Changing your line in an emergency mid-corner

[Tirpitz]

Right guys, here's the scenario. You enter a left hand bend at a fair pace, committed to a particular line. You can't see the road surface throughout the corner before entry owing to hedge / verge-side vegetation etc. As you tip in to the corner and obtain visibility further ahead you notice a large item of road-kill on the line you anticipate you will travel over. Taking a tighter line to avoid it is not really an option owing to speed. Riding round the outside of it is not really an option - think about it, you're tipped into the bend so suddenly running straight on to avoid is going to set you in a direct line for the right-hand ditch with no time to correct. Hitting the object is not advisable as it is big enough and not squashed enough (freshly struck hare) to probably fetch you off. What do you do?

What I did was brake to try and scrub off speed so that I could take a different line around the outside of the hare and still stay on the road. Braking hard mid-bend causes the bike to stand up, you're also suddenly off the gas, and consequently you're suddenly not in a good shape. End result I ran very wide after avoiding the hare, right onto the wrong side of the road. I could see nothing was coming when I took the decision but by the time I was on the wrong side of the road a car had appeared around the next bend, pretty close. I managed to get back onto my side of the road in time but IMO it was not a pretty bit of riding and could easily have ended in a collision if things had not worked out so favourably.

I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions of how they would correct for this sort of thing. If you see the obstruction early enough I would suggest the best option is to change your line on the entrance to the corner, positioning more to the right and if possible even crossing to the wrong side of the road. This gives you a less-tight line round the corner so you are definitely going to make it, plus you remove the danger of a car appearing when you are on the wrong side of the road - you begin wide when you can see it is safe and get back onto the correct side of the road at the point where you cannot see. But if you're already cornering when the obstruction appears it's not so simple. I always think it's good to analyze when things go wrong so you can get a plan in your head for next time - just shrugging your shoulders and ignoring the incident might mean that next time = last time

Discuss.

[CaNsA]

A similar situ happened to me with the missus on the back.

left hander, commited to the line, then there was a load of mud across the whole road that looked like plasticine.
As i hit the lovely slippery, out to kill us, road surface both wheels started to slide across the road towards the other lane

I didnt brake, didnt change my line, but i did knock the throttle of ever so slightly to bring the bike upright.
Not so much "off the throttle" to high side me, but enough to be the start of a highside if you catch my drift.

Epic Throttle Skills.... I Has Them

Carried on as if nothing happened. I would have loved to see the face of the driver in the car behind me though, that would be funny as f*k

[Tom mccrea]

This will probably bore the tits off you but...roadcraft.

Entering the left hand corner provided conditions and view of oncoming vehicles permits I would take offside of central position in my lane, if they permit even more across the White lines giving you and extended view of the bend you're gonna tackle. Then by looking at the road and other features establish your 'limit point'. It's hard to explain but will be obvious when you see it. Watch your limit point and as the bend opens up the limit point will start to move further away from you, giving you the que to wind 'er on. By following this you will be in a position to notice any major issues with the road surface and react provided your entry speed was correct for the corner...

Christ I even got bored myself typing that!

There are also occasions when soiling your underpants (if wearing any) would be standard procedure.

[Tirpitz]

Tom,

I was wondering if anyone was going to quote Motorcycle Roadcraft at me

To explain a bit deeper - I was apexing the bend and going at a fair rate, so I had already begun the manoeuvre close to the centre line. I couldn't see round the bend too far so it was unwise to go further over onto the other side of the road to open it out more - unsufficient view of oncoming traffic. But you are correct in that I failed to obey the fundamental rule of always being able to stop within the distance you can see to be clear. But, if you think about it, if you're going to obey that rule to the letter you're going to be going round a lot of bends at sub-30mph, because it does say 'be able to stop', not just 'be able to slow right down'. Which isn't much fun. So, that being the case, we are where we are. So, throwing back at you - IF you were to go into a corner in the manner described (imagine you're feeling a devil ), how would you get yourself out of the situation if it unfolded as it did

Or is the answer - there is no way out, if it goes wrong yer stuffed?

[cargo]

get a race licence and go road racing theres nothing coming the other way and no road kill to hit.

[Tom mccrea]

Ha, yeah I didn't want to quote the stopping rule but you sorted that for me. I find it works for me and I may get called all sorts for following that system (most of the time).

However on those occasions where my balls get too big for my logic and I was to come across a bowel evacuating situation I think I would probably follow the procedure of immediately deploying a solid fart into my leathers, scream like a school girl and hope to f&£k it works out ok.

Have to agree with cargo though, track is best.

