"Play" it Safe

[Schming]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...0087593934590#

[DGXSER]

Sorry, I could not even watch the first two minutes of it.

From life experience I'll just say, you can't look far enough ahead, and you can't go to slow on a road your not familiar with!!! Mother nature can and will throw something in front of you.

[draketrumpet]

watch this...but don't watch it with your wife.

Don't ever be stupid, in a cage or on a bike.

[mstic2000]

The one statement that stuck out for me was, "Anybody can get on a motorcycle and ride, it's not that difficult." "But knowing what to do in any givin situation is very important."

I had one serious accident when I was younger on my first XS11 being stupid. Luckily and by God's grace, I didn't end up being just another fatal statistic. I learned respect for a motorcycle the hard way. I've had a few close calls in the past year not of my own fault and luckily knew how to react to them. The XS11 is a fast bike but I don't ride fast anymore. I respect it. I stay aware of my surroundings at all times when I am out riding.

I constantly anticipate what might happen at any givin moment instead of assuming that it may not.

[latexeses]

That put a knot in my stomach.

So does every time some kid goes tearin' by me on a busy road on a bike. I hope I never have to come up on one.....

[DGXSER]

The one statement that stuck out for me was, "Anybody can get on a motorcycle and ride, it's not that difficult." "But knowing what to do in any givin situation is very important."

Here is where I feel there has to be a better way than just ride and find out what happens. I guess perhaps it is a bit of sour grapes or something like this, but I can't help but feel someone with alot more seat time than I have might have come up on the same situation I did and have known a much better solution or approach that would not have led to the injuries I recieved.

My situation, riding on an unknown road and the surface was not great as in alot of patches in the road. So I was going a little slower anyway, 35-45 MPH in a 40 zone, flat straight road mostly. Crested a small hill and at the bottom of this slight slope is a turn to the left that is at least 60 or more degrees. I also see alot of gravel in the bottom or outside part of my lane and can not see the other lane at all, or if any other vehicles are coming.

So, I owuld love to hear different ideas from the more experienced riders that have been there and seen this more than a few times. If it keeps even one of our newer riders (like me) from going through what I did, it is worth more than can be stated!

[bikerphil]

The way I look at it, if there is an obstruction in the road, the longer you look at it, the better the chance of hitting it. The motorcycle will basically want to go in direction you are looking. Say for example the gravel patch near the side of the road. I would not look at it for more than a split second, I would focus on an alternative path, the chances of hitting it would be much less. Keep your eyes focused where you want the bike to go, and it will usually do what you want it to.

[xs11jack]

So Sad

I don't know why, but I had never thought about the fact that you can have a pretty horrendous crash in a cage and survive with minor injuries, where as, with a bike, you get hurt to some extent in every crash. I have been so fortunate that in almost 40 years of biking I have had 3 accidents and all were very minor, a small amount of road rash, that sort of stuff. God has blessed me!!
Ole Jack

[jmnjrpa]

Needs

a manslaughter charge for hitting a motorcycle. Same as a bicycle or pedestrian. We need to stop cell phone use in a cage with some very tough criminal penalties.

[draketrumpet]

Regarding multitasking cagers...

check out this article.

I barely trust myself to operate the radio while driving, and I have controls on the steering wheel! Not because I'm incompetent or anything, you just never know when that split second will cost life or limb.

[Yahman]

check out this article.

I barely trust myself to operate the radio while driving, and I have controls on the steering wheel! Not because I'm incompetent or anything, you just never know when that split second will cost life or limb.

Exactly!!! I looked down at my radio for a split second once and when I looked back at the road there was a metal sprinkler pipe about to come through my windshield. I was very lucky that day, I was able to get out of the pipes way, and only broke my collar bone. Now I don't even listen to the radio when I'm in a cage.

Larry

[Guy_b_g]

Don,

My situation, riding on an unknown road and the surface was not great as in alot of patches in the road. So I was going a little slower anyway, 35-45 MPH in a 40 zone, flat straight road mostly. Crested a small hill and at the bottom of this slight slope is a turn to the left that is at least 60 or more degrees. I also see alot of gravel in the bottom or outside part of my lane and can not see the other lane at all, or if any other vehicles are coming.

Came up on the corner and saw the gravel so I stood it up and tried to stop enough to slowly turn. Well, the bike ran out of blacktop first.

The only advice I would have to give is...never give up...no matter what. There is no telling if there even was a solution to what happened to you...but there is one thing I would have done differently.

I wouldn't have run out of blacktop trying to slow for the turn. I would have let off the brakes as late as possible and tried to make the corner. You might have made it. I have had several incidents over the years where a blind turn came up unexpectedly and caught me unprepared with too much speed to bleed off...but I made it anyway to my amazement and relief. Your bike might surprise you since the only way to know its capabilities in a situation is to ride it at 10/10ths in that situation, and almost none of us do that...there is almost always more the bike has left to give, and it may save your life.

So never give up, look through the turn and give it your best shot...if you start to slide countersteer as needed and don't hit the brakes or chop the throttle...a low side is almost always better than riding off the road unless you know there is a clear run off area, (especially in a left hand turn where you won't end up a hood ornament)...but if you hit the brakes or chop the throttle in a slide and highside...well that's usually the worst case scenario. Or as happened to you..riding into an obstacle off the blacktop..

You night just surprise yourself and ride on with a sigh of relief and a pat on the tank for a bike that had more to give than you thought.. I know I have.

Just my two cents..YMMV.