Anybody who has done any advanced Roadcraft training in the UK would have heard about the vanishing point, it is a technique that is commonly used to judge entrance speed for cornering.
First I will explain it for those not familiar with it. Then I will make some points on it's limitations, especially in Thailand.
Lets first look at a premise of Roadcraft - "We should always ride at a speed where we can stop in the road we can see to be clear". So by those rules, when the road is straight and clear of potential hazards we can go as fast as we like with respect for the conditions (of course that technically also means within the speed limit!)
As we approach a corner the vanishing point - the point that the two sides of the road merge into the corner, starts coming towards us. So we slow down, reducing speed to match the reduction in the distance we can see to be clear.
As we reach the corner, the vanishing point starts to move away from us. As we go into the bend we can now start to apply throttle to match our speed to the distance we can see to be clear around the corner.
Then as we approach the exit, the vanishing point starts to move away from us, so in turn we can apply more power to pull the bike out of the corner.
So what are the limitations of the approach?
First off we have a variety of bends. Double apex bends for starters, also spiral bends (start of gentle then get steeper towards the apex). If the sharper apex of the bend is hidden at the start of the bend, then setting our lean angle to max on the way in means we can end up in trouble with nowhere to go half way through when it tightens.
Then there is the issue with junctions or hazards that are hidden by the bend. We can use approaching position and possible views through the bend, along with other clues i.e. tree line, walls or buildings, street lights and signs, to give us the means to predict where the road is going in advance. We can also use gaps through gates or between buildings to also get an idea of the route. If we only focus on the vanishing point then potentially we can miss a lot of other clues as to what is just out of sight.
Another issue is that of suspension loading. If we are braking right into the bend, then the shocks are loaded as we enter the turn. That means the suspension is rebounding as we are leaning in. Now I know race bikes have firmer suspension than road bikes and on a race track when every split second counts, some are used to entering the corner with the shocks under load. But the thing of note on public roads is racetracks don't tend to have pot-holes, drain covers, paint and other hazards on the road surface. It is worth considering doing the braking earlier so that the suspension has had time to stabilise and settle before we lean into the bend.
Of course another issue with it's application in Thailand is the potential to find another vehicle coming towards us on our side of the road. Roadcraft does mention halving our speed when using the vanishing point on single track roads. But it could be argued that even that is not enough. How do you react if you go into a corner and find a coach coming toward you on your side of the road and nowhere to go?
So when approaching a blind bend where we cannot see the exit, it could be considered wise to not commit to the turn fully, staying wide and not going for full tilt until we can see the exit, then we can turn towards it and power through the bend towards the exit, applying more power to bring the bike upright on exit. This can also be applied to a series of bends, positioning ourselves to get the best view, without putting ourselves in danger from oncoming vehicles of course, but applying caution until we see our exit, then bring the bike out and upright, if only for a split second, before starting the process again for the next bend. This can give flow through a series of bends.
So in conclusion, the vanishing point can be used to judge the starting point of a bend and also how tight the entrance curve can be. When we can see through the apex of the turn as far as our exit, we can also use it to set our throttles into the bend. But on blind bends it can also be counter productive and it's limitations should always be considered.
First I will explain it for those not familiar with it. Then I will make some points on it's limitations, especially in Thailand.
Lets first look at a premise of Roadcraft - "We should always ride at a speed where we can stop in the road we can see to be clear". So by those rules, when the road is straight and clear of potential hazards we can go as fast as we like with respect for the conditions (of course that technically also means within the speed limit!)
As we approach a corner the vanishing point - the point that the two sides of the road merge into the corner, starts coming towards us. So we slow down, reducing speed to match the reduction in the distance we can see to be clear.
As we reach the corner, the vanishing point starts to move away from us. As we go into the bend we can now start to apply throttle to match our speed to the distance we can see to be clear around the corner.
Then as we approach the exit, the vanishing point starts to move away from us, so in turn we can apply more power to pull the bike out of the corner.
So what are the limitations of the approach?
First off we have a variety of bends. Double apex bends for starters, also spiral bends (start of gentle then get steeper towards the apex). If the sharper apex of the bend is hidden at the start of the bend, then setting our lean angle to max on the way in means we can end up in trouble with nowhere to go half way through when it tightens.
Then there is the issue with junctions or hazards that are hidden by the bend. We can use approaching position and possible views through the bend, along with other clues i.e. tree line, walls or buildings, street lights and signs, to give us the means to predict where the road is going in advance. We can also use gaps through gates or between buildings to also get an idea of the route. If we only focus on the vanishing point then potentially we can miss a lot of other clues as to what is just out of sight.
Another issue is that of suspension loading. If we are braking right into the bend, then the shocks are loaded as we enter the turn. That means the suspension is rebounding as we are leaning in. Now I know race bikes have firmer suspension than road bikes and on a race track when every split second counts, some are used to entering the corner with the shocks under load. But the thing of note on public roads is racetracks don't tend to have pot-holes, drain covers, paint and other hazards on the road surface. It is worth considering doing the braking earlier so that the suspension has had time to stabilise and settle before we lean into the bend.
Of course another issue with it's application in Thailand is the potential to find another vehicle coming towards us on our side of the road. Roadcraft does mention halving our speed when using the vanishing point on single track roads. But it could be argued that even that is not enough. How do you react if you go into a corner and find a coach coming toward you on your side of the road and nowhere to go?
So when approaching a blind bend where we cannot see the exit, it could be considered wise to not commit to the turn fully, staying wide and not going for full tilt until we can see the exit, then we can turn towards it and power through the bend towards the exit, applying more power to bring the bike upright on exit. This can also be applied to a series of bends, positioning ourselves to get the best view, without putting ourselves in danger from oncoming vehicles of course, but applying caution until we see our exit, then bring the bike out and upright, if only for a split second, before starting the process again for the next bend. This can give flow through a series of bends.
So in conclusion, the vanishing point can be used to judge the starting point of a bend and also how tight the entrance curve can be. When we can see through the apex of the turn as far as our exit, we can also use it to set our throttles into the bend. But on blind bends it can also be counter productive and it's limitations should always be considered.