The Kneeslider

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Motorcycle Crash Tech on National Geographic

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Motorcycle Crash TechThis looks interesting, Dylan Weiss, who put together the Twist the Throttle series, has another show, Motorcycle Crash Tech, that will premiere tomorrow, September 17th, 2009 on The National Geographic Channel at 9PM eastern time. It shows how motorcycle racing has made riding safer in the last 10 or 15 years with advances like high tech riding suits and slipper clutches. Neil Hodgson and Giacomo Agostini are just two of the guests you’ll hear from in the show. The videos at the end of this post give you an idea of what it’s all about. Set your DVR.

Press release:
New Motorcycle Documentary Premieres on the National Geographic Channel
September 17, 2009 at 9PM ET

“Motorcycle Crash Tech” is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the new technologies being used to avoid motorcycle crashes, and prevent injuries or even death when a racer or rider does go down.

Exclusive interviews with racer Neil Hodgson and the legendary Giacomo Agostini describe first-hand what goes through a racer’s mind the moment they know they’re going to crash and vividly recount just how deadly racing was in the 1960’s and ‘70’s. Combining rare archival footage from years past as well as contemporary AMA racing coverage, the film explains the differences between high-sides and low-sides and the extreme forces involved in both types of crashes.

The film captures stunning action photography of world-class test riders Vito Guareschi (Alpinestars, Nolan, and Ducati) and Umberto Rumiano (MV Agusta) in action during what are normally closed test sessions of new riding gear and bikes. Brembo factory riders are also filmed testing the company’s newest brakes on twisting Italian mountain roads and performing incredible braking tests on Brembo’s private test track.

Produced by Cry Havoc Productions, an award winning documentary film company specializing in Moto related films, “Motorcycle Crash Tech” will premiere on September 17, 2009 at 9PM ET on the National Geographic Channel.

Filmed in 1080i high-definition and 5.1 digital surround sound, “Motorcycle Crash Tech” takes viewers on an extraordinary journey across Northern Italy. With rare access to the R & D facilities and research departments at Alpinestars, Brembo, Nolan, and MV Agusta, the film chronicles the very latest technologies being used in motorcycle riding gear, boots, helmets, brakes, and the bikes themselves to make racing and riding safer.

Link: National Geographic

Comments

  4. Big diff bt crashing out at a race track and loosing it on a twisty road with SUVs and dump trucks driving by. What sort of “safety kit” are we discussing?

  5. Wow, I never knew those slipper clutches warranted such drama. I can’t wait for the sequel: Naked, Blood-Soaked Revenge of the Son of Slipper Clutch… next summer’s blockbuster release, no doubt.

  6. Been there and done that … two messed up disks.. two messed up knees …. two messed up shoulders …. left my share of skin and blood on pavement… dirt.. and other things.

    Now ….. what the heck is this stuff about slipper clutches?

  7. Slipper clutches just make up for sloppy down-shifting. Leather suits make up for sloppy down-falling…

    -todd

  9. sounds like a neat show, problem with highlighting the suit is it makes motorcycling appear more dangerous than it actually is to everyday Joe. Most of the people riding motorcycles on the street aren’t riding @ 110% and don’t need that high level of gear because they don’t have as high of a risk of crashing. Getting hit by soccer moms, maybe. Not to say that safety gear isn’t necessary, it is, but just not to that level.

    Azzy-
    try hulu.com maybe?

  10. This has aspects of 1960’s pornography, filmed sex scenes promoted as educational. Here we have crashes in the context of discussing what is done to keep from crashing and protection.

  11. Sure beats “American Thunder” and the crap on Speed TV. It’s nice to think that someone has thought out editorial content beyond the advertisers needs and “loud but proud” thinking that pevades motorcycling.

  13. Man, some of you guys gotta switch to decaf. 😉 I agree about American Thunder, however, and I have a Harley.

  14. Nice show enjoyed the brief clips from the old days, Had forgotten just how bad the bikes and clothing were in the good old days when men were men. half helmets and crappy brakes. I know one thing I want a job at Brembo riding the Italian countryside testing brakes, somebody’s got to do it might as well be me.

  15. Watched the show. Mostly HD eye candy with some nice MV Agusta track footage and racing crashes. Half the show is Italian countryside.

    But I do have respect for Alpinestars and Nolan Helmets. Very well made and engineered products.

  16. Squeezing the tank with your knees, roadracers don’t do this, It causes stability problems just like having a death grip on the bars. We also don’t hang-off to hold our selves up with out knee. Racers should have been consulted to get this information right. I wish the show would have covered more of the armor like CE back & limb protectors of all companies. Also anyone walking outside their house is risking their lives, we done need to make the statement every time motorcycles comes up. However this is better than anything else on TV. Motorcycles always get the short end of the stick so it was nice to see better than “SuperBikes”.

  17. Until I saw that show I never realized that downshifting is far more dangerous than running full speed in a straight line, and it can cause my back wheel to “spin up and lose traction”. They should have had Hodgson or Guareschi proofread the narrator’s script. That said, it was nice to see a motorcycle program that isn’t about outlaw bikers.

  18. I too found the comments about knee dragging and down shifting to be real laughers. The real laugher will be when some busy body bureaucrat somewhere in the world demands we all have slipper clutches to save us from the dangers of down shifting.

  19. We could forget about slipper clutches if they would just bring us back some TWO STROKES.

    the time is right, the technology is there…..