Andy's Safety Corner

Introduction:

The aim of these web pages is to try and educate riders of lesser experience and re-mind more seasoned riders of the dangers we encounter every day when we embark on a journey or merely follow a pursuit close to our hearts – the science of riding a motorcycle.  “Science? It’s not a science; it’s something I do just for fun.” Maybe, but there are a lot of forces at work every time we throw a leg over our bikes and head down the road. There’s the chemistry that makes it possible to refine oil into gasoline, plastics and rubber. But this is also true for thousands of things we buy and use every day. Then there are the physics of motorcycling. Things like inertia, heat transfer, kinetic energy and then there’s the two most important ones for motorcycles. Friction and gyroscopic effect. They all do their thing when we ride. Most people usually think of friction as the force that helps us stop as brake pads rub on discs, but it is also responsible for keeping the tires in contact with the road. The gyroscopic effect is the force generated by the turning of the wheels. As the gyroscopic force of the front wheel increases the motorcycle becomes quicker and easier to steer and maneuver. Transversely, slowing the wheels by braking makes it more difficult to change the direction of the bike.  There are many other reasons for this including geometry changes due to compressed suspension, the stiffening of arms as braking forces become stronger and the need to hold you up increases. Generally giving yourself more room to be able to make a sudden lane change or swerve to avoid an object widens your choices for avoiding a nasty event. As you think about all these forces the science behind it all starts to make sense. Physics at work. Think about this, if braking and loading suspension makes maneuvering harder, common sense says accelerating actually makes the bike easier to move around. Therefore using the right gear and engine speed can Save Your Life. Use this knowledge to keep yourself healthy and happy. Who doesn’t have a big grin when opening the throttle??!! Just the guy in the glass box you left in a cloud of dust, right? Knowing you’ve just got out of a potentially sticky or painful incident by actually accelerating is quite a thought, isn’t it? But there’ll be more of that and the science behind it in later editions.

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