So, I finally made it out on my bike today. I finished most of the article I'm writing (well the good first draft) and left my office early. I decided that I *had* to get on my bike when I got home. I needed to just jump on it and ride down my driveway and out onto the road. I had a few items to pick up from the drug store and grocery store so I thought it would be a nice quick ride (although hot!). It was good... With all of my recent "experiences" with close calls or others getting mowed down I was...not nervous...just more respectful of the ride. All those cars on the road...so many people who just don't give a shit about anything but themselves (I *have* to take this call. I *have* to send this text message. I *have* to get home right now and screw everyone else. etc.). I've always respected the ride...but I guess having a close call and being near others that didn't make it (not like I knew them or anything) makes me... I think...appreciative. It's hard to explain.
My husband's attitude towards riding now (after 18 years) is to only go when he *really* wants to ride. That way if he doesn't make it home...at least he went down doing something he really loved and enjoyed. After almost 10,000 miles in my first year riding...I think I know what he means. Before I needed to ride all of the time because I wanted to get those skills down to muscle memory. Now that my skills are pretty solid (of course more experience and time in the saddle is always good) and with all these recent encounters I don't feel the need to ride 7 days/week. I mean I was riding just about every single day for awhile (not including all of my sick days). So, at least for now... I'm going to ride when I really feel like I need to ride or want to ride. hmmm... Before I felt that way every day. I think it has to do with the realization that you don't have control over every aspect of your ride. Like CPJ has stated multiple times...luck does have something to do with it. Like, luckily I didn't ride my bike out to that college at the time those bikes were mowed down yesterday (cuz I thought about it). Those motorcyclists couldn't have been prepared for some psycho driver that really didn't care if they killed people or not. The driver *obviously* thought that what they needed to do was more important than others right to live. THAT's what freaks me out. I have no control over those people...just me and my riding (which is why I practice and use my rider radar). I love my bike, I just hate all of those drivers.
Ehhh... Is anyone out there picking up what I'm laying down?
My husband's attitude towards riding now (after 18 years) is to only go when he *really* wants to ride. That way if he doesn't make it home...at least he went down doing something he really loved and enjoyed. After almost 10,000 miles in my first year riding...I think I know what he means. Before I needed to ride all of the time because I wanted to get those skills down to muscle memory. Now that my skills are pretty solid (of course more experience and time in the saddle is always good) and with all these recent encounters I don't feel the need to ride 7 days/week. I mean I was riding just about every single day for awhile (not including all of my sick days). So, at least for now... I'm going to ride when I really feel like I need to ride or want to ride. hmmm... Before I felt that way every day. I think it has to do with the realization that you don't have control over every aspect of your ride. Like CPJ has stated multiple times...luck does have something to do with it. Like, luckily I didn't ride my bike out to that college at the time those bikes were mowed down yesterday (cuz I thought about it). Those motorcyclists couldn't have been prepared for some psycho driver that really didn't care if they killed people or not. The driver *obviously* thought that what they needed to do was more important than others right to live. THAT's what freaks me out. I have no control over those people...just me and my riding (which is why I practice and use my rider radar). I love my bike, I just hate all of those drivers.
Ehhh... Is anyone out there picking up what I'm laying down?
- Mood:
contemplative
Wow, what a week. First there's the person who drove down the middle of the road around a blind curve. THEN... this morning on my way to a funeral ride for a fallen vp of a local mc who was killed by a red-light runner late at night, a car at the very very last second decided to make a left in front of me. I mean... I was so shocked that someone would do that that late...meaning they really didn't see me at all... I don't know how someone doesn't see someone or hear them for that matter. Anyway, I always look at potential killers as I'm riding. I saw the first car pull out and a line of cars waiting to follow suit or for the person to make the left so they could continue on. I thought..."hmmmm... I hope the second car doesn't just pull out..." Well, as soon as I saw ...I don't know the wheel turn or the hood dive... I hit my brakes. I knew if they pulled all the way out that I would not have time to stop, but at least I would slow the crash speed down. At the same time I hit my brakes they saw me and slammed on their brakes. I lightened up on my brakes and wouldn't you know it my rear tire starts to fish tail. Or, it fish tailed during the braking maneuver. first to the left and then to the right... As this was going on I actually thought, "thank goodness my front tire is stable...and wow, keep my foot on the rear brake so I don't high side off my bike. I rode out the skid...which was the most severe I've ever experienced...I mean we're not talking about a little fish tail...but a pretty good one... one where you think if the bike doesn't stabilize you're going down. I then pulled over to a gas station to top off my tank and thought, "holy shit, I really almost got creamed" and "I really need to figure out what happened and if there's anything I could have done to prevent that bad of a skid."
