A skid does not just happen – it is almost always the result of a rider’s actions. It is often caused by altering course or speed too harshly for the road conditions.
You should always aim to ride and control a bike in such a way that it does not skid.
A bike skids when one or both tires lose normal grip on the road, causing an involuntary movement of the bike. This occurs when the grip of tires on the road becomes less than the force or forces acting on the bike. These forces are:
- Accelerating
- Braking
- Cornering
If you brake or accelerate while cornering, two forces are combined. There is only limited tire grip available and if these forces become too powerful they break the grip of the tires on the road.
You should never ride to the limit of the tire grip available – always leave a safety margin to allow for the unforeseen.
Skidding is usually the result of riding too fast for the conditions. If a rider suddenly or forcibly accelerates, brakes, releases the clutch without matching engine speed to road speed or changes direction, this may cause loss of tire grip.
Causes of skidding
The most common causes of skidding are:
- excessive speed for the circumstances
- coarse cornering at a speed which is not itself excessive
- excessive banking
- harsh acceleration
- sudden or excessive braking
Categories: Practical Lessons
Tagged: accelerate, accelerating, Braking, cause, cornering, grip, motorcycle, rider, riding, Safety, skid, skidding, skids, tire
On the approach to a corner you should be constantly scanning the road for information, specifically look for:
- traffic in front and behind
- road surface and conditions
- severity of bend
- limit point
Position phase
There is great flexibility in positioning a motorcycle; you should use this to compensate for your increased vulnerability as a rider. You need to consider four things when deciding where to position your bike for cornering:
- safety – position yourself so that you are less likely to come into conflict with other road users
- stability – select a course which will provide the best tire grip
- information needs – road position determines how much you can see when you enter a bend, select the position which give you the greatest view
- reducing the tightness of the bend – by moving your bike from one side of your road space to the other you can follow a shallower curve and improve stability
Speed phase
Use the limit point to judge the safe speed to ride round the bend.
- Where the curve around the bend is constant, the limit point moves away from you at a constant speed
- If the bend tightens, the limit point appears to move closer, you should reduce your speed accordingly
Gear phase
Before entering the bend, select the appropriate gear for that speed. Select the gear that gives you greatest flexibility.
Acceleration phase
Open the throttle sufficiently to maintain a constant speed round the bend. This will stabilize the bike.
Providing no additional hazards, start to accelerate when the limit point begins to move away and you begin to bring the bike upright.
As you continue to straighten your bike, increase your acceleration to ‘catch’ the limit point. Accelerate until you reach the speed limit or other considerations restricting your speed.
Categories: Practical Lessons
Tagged: acceleration, banking, bend, cornering, gear, Information, motorcycle, speed
