Sean,
Every ride is a learning situation!
As my Dad used to say - still does actually - "Ride like
they're out to kill you." Don't assume they see you - don't assume
they know you're there - other bikes are your best defense but - there
will be times (for me its actually a preference) that you will be
riding alone. The worst thing that I find is that I am distracted -
cell phone - GPS - music etc... I don't want any of that on my bike
since even the tiniest second off the road might mean I miss a pot
hole (a very real possiblity up here) a car or who knows what.
We have the potential to die everytime we throw a leg over a
bike. That having been said, we have the potential of the same in a
car. (I don't want to make motorcycling seem like a suicidal
experience) You have to learn to think like you're on a bike - realize
you have greater acceleration, braking and maneuverability than a car.
Use those advantages, combined with experience, observation and
reflexes to make yourself the safe one in any situation.
Always have a plan of escape - sometimes the only one is to
pull on the binders and get out of a situation - other times its best
to be able to shoot around a threat and get ahead of it. It all
depends on the situation. Trust yourself and be ready to use an escape
route if you even think you might be in danger. If you think you are -
you probably are. Don't panic - but think - react - and stay alive.
For anyone who hasn't taken a Motorcycle Safety Foundation
course - take one - you will learn something - if you have - it never
hurts to get a refresher.
Remember - in a bike vs. vehicle accident - its the bike and
biker that loses.
-Joey
On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 3:15 PM, Sean <[email protected]> wrote:
> I wonder how often everyone has a "learning situation" on their rides?
>
> It's been a challenging week for me and it's Wednesday morning. I've
> been cut off twice and had some guy tailgating me to the point that I
> just stopped in the road and waved him around.
>
> The real learning experience was this morning coming down the hill I
> live on. It's so steep that some sections are cement because asphalt
> will warp and slide on hot days. The last corner is this really nasty
> of camber and steep thing that sends about a car a month into the
> wall. I was coming down today and had the choke on a little high so
> my idle was higher than normal. I typically coast threw the corner in
> gear to get extra traction - well I was gaining speed because of my
> idle and the road was also wet from rain. I knew that if I touched my
> breaks I would be into the wall so I did my best Safety School crank
> my head around and look as far through the corner as I could and low
> and behold - it worked. A year ago I would have hit the brakes and
> hoped I could stop in time. The moral of the story is that after 3
> years of riding up and down that road at least once a day I still made
> a mistake.
>
> I'd love to hear your stories because I think we can all learn from
> each.
>
> Sean
>
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--
-Joey Kelley
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