[HN Gopher] How to Ride a Motorcycle - 1942 British Military Tra...
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How to Ride a Motorcycle - 1942 British Military Training Film
[video]
Author : happy-go-lucky
Score : 53 points
Date : 2021-09-19 13:02 UTC (1 days ago)
(HTM) web link (www.youtube.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.youtube.com)
| jbboehr wrote:
| Kind of amazing how little the interface has changed over the
| last 70(!) years.
| zh3 wrote:
| Eh, it's standardised quite a lot. As a young adult I had a
| Triumph Bonneville (still do), small Ducati (went up in flames)
| and a bunch of Japanese bikes (which lasted varying lengths of
| time, between dying natural deaths and being slung yp the
| road).
|
| The point being that the gearchange on the Triumph was 1 up, 3
| down on the right, the japanese bikes were 1 down 4 or 5 up on
| the left and the ducati was 1 down 4 up but on the right hand
| side. Given the random interchange/pattern between gear and
| rear brake, the first few miles were always interesting while
| trying to re-arrange the mental model to fit the current bike.
|
| Which is why, to this day, I really dislike it when new
| versions of software randomly shift the position of the
| steering wheel from the usual position to wherever some UX
| person has decided it should now be (like behind my left ear).
|
| Edit: But to expand on this a little, on a motorbike (or indeed
| a bicycle), the interface puts everything directly under
| hand/foot control. Every necessary control is a minor movement,
| and pretty much the only difference between bike controls these
| days is the (thumb-based) switch layout
| nn3 wrote:
| I like the bicycle analogy of software updates.
|
| When you update and the handle bar is suddenly behind your
| head. "We modernized our UI ..."
| jandrese wrote:
| Or "the handlebar is now hidden up your butt". Look how
| clean the lines are on the new model! It photographs
| beautifully! Doesn't matter that it's a literal pain in the
| ass to ride now.
| speedgeek wrote:
| I am 62 and have ridden since I was 14. Roadraced for a couple of
| years (only quit because it is so expensive). Here are my
| thoughts on how to stay safe: 1) ride with one or two fingers on
| the front brake 2) you are invisible. that person on the side
| road who is looking right at you - yeah good chance they are
| looking right through you and will pull out in front of you. 3)
| ride with your high beam on at all times (see #2) 4) braking is
| 75-100% front brake. when the tire is skidding you are not
| braking, release the pressure slightly to get back to braking. 5)
| learn how to countersteer. it is the only way to maneuver
| quickly. 6) gear up. a minimum is a properly fitted helmet (most
| people wear a helmet that is too big), back protector (ask any
| racer if they work -they do), motorcycle specific leather jacket,
| roadracing gloves, motorcycle specific boots, denim pants. 7) do
| not ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8) don't panic.
| your bike is far more capable than you think. If you panic and
| stand it up to brake chances are that will end badly.
| countersteer and flick it in, worst case you low side and the
| outcome is better than riding into a tree or ditch. 9) know that
| the most dangerous time for a new motorcyclist is after six
| months. they think they have it figured out and exceed their
| skill. 10) do track days (see #8). if possible get a ride on the
| back with an instructor - it is eye opening on what is possible.
|
| HTH someone.
| jeron wrote:
| If anyone is on the fence about learning to ride a motorcycle, I
| highly recommend it. One of my favorite hobbies. However, it does
| get expensive if you get serious about it like doing trackdays
| whartung wrote:
| I am of a different tact.
|
| I love motorcycling. It is a passion. I had my motorcycle
| classification before I got my car license.
|
| But, I don't recommend it to anyone. I will not be party to
| suggesting, encouraging, cajoling or any other "ing" to get
| someone on a bike.
|
| It's too dangerous to allow someone else to convince you.
|
| Anyone in the community for any duration has their share of
| personal experiences, being close to someone lost or badly
| hurt, or simply being in a small community where loss and
| injury happens. I've lost friends. Had my share of (thankfully)
| mostly minor injuries. I've gone down on a freeway in rush hour
| traffic. It happens, it's real.
|
| The two highest cohorts of folks getting injured or worse on a
| motorcycle are folks riding under the influence, and folks new
| (or even returning) to riding. The first cohort you can do
| something about, don't drink. The second, you can take measures
| (training, reading, practice), but, in the end, you have to
| just survive through it. You have to find yourself in
| situations and work your way through them.
|
| I like traveling on a motorcycle. I love long distance touring
| rides. One of the best aspects of riding is going on a long
| trip with a friend. You may both take the same path, but, in
| the end, you have separate journeys and get to share them at
| each stop. In a car, you have a driver, and everyone else
| essentially asleep. As a driver you're likely barely conscious.
