Austrian GP crash

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In case you havent seen this, it is pretty nerve wracking. Not sure how Rossi managed to keep it together....


 
And the one in Moto2 was spectacular too, and thankfully largely injury free as well.
 
yeah, that's pretty insane. A crash that happens behind you that you don't even see, launches a cartwheeling 400lb motorcycle across your path as you turn towards it. You couldn't shoot a bullet between those 2 guys at speed... How that bike passes between these 2 riders without killing one of them is a miracle... Could it get any closer than this? Probably not...

Austrian GP crash
 
That photo sequence shows all the fuel spraying all over the place too. That alone is scary enough !
 
Like a lot of modern circuits, it's designed for cars. Fast sections followed by very slow corners to try and give them an opportunity to overtake. Not good for bikes, flowing corners are better. I've no idea if they even think about bikes and/or what might happen if they leave the track. That flat out left kink before a first gear right hander is poorly designed at best and gravel traps slow cars down but bikes tend to cartwheel through them.
 
Like a lot of modern circuits, it's designed for cars. Fast sections followed by very slow corners to try and give them an opportunity to overtake. Not good for bikes, flowing corners are better. I've no idea if they even think about bikes and/or what might happen if they leave the track. That flat out left kink before a first gear right hander is poorly designed at best and gravel traps slow cars down but bikes tend to cartwheel through them.

Probably, but didn't look like that was the issue here. Guy overtaking another rider on the inside in a "flowing corner" got caught up with the passed bike after the pass. Then all hell broke loose
 
Like a lot of modern circuits, it's designed for cars. Fast sections followed by very slow corners to try and give them an opportunity to overtake. Not good for bikes, flowing corners are better. I've no idea if they even think about bikes and/or what might happen if they leave the track. That flat out left kink before a first gear right hander is poorly designed at best and gravel traps slow cars down but bikes tend to cartwheel through them.
You obviously do not race a Commando. My Seeley is at it's best on tight circuits. Long flowing corners suit bikes which have more top end power. One thing I strongly avoid, is riding on circuits which have blind corners. You will notice in the Austrian GP crash, the following riders were on the fallen bike, before they knew it. Sometimes you rely on flag marshals to give you warning, but most of them are half-asleep.
There is one particular corner on Bradford race circuit near Melbourne which is almost totally blind at any speed, and one which is very off-camber. I don't race there.
There is also one on the circuit at Mount Gambier, but you normally cannot get into it fast enough to run over a fallen rider.
The one thing you must never do on a race circuit, is to run over another rider. If you are going to hit one, throw your bike away if you cannot avoid.
 
Race circuits with fast flowing corners are a real pain. You simply join the procession at the same angle of lean as the other bikes with no way of gaining an advantage. The most powerful bike wins - the guys with the money like that.
If you watch MotoGP, the circuits shape the bikes. The bikes all end up performing in the same manner because the race circuits are all similar. The wealthiest team wins because it has the most powerful bike. There are probably very few differences in rider ability, because they adapt to the bike.
 
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yeah, that's pretty insane. A crash that happens behind you that you don't even see, launches a cartwheeling 400lb motorcycle across your path as you turn towards it. You couldn't shoot a bullet between those 2 guys at speed... How that bike passes between these 2 riders without killing one of them is a miracle... Could it get any closer than this? Probably not...

Austrian GP crash
One or two riders had a close shave that day!
 
' A miss is as good as a mile' - Actually, it was not a horrendous crash - it was a racing incident. A horrendous crash involves a fatality. - Like the one which killed Jarno Sarinen and Renzo Pasolini.at Monza.
 
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What is not blind at lower speeds, can become blind at higher speeds. There are some very poorly-deigned race circuits and the bikes are not getting slower.
 
You have to be unlucky to get killed in a motorcycle race. If you have a near miss, it does not mean you almost died. It makes no difference if a bike flies over your head or it flips harmlessly somewhere else - as long as it misses you. A friend of mine once said 'every time we fall-off we could be killed'. It is probably true, but if you look at the number of guys who crash without getting killed,- luck is on your side.
 
Maverick Vinales bailed off today at 100mph when his Yamaha's brakes failed. Spectacular vid of the bike straight-on into the barrier and bursting into flames. Vinales slid and was unhurt.

 
I know someone who would have been completely unfazed by that, self steered around the corner while perfectly upright, short shifted at 3000rpm, and still won with a flat tyre, and his heart rate wouldn't have gone above 35bpm
 
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Maverick Vinales bailed off today at 100mph when his Yamaha's brakes failed. Spectacular vid of the bike straight-on into the barrier and bursting into flames. Vinales slid and was unhurt.


Now let's see him try that in cargo pants and t shirt...
 
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