I've been thinking about it... I think the factors contributing to the fish tail were:
a) last second pull out... I would never have stopped in time even executing the most perfect fast braking maneuver.
b) braking execution: I practice fast braking, so I know I didn't grab my front brake but squeezed with a progressively harder squeeze (my front wheel didn't dive attesting to this). I also did not hammer down on my rear brake so as to give most of the braking power to my much more powerful front brake. This is why I was surprised that my rear tire even skidded.
I think what happened was... because the driver slammed on their brakes (thank all the gods and goddesses and big bangs and their own brain for finally kicking in) I abandoned my hard braking which means I let up on my brakes SOME. BUT, I must have already had some good traction on my rear tire (or it had just started to do a straight skid -which is not a problem to ride out), and when I let up on the brake -but not completely- the rear end started to fish tail. For a second it wasn't really free nor did it have good traction. During the fish tail I made sure I didn't release the brake completely -which again would greatly increase the odds of a high side (the bike throwing me as the rear tire regains traction). OR, maybe I released it enough to cause the rear tire to fish tail.
OR, the rear tire was going to fish tail anyway, I maintained control, so no biggie. After all, it was a really fast braking maneuver at around 50 mph.
What do you guys think?
On a side note, our hook up for the ride split earlier than they said leaving us riding around trying to find them...leaving us late. So, we did not head up to ride as we did not want to be late. We rode about 1 hour north to meet a new gal who seems to be super kewl and ALL into it. All in all I rode all day long...
On a related note, the hubby almost did a superman today when a light changed from yellow to red quickly in the busy city with someone trying to make a turn on the changing light. He hit his brakes hard, slid almost to a stop (the driver stopped) and continued on. This all on the shittest road surface you can imagine (for asphalt)...completely wavy on all sides...
whew... motorcycles are fun!!! really they are!
I've been thinking about it... I think the factors contributing to the fish tail were:
a) last second pull out... I would never have stopped in time even executing the most perfect fast braking maneuver.
b) braking execution: I practice fast braking, so I know I didn't grab my front brake but squeezed with a progressively harder squeeze (my front wheel didn't dive attesting to this). I also did not hammer down on my rear brake so as to give most of the braking power to my much more powerful front brake. This is why I was surprised that my rear tire even skidded.
I think what happened was... because the driver slammed on their brakes (thank all the gods and goddesses and big bangs and their own brain for finally kicking in) I abandoned my hard braking which means I let up on my brakes SOME. BUT, I must have already had some good traction on my rear tire (or it had just started to do a straight skid -which is not a problem to ride out), and when I let up on the brake -but not completely- the rear end started to fish tail. For a second it wasn't really free nor did it have good traction. During the fish tail I made sure I didn't release the brake completely -which again would greatly increase the odds of a high side (the bike throwing me as the rear tire regains traction). OR, maybe I released it enough to cause the rear tire to fish tail.
OR, the rear tire was going to fish tail anyway, I maintained control, so no biggie. After all, it was a really fast braking maneuver at around 50 mph.
What do you guys think?
On a side note, our hook up for the ride split earlier than they said leaving us riding around trying to find them...leaving us late. So, we did not head up to ride as we did not want to be late. We rode about 1 hour north to meet a new gal who seems to be super kewl and ALL into it. All in all I rode all day long...
On a related note, the hubby almost did a superman today when a light changed from yellow to red quickly in the busy city with someone trying to make a turn on the changing light. He hit his brakes hard, slid almost to a stop (the driver stopped) and continued on. This all on the shittest road surface you can imagine (for asphalt)...completely wavy on all sides...
whew... motorcycles are fun!!! really they are!
