Scenarios + Riding Strategies

[Ourea]

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[J_Walker]

Hahaha reminds me of my few scares.. Should have something on Dusty roads IE: next to construction projects. When you use your rear brake its super easy for it to slide on those kinda roads..

I also Remember once when a car was flying out a drive way. I had slowed down to see if they we're gonna go... with another car coming down the road I hadn't had enough time to slow down, the one car in the drive way backed up fast. I took a turn into the grass, onto the side walk around the backing up car and back onto the road.. and watched the backing up car run into the other oncoming car... Never the less, wasn't my fault. the backing up car didn't have any sort of Rear brake lights/backing up lights < what ever they are called.. so it was his fault. The van he hit Had talked to me and said That was some good motorcycle riding I did there. ^_^ and was happy he got hit other than me. Nice guy. never to say. Scary..

[Toogoofy317]

I am still trying to figure out what I could have done when I got injured. The bike never went down. Was riding 45 mph had a 2 second buffer between me and car all of a sudden it kicks up a piece of tire the size of a softball. It nailed me in my right shoulder. The armor did what it was supposed to and took the brunt of the blow and it knocked my hand off the throttle but I didn't go down did a tank slapper till I got my hand back on the bar. It really didn't hurt at first but a few minute later my pinky and ring finger went numb. So, instead of going to my friend's house I went in to the ER x-ray showed a separated AC joint. Doctor said I was very lucky I didn't go down and was happy I wore my jacket.


What could I have done to avoid this all together? Or was it just some bad luck mixed with a freak incident?

Mary

[Twisted]

I am still trying to figure out what I could have done when I got injured. The bike never went down. Was riding 45 mph had a 2 second buffer between me and car all of a sudden it kicks up a piece of tire the size of a softball. It nailed me in my right shoulder. The armor did what it was supposed to and took the brunt of the blow and it knocked my hand off the throttle but I didn't go down did a tank slapper till I got my hand back on the bar. It really didn't hurt at first but a few minute later my pinky and ring finger went numb. So, instead of going to my friend's house I went in to the ER x-ray showed a separated AC joint. Doctor said I was very lucky I didn't go down and was happy I wore my jacket.


What could I have done to avoid this all together? Or was it just some bad luck mixed with a freak incident?

Mary

I would attribute that to bad luck. It is hard to avoid debris flung up even with a buffer. Like you said, lucky you were wearing appropriate gear. Another thing is you didn't panic and cause yourself a worse injury which you can look at with a positive. One of my fears is travelling behind pick up trucks, trailers or utilities with loose loads on the back. I tend to drop back or change lanes if I can when behind them.

[Toogoofy317]

Yes, Twisted you are absolutely right trucks scare the bejesus out of me. When I see one with stuff I get in another lane and ahead as fast as I safely can. The other day I'm riding on the 417 to work and the truck in front of me about 2 seconds after changing lanes a 5gal paint bucket came flying out  . Another time on the 408 I was riding and my IPOD was dead so I was listening to the radio on my phone and the road report said debris in the road so I start extra scanning it was a set of box springs! Could you imagine hitting that at speed! A car did and it wasn't pretty!

Mary

[k.rollin]

Application of the brakes in the Crash #1 scenario (checking mirrors in the turn) would make the bike stand upright and result in the rider going wider yet. Wouldn't the proper course of action be to look through the turn, maintain throttle, and lean into the turn?

In my second of two falls on my GS, I applied the front brake mid turn when I realized I was going wide. The bike stood up, forcing me into a wider line, and I was pointed at the curb. Target fixation kicked in, and I hit the curb and dropped the bike.

[Twisted]

Application of the brakes in the Crash #1 scenario (checking mirrors in the turn) would make the bike stand upright and result in the rider going wider yet. Wouldn't the proper course of action be to look through the turn, maintain throttle, and lean into the turn?

In my second of two falls on my GS, I applied the front brake mid turn when I realized I was going wide. The bike stood up, forcing me into a wider line, and I was pointed at the curb. Target fixation kicked in, and I hit the curb and dropped the bike.

Applying a little rear brake and trailing it will actually help you through the corner.  But the rest of what you are saying is true

[codajastal]

Application of the brakes in the Crash #1 scenario (checking mirrors in the turn) would make the bike stand upright and result in the rider going wider yet. Wouldn't the proper course of action be to look through the turn, maintain throttle, and lean into the turn?

In my second of two falls on my GS, I applied the front brake mid turn when I realized I was going wide. The bike stood up, forcing me into a wider line, and I was pointed at the curb. Target fixation kicked in, and I hit the curb and dropped the bike.

