T
here are many different
ways to fall off a motorcy-
cle, and Grand Prix riders
tend to explore all of them. Any
racer does that; indeed it is an
exercise available to anyone who
rides a motorcycle.
They fall into two main catego-
ries. There's the highside – trig-
gered by either a front or rear,
and several variations thereof.
Then there's the lowside, simi-
larly triggered.
The common ingredient is a
loss of grip.
Then there's the braking crash,
when the front tire – at this point
called on to do as much as 100
percent of the work (the rear of-
ten not even touching the road)
– gives up its purchase, tucks
under. You crash, without even
leaning over.
It's not uncommon, but almost
always in the wet.
Now we come to Phillip Island.
Where it wasn't wet. But there
were more of this particular kind
of crash than I can recall seeing
in 30 years.
And it affected the cream of
motorcycle racing. The two-time
World Champion, some five sec-
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
LOSING GRIP
P104