Man... I can't wait for my bike...to arrive. Since the hubby is really busy this week, we are just having both of our bikes dropped off on Friday (I had no idea that HD did that...). I'm thinking of riding over to the dealership tomorrow to make sure my handlebars are adjusted correctly. We'll see... In the mean time I've been practicing all of the usual maneuvers and riding a lot. Today I got up to 42 mph during my fast braking practice. Let me tell you... now that I've broken through the 40+ mph barrier I feel ready to try fast braking at 50+ mph, but I also feel just a little nervous. Fast braking at higher speeds doesn't feel weird at all anymore. Balancing the bike during fast braking is fine (just keep the bike square as well as yourself). It's the feeling of the breeze in my face during the exercise that causes my monkey brain to panic a little. I don't act on it, but I do feel a little bit of adrenaline flow. Quiet monkey brain! Quiet!
Bam bah lam... She's always ready. She's all rock steady. Gooo Black Betty...
Off to the parking lot/industrial area I rode for fast stop and tight ass turn practice. In this industrial complex there are steep sloped parking lots, a tight 2-lane road, a series of speed bumps, grassy/gravely areas, and a culdesac. So, you can imagine the fun I had practicing my skills out there. Most of my focus today was on fast stops at speeds up to 35+ mph, and tight ass circles/turns. I warmed up with a series of quick stops at 20 mph with the goal of not putting my feet down and taking off after braking. I also did not want to slide my rear tire. After a series of successful stops I increased my speed in 5 mph increments until I topped out at 35-40 mph. I only gave myself 1 second to stop my bike. If I wasn't full on my front brake in one second then I considered the pass a failure. In my Riders Edge class and through reading David Hough's book I learned that allowing yourself 1 second to gradually squeeze the front brake helps prevent the front tire from sliding out. While you gradually squeeze the front brake you have to slowly let off the rear brake to fully transfer the stopping power (& weight) to your front brake/tire (where the majority of the stopping power is really located). While you can ride out a rear-tire slide, if you let up on the rear brake you can totally cause a dangerous high-side spill as the rear tire snaps as it regains traction (throwing your ass off the bike). So, *don't* let up on the rear brake if your rear tire begins to skid (unless the surface is slick). Riding a rear tire skid isn't too bad (I've done it a bunch), but you just don't want to get in the habit as when you are in a real world emergency you can overdo the rear brake and really slide that rear tire out. Anyway, the fast braking exercise *really* builds your (my) confidence.
In between braking runs I practiced tight ass u-turns and circles. To do this I had to make sure my engine was pulling, which means I had to either give it some gas combined with a little rear brake or give it gas combined with keeping the clutch in and out of the friction zone. I also had to shift my weight to the outside peg (stand on the outside peg) and hang my butt off the outside edge of the seat. Of course, you have to push the bike down. All of these maneuvers combined allowed me to do some wicked tight circles and u-turns (left & the dreaded right turn). Fun!!!
I threw in some faster swerves, riding at speed in the little space between the double lines, and riding off road.
When I left the lot, I felt like the mistress of disaster on my bike. I'm looking forward to practicing on my new bike.
Off to the parking lot/industrial area I rode for fast stop and tight ass turn practice. In this industrial complex there are steep sloped parking lots, a tight 2-lane road, a series of speed bumps, grassy/gravely areas, and a culdesac. So, you can imagine the fun I had practicing my skills out there. Most of my focus today was on fast stops at speeds up to 35+ mph, and tight ass circles/turns. I warmed up with a series of quick stops at 20 mph with the goal of not putting my feet down and taking off after braking. I also did not want to slide my rear tire. After a series of successful stops I increased my speed in 5 mph increments until I topped out at 35-40 mph. I only gave myself 1 second to stop my bike. If I wasn't full on my front brake in one second then I considered the pass a failure. In my Riders Edge class and through reading David Hough's book I learned that allowing yourself 1 second to gradually squeeze the front brake helps prevent the front tire from sliding out. While you gradually squeeze the front brake you have to slowly let off the rear brake to fully transfer the stopping power (& weight) to your front brake/tire (where the majority of the stopping power is really located). While you can ride out a rear-tire slide, if you let up on the rear brake you can totally cause a dangerous high-side spill as the rear tire snaps as it regains traction (throwing your ass off the bike). So, *don't* let up on the rear brake if your rear tire begins to skid (unless the surface is slick). Riding a rear tire skid isn't too bad (I've done it a bunch), but you just don't want to get in the habit as when you are in a real world emergency you can overdo the rear brake and really slide that rear tire out. Anyway, the fast braking exercise *really* builds your (my) confidence.
