That bike (Suzuki GS400) had engine bars on it, which probably helped.  Interesting side note on that one.  When it was over I noticed two dimples in the steel gas tank, one on each side.  Couldn't figure it out, until I got back on the bike and saw that my knees lined up perfectly.  In attempting to stay with the bike, I clamped my legs hard enough to dent the steel tank on both sides!


Rich Weyand
1999 Sprint ST "NOT RED"


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