| Fingertip on the steering wheel, cruise control holding steady,
| songs serenading you on the stereo. On a bike, that's just not
| the case.
|
| On a bike, you get to smell the air. High on my list is riding
| behind a lemon truck. You get to feel the environment. It's
| hot. It's cold. It's wet. Ride through the desert and feel the
| temperature change as you drop down in to a wash, even if just
| for a few hundred feet before you rise back up in the heat.
|
| I love it.
|
| But I don't recommend it.
| pessimizer wrote:
| > On a bike, you get to smell the air. High on my list is
| riding behind a lemon truck. You get to feel the environment.
| It's hot. It's cold. It's wet. Ride through the desert and
| feel the temperature change as you drop down in to a wash,
| even if just for a few hundred feet before you rise back up
| in the heat.
|
| I've described it like this before, but it feels less like
| driving than like _running really quickly._
| mmmBacon wrote:
| Honestly the track has ruined most street riding for me. While
| it's cool to go for a ride in the hills, the street is not the
| track. There is just no rush like the track.
| dia80 wrote:
| I have a thoracic spinal cord injury, I can still move my hands
| and arms fully but not much else. When I was in hospital people
| were there for all kinds of reasons. There was only one theme.
| Motorcyclists. What's more they tended to have cervical
| injuries thus couldn't move at least part of there hands and
| arms or sometimes all. I can't ever motorcycle now but if I
| could that would have been enough to put me off. The tail risk
| is crazy.
| trangus_1985 wrote:
| Motorcycling is deceptively safe _. It 's just that the cost
| of finding out when you fuck around is very high.
|
| _Safe riding is still more dangerous than being in a car, of
| course. But, the vast majority of motorcycle injuries are due
| to known dangerous factors such as alcohol, or going too fast
| through turns.
| jascii wrote:
| "Safe riding is still more dangerous than being in a car"
| To the operator. If we count the lethal damage caused to
| others, that number doesn't look so good...
| trangus_1985 wrote:
| > we count the lethal damage caused to others
|
| So, that's a pretty hefty claim. I'd like to see some
| data. :)
|
| A very large chunk of motorcycle accidents are single
| party (about 25%), the rest involve a car, usually at low
| speeds such as an unprotected left turn or bad merge.
|
| I did some quick googling and found that motorcycles are
| less likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents than
| cars, but I think the the onus is on you to support your
| claim.
| the_gipsy wrote:
| > going too fast through turns
|
| Going fast through turns is exactly the point for the
| majority of riders (all except choppers)
| agloeregrets wrote:
| The sad part about this is that for the most part it has been
| solved but it is expensive and a lot of people do not take
| the solutions seriously.
|
| Good gear, I mean expensive gear, has built in spine
| protection. Good helmets limit your neck movement. We even
| have airbag-equipped suits! Outcomes are WAY better than they
| used to be. If you are in full leathers and with good neck
| protection, your odds for major spinal injury are incredibly
| reduced. Similar results also come from riding a motorcycle
| with ABS.
|
| Problem is: people do not take safety seriously.
|
| The thing is the people you didn't see at the hospital:
| People who don't wear helmets, let alone the rest of the
| gear. They died before then.
|
| Motorcycles are a calculated risk, few correctly do the math,
| but when the math is done it is a far lesser risk.
| bserge wrote:
| Good to know. Although it's scary to think about waking up
| a quadriplegic.
| tarr11 wrote:
| > The sad part about this is that for the most part it has
| been solved
|
| I don't think it's settled that this has been "solved"
|
| "This systematic review highlighted lack of appropriate
| evidence on efficacy of back protectors. Based on limited
| information, we are uncertain about the effects of back
| protectors on spinal injuries. Further research is required
| to substantiate the effects of back protectors on mortality
| and other injuries to the back."
|
| https://sjtrem.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13049-01
| 6...
| hutzlibu wrote:
| "The sad part about this is that for the most part it has
| been solved"
|
| I doubt it has solved basic physics, though. When a huge,
| fat SUV overlooks you at > 100 km/h - then yes, you want
| all the protection gimmicks avaiable - but chances are you
| still wake up in hospital - if you are lucky.
|
| I had the same experience, I was in hospital and feeling
| like sh* - but next to me was a motorcycle accident. He put
| my misery into perspective.
| pengaru wrote:
| I used to ride a bunch, did many cross-country trips on two
| wheels, and honestly feel lucky to have escaped that phase
| alive and uninjured.
|
| It's a fun hobby and a uniquely direct interaction with some
| interesting physics, but I can't recommend anyone do it on
| public roads shared with vehicles driven by
| careless/incompetent/inattentive/distracted/tired/drunk/stoned
| drivers.
