Here's a magnificent video of Guy Martin, riding a Suzuki, chasing Michael Dunlop, riding a BMW, during the Superbike race at the Isle of Man TT in 2014. They're hitting speeds of up to 200 mph on the straights. Watch it in full-screen mode for the best results.
Pure adrenaline!
Peter
As one who has overcooked a corner or two, I found that...invigorating.
ReplyDelete=BCE56=
P.S.
ReplyDeleteReg Pridmore.
=BCE56=
Outstanding/ A real pleasure to watch.
ReplyDeleteMakes my pucker factor go up by about 10,000!
ReplyDeleteMore balls than sense...LOL :-)
ReplyDeleteBlink. Remember to blink.
ReplyDeleteHe almost loses it a couple of times to oscillation too. That scared me, there's nothing you can really do but hope the bike comes out of it on its own.
I knew Derek Powell who won 12 TT Races he retired after his 12 win saying I have got the 12 Apostles and would not be going for the Devil.
ReplyDeleteHe Died in the winter of 2013 just after his birthday of a Stroke
A headlite mounting position is my least favorite location for a bike camera. A helmet, or at least a tank top location is better. I want to see how the front end is acting, and gauges are nice to see.
ReplyDeleteThe camera leaning with the bike viewpoint is very odd to me, as most riders (racers, anyway) do their best to keep their head perpendicular to the riding surface.
The most frightening part of that race circuit for me? When they hit tree covered sections that are much darker than the previous open area.
When I got to my mid 40's, I started to encounter problems dealing with sudden severe ambient light changes while riding. The only CA racetrack I've encountered the situation on is Laguna Seca's infamous Corkscrew, and the light change isn't severe, as the trees are not very dense.
@Angus:
ReplyDeleteThat is probably a weave, or more properly, a power weave. With sticky tires, and enough power, you can induce frame flex while cornering. Backing off the throttle will fix it, but it's a race. You can also induce it while braking into a corner while leaning. You know you are near the limit when it wiggles into a corner, and while exiting it. It's annoying when it is still wiggling as you stand it upright. If it has enough power, yanking the front end off the ground instantly stops it. That was the technique in GP racing. It was common to see them do this well before the bike was vertical. SuperBike too.