In between braking runs I practiced tight ass u-turns and circles. To do this I had to make sure my engine was pulling, which means I had to either give it some gas combined with a little rear brake or give it gas combined with keeping the clutch in and out of the friction zone. I also had to shift my weight to the outside peg (stand on the outside peg) and hang my butt off the outside edge of the seat. Of course, you have to push the bike down. All of these maneuvers combined allowed me to do some wicked tight circles and u-turns (left & the dreaded right turn). Fun!!!
I threw in some faster swerves, riding at speed in the little space between the double lines, and riding off road.
When I left the lot, I felt like the mistress of disaster on my bike. I'm looking forward to practicing on my new bike.
- Music:Nickelback
Yesterday I forgot to add to my list of recent interesting riding experiences the huge edge trap I had to negotiate in a construction zone. An edge trap describes an abrupt increase in pavement height and a concurrent lane change (so the edge is parallel to your tires). Sometimes the change is small and you really only need to pick up your speed a bit to make it over the edge, but other times you are looking at a 4-5in edge that if you tried to just "merge" over your tire would become trapped against the edge and you would lose control of your front tire (typically ending in a spill). I was riding in a road construction zone yesterday and encountered such an edge trap. The "edge" looked like a curb that I had to "merge" over. ugh... AND, the lane adjacent to the new road (creating the huge edge) in which I was riding was narrow. AND, of course cars were in front and behind me. I moved over to the far left edge of my lane and turned my tire as close to a 45* angle (to the edge) as I could given the space limitation. I popped my tire over the edge and rolled on a little throttle then immediately straightened my bike to continue on in the lane. I added a little "f^ck" as I negotiated the obstacle just to express my feelings about such a big edge. success... all was well... I didn't learn this skill in the Riders Edge course I took. I read about it in David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. His book is awesome and is highly recommended by many riders. Believe it or not, reading about riding actually increases your knowledge about riding skills and is correlated with a reduction in accident rates. So, go ahead and read about riding skills (as well as actually practice). You never know when that knowledge will pop up in your brain when you need it. I know it helped me.
As the new bike has been foremost on my mind, I didn't post about a few "fun" experiences I've had out on the road lately. These experiences relate to the importance of practicing enough to have those defense moves down in "muscle memory."
The other day while riding I was coming up a hill and dropped the usual 10 mph off of my speed (can't see over the hill) when I saw a present waiting for me. Here was this big ass semi initiating a u-turn in the middle of the 2-lane highway. I immediately got on my brakes (at about 50 mph) and prepared for a hard stop. I also watched his hood and he jammed on his brakes so I abandoned my quick stop and kept going. Moral of the story... you never know what is going to be on the other side of the hill AND you had better be able to stop your bike without dropping it.
Yesterday I had to do reduce my speed quickly (& prepare for a quick stop) at about 60 mph as a highway light changed. In a split second I had to determine if I could make the stop without too much burned rubber (& no one would rear-end me) AND if there was a possibility that the light would change and some people would gun the light (thus I would be in another quick stop situation). I executed a really nice -almost hard- stop without sliding. That experience let me know that I could probably get on my brakes harder if need be at a higher speed (I've always had the heebie geebies about quick stopping at higher speeds).
So, today after a short errand run I headed over to a perfect side road/parking lot to practice. I practiced quick stops (only up to 25 mph), swerving, figure 8s, u-turns, etc. You know... all of the MSF stuff. My goal is to work up to mentally being able to practice a quick stop at 35, 45, 55 mph. Why? Because you will more than likely have to hit the brakes hard and you had better be able to do so without dropping your bike. Practicing these quick stops little by little should help me get over any mental blocks I have about doing a quick stop at such speeds.
back to thinking about my new bike... ahhhhh...
The other day while riding I was coming up a hill and dropped the usual 10 mph off of my speed (can't see over the hill) when I saw a present waiting for me. Here was this big ass semi initiating a u-turn in the middle of the 2-lane highway. I immediately got on my brakes (at about 50 mph) and prepared for a hard stop. I also watched his hood and he jammed on his brakes so I abandoned my quick stop and kept going. Moral of the story... you never know what is going to be on the other side of the hill AND you had better be able to stop your bike without dropping it.
