Despite what some people may think, motorcycle roadracing is not only a highly strenuous sport, but there is much more involved than just twisting the throttle and turning the handlebars. There are a number of powerful forces working on the bike and the rider. There is, of course, the downward pull of gravity, friction between the tires and the track, and centrifugal force which acts to the outside of the turn. The key to cornering at high speeds is to perfect the lean angle of the motorcycle so that the force of gravity reaches equilibrium with the centrifugal force attempting to stand the bike back up. If the bike is leaned to far, it falls over. If it is not leaned far enough, centrifugal force pulls it back up and the turn is not sharp enough. If there is no lean at all, extreme enough circumstances could even cause the motorcycle to tip over in the opposite direction of the way it is turning, much as a four-wheeled vehicle will tip if turned too sharply and quickly.
Acceleration
One of the first considerations a rider has to think about is how to start the motorcycle in motion. I am not referring to having the motorcycle turned on and in gear (although these are important, too), but rather to the necessary precautions one must take when moving forward on a high-powered machine such as a sportbike. If too much forward thrust is given right away, the front end of the bike will lift off of the ground. This is because all the acceleration is coming from the rear wheel, and it has a tendency to push the back of the bike up under the front. Some showy riders like to do this on purpose, but if they do not find the proper balance point, they are likely to wheelie over backwards...
Steering Method #1: Countersteering
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...efer treaded tires, still made of the more pliable rubber. Tires with some tread are much less likely to hydroplane upon contact with moisture on the track, and tend to grip better than slicks in cool weather. There are also rain tires for those gung-ho types who won't call the races off for a bit of rain.
Sources
1) Cocco, Gaetano. Motorcycle Design & Technology: How and Why. Motorbooks International; MA, 1999.
2) Code, Keith. Soft Science of Road Racing Motorcycles. Motorbooks International; MA, 1998.
3) Jaehne, Gary S. Sportbiking: The Real World (The Advanced Riders' Handbook).
Brentwood Christian Press; NY, 1998.
4) http://www.worldsuperbikes.com/
5) http://www.geocities.com/thadr6/myhomepage.html
6) Trevitt, Andrew. "Counter Steering VS. Body Steering: The Great Debate," Sport Rider. Vol X, Number 5,
October 2002. Pp 92-96.
Needless to say, that experience has changed over time. It began from a simplistic design in 1904 as a motorized bike. However, as time progressed it brought about the introduction of the biker gang era. These were the bad asses image riding their heavy bikes down the highway, rebels who refused to give in to society’s pressures. It was the time of the Hell’s Angels, with their patches, long hair, and untidy beards that became the symbol of freedom on the road. They created the mantra of the bad ass dude on a bad ass American bike and no one was gonna tell him what to
At sometime in every single sport someone is always injured or getting injured. However, of all of the sports, research has proven that motocross is one of the sports with the highest risks. Supercross is the second most dangerous type of dirt biking racing out there. The fast paced racing and the uncertainty of knowing what the racer in front of you will do makes this such a dangerous type of racing. Motocross is little less dangerous because most of the racing is outdoors, not indoors in a small stadium. But the most dangerous type of dirt biking is freestyle. The difficult tricks, speed, and the height of the jumps makes this the most dangerous type of dirt biking. The risk taking behavior is played out in a cat and mouse type games that rides engage in all around the nation. There are many different riders who will do anything to get that extra thrill to get that adrenaline rush. Even some of these riders drive in places that they aren’t suppose to, like non-permitted areas such as closed practice tracks or private land. Some motocross and supercross communities are trying to help riders with the lack of caring about boundaries learn that ...
Here starts the tale of how a (LEGEND) came to be. In 1903 William Harley along with Arthur and Walter Davidson of Milwaukee,WI began experimenting with an internal combustion engine in a small wooden shed, amazingly the shed doesn’t burn down and the motorcycle that was built in it goes over 100,000 miles under 5 owners. And that was just the beginning, soon after that first bike being built; it began to happen. A cheap reliable form of transportation was needed in the country. Henry Ford’s automobiles were a little expensive for the average family. So a niche opens up for the motorcycle. Though there was no cutting- edge technology in their design, it worked. The trio had just brought a single cylinder engine (based on a DeDion design) and tube type bicycle frame together. Painted in gloss black, that first machine was admired by friends and family - now it gets interesting.
While designing a particular vehicle of a particular class, there are some atributes and protocols to be followed. Because the designing and the procedures change from car to car.
Millions of people all over the United States choose motorcycles over automobiles for the thrill, speed, and high performance capabilities. On the other hand, motorcycles are not at all the safest way of transportation. Motorcycles do not provide the passenger with the outer protection that cars provide, therefore, when one crashes, the results are usually much more serious. Injuries to the head are responsible for 76% of fatalities when dealing with motorcycle crashes many of which could have been prevented had the rider been wearing a helmet. For this reason, many states have adopted the motorcycle helmet law. The law states that every passengers must wear a helmet at all times when riding on a motorcycle. This law has created a great deal of controversy. One side supports the law, believing that it protects motorcyclists from danger and saves the economy a great deal of money. The other side argues that the law is unconstitutional and it violates our right to freedom. However, statistics show overwhelming support in favor of the motorcycle helmet law. Although wearing helmets cannot prevent motorcycle crashes, they can greatly reduce the number of deaths caused by head injury as well as lowering taxes, insurance rates, and health care costs. Therefore, the helmet law should be put into effect in every state across the United States.
