What causes highsiding?

I see these vids of crotch rockets getting ever so slightly squirrly and in a split second all goes to heck and the rider is down. I see vids of cricle track racers on old Harleys going sideways with one hand on the throttle and the other tucked in and they do it lap after lap. Has anyone ever highsided a 650 Maxim? I know they don't turn as sharply as I'd like because you can't lean them like a dirtbike. I sometimes find myself leaning off the bike to the inside of the turn because I'm worried about scraping or not being able to turn sharp enough. It's usually when making a left turn and you have to wait for the light to stop the oncomming traffic. Then theres usually someone ready to pass on the right the second the light turns green for the cross street which around here usually means a race. I like to put some distance between people like this because the few times I didn't, they tailgated me like I've never been tailgated in a car.

 

Any bike can be highsided and I'm sure many more than one XJ has. Highsiding happens when traction is lost, usually in a turn. The tire breaks free and the bike slides a bit and then quickly catches traction. The sudden change in force throughs the bike over, thus causing the dreaded highside. If the bike losses traction and never regains traction the bike goes to the ground causing a lowside. Does that answer the question. Highside are usually much worse cause the rider is usually pitched into the air, the sudden stop can hurt.

 

One of the reasons modern "crotch rockets" get away from the squirrels so quickly like that is the very package of high-performance characteristics built into the bikes. They're not very "forgiving."

Your Max on the other hand, has very "conservative" frame geometry and is quite forgiving. Ride to your personal limits, but I wouldn't worry about the Maxim ever wadding you up like some nutball on an R6 with a hormone problem.

 

Anyone else catch Rossi's recent highside? Popped right off... May soon be back though, not bad for a shattered Femur

Rossi's highside

 

The High-side is the one that can really put a hurt on you!

A High-side is where your bike suddenly regains traction after beginning a skid and launches you over the top of bike. You typically gets thrown-over the -> high <- side of the bike, ... not the side closest to the ground.

A Low-side is simply where the bike loses traction and skids onto the ground with you remaining on the low side of the bike. A lay-down on the side closest to the ground.

High-sides are the ones that really do damage to you.

The most common high-side accident scenario is where you lose traction at the rear wheel (due to excessive power or over-braking).
You "Lose it", the bike starts to skid, you regains traction suddenly by releasing the brake or chopping the power, and the bike immediately regains traction and launches you right over the bike, ... with the tumbling bike following right behind you. The key to avoiding this is learning not to chop the power and never lock-up the rear brake.

Low sides mean you slide out on your butt or side. Road-rash City.
High sides literally launch you over the bike, ... right into the air, often with the bike possibly landing right on top of you.

I always cringe when somebody suggests: Make a Chopper out of it. Get rid of those Front Brakes.

 

This is why they teach in the MSF BRC that if you lock the rear brake it's best to keep it locked. If you aren't going straight when it unlocks it'll likely cause a highside.

 

"I know they don't turn as sharply as I'd like because you can't lean them like a dirtbike."
sure you can, why not ?