Yesterday I had to do reduce my speed quickly (& prepare for a quick stop) at about 60 mph as a highway light changed. In a split second I had to determine if I could make the stop without too much burned rubber (& no one would rear-end me) AND if there was a possibility that the light would change and some people would gun the light (thus I would be in another quick stop situation). I executed a really nice -almost hard- stop without sliding. That experience let me know that I could probably get on my brakes harder if need be at a higher speed (I've always had the heebie geebies about quick stopping at higher speeds).
So, today after a short errand run I headed over to a perfect side road/parking lot to practice. I practiced quick stops (only up to 25 mph), swerving, figure 8s, u-turns, etc. You know... all of the MSF stuff. My goal is to work up to mentally being able to practice a quick stop at 35, 45, 55 mph. Why? Because you will more than likely have to hit the brakes hard and you had better be able to do so without dropping your bike. Practicing these quick stops little by little should help me get over any mental blocks I have about doing a quick stop at such speeds.
back to thinking about my new bike... ahhhhh...
Beautiful riding weather today. It must be 65 degrees. ...get your motor running...get out on the highway... "ok" Out on the highway I went. I took my new favorite ride. It's about 63 miles round trip. It's a beautiful ride on several country highways. You see big farms, old farms, old burned down farms. The ride is very curvy and hilly. There are moments to get on it and moments to just enjoy riding a curve at a fun clip. But, the downside is that there are lot's of driveways and hidden intersections on country highways . You have to keep your radar up. There are plenty of moments where you need to slow down just in case cars actually do pull out of the many hidden driveways. I had my first car pull out in front of me. I was totally prepared. Only a foolish rider expects that other drivers have their head screwed on right. There are plenty of signals that someone is feeling froggy such as a tightly turned wheel, a head only focusing on the turn, and of course the bummer -a front end that is lifting up due to weight shift as the driver gives it gas. My left-hand turn driver gave me the previous two signals so I let up on the throttle and dropped about 10 mph off my speed. As soon as they went for it I gently braked and dropped two gears (& checked my side view mirror to make sure the car behind me wasn't going to rear-end me). All was fine, and I rode away just shaking my head. Sometimes it's a bummer for the cars behind you when you drop your speed as you prepare for the unexpected. I'm sure the driver wondered what was up with me as I matched my speed to visibility. But, perhaps the lesson of the car not yielding to me was a lesson for them as well. Don't follow motorcycles too closely as they can stop on a dime...your car cannot. Also, I might save both my butt and your butt by riding with active radar.
I still had a wonderful ride and was sad when I finally pulled up my driveway. Maybe I'll ride tomorrow. The weather looks pretty sketchy over the weekend. At least I got a nice bike fix today.
I still had a wonderful ride and was sad when I finally pulled up my driveway. Maybe I'll ride tomorrow. The weather looks pretty sketchy over the weekend. At least I got a nice bike fix today.
The hubby and I went on an errand run today. We took the back roads, as they are always fun. One of our favorite roads presented quite a surprise today. I was leading the ride at quite a quick pace. There was this bizarre apparition that I saw at the last minute. Luckily, very luckily, I was the first to disturb these weird giant goat things (not deer or maybe mutant deer) that were standing next to a fenced in pasture. In my brain as I was approaching I thought I saw some large weird deer, but inside the pasture not next to it. Anyway, I was lucky because being first "it" kind of looked up and froze. The hubby saw it and slowed down to stop, which was a good thing because "it" then darted across the road in front of him. whew... If that thing would have seen me coming before I saw it, it would have darted out in front of me. I would maybe -maybe- have had time to swerve. I probably would have hit it and been in the hospital tonight. The hubby was a little weirded out for me, but I was calm. Being a climber taught me to keep my head together tight so I wasn't freaked out (hanging on a cliff by your fingertips does that). But, I'm drinking plenty of vino tonight. This is weird...and probably an artifact of me riding with the hubby a lot when I first started riding...I'm not as good as a defensive rider when I'm riding with him than when I'm riding by myself. I think today was a really freakn good lesson.
