Can someone explain to me?

**manwithav8** · 1st July 2007, 17:23

what high side and low side is?? I have been riding bikes for a wee while now and have always heard the terms "I got high sided" or low sided but have never really understood what people are going on about....

Can someone explain for me please..

Cheers

**spookytooth** · 1st July 2007, 17:27

lowside = bike slides out from under you
high side = it tosses u off

**Hitcher** · 1st July 2007, 17:30

Originally Posted by spookytooth

high side = it tosses u off

With its left or right hand? http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=52736

**Steam** · 1st July 2007, 17:30

High side See here.
He gets thrown off the High Side of the bike when the rear wheel slips, then suddenly grips again.

Low side.
he slides gracefully onto the ground, a lowside. The preferred way to crash.

**manwithav8** · 1st July 2007, 17:34

I got it now.....I can also see how the prefferred way is to go low side...Will keep that in mind lol..
Cheers team

**Ocean1** · 1st July 2007, 17:39

If the back starts to slide out in a corner one of three things can happen.

Good reactions, superb throttle control and visionary reading of surface conditions can bring it smoothly back in line. So can blind luck but it don't make for a very good story.

The back tyre can continue to lose traction, resulting in the whole bike lying down for a wee nap on your leg. This is a "lowside"

The back tyre, having drifted a couple of feet out can suddenly regain full grip, at which time the bike will prop off the back wheel (like a pole vaulter) and instantly stand bolt upright... and continue to fall outwards. This usually results in the rider being projected skywards, sometimes a surprisingly long distance. This is a highside.

All of the above are best left to experts.

Both of the last two hurt.

**manwithav8** · 1st July 2007, 17:51

best left to experts I agree... Not something anyone plans to do.. Have had a few off road crashes in the past and experienced both the high side and low side, just never knew what they were...

To my at the time I just fucked up lol...Can't say it would hurt as much though landing face down in the mud or skidding along the grass on your ass as it would on the road at slightly higher speeds....

Sheesh, the friction burn must take it's toll..

**Katman** · 1st July 2007, 18:41

And a high side usually occurs when the rear wheel has started to slide and then the throttle is suddenly shut off. The sudden lack of power to the rear tyre is what causes it to grip again.

**manwithav8** · 1st July 2007, 18:49

when the back end goes, give it some to keep it going till you can pull it back in line.

And no people I am not getting cocky here and I know it is completely different to motox. But it seems like the last thing you want to do is snap the throttle shut, as stated this would just cause the high side to happen.

If you can feather the power on almost like the speeway bikers then less chance of being high sided, worse case you get low sided but as also stated earlier, that is the preferred way to come off if yo uhave too..

**kevfromcoro** · 1st July 2007, 18:57

which ever..usally ends up in a bit of pain

**manwithav8** · 1st July 2007, 19:02

I know I would rather lowside after having it explained to me.. Your already close to the ground.. NOt far to fall, just get ready for the heat as you slide lol......

**Delphinus** · 1st July 2007, 19:08

So whats the best thing to do to
a) avoid losing the back in a corner, and
b) what can you do when you do lose it to try and keep her under control.

**Kittyhawk** · 1st July 2007, 19:25

Originally Posted by Delphinus

So whats the best thing to do to
a) avoid losing the back in a corner, and
b) what can you do when you do lose it to try and keep her under control.

Hmm...*scratches head* if you start loosing traction you have to be really delicate with the throttle clutch, and balance. Dont tense up, relax your body and especially shoulders and arms.

When I lost the rear on the zxr250 I was doing well over 100km/hr and oil smothered the rear tire, it started sliding. Countersteering and throttle control is played a big part in not binning it. Clutch control comes with practise.

You have to go with the bike. When you start to lowside, gently countersteer or lean over further in the same direction to gain traction (depending on tyre/bike type) if the bike flicks back into traction and goes upright it's too late you've high sided. (for me going with the bike works but it varies on the individual)

To prevent sliding out in a corner, it comes down to a number of factors, speed, how sharp the corner is, suspension set up, tyres etc... Get to know the bike, how far it can lean before it starts sliding out.

Practise - and also practise crashing. Best way is on a motox bike in a paddock, you bounce around a bit but you learn alot and its safer.

**Grub** · 1st July 2007, 19:39

I have completed my education now by doing both. The bike seems to get hurt either way but the highside is really a bugger on the rider

**Ocean1** · 1st July 2007, 21:16

Originally Posted by Delphinus

So whats the best thing to do to
a) avoid losing the back in a corner, and
b) what can you do when you do lose it to try and keep her under control.

a) Avoid corners. Seriously, sooner or later (depending on how hard you push it) you're going to hit a patch of something and the back's going to go.

b) The big danger is that it'll regain grip if/when it comes to the end of the patch, bigtime. All you can really do is use the throttle to try to control the amount of step-out, try to bring it back smoothly. Sometimes it happens so fast you've got very little chance of catching it, sometimes it seems to just sorta ease out and you almost feel you can control it like a dirt bike.