Phuket expat dies in motorbike smash

[andreandre]

With regard to one hand if you are at a constant speed no problem. But if you are accelerating or have to break hard you will almost certainly come off. All depends on speed. SDM

Not so if you are competent...

[SDM0712]

With regard to one hand if you are at a constant speed no problem. But if you are accelerating or have to break hard you will almost certainly come off. All depends on speed. SDM

Not so if you are competent...

I have been riding bikes for years, I consider myself competent. Currently I have a Ninja 650 and a Scoopy (not sure of the engine size, might be a hair drier). If I were to ride with only one hand and accelerate rapidly I would end up on the tarmac, and the same would be true on heavy breaking from speed. It has nothing to do with competence, it is a matter of physics, weight distribution and momentum. For example I weigh around 100 KG, depending on the level of rapid acceleration or deceleration I could be applying that entire weight, if not more, to one wrist only and the affect is to shift all the bodies weight to the side that is not holding on causing the body to pivot on the hand that is.

Even on a smaller bike I would challenge anyone who is doing 25 kp/h plus and riding with one hand only to break hard, as if in an emergency and see if they can stay in the bike, they will not. If anyone is in any doubt try it on grass!

SDM

[andreandre]

With regard to one hand if you are at a constant speed no problem. But if you are accelerating or have to break hard you will almost certainly come off. All depends on speed. SDM

Not so if you are competent...

I have been riding bikes for years, I consider myself competent. Currently I have a Ninja 650 and a Scoopy (not sure of the engine size, might be a hair drier). If I were to ride with only one hand and accelerate rapidly I would end up on the tarmac, and the same would be true on heavy breaking from speed. It has nothing to do with competence, it is a matter of physics, weight distribution and momentum. For example I weigh around 100 KG, depending on the level of rapid acceleration or deceleration I could be applying that entire weight, if not more, to one wrist only and the affect is to shift all the bodies weight to the side that is not holding on causing the body to pivot on the hand that is.

Even on a smaller bike I would challenge anyone who is doing 25 kp/h plus and riding with one hand only to break hard, as if in an emergency and see if they can stay in the bike, they will not. If anyone is in any doubt try it on grass!

SDM

Your missing the point about being ''competent'' i think.or maybe the meaning of .

I could ride all day one handed if i want to and when conditions allow this..

Naturally/logically when braking hard or accelerating hard i would simply use two hands again...

That's what being competent is IMO..

[SDM0712]

Your missing the point about being ''competent'' i think.or maybe the meaning of .

I could ride all day one handed if i want to and when conditions allow this..

Naturally/logically when braking hard or accelerating hard i would simply use two hands again...

That's what being competent is IMO..

I'm not missing the point at all.

Let's say, for example you are riding " all day one handed" because you "want to" and "conditions allow this". You say are a competent rider, and in my example this is a lovely dry day, the road is smooth, there is no other traffic on the road, the birds are singing, the grass has just been cut, and you are doing a sensible 60 kph. Now let's imagine disaster strikes and a dog runs out in the road, not giving you time to "simply use two hands again" . Being a competent motorcyclist you will have been taught that we either do an emergency stop or accelerate at full power and drive over the animal, and we must decide in a split second. If you do either, whist riding one handed, you will end up coming off and hitting the tarmac at a speed fast enough to kill you, there is no other alternative. This is nothing to do with your competence as a rider, if involves the laws of physics I mentioned in my last post.

Of course it might not be a dog, it could be a pothole, a car/bike pulling out in your path from the side unexpectly, there are hundreds of reasons to have to stop unexpectly and might not give you time to "use two hands again"

SDM

[andreandre]

Your missing the point about being ''competent'' i think.or maybe the meaning of .

I could ride all day one handed if i want to and when conditions allow this..

Naturally/logically when braking hard or accelerating hard i would simply use two hands again...

That's what being competent is IMO..

I'm not missing the point at all.

Let's say, for example you are riding " all day one handed" because you "want to" and "conditions allow this". You say are a competent rider, and in my example this is a lovely dry day, the road is smooth, there is no other traffic on the road, the birds are singing, the grass has just been cut, and you are doing a sensible 60 kph. Now let's imagine disaster strikes and a dog runs out in the road, not giving you time to "simply use two hands again" . Being a competent motorcyclist you will have been taught that we either do an emergency stop or accelerate at full power and drive over the animal, and we must decide in a split second. If you do either, whist riding one handed, you will end up coming off and hitting the tarmac at a speed fast enough to kill you, there is no other alternative. This is nothing to do with your competence as a rider, if involves the laws of physics I mentioned in my last post.

Of course it might not be a dog, it could be a pothole, a car/bike pulling out in your path from the side unexpectly, there are hundreds of reasons to have to stop unexpectly and might not give you time to "use two hands again"

SDM

OK.. Yes i do understand the physics..

I have a mate who had his left arm amputated as a kid and he has ridden a big bike for maybe 35 years [obviously one handed] now and is a very competent rider....last time i spoke with him recently he had clocked up near 300,000k's, with no major accidents..

Different strokes for different folks huh.

PS if "what if" was a major concern to any bike rider, there would probably be no one riding bikes...

Edited March 16, 2014 by andreandre

[SDM0712]

We cannot escape "what if", but what we can do is ride in a manner that if something does go wrong we are as prepared as possible. SDM

[HooHaa]

With regard to one hand if you are at a constant speed no problem. But if you are accelerating or have to break hard you will almost certainly come off. All depends on speed. SDM

Not so if you are competent...

or lucky, or sober.

a competent rider would not be riding one handed.

Edited March 16, 2014 by HooHaa

[HooHaa]

iv lost 4 friends since december on motorbikes on thai islands.

3 were shitfaced, 1 was unlucky.

<removed>

people make their choices and live or die by them.

everybody mourns, they just dont learn.

Edited March 16, 2014 by LivinginKata
insult removed

[NamKangMan]

iv lost 4 friends since december on motorbikes on thai islands.

3 were shitfaced, 1 was unlucky.

<removed>

people make their choices and live or die by them.

everybody mourns, they just dont learn.

"people make their choices and live or die by them" - unfortunately, many times, innocent people die by the choices that other people make.

[seedy]

Can't believe some of the replies to this topic !!!

I drive home drunk because ...

Tuk-Tuk drivers will rip me off.

No transportation.

Everybody does it.

What a bunch of bull. You drive drunk because you do not give a d**m about anyone else on the road, or the sidewalk, but yourself.

Selfish to the N-th degree.

Just lucky no innocent person was injured or died in this accident.

[SDM0712]

Seedy, there's a lot of truth in that too.

SDM

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