|
| If you're going to play on two wheels do it off-road or on
| otherwise closed courses, unless you're looking forward to
| being crippled, paralyzed, or dead, through no fault of your
| own.
| bserge wrote:
| But that's half of the fun!
| city41 wrote:
| I used to ride as well, but before smartphones were so
| ubiquitous. Nowadays, when I see so many drivers glued to
| their phones while driving (it's shockingly common), I just
| can't imagine putting my life into their hands.
| brg wrote:
| I also highly recommend. Some further recommendations is to
| find the use that best fits your interest (dirt, courses,
| relaxation, commuting, tourism), and make excuses to ride.
|
| I recently moved to a Zero, and despite the concerns of my
| peers for missing out on the pure riding experience, its really
| re-ignited my joy.
| unemphysbro wrote:
| I was slightly biased against electric bikes, no "vhroom,
| vhroom", gear-shifting, etc but I test rode the livewire and
| loved it!
| motohagiography wrote:
| Such a great video. Been riding a one of the re-issued Triumphs
| (thruxton) for a decade, it has a similar long and low geometry
| and seating position to the old Nortons. It's a great way to
| meet men in their 80's who yell "whaaat yeeeaaar?" at you at
| stoplights, if that's what you're into. (Am not.) The new
| bonnevilles looked so close to the originals if you had macular
| degeneration that you could even feel the disappointment of old
| bike guys as they realized they were talking to someone didn't
| have the mechanical ability to get a real classic running in
| that condition. It was almost like having a real dad.
| Motorcycles are awesome.
| UI_at_80x24 wrote:
| I bought my motorcycle around 1995 for ~$800. It was a 1984
| Honda Nighthawk 650. Sold it a few years later because I was
| moving and didn't have room for 2 vehicles. Fuel was ~$0.50/L
| $5 would fill it up (10L tank) I could drive ~200km on a full
| tank.
|
| Adjusted for inflation that equals ~$1300 today.
|
| I've looked around at a lot of used motorcycles and I've see
| other 1984 Honda's that are asking $2500-$3000 The average
| price seems to be $4k-$5k for 20 year old bikes!
|
| This used to be a financially viable option for CHEAP
| transportation. Not anymore.
|
| I want to ride again, and even though my wife would kill me if
| I did; I just can't afford it. Once upon a time, it was all I
| could afford; now it's a fancy toy that I can't afford. I think
| that stings more.
| Kluny wrote:
| The old ujms have hipster cred and they aren't made anymore,
| so the price has gone up due to scarcity. Try a cbr 150 from
| like 2011. You can get those for like $1000 now.
| hellbannedguy wrote:
| I had the 250cc Nighthawk. I sold it thinking Honda's were
| junk. I was wrong obviously.
|
| I used it to get me to high school. I was always sick that
| winter though. I had money for the bike, but not the gear.
|
| CA had a insurance policy of requiring insurance, but not
| demanding it at DMV. Cops couldn't ask to see proof of
| insurance for any reason. It was all civil if their was an
| incident.
| bch wrote:
| > I bought my motorcycle around 1995 for ~$800 [...] > I've
| looked around at a lot of used motorcycles and I've see other
| 1984 Honda's that are asking $2500-$3000 The average price
| seems to be $4k-$5k for 20 year old bikes!
|
| To be devils advocate here, that's a one-time capital cost
| that you may well be able to make money on once you sell
| again, assuming the price trend continues. It seems to me
| that price is also way cheaper than a comparable* car. If it
| were me, I'd be enjoying fun driving, cheap operating costs
| and easy parking long after the sting of not getting the bike
| for $800 had worn off.
|
| *for some definition of "comparable"
| bserge wrote:
| Those are classics though. Also why do you need 650cc? Isn't
| 250 enough?
| criddell wrote:
| 250 probably isn't enough for highways and long distance
| riding in the US.
|
| For example, Texas State Highway 130 has an 85 mph speed
| limit and traffic typically rolls along at 5-10 mph above
| that. There isn't a lot of headroom for passing a car going
| 80 mph on most 250cc bikes.
|
| If I were buying a bike today, I don't think I would
| consider anything that didn't have anti-lock brakes.
|
| My last bike was a KLR650 and it was pretty crude. I sold
| it and gave up on motorcycles because drivers around where
| I live are too distracted. I rode 35 years accident free
| and decided to quit before my luck ran out. I do miss it
| though...
| reducesuffering wrote:
| You should be looking at 2000-2010 japanese bikes, not
| classics for nostalgia's sake. Kawasaki ninja's will run you
| $1,300 - $3,000 and get 50-70mpg.
