Motorcycle Crash Physics

[Seldom Seen Slim]

At SpeedWeek '09 I was on the bike and drifted to the right/got moved to the right by wind -- and went through the 4 1/2 mile marker at 200.  The PVC uprights hit the brake and clutch levers, which in turn banged back to my fingers.  I was wearing good gloves with carbon fiber inserts in the knuckles (and other places).  The impact of the pvc was hard enough that it cracked the C.F. and kinda smashed up my left pinky last knuckle.  That's carbon fiber, boys and girls.  Think what might have happened if I had been wearing only leather.

I'm now an even firmer believe in good gloves and other safety garb.

[McRat]

I always wondered why they armored the back of gloves until I found out one day.  My gloves had leather pads on the outside of the fingers, but no armor when I got "learned".  A slow moving car changed lanes into me when I was going about 60mph.  I removed the side mirror for him with my hand.  Looks like 8 stitches?  I could see the bones.  It wasn't the first time I clipped a mirror, but that time really hurt.  I'll admit none of my gloves today have armor on the fingers, but if I went back to riding on the street I'd get some.  My KTM dirtbike already has shields.