Rimutaka Hill Road Survival tip

**James Deuce** · 16th July 2006, 15:34

Every time I go over the Rimutakas in the car, it seems I have to take avoiding action from an approaching fat bloke on a fat bike. Blackbirds, ZZR1100/1200s, Busas, ZX12Rs, all you guys need to have a think about how you approach right hand bends.

If your wheels are on the white line, then all of your body and most of your bike is in the opposite lane. I'd like to keep my A pillar and head attached thanks.

From a heuristic perspective:

Right hand corners = left hand wheel track.

Left hand corners = right hand wheel track.

Obviously if you can see the road ahead clearly then you can modify your line to suit, but blind corners and corners with vehicles approaching, I think the above approach is the sensible one.

Please fellas, I don't want to be responsible for killing a KB mate.

Thanks

Jim

**Terminated** · 16th July 2006, 15:50

Gidday Jim2, last week recall my Mentor reminding me of blind left curves, also pays to be alert and expect the unexpected cage coming around cutting the corner a bit too, I don't want to be a bonnet badge. Starting out right side seeing apex and through to exit point, heck I was staying too wide until my Mentor corrected me, now I can get myself in at the apex away from the danger. Cheers.

**James Deuce** · 16th July 2006, 15:55

The whole late turn-in/late apex method is designed to minimise the amount of time you spend in the area where most vehicles cross the centre line, and for left hand turns gives you the whole inside of the corner to dive into should something be aiming for you.

It's really scary to have a large bike and rider, 300kg plus combined, miss the car by centimetres, when the left hand side of the car is centimetres away from the rickety fence. I don't like myself particularly, but the rest of my family deserves an even break I reckon.

**Terminated** · 16th July 2006, 16:19

Originally Posted by Jim2

The whole late turn-in/late apex method is designed to minimise the amount of time you spend in the area where most vehicles cross the centre line, and for left hand turns gives you the whole inside of the corner to dive into should something be aiming for you.

It's really scary to have a large bike and rider, 300kg plus combined, miss the car by centimetres, when the left hand side of the car is centimetres away from the rickety fence. I don't like myself particularly, but the rest of my family deserves an even break I reckon.

Spot On Jim2.

**Dafe** · 16th July 2006, 16:35

Jim, You left out Blue Firestorms.

**yungatart** · 16th July 2006, 16:40

I remember when I first started riding, some very wise man told me exactly that, Jim. Thanks for the reminder!

**cowpoos** · 16th July 2006, 17:51

Originally Posted by Jim2

The whole late turn-in/late apex method is designed to minimise the amount of time you spend in the area where most vehicles cross the centre line, and for left hand turns gives you the whole inside of the corner to dive into should something be aiming for you.

late turn-in/late apex...though your point is as good as any reason to use that technique...but it is acctually the fastest way around a corner...unless we are talking lil weee 125's and 250's who take the long way round to carry max speed...the late turn in/late apex way of conering gives you more time on the fat contact part of the tyre to brake into a corner hard and a fast flick to change direction into the later apex and lifting a bike as fast as possible to get back on the fat contact part of the tyre to accelerate as hard as possible...beside this lil blurt!!!

back to the point

in my personal experience shit loads of riders ride like you said jim...shit loads!!!! and its pathetically dangerous to them and other road users...I think alot of the cause lies in how they are reading the road...on a left hand corner you have the side of the road to judge your line..and as you look as far through a corner as possible like we train our selves to do we are looking at the side of the road...and I reckon...well I'll change that...I'm almost certian...on right hand bends too most if not all people who hug the white line are looking at the right side of the road....where they should be looking and guiding them selves off the middle white line for judgment...and following that as far through the corner as possible...now...I tested this theory of mine not long ago...I forced my self to use the right hand side of the road as my guide [as I've always used the middle white line in right handers] and fuck me if I almost automatically ended up on the wrong side of the road...where I was looking is where my bike and me naturally wanted to go...and I was shit loads slower through right handers coz it was making me nervious using the right side of the road as a guide....so I would apprecieate if some other riders could try my method of cornering right handers and giving me feed back...coz it might just be me and my style of riding?? but I find your increadibly smooth and much much quicker guiding off the middle white line!!...but I'm guessing if you use the right side of the road you might have to force yourself to use the middle line to start with Like I had to force myself to use the right side off the road...

my 2c