| unemphysbro wrote:
| I learned on a nighthawk 650 :) Brings back good memories.
| russellbeattie wrote:
| My son and I got our M1s this summer and a couple used Ninja 250s
| to use as starter bikes.
|
| Observations: This is a good hobby to start when you're younger.
| My 19yo son picked it up quickly, hasn't had any problems,
| handles the bike well and is of course, fearless.
|
| Myself, on the other hand, being 49yo and a klutz in general, has
| come close to disaster more than a handful of times, pulled my
| hamstring badly among other bumps and bruises, and it's only been
| a few months. I've yet to get to the point where the fun
| outweighs the fear. I've definitely had moments in the Santa Cruz
| mountains, but for the most part I'm seriously debating whether
| I'm going to keep riding.
| unemphysbro wrote:
| I ride in the SC area. I wouldn't call those trivial roads to
| learn on but I'm glad you're doing it!
|
| They are some of the best in the bay area to ride!
| refracture wrote:
| I know for a fact my wife is going to get the bug to buy a
| motorcycle someday.. grew up around them, got scared away after
| her dad's accident.. but he got back up on the saddle, so I
| imagine it's only a matter of time.
|
| I'm not sure I'll be following suit. I like riding on dirt, but
| the streets aren't forgiving and are populated by people who
| won't put their phones down.
| lm28469 wrote:
| I'd recommend this one too:
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp6gxdGrv5E
|
| The actors are super bad but the educational parts are all you
| need to know about bikes
| mzs wrote:
| Here are all the reels: https://youtu.be/I_t_fbOmvYg
| Motor Cycling Elementary Control Motor Cycling
| Maintenance Motor Cycling Cross-Country Technique
| taylodl wrote:
| I won't ride on the street. Distracted driving, especially
| texting and driving, is more dangerous than drunk driving. While
| most people are good at avoiding drunk driving, many people,
| people who would never dream of driving drunk, will have a
| distraction due to text messaging. Right now drunk driving still
| kills more drivers, however the NHTSA believes the deaths due to
| distracted driving are under reported.
|
| Off-road riding? Totally different ballgame and a lot of fun!
| ultrarunner wrote:
| As someone who rides more miles a year than drives, I
| appreciate that you framed this as a personal opinion. If I
| avoided one accident for every time someone told me that I
| _shouldn 't_ ride I would probably live forever. Their uncle,
| or uncle's friend, or brother's coworker, or _someone_ always
| "had to lay 'er down" to avoid tree clippings on a straight
| street, or rain, or whatever.
|
| About 2/3 of the accidents are caused by rider error [0]. I've
| heard several references, but [1] says that 27% of motorcycle
| fatalities involved a drunk rider. Cars about to turn left in
| front of me are generally visible and avoidable (the intense
| focus needed is part of the fun for me). All that is to say
| that some factors are controllable, others are not, and risk
| tolerance is subjective. I accept my odds, but I also know that
| none of my Harley-riding neighbors have any interest in
| training or improving skills at all.
|
| With the <1 year old bike I spend the most time on, I find it
| worthwhile to reduce my CO2 footprint the small amount that I
| do. Not all motorcycles are much better than a larger car
| pollution-wise, and not all people think taking a personal risk
| (or any cost) is worthwhile to reduce pollution, but if
| everyone did the situation would be improved. I find that
| compelling. My Harley-riding neighbors... uh... definitely
| don't.
|
| Personally, the joy of riding is part of what makes life
| livable. Of course I could decrease my risk profile (indeed, so
| many people seem to think that I _ought_ to do just that). But
| as my wife cares for the dying elderly at their bedsides she
| tells me that they never celebrate their decreased risk
| profiles, but rather wish they would have taken more chances
| and opportunities that they had been presented. In my mind, to
| ride pecks at the question of why we do anything.
|
| [0] https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/little-known-facts-
| about-m... [1] https://carsurance.net/blog/motorcycle-accidents
| ThePadawan wrote:
| How delightful!
|
| How is it that I find a 1940s instructional voiceover much more
| human and encouraging than a fake cheerful "Yeah! You can do
| this!" 2000s voiceover?
| CompuHacker wrote:
| The British had every incentive to create engaging content;
| regional authorities were threatening to deplatform them.
| Enginerrrd wrote:
| I think a huge part of it is that the modern versions tend to
| assume the viewer is a complete moron by comparison.
| mc32 wrote:
| Looks like in older bikes you had much more control of how the
| engine performed at your fingertips (timing and a choke)
| --obviously this has to do with the carburetor, except for the
| exhaust release. I don't think I ever saw bike with that control.
| Pretty interesting.
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