I leaned into a turn once and did what you said and ended up off the bike and in the gutter. Guessed I leaned too far and pegs hit the road lifted and then back tyre left the road and so did I.
Lesson learned. DONT lean too far.

[k.rollin]

Application of the brakes in the Crash #1 scenario (checking mirrors in the turn) would make the bike stand upright and result in the rider going wider yet. Wouldn't the proper course of action be to look through the turn, maintain throttle, and lean into the turn?

In my second of two falls on my GS, I applied the front brake mid turn when I realized I was going wide. The bike stood up, forcing me into a wider line, and I was pointed at the curb. Target fixation kicked in, and I hit the curb and dropped the bike.

Applying a little rear brake and trailing it will actually help you through the corner.  But the rest of what you are saying is true

Yes, but the scenario described the rider applying only the front brake.

[SgtBatten]

Mary I've got a bad luck story like yours.

It was my riding instructor actually. Ur he hit a bird at about 90km/h. Took it right in the face. he had just enough time to pull over to the curb and stop before he passed out from the concussion. Very very lucky man

[xunedeinx]

IDK about others, or if its even legal, but if im at an intersection, at night or day, im sitting ON the line to the far left. Hopefully in the gutter in the left lane.

Already had one asshat go screeching past me. If it worked once, im not changing up my style. Its dangerous beans where I live.

[SAFE-T]

Editing

[Ourea]

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[cbrfxr67]

This thread makes me think someone should start a 'worst road debris' thread,....  I wasn't on the bike but was watching a van ahead and to my shock, saw a ladder, probably 24' long extendable type, lying in the middle of the lane.  He'd straddled it and cleared it.  I was in an adjacent lane and wasn't in danger.  What a horrible thing to hit on a bike though,...
The other on my list would be a couch.  This time I WAS on the bike and saw a brown blob ahead and moved over way before I was in peril. 

[SAFE-T]

THE REAR END SHUNT
You have been hit by a well known brand of car that didn't see you waiting for the light.

How is the brand of car relevant ? Next....

CRASH 3 - SURFACE
The rider was riding on a steep two-laned highway traveling in the nearside lane. As he approached a right hand bend at the top of the grade the front end turned in and slid out from under him.

WHY?
The rider should have been aware of the oil slick that is usually found in the inside lane.

On the highway ? Because it was at the top of a hill ? I call WTF...please explain.

OVERTAKING
You are riding down a single lane highway, the vehicle in front of you is travelling just below the speed limit and you make the decision to overtake. A short distance ahead is a T-intersection. To the right on approach to this intersection a vehicle turns left into your lane from the intersection - you are now in a collision path with this vehicle and a crash is imminent.

Where did it go wrong?
It is important that you have good clear vision through intersections. On approaching where vision is restricted it is advisable to hang back before overtaking. When a driver is turning left into a street they are more likely to be looking to their right as they turn. If you are travelling on the wrong side of the road at the approach to the intersection, a crash may be difficult to avoid.

LOL ~ if you are the kind of person who decides to pass another vehicle while approaching an intersection, you should be prevented from operating a motor vehicle of any kind.

[john]

SAFE-T - your points are logical, but there is a bit of venom in your tone.  If this turns into a flame-fest I will break out the banana hammer.  Does anybody want a 10 minute ban?  I think not.

[Cal Price]

Well said, some things maybe worth a confrontation, a safety discussion is probably not one of them.

I don't know about the US but is Europe accident stats for all types of vehicles say that you are most likely to be involved in an accident two miles or less from home which I suppose bears out the "burbs" thing. It's simply a case of familiarity breeding contempt.

I very nearly came to grief about half a mile from home after a couple of weeks riding around the mountains in the Basque country and Pamplona in northern Spain a couple of years back - It was a lesson that has stayed with me. Look ahead, read the road and make sure the other guy has seen you, this should keep you out of trouble.

[john]

I learned the lesson to never trust a signal.  I knew better, but a car in front of me signaled left and moved over left, I passed on the right -which is normal when a car slows to take a left turn.  The car proceed to take a right (as it was a cross road).  The car's front bumper nicked my rear fender, and it was a sobering lesson that I almost got crushed because of an idiot driver.

You just can't trust anybody on the road.

[SAFE-T]

Yes ~ sarcastic me wants answers to some odd things written by OP. Honestly, the last couple of years I taught motorcycle courses I really started to wonder how much of the material presented was just being repeated without much thought for it's truthfulness or accuracy.

[Ourea]

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