WHA T'S A HIGHSIDE?

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WHA TS A HIGHSIDE?










The first time it happened to me was at
Mission Raceway in B.C. during a race
weekend practice day. The track was mostly
dry except for a few wet patches. I was on
the second lap of the day and taking it very
easy when I went around a tight corner on
my Suzuki SV 650, turned the bike in, got on
the gas and felt the rear end slide on a wet
patch of track. It slid for a good while and
I still had that calm feeling like nothing
was really wrong when all of a sudden I
was airborne, very high. I had enough time to
think, this is really going to hurt just
before hearing the loud crack of my Arai
helmet hitting the pavement.
The rest of my body crumpled down to the pavement
and when I opened my eyes, I realized that I was lying in themiddle of the track with bikes still racing around the corner.I tried to stand but my knees buckled from under me so Icrawled to the wall and slipped over it. I waited until the redflag stopped the practice and the crash truck arrived to pickme up and retrieve my broken bike. I was a little shaken andhad funky white and blue lines obscuring my vision. Icouldnt remember where my pit was but other than that Icame away relatively unscathed.
The corner worker that witnessed the crash referred to
it as a wicked highside. I nodded back at him with the kindof nod that acknowledges what he said but that contains avery blank look of someone who doesnt really understandwhat a highside really is.
The next two highsides also occurred at Mission
Raceway with little or no repercussions, except for somebruising and stiffness and more dents in my bike that are notreally worth mentioning here.
The fourth, and so far last (knock wood), of my
highsides was definitely the most spectacular of the bunch. Iwas racing my first ever 600 race on a borrowed (and brandnew) Honda CBR 600RR and riding in the final Pro HondaOils Womens Cup Challenge race of 2005 at ShannonvilleRaceway in Ontario. My Dad was at the track for the secondtime on