At the end of a somewhat pleasant ride (why, does traffic start soo early around here?), I had to use some sign language to communicate my displeasure with someones driving skills. I was in a dicey area so my radar was really "on." Out of my peripheral vision I saw this lady who started to pull over into my lane. I was right next to her. She must have been deaf, as my bike is loud as, well LOUD. She was not on her cell phone, she was just a super dip shit that didn't look before moving into a lane. The beauty of this incident was that she KEPT pulling into my lane after she saw me. I rolled on some throttle and turned around and gave her the BIG BIRD. I couldn't *wait* to see her at the upcoming stop light. She was a somewhat older lady (not old at all, just not young). She did all she could to avoid eye contact with me. What? You don't want to actually look at the person you almost ran over? *This* is what I mean when I write/state "ride like everyone wants to kill you." because some dip shit really does want to kill you...
Times like these were made for a big flame thrower mounted to the front of yer bike (hummed to the tune of the old Tasters Choice commercial).
Times like these were made for a big flame thrower mounted to the front of yer bike (hummed to the tune of the old Tasters Choice commercial).
I know this young sport bike rider who recently was tagged by a car. Before I tell you about this recent accident, let me tell you that he's not one for safety (in AZ he wore sandals and shorts when riding and did not wear a helmet). He lives at the top of a hill, and his driveway is the first one on the top of the hill. There is a warning sign stating "Blind Drive" before the hill to warn people in hopes that they will slow down "just in case." Well, "just in case" happened to him the other day. He made a few errors, I believe, that led him to the accident. One, he backed out of his driveway. *really?* *really?* Are you kidding me? It's just plain stupid to back your motorcycle out of a driveway if you can't see cars coming up the street. Way to hang your ass out...literally. Then, he didn't assume that people driving cars ignore such signs and typically do not slow down at all. So, you've got the background info...now play it out in your head. Yep, his back tire was out in the street, car zoomed up hill and tagged his rear tire. He flew off of his bike and narrowly missed a tree. The helmet saved his head. He walked away. I was a little bit of an ass when he told me this story. I looked at him and asked, "why did you let him hit you?" We all know as riders that our safety is in our hands. Typically, drivers of cars walk away from accidents even if it is their fault...motorcyclists get hurt...even when it's not their fault. Moral of the story...ride like everyone wants to kill you and have lady luck on your side when the shit hits the fan.
When you undertake any "high" risk activity it's always a good idea to learn about the risks involved and how to mitigate them or decrease them to acceptable levels. When I rode horses I learned how to fall off or jump off while my horse was running. When I climbed I learned how to fall without hurting myself by falling on purpose until I felt comfortable falling. When the real thing came I was able to keep my wits about me and execute manuevers to "land" safely. It's the same with riding a bike.
Not a lot of bikers like to talk about motorcycle accidents, statistics, and evasive maneuvers. I guess because it's scary to not only evaluate the risks involved while riding a bike, but also realizing that you probably don't know how to get yourself out of a bad situation. There are classes sponsored by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) that not only confront the risks straight on, but then train you how to 1) avoid the riskiest situations in the first place (extra defensive driving) and then 2) execute evasive maneuvers when you are at risk for an accident (either single vehicle -just you and the bike OR you, your bike, and a car). It's empowering when you realize that really, you have to be the one in charge of accident avoidance. You can't depend on anyone else trying to avoid hitting you or cutting you off, because more than likely, it's going to be you that is hurt if the other person doesn't avoid you. Yeah, it would be nice to think that the people driving cars are just going to see you and stop or swerve. But, we all know it doesn't work out that way all of the time.
Accident statistics reveal that a good number of bikers involved in car accidents just expected that the car would swerve or stop and so did not take any evasive maneuvers to avoid the impending accident. This is where good training comes in handy. Riding is a skill that is both mental and physical. It only makes sense then that accident avoidance involves the physical aspects of riding your bike as well as the mental aspects of quick assessment and action. When you learn how to execute quick swerves, fast braking, riding over obstacles, stopping in a curve (dangerous... must straighten fork first), etc. they become what your brain and your body default to when impending doom looms in front of you. Think of it as programming for your muscles and brain. So, practice those evasive maneuvers every so often so you can call on them when they are needed.
Another component of accident avoidance is lowering your risk by limiting how, when, and where you ride (critically important as a newbie). For me, right now with my experience, I do the following:
1) ride only with my husband who has 18+ years of experience. He actually rides in front most of the time, which seems contrary to popular biker protocol. But, by riding up front I benefit by having him encounter potentially bad situations first. With his experience he might be aware of a dangerous situation that I might not have noticed AND I have extra time to react. Additionally, he pushes me at times -not beyond my limits. By pushing me I actually learn that I CAN do something that I probably wouldn't have done at the time as a newbie (handle a curve at a faster speed than I thought, accelerating a little sooner -opening up the throttle,etc.). Riding too carefully or slowly can be potentially dangerous too.
