Straight-lining corners

[Ixion]

No question about legality. It's illegal. Full stop.

Is it wise to do it on a regular basis ? No

Should novices be encouraged to do it ? No

Do experienced riders all do it sometimes ? Yes.

Is it safe if done sensibly ? Yes

Is it worth doing? Sometimes. Most twisty bits can be done just as smoothly going round the curves (and why would bikers, who mostly crack on hardy about how they "love the twisties", want to turn said twisties into straights ?). But there are some cases where the exit from the first corner sets you up with a horrid entrance to the second, and not enough time to realign. In such cases PROVIDED IT IS SAFE (ie you have clear visibility of the whole curve sequence and far enough beyond that no-one can get to the far end before you do), it is a sensible technique. Please note the "PROVIDED". The road to hell starts on the other side of the centreline.

Be very very sure that you can get back again. Alan Kirk's complacent "all it takes is a bit of countersteering" is bollocks. Because if you are on the wrong side of the road setting up for a corner, and have to take emergency evasive action to get back on your own side, it's odds on that you will now be so horribly set up for that approaching corner that you will avoid the Scylla of the oncoming vehicle , only to crash in the Charybidis of the ditch. Yes, hanging off MAY give you enough extra to get round. Maybe. Perhaps. The only time it is good practice on the road. Or it may not. Don't risk it.

[R6_kid:Me]

Sure with a little care risk is minimal, but why bother, for what gain?
So as you can be a true MEGARIDER?
Why not just get a power ranger outfit then you could be totally cool.

I think Megarider is another name for a 'safe SQUID' by the sounds of things.

I got my power ranger outfit now, just waiting on the white boots... all in due course.

[scumdog]

BTW: There was a thread on this about a year or so ago - all the topics covered on this thread were covered on that one too - plus a few more.

[sels1]

BTW: There was a thread on this about a year or so ago - all the topics covered on this thread were covered on that one too - plus a few more.

Doh now you tell me...after I read all 3 pages Actually I seem to remember that now too

Straightlining? I wont say I advise or condone it...but I have been known to do it...(in the right circumstances of course...)

[sugilite:Me]

BTW: There was a thread on this about a year or so ago - all the topics covered on this thread were covered on that one too - plus a few more.

I remember that one, and one of the strongest keep left brigade, then extolled the virtues of passing on right handers in the very same thread and dissed riders for not looking in their mirrors and having the audacity to cut him off....did my head in that did!

[Movistar]

(and why would bikers, who mostly crack on hardy about how they "love the twisties", want to turn said twisties into straights ?). But there are some cases where the exit from the first corner sets you up with a horrid entrance to the second, and not enough time to realign. In such cases PROVIDED IT IS SAFE (ie you have clear visibility of the whole curve sequence and far enough beyond that no-one can get to the far end before you do), it is a sensible technique. Please note the "PROVIDED".

+1

The bloody roads are getting straight enough already.
Make the most of the bends that are there!

[Motu]

No question about legality. It's illegal. Full stop.

I think you could be right - one day I straightened out a nice S bend on the Guzzi,only to find a bloody Traffic Cop blocked me at the next stop sign.He was really fuming....and nearly had a heart attack when he found out it had no WoF or rego,then the bugger made me push it home while he sat in his car and followed.I only kept my license because he was even hated in the force,and the judge used to go easy on his cases to piss him off.

But in less gifted cases - failure to keep left,dangerous driving....loss of license.

[Oscar]

I'd always thought Kirk was a crackpot and I was wrong.
He isn't a crackpot, he's a dangerous crackpot.

Every rider believes that he/she is more skilled than they are actually are.
By their very nature they will push the envelope.
It's the nature of the beast, as most motorbike riders are naturally confident and competitive (if they weren't they'd be in a car). So giving relatively inexperienced riders this sort of idea and referring to them as "Megariders" is asking for trouble.

This is not a technique that forgives error.
You won't make a small mistake using straight-lining - it will likely be fatal.
Maybe Allan will attend your wake.

[BLazeD]

Can't believe they wrote an article on this.

It's called COMMON SENSE

[trustme]

I regularly straight line a set of corners with the following provisos, no yellow lines, clear visibility, no traffic.
I find it allows me to keep pace with other riders & in many instances I make ground through the corners while actually not riding as hard as those around me.
I dont race , I don't do huge speeds, I try to maintain momentum & straight lining helps me reduce braking & acceleration , you make steady , quick & smooth progress without having to take undue risks.
Illegal , probably, unsafe, no I don't think so, but the exit from corners should always be on your side of the road

[jonbuoy]

I think it misses the sport of riding. Straight lining is for cages. No to mention that it means riding over slippery white lines and a section of road that doesn't get "cleaned" by other vehicle tyres.

[nodrog:Me]

i remember watching one of those weekend driving shows many moons ago, and Denny Hulme was demonstrating this very technique (yes on the road aimed at your average nz driver), although it wasnt about being fast, it was about being smooth.

[Blackbird]

i remember watching one of those weekend driving shows many moons ago, and Denny Hulme was demonstrating this very technique (yes on the road aimed at your average nz driver), although it wasnt about being fast, it was about being smooth.

That's one of the points I was trying to make, especially in adverse conditions.

To everyone who has made posts on this topic, thanks so much. It’s been really worthwhile to air it, simply to keep awareness up.

I also made the same post on the UK Blackbird site as it has a lot of experienced riders and a number of serving police. Also since I last posted, I’ve had some dialogue with KB’ers who are local police.

Trying to draw some of the points made in this discussion:

- Whilst it may not always be applied, any rider failing to keep left is open to prosecution as Ixion and some others correctly stated. And if there is an accident (i.e collision etc) whilst the bike is on the wrong side of the road, then dangerous driving charges may well be laid. Because straightlining is fundamentally illegal in NZ, Allan Kirk’s article must be questionable.

- Police riders in the UK have confirmed that they are taught it as a method of making safe progress in the appropriate circumstances and that it is NOT a tool for the inexperienced. It is not illegal in the UK. (Assuming that you do not cross solid lines of course or cause an accident).

- Scumdog summed it up brilliantly by saying "No head-on crashes would occur if everybody stayed on their side of the centre-line".

Cheers,

Geoff

P.S A mate who is a qualified Advanced Rider in the UK has a great website for riders in his area. The main intent is to organise and report on ride-outs but the site has all sorts of other useful stuff on it. There is a page on riding hints and tips, summarised from the Police rider's manual, ROSPA Advanced Riding and so on. Well worth looking at: http://www.flyingferrets.eclipse.co....ing%20tips.htm.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

In using the whole width of the road you get much greater choice of line, more flexibility in road positioning, you extend your sightline, and you can straighten out multiple sharp bends into one or two long flowing curves. Decreasing spiral bends,

But but but.... I ride the bike for the twisties... why would I want to straighten them out... If I wanted that I would live on the Canterbury plains... or just wait a bit and in a few years all roads in NZ will be straight... well the are straighting alot of my faviorites anyway...

Cutting cornings using the on coming traffic lane is a bad habbit full stop... even if you can see round it...

Cutting corners using just your lane, but you should also watch that not just you wheels don't cross the lane but also your head and helmet stay in your lane...

[Okey Dokey]

Have to say that going on the wrong side of the road is not a good thing. I enjoy cornering and leaning in twisty bits, maybe at the expense of going ultra fast.

Sure, it is "different strokes for different folks", but I don't think oncoming traffic will be very impressed with your "skill".