It's a human reaction to enjoy the buzz of keeping her pinned through a good sequence of corners and would be lying if I said I didn't do it from time to time however when my nuts get too big for my ability I think of my daughter and knock it back a step or two...what a boring c&@t I must be

[Jamz]

A hare? How big was it??

Are you sure target fixation wasn't more of an issue than lines and visibility?

Generally, I'd say stand it up, brake HARD, then tip it in, or stand it up and tip it in when you're past the threat. Most of the time on the road you should have enough in reserve to lay the bike down and tighten the line, too.

Either way well done for not binning it!

[Jamz]

Here's an instance I caught on cam of line-changing - none of the Watership Down cast were involved, though!

[cargo]

Good question Jamz...............

I know for a fact that at last years TT races a sidecar hit a hare and it put the sidecar off the road in what was a massive crash. both of the guys survived but one is so badly injured he's unlikely to race again..............so yes road kill can send you into the ditch even if it's alive and you are about to kill it

[RedexRobB]

Think most have been here, phony tough it and take the outside or crazy brave and lean it further.

Youve always got more grip than you realise in that situation and if you can overcome the fear of falling off you can make it by leaning further, but that will always depend ont he situation.

Had a similar situation not so long ago, except it was a pair of waterproof trousers strewn acrss the road, chucked it in and did exactly as you did, went round the outside and ended up on the wrong side of the road. Luckily nothing coming, had there been a car im not sure what would have happened.

[Tirpitz]

Interesting replies guys.

Target fixation - that's a really good point and something I had thought of. The hare was lengthways across the road but I really do wonder whether I was just focussed on the bloody thing and could have focussed to one side instead and aimed for that. In lots of sports you get told that you aim for where you're looking (sounds obvious but you find yourself often not focussing exclusively on where you want to hit). So yes, I'd agree that's something to think about hard.

Tightening the line - again I agree that there's probably loads more lean on the bike than I use and confidence in going over further when required could be an issue. I'm seriously thinking about maybe some trackdays (probably on a rented bike - don't fancy binning my own) to improve on this. Though remember that if you've already lined up to clip the apex you can't tighten the line or else you're going to run out of road on the inside.

Cargo - you and I know you're not being entirely on the money with me dude No roadkill to worry about Just off the top of my head I can think of a horse on the course and a marshal being forms of 'roadkill' in the IoM in recent years which have wiped out riders. No roadkill on short circuits I could give you, but on the roads? Then you remembered the hare incident yourself.....

[cargo]

When I said that there is no roadkill I meant that there will be no actual bodies squashed into the road to hit and slide on.........................I know that at the post I marshal on we walk along the road and remove anything.

And certainly your right that there is every chance of something walking into the road..................I've hit a bird and also a long tail myself

As for closed circuits they too can have critters I know for sure of rabbits living in the tyre wall on a circuit here.

Then there is the old story of the guy using a brown object by the side of a circuit as a breaking marker as the race progressed he thought he was getting better and better into that corner and faster.............soon enough he crashed..............the brown object ? ? ? a hedgehog which was slowly walking towards the corner

As for changing line mid corner...............to be honest you should not be riding on the public road and leaving your self with no room for error or the unexpected. So prob best to slow down a little and not allow yourself to get into that kind of trouble in the first place....................and I know that sounds like grumpy old man but it's likely to be the truth.....................I was out myself today on the road bike playing silly buggers and certainly ignoring my own advice.

[Tom mccrea]

This thread seems to conclude all round with the old 'if your granda had tits he'd be your granny'

So many variables and different opinions on situations with different risk levels. Road riding, road racing, track days or short circuits all carry risk just of different sorts...different horses for different courses...

maybe thats one of the hidden things about bikes? the sub-conscious what ifs that make it fun, all carry the common factor of we enjoy it and continue to do it taking into account the risk involved minimising it in our own different ways...?

Thats my view on it after an evening necking some red wine anyway.

[cargo]

I think your right Tom.............

I know for me one of the joys of racing is the risk and the likelyhood of getting very injured or very dead..............I like to think that it wont happen to me but I do enjoy taking that risk on and winning...............I got round Skerries on the weekend in under two minutes and at times the bike was in control not me
I wish I knew how the really quick guys do it

[Tom mccrea]

I wish i knew how you road racers do it, whether it be the regular podium guys who do it for the enjoyment and also have that little bit of pressure from factories and sponsors to compete or the the guys doing it for sheer fun and fund the operation yourselfs. Thats pure comittment to thrill seeking. Did you at some stage have to get a testicle enlargement? Either way full of repsect for all road racers.

Calculated risks and all chasing that thrill in the meantime entertaining people like me who love watching it but doesnt have the stones to take part myself...

How did skerries go in the end, when is the next adventure?