Highside

A highside is a violent type of motorcycle crash where the bike suddenly flips upward and sideways, launching the rider into the air and often resulting in serious injuries.

This dangerous crash happens most often during cornering when a motorcycle's rear tire loses grip and starts to slide outward. What makes a highside particularly scary is what happens next: the tire suddenly regains traction while the bike is still leaning and moving sideways. This abrupt grip causes the motorcycle to violently snap back upright, creating a catapult effect that throws the rider off the bike.

Think of it like this: imagine sliding on ice and then suddenly hitting dry pavement. Your body would jerk forward violently. A highside works the same way, except the rider gets launched upward and forward, sometimes several feet into the air. They often land hard on the track surface or in the gravel, with little to no time to prepare for impact.

Highsides are considered more dangerous than their counterpart, the "lowside" crash. In a lowside, the bike simply slides out from under the rider and falls to one side, usually allowing both bike and rider to slide relatively smoothly across the track. A highside, however, involves much more violent forces and unpredictable motion.

The injuries from a highside crash can be severe. Riders may suffer broken bones, particularly ankles, wrists, and collarbones, as well as concussions from the hard landing. Sometimes riders are thrown ahead of their own motorcycle, which means they risk being struck by the bike as it tumbles behind them. Limbs can also hit parts of the motorcycle during the ejection, such as the handlebars or footpegs.

Professional motorcycle racers have experienced many memorable highside crashes throughout racing history. Jorge Lorenzo, a multiple-time MotoGP champion, suffered a highside at Laguna Seca in 2008 that broke his ankle. Spanish rider Álvaro Bautista had a significant highside during practice at the 2014 Indianapolis Grand Prix. These incidents demonstrate that even the world's best riders cannot always prevent or control this type of crash.

Modern motorcycle racing has implemented various safety measures to reduce highside risks, including advanced traction control systems that help prevent the rear tire from sliding in the first place. However, these crashes still occur, especially when riders push their machines to the absolute limit in competitive racing situations.