The Skilled Motorcyclist Association urges riders to take steps to make them easier for others to see. Many crashes involving another vehicle occur because a negligent motorist simply failed to see the motorcycle. One safety trick is wearing a helmet that is white or includes bright colors. This improves the rider’s chances of being noticed, which lessens the risk of an accident significantly.
First, a trip to the track takes longer than a street race, since the closest track in the southwest suburbs of Chicago is an hour away. Going to the track is a hassle versus the get set, ready, go drag race down the street. Simply, street racing is nearby and does not disturb anyone as the contest usually takes place in the dead of the night or in the wee hours of the morning. Secondly, legal racing at a circuit track costs hundreds of dollars. Drag strips are shorter, most commonly a quarter of a mile, than the longer circuit tracks, but the entrance fee is about twenty dollars, which adds up over repeated visits. On the other hand, street racing is free and in 20 seconds, a winner emerges from the duo. Lastly, racing at a track puts enormous stress on a car. By driving fast for extended periods on a track, consider the brakes and tires shot since both will need replacement from tracking over 200 miles per hour. In addition, launching a car from a dead stop at a track versus from a rolling start, as in street racing, is more difficult and can easily ruin the car. Although street racing is not as organized as track racing, impromptu racing has the advantages of availability, affordability, and economic
According to Robert Smith, the history of the bicycle goes like this: in the late 18th century and early 19th century, a two-wheeled vehicle with a wooden frame and a saddle, known as the celeripede ("fast feet") was developed in France. The celeripede had a fixed cross-bar and no pedals, meaning that it could not be steered very well and it was moved by running along the ground while straddling the saddle. Needless to say, it never became popular.
Zuber, Kenneth. “Death at the Wheel.” AutoWeek. 4 Sept. 2006: 22. Web. 28 Apr. 2010.
The first thought of motorcycles as a means of transportation began in the year 1900. The pioneers’ of this field were William S. Harley and his lifelong friend Arthur Davidson. They were both born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. It took them almost three years to build their first production ready motorcycle which was a single cylinder, 10 cubic inch engine. It was bolted directly to a bicycle chassis driven by a pulley system with a leather belt. We are going to look at the development, racing, and the people who made the Harley Davidson an American Legend.
The consequences of severe motorcycle accidents are Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal cord injury, and broken bones. In addition, many motorcyclists who go through an accident lose a limb, and some become partially paralyzed. This particular trauma tends to allow motorcyclist to get back on motorcycles and act recklessly, some never recover and never get back on. Some tend to feel shamed and convicted whenever someone speaks of their situation. Many individuals suffer from medical bills, loss wages, insurance rates grow higher and the brain functions are sometimes not the same. For example, from my personal experience a medical bill for a fractured ulna, broken femur, and a broken tibia and fibula costed five hundred thousand dollars. The hospitals know that an individual without insurance could never repay that debt and they sink even lower in debt because of it. According to Carl Rics, the medical bills are ridicules and will never get covered unless you have insurance (personal communication, November
Regardless if one is riding on hard solid pavement or soft dirt, the same basics of cont...
The average driver doesn’t think about what keeps their car moving or what keeps them on the road, but that’s because they don’t have to. The average driver doesn’t have to worry about having enough downforce to keep them on the road or if they will reach the adhesive limit of their car’s tires around a turn. These are the things are the car designers, professional drivers, racing pit crews, serious sports car owners, and physicist think about. Physics are an important part of every sports and racing car design. The stylish curves and ground effects on sports cars are usually there not just for form but function as well allowing you to go speeds over 140 mph in most serious sports cars and remain on the road and in reasonable control.
Bicycles, the one way we got to move around as kids, and as adults it is the one way we get around too, because cars are mainstream. Safety is an issue when it comes to bicycling and that why the helmet is an important factor when it comes to safety for bikes. Every year, in the U.S, nearly 900 persons die from injuries due to bicycle crashes and over 500,000 persons are being treated in emergency departments. Head injuries are by far the greatest concern for bicyclists, causing one third of emergency department visits, two thirds of hospital admissions, and three fourths of deaths. There are other injuries such as facial injuries, which occur at a rate nearly the same to head injuries. It is hard to trust that helmets would be protective against head injury, but establishing the real effectiveness of helmets is important.
Riding a motorcycle can be a fun and exciting hobby. With gas prices at near all-time highs, it can also be a very economical way of getting around. Unfortunately, it can also be dangerous. In the spring of 2006, my brother received third-degree burns on both legs when the motorcycle he was riding was hit from behind by a straight truck. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and to this day I have no idea how he lived. He was lucky to have survived, but many others are not. To protect motorcyclists, laws should mandate all riders wear a helmet because statistics indicate that they prevent serious injury which, in turn, causes economic strain to society.