Motion sickness?

**That looks like fun** · 9th April 2012, 20:58

If all else fails go back to the basic,s. Keeping head upright, look ahead through the corner, raise your eyes, blahdy blahdy blah. Most motion sickness things I know come with a dont operate heavy machinery type warning so dont ride a beemer while on medication. If all else fails go with the beer and foot thing

**Woodman** · 9th April 2012, 20:59

Good replies and glad i am not the only one.

Its pretty hard to look way ahead on the sounds roads cos the next corner comes up very fast even when cruising. yea maybe it is age, but then i've always suffered from sea sickness, hell I even got crook doing engine work on a fishing trawler tied to the wharf.

One thing is that when the windy bits turn into gravel the crookness goes away, possibly more to concentrate on?

**FJRider** · 9th April 2012, 21:20

Originally Posted by Woodman

Good replies and glad i am not the only one.

Its pretty hard to look way ahead on the sounds roads cos the next corner comes up very fast even when cruising. yea maybe it is age, but then i've always suffered from sea sickness, hell I even got crook doing engine work on a fishing trawler tied to the wharf.

One thing is that when the windy bits turn into gravel the crookness goes away, possibly more to concentrate on?

A blocked ear(s)can upset your balance too. It can give the same symptoms as motion sickness. Winding mountain roads are bad for this. (Especially at speed)

**cooneyr** · 9th April 2012, 21:50

Originally Posted by Woodman

Good replies and glad i am not the only one.

Its pretty hard to look way ahead on the sounds roads cos the next corner comes up very fast even when cruising. yea maybe it is age, but then i've always suffered from sea sickness, hell I even got crook doing engine work on a fishing trawler tied to the wharf.

One thing is that when the windy bits turn into gravel the crookness goes away, possibly more to concentrate on?

I've a fairly robust constitution - done 8+m sailings over the straight etc and not a yawn. The Kenepuru Road is the only road that has ever made me feel crook. The bit heading out past Te Mahia to Portage is the worst bit. I reckon the bush around the road limiting your visibility and therefore the lack of a horizon is what gets you. Comes back to keep your eyes on the prize - the distant yonder

Cheers R

**iYRe** · 9th April 2012, 22:11

I get it in a car, but not on a bike.. EXCEPT.. when I am splitting lanes in a hurry.. When I was younger I had the ability to widen my peripheral vision and see "more" when splitting lanes.. these days I can only do it for short periods and when i do, the motion of things going past in the corner of my eyes make me wanna puke..

It is a handy skill though.. saved my life many times

**ops.normal** · 9th April 2012, 22:35

Have dealt with a lot of airsickness in the last few years (not mine), and one of the factors which can contribute to motion sickness was alluded to earlier - the tubes in your inner ear which measure acceleration, if you don't have good visual cues (eg, riding in bush or without a good view of a horizon), causing two types of acceleration at once can be very disorienting.

Are you still braking as you roll into a turn? If so, it might be a factor - maybe trying to limit it to one at a time, I.e. brake to speed, then roll into turn, might help. Sounds like its a super twisty road though, so perhaps impactical. Good luck fixing it, it's a poxy feeling :/

**LBD** · 9th April 2012, 23:30

Tis "brain/balance" sensors detecting accelerations. Generally the main culprit is what the body senses as vertical accelerations, although fore n aft (Surging) and sideways (slewing and rolling) all play a part.

How that applies to a MC is when cornering the prevailing force being sensed, feels vertical through the body/bike if you are square in the seat. With every corner, the force increases approaching the apex, then decreases departing the apex. Feels like you are accelerating upwards and the de accelerating.

Add to that accelerating and braking for every corner (Surging)

Add to that a degree of sideways acceleration...which is more prevelent if you are leaning away from the centerline of the bike and or cocking your head and you have the recipie for...

The simplest first step is to make your cornering as smooth as possible by using a constant smooth speed with minimal acceleration and braking. Next step, try to keep body and head inline vertically with the bike. Finally....slow down aand have a breather.

I have been quesy on the bike so I understand...Takaka Hill and QC track I have found to my worst mal de mere inducers

My limited experience comes from understanding and experimenting with ride control systems on high speed ferries in an attempt to improve passanger comfort....read that as minimise the number of sick bags the crew need to clean up.

**Oscar** · 10th April 2012, 10:14

I used to get this all the time and then I was treated for H Pylori: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicobacter_pylori two years ago as part of gastric problem.

It may be coincidence, but it has not happened since.

**Skinny_Birdman** · 10th April 2012, 17:33

Originally Posted by Oscar

I used to get this all the time and then I was treated for H Pylori: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicobacter_pylori two years ago as part of gastric problem.

It may be coincidence, but it has not happened since.

Interesting. I started getting it on the old Blackbird, the same as TA - too much gas brake gas brake action. I've had it a few times on the Tranny, usually over the Akaroa hill or some other twisties I know well enough to give the bike a bit of a hiding. I got treated for HP a few years ago, made no difference either to my gastric problems (change of diet did the trick tho) or motion sickness.

**young1** · 10th April 2012, 21:18

A thought from left field - your visor is okay, no distortion that could be affecting your sight?

**Woodman** · 10th April 2012, 21:51

Originally Posted by young1

A thought from left field - your visor is okay, no distortion that could be affecting your sight?

Visor up, but sunshade down.

Seems a common problem really, couple that with a tall bike and soft suspension and possibly a more offroad inspired riding style and 40-50 odd kms of friggen twisty, slumped, very tight corners theres probly not a lot i can do.

The sounds roads must be murder on a sportsbike.

**NordieBoy** · 13th April 2012, 08:35

Yep. The softer the suspension, the worse it is.

Sea Legs helps, but the worst I have ever been was after taking some and started feeling grotty 50m down the road. By the time we were on the Rai Saddle, I had lost all motor control and could only crawl. Not the ideal situation, as we were on the way to the Queen Charlotte Relay and I was running the last leg.

Similar when fishing with the Jatz'z. It was 6-8 hours before I stopped shaking.

The last 2 times for me have come on over maybe 10 seconds. Not a lot of warning before basically going into nervous shock.

I got a little grotty coming back from Titirangi too.

Was regularly and violently car sick as a kid.

**Rosie** · 13th April 2012, 09:13

This is all very interesting

Riding (and driving) is one of the few things that doesn't make me motion sick.
So much so that if I'm a passenger in a car and start to feel sick, I pretend to ride my bike, and it makes me feel better (I used to pretend to drive, but riding is more fun

) But sadly that approach doesn't work when watching helmet-cam footage

**Monstaman** · 13th April 2012, 09:33

Wow reading this makes me feel very lucky as I do not suffer motion sickness at all from anything .... in fact just about the opposite as I tend to thrive on it and really enjoy it.

Feel for you guys who suffer, not pleasant.