What is this "vanishing point" nonsense?

[vifferman]

Many people ... don't actually realise they're spouting incomprehensible rubbish.

Oh I do.
In fact, I really can't help it.
I suppose I could never open my mouth or never write anything, but then the incomprehensible rubbish would start to build up pressure, and then my head would explode, showering everything within a 2km radius with stinking shit.

[Crisis management]

Would someone be kind enough to explain what this is when cornering.

I am now ready for my lesson...

Ignore them all Tony, they're talking shite.....only KTM riders know what the vanishing point is!

And the answer is....(ta da, drum roll of whatever)

It's that point when the skinny bastard on a DRZ vanishes around the corner in front of them not to be seen again until the pub.


Happy now?

[The Stranger:Me]

I mean, it's pretty simple really. See corner, lean bike over , push more or twist more as required until you shoot out the other side. You don't need to write a thesis about the physics of it, just need to do it.

Sure, and everyone's different.
Some learn by doing, some by reading, some by trial and error some by pictures - whatever.

Personally, I need to know how and why things work. Without this knowledge you are at a disadvantage. It's pretty simple really, when things go wrong - and they invariably do - if you don't know how or why something works, how do you decide what corrective action you will take? Trial and error can be both painful and expensive.

I agree, no need for a thesis about the physics of it, and he wasn't delivering one - simply answering a question raised.

[Mikkel]

The vanishing point is the point, during a burnout, where the smoke becomes so thick you can no longer see the bike nor the operator.

[Finn]

You do realise that that doesn't work on Harleys, though, right?

Nether do the brakes.

[cowboyz]

vanishing points are an important way of learning how to read the road. Reading the road is an important way of making sure you dont get caught out in a corner.
There have been plenty of cases where a rider gets mid corner and "it just tightened up all of a sudden" If a rider is concentrating and reading the road and taking note of looking through the corner (rather than looking at the corner) then it gives them another tool to use that they wont get caught out and find themselves in a situation "all of a sudden"
It is an important part in the rider training that I undertake.

[Sully60]

Nonsense? I Challenger that!

[Headbanger]

It is my understanding the the vanishing point is when someone's head gets so far up their own arse that no light can be registered by their eyeballs.

Not that this condition can be found here at Kiwibiker........

[Winston001]

Vanishing points are an important way of learning how to read the road....

There have been plenty of cases where a rider gets mid corner and "it just tightened up all of a sudden" If a rider is concentrating and reading the road and taking note of looking through the corner (rather than looking at the corner) then it gives them another tool to use that they wont get caught out and find themselves in a situation "all of a sudden"
It is an important part in the rider training that I undertake.

Yep, nice post.

Not all riders are experienced so its a learning method. Basically its the "Look where you want to go, not where you are" advice. If you look at the rock face on the outside of a corner - thats what you'll hit. But if you look through/around the corner to where it goes out of sight, that is where you will steer the bike.

The Vanishing Point also stops you concentrating on the road just in front of the bike - if you do that, you won't see the corner tightening or hazards ahead in the middle distance. By looking ahead you get much earlier warning.

[yungatart]

I personally could never get the "vanishing point" thing...no matter how hard I tried. I can see the vanishing point, but because of a lack of depth perception, I found it meaningless.
I went for a ride one day with an extremely experienced rider, who talked about "limit points" on a corner...the outside of both sides of the road, using trees, lamposts, roadmarker posts etc as a guide to what the corner is doing. For me, this is a much more effective tool.

[R6_kid:Me]

It's cos of physics.

Is phsyics aware that he is causing them trouble? I'm sure he'd ease up if he knew.

[cowboyz]

I personally could never get the "vanishing point" thing...no matter how hard I tried. I can see the vanishing point, but because of a lack of depth perception, I found it meaningless.
I went for a ride one day with an extremely experienced rider, who talked about "limit points" on a corner...the outside of both sides of the road, using trees, lamposts, roadmarker posts etc as a guide to what the corner is doing. For me, this is a much more effective tool.

yep. different strokes for different folks. I have heard about the limit point theroy but find it really hard to explain/teach. Thats where learner riders benefit from having advice from several sources rather than one teacher. People explain things differently and people pickup on different explainations differently.

[Tony W]

:FANTASTIC RESPONSE GUYS .:

It has confirmed my faith in myself...and I have found new respect for the intelligence, the insight, the wit and bullshit alertness of YOU fellow Kiwibikers.

MSTRS, thanks for your explanation. Even with that I still haven't got a fucking clue what it means...! (and that's no disrespect to you.)
I'm just dumb, cos I've been riding for only 37 years.

CRISIS, thanks for the explanation. I now understand about Vanishing Points !

To tell you the truth, I also thought vanishing point was a MOVIE.

( I really thought I was gonna get crucified on this subject.)

Thanks guys !

[merv]

Back when I was young it was a movie and its the hero that dies, so take care with vanishing points fellow bikers.

[MSTRS:Me]

:FANTASTIC RESPONSE GUYS .:

It has confirmed my faith in myself...and I have found new respect for the intelligence, the insight, the wit and bullshit alertness of YOU fellow Kiwibikers.

MSTRS, thanks for your explanation. Even with that I still haven't got a fucking clue what it means...! (and that's no disrespect to you.)
I'm just dumb, cos I've been riding for only 37 years.

CRISIS, thanks for the explanation. I now understand about Vanishing Points !

To tell you the truth, I also thought vanishing point was a MOVIE.

( I really thought I was gonna get crucified on this subject.)

Thanks guys !

Oh, we'd never crucify you. Poke a little fun maybe...
Sorry my explanation wasn't clear enough....
Try this...
Imagine you are standing in the middle of a railway track. The rails continue in a straight line into the far distance. Things further away appear smaller, as does the gap between the left and right rail. At the point where perspective makes those rails appear to come to a point - that is the VP. Now, you start moving forward. The VP will stay the same distance ahead. Right?
Now imagine the railway track curves. As you approach the curve, the VP appears to get closer to you. Because the curve in the rails gives the impression that the 2 rails come to a point closer than they did when straight.
At speed X that 'new' VP remains a constant Y metres in front of you, whilst still curving. That speed is what I call the natural speed for that corner. If the VP gets closer to you whilst still in the corner, you have either sped up or the corner is getting tighter. Slow down, and the VP will appear to move further away from you. Or if speed hasn't changed, and the VP is getting further away, then the corner is now straightening out.

Some explanation in a different way.

But really, if you've been riding for 37 years and haven't killed yourself yet, you must be doing it right (at least for you) so why try learning something new to you? Maybe, like a lot of us long timers, you use these sort of skills without consciously being aware of it?