Teathered Kill Switches (yes or no)

i believe that even with a teather killed bike it will ghost ride for a short distance,depending on speed of course. the braking from a killed motor will slow it down so atleast it won't likely travel long distances. it would help prevent a riderless bike from crossing infield sections and get back into a hot track at some venues, or run down a straight 300 or 400 yards into a braking zone.

 

Paige is the coolest chick in the world.

 

I am not understanding something here...someone please enlighten me.

When the rider leaves the bike, the throttle snaps closed.
When the engine is killed, it has the identical effect as the throttle being closed.
A dead engine will not decelerate faster than a bike w/ the throttle shut.
So how would an engine kill switch stop bikes from ghostriding/decellerating to a stop?


Or I am wrong in my thinking?

 

I cant hold back any more, if we eliminate every single safety hazard from racing, THERE WILL BE NO MORE RACING! Mabey seat belts on bikes would prevent a high-side, I dont want one though. The last thing I want is something else to think about while tring to take turn 1 at any track ("What if My cord comes loose right now?") I dont want to crash anymore than you, but want to race, calculated risk? YUP!
Mabey we should set up snipers to take out wayward fawns and bunnies travling ocross the track? Anyone for that one?

 

You forget to include the bike will idle if the throttle is closed.

 

OK thought for the day? Anyone ever seen a janitor that carries keys around his waist? Attached to those keys is a tether that has an enclosed part that allows him to stretch out the keys yet keep them tight to the waist when not using the keys. Just a thought.

 

A bike ghostriding at idle will fall over immediatly....I think?

 

A bike in higher gears will ghost ride along way. Road racers sometimes turn there idle up to reduce wheel hop or to keep bikes from stalling cause there batterys are small,(Mr E Kraft) and this will make them go even farther.

A yellow duck during world super bike ghost rode for along way not to long ago (this season)

I had to run them on my quad when racing. The rubber ones that push a button suck and don't work well. The plastic ones that click work much better. (like water crafts)

I'm more worried about a ghost riding bike heading for people that are watching the race or other riders (could care less if it blows up bikes are replaceable)

The way road racers move mounting could be a problem.

On quads we ran the tethers up near out ellbows to keep them away from our hands and to the center of the bike or quad it worked well in that case.

I not sure if they should be on road race bikes but its worth looking into.

 

I run a tether on my FZR400 because they are known for spinning a bearing when they tip over. Simple screw in the kill rocker attached to velcro strap. The strap goes around my wrist and I make sure it hangs to the inside to be out of they way. Enough slack so I can move around but not enough to flap around. Theory is it will kill the motor then the velcro will let loose so I am not hooked to the bike. Have not tried it yet and hope not to.

 

so you've been to brainerd?

 

Used them for 17 years on my drag bikes, ATV style with the coiled cord attached to my leather's zipper and button on the top triple clamp, and a drilled stock kill switch and teather to my wrist.

I think the coiled cord with a central mounting would be best for a roadracing environment....

Just my $0.02.....

 

humm

Okay just this past weekend there were several passes at the NHRA event (don't remember where) that guys/gals were having to shut off the throttle quickly and get on the brakes hard due to short slow down area...anyway Drag bikes have tethers and even though the bikes were shut off they were still doing over a 100mph when the rider came off the bike and I think everyone of them kept going down the track. I've seen several road race bikes continue on thru a corner and miss riders coming around the other side of the turn by inches. So tethers in my opinion wouldn't keep ghost riding bikes from happening. As for throttles staying pinned and bikes not shutting off, I have a fix for that or rather late model bike Manufacturers have fixes for that they are called Tip Over Sensors you know those sensors that most people wire around or make inoperative. I don't understand that one! People say they have cut off while leaned over in a turn, okay it could happen I suppose on certain bikes if the sensor is wrongly located or become loose. However, I've drug lowers on both sides on two different makes and models and never once did my sensor cut out on me. I say leave the TOS operative, and go race. The only instant I could see a Tether working would be if the throttle sticks/ghost rides, but even still if there was a Tether the bike is going to continue (maybe not as far) but it will likely travel enough to get others in harms way.

 

I could have shot a couple of bambies in turn three at the AMA a couple of years ago. Kinda sad actually, as Mama deer was watching from the other side of the fence. The bambies would run one way, then the doe would go the same way, just on the other side of the fence. We got em all herded out though.

Track announcer-"Well, I guess we are under a red flag situation due to deer on the track. Uhhm I am not sure I recall this ever happening before."

 

I run a teather on my bike after it high sided me and ghost rode itself 100 yds down the track. Same idea as riopko has, just a coily to the run / stop switch. It works great, stops the motor right when you come off it.
Best part is that the $3 I spent to make it has saved thousands in motor work.
Its flimsy enough where it will self destruct after it shuts off the motor.

Don

 

Put your next three dollars towards a set of leathers that cover your wrists.

OK, it is a good idea.

 

mongo:

no, no, no. my vote is no.

please quit forcing more and more stuff on racers. there is already so much (imo) unnecessary stuff we are required to do to our bikes for 'safety' that it is ridiculous.

road racing has risk. please let each of us set our own level of risk assessment. don't play like a liberal govt and set rules around your own personal risk assessment.

i strongly agree with papa and wera971. please weigh the likelihood of anything like this happening, against the cost/inconvenience of everyone having to implement it, plus the risk of it creating other problems. anytime you add complexity (tether kill switch) you add likelihood of accidental cutoff. just keep it simple.

i have drag raced a lot and have experience with the tether. (btw don't attach to wrist, works alot better attached to something in the front center of your leathers...like your zipper.)

offer it up in a list of suggestions or 'good ideas' section of the rule book for people to do it if they want, but don't require it.

 

Just use your imagination and pretend that... oh nevermind

I don't think that they should be mandatory, but definately a good idea. With the wrist mounted teather if your hand is 2 ft from the grip you are beyond saving the bike Just remember to take it off before you start waiving at the corner workers!

Don

 

I'm sure that with the great imaginations we all have, there may be a way to simplify an attatchment to the tether. This would be for endurance purposes of course. The kill switch doesn't take much to trip it; a simple velcro attatchment to the glove could work. I might test one out at the next event I attend.
As for ghost riding bikes slowing at idle... Are we forgetting the unforgettable ghost ride that Chris Ulrich's 750SS bike performed at VIR 2 years ago. That thing probably went 1/8 mile or so, after smashing into the armco barrier and sending it across the track though the woods all the way to Grandma's house. It probably wouldn't have made it much further than the wall, if the kill switch would have been tripped.

I'm not casting a vote here, but if we can make things better, why not. Isn't that the way of progression? I don't have any personal experience with tethers, so that's why I'm going to give one a try. This is a cruel sport and all dangers cannot be avoided.

 

yes, making things better would be progression....

but how did you make the leap from tethers to making things better?

 

it won't work gentlemen i just won't work!