2) ride between peak traffic hours (i.e., after everyone goes to work and before they come home/ during church hours -I live in the South).
3) ride only during the day
4) ride only in peak conditions (nice dry roads)
5) ride as much as possible
6) take MSF courses
7) The hardest for me... be patient with my 500 CC bike... The better I master my skills on a smaller bike, the better rider I will be when I actually do buy my dream bike. My man is always saying to me, "I rode on my 500 cc Ninja for 4 years before I bought a bigger bike." sigh...
Of course, as I gain experience my riding habits will change. But for now, I'm choosing to limit the conditions under which I ride so that I can actually focus on my skills. It's not limiting how much I ride. Believe me, I'm putting the miles on my bike. I'll even follow my husband around town to places like Home Depot, just to get in some riding time. No, he doesn't mind. -at least that's what he tells me ;)
Mitigating risk, it's definitely not a sexy topic, but it's obviously a wise topic.
Not a lot of bikers like to talk about motorcycle accidents, statistics, and evasive maneuvers. I guess because it's scary to not only evaluate the risks involved while riding a bike, but also realizing that you probably don't know how to get yourself out of a bad situation. There are classes sponsored by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) that not only confront the risks straight on, but then train you how to 1) avoid the riskiest situations in the first place (extra defensive driving) and then 2) execute evasive maneuvers when you are at risk for an accident (either single vehicle -just you and the bike OR you, your bike, and a car). It's empowering when you realize that really, you have to be the one in charge of accident avoidance. You can't depend on anyone else trying to avoid hitting you or cutting you off, because more than likely, it's going to be you that is hurt if the other person doesn't avoid you. Yeah, it would be nice to think that the people driving cars are just going to see you and stop or swerve. But, we all know it doesn't work out that way all of the time.
Accident statistics reveal that a good number of bikers involved in car accidents just expected that the car would swerve or stop and so did not take any evasive maneuvers to avoid the impending accident. This is where good training comes in handy. Riding is a skill that is both mental and physical. It only makes sense then that accident avoidance involves the physical aspects of riding your bike as well as the mental aspects of quick assessment and action. When you learn how to execute quick swerves, fast braking, riding over obstacles, stopping in a curve (dangerous... must straighten fork first), etc. they become what your brain and your body default to when impending doom looms in front of you. Think of it as programming for your muscles and brain. So, practice those evasive maneuvers every so often so you can call on them when they are needed.
Another component of accident avoidance is lowering your risk by limiting how, when, and where you ride (critically important as a newbie). For me, right now with my experience, I do the following:
1) ride only with my husband who has 18+ years of experience. He actually rides in front most of the time, which seems contrary to popular biker protocol. But, by riding up front I benefit by having him encounter potentially bad situations first. With his experience he might be aware of a dangerous situation that I might not have noticed AND I have extra time to react. Additionally, he pushes me at times -not beyond my limits. By pushing me I actually learn that I CAN do something that I probably wouldn't have done at the time as a newbie (handle a curve at a faster speed than I thought, accelerating a little sooner -opening up the throttle,etc.). Riding too carefully or slowly can be potentially dangerous too.
2) ride between peak traffic hours (i.e., after everyone goes to work and before they come home/ during church hours -I live in the South).
3) ride only during the day
4) ride only in peak conditions (nice dry roads)
5) ride as much as possible
6) take MSF courses
7) The hardest for me... be patient with my 500 CC bike... The better I master my skills on a smaller bike, the better rider I will be when I actually do buy my dream bike. My man is always saying to me, "I rode on my 500 cc Ninja for 4 years before I bought a bigger bike." sigh...
Of course, as I gain experience my riding habits will change. But for now, I'm choosing to limit the conditions under which I ride so that I can actually focus on my skills. It's not limiting how much I ride. Believe me, I'm putting the miles on my bike. I'll even follow my husband around town to places like Home Depot, just to get in some riding time. No, he doesn't mind. -at least that's what he tells me ;)
Mitigating risk, it's definitely not a sexy topic, but it's obviously a wise topic.
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