TBR7 cruise - don't trust a soul

[GronkFries]

Very pertinent thread and good read. One thing I would offer is always make an escape route while stopped at a light. Give lots of room if there is a car in front of you and keep your eye on the rear view mirror. Some distracted teenage girl could be your maker someday. I've seen it...

[Cravin01]

I went for a short ride tonight on my Storm ...so nice to be able to get out ! Nice YouTube vid I'll subscribe!

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by NzBrakelathes

Just watched your video and I envy you for having well mannered road users! Oh that would be such a pleasure to ride around in.
You have zero to bitch about lol! I have folk cut in front, undertake or generally not give a flying Fark that anyone is around or has the right of way
I’ve posted a couple vids on my Instagram user is same as here
You live in a blessed land but buy stuff from the devil lol

I just watched your videos on instagram... It sucks.
I have a theory that in countries like India, China, Rusia among other HUGE nations don't value life that much because they are so many of them.....

Originally Posted by Megadan

You have to remember that you and I have years of riding experience and have seen and experienced a lot of stuff. For somebody just starting it is a very different perspective. Heavy traffic and inattentive idiots are routine for us, but a real danger to people who have not ridden before. They are so focused on just making the bike do bike things lol.

I work as a part time assistant instructor for a motorcycle course, so I have a good understanding of what new people struggle with. It is also why I have been so busy lately.

Here is pretty much the same thing, but there is another added factor... Some motorcycle rider think that they are immortal and end up doing stupid things like trying like this.


They can´t go to the left to pass the bus for some reason, so they have the smart idea to do what i show in the image above....
Sometimes they fail and end up stuck between two buses.


I'm trying to convince a friend to get a motorcycle, but he has seen so many of those smart riders get kill, that he is afraid....

We don't know what the other drivers will do, but we can ride on the defense and be careful

[wedooit]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Two suggestions. If you are approaching a junction where there are potential idiots that may pull out in front of you, get those fingers over the clutch and brake levers.
Practice situational awareness - at any given moment you should be able to know where and what vehicles are in relation to you. Pay attention to how vehicles behave before they do certain maneuvers, such as lane changes, and you will get really good at reading traffic. Be aware of the road surface - trash, gravel, pot holes- as well as your surroundings (light poles, curbs, parked cars). It might seem like a lot of work at first, but it eventually becomes second nature.

Other tip, while the horn can be a handy tool, do not rely on it to be your only attention getting device. I ride with my lights on at all times, and in heavy enough traffic I will often have my high beam on (during the day).

The best thing you can do is practice emergency stops. Having a muscle memory of how much braking you can apply can make the difference between crashing or avoiding said idiots. Always remember that if the front skids, let off. If the rear skids, stay in it.

Muscle memory and awareness is what we teach in firearms instruction....interesting that concept applies to bike riding as well! Thanks for the tips!

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Wild Dog

Here is pretty much the same thing, but there is another added factor... Some motorcycle rider think that they are immortal and end up doing stupid things like trying like this.
Attachment 17791

They can´t go to the left to pass the bus for some reason, so they have the smart idea to do what i show in the image above....
Sometimes they fail and end up stuck between two buses.


I'm trying to convince a friend to get a motorcycle, but he has seen so many of those smart riders get kill, that he is afraid....

We don't know what the other drivers will do, but we can ride on the defense and be careful

People that ride like that are known as Darwin Award contestants, and there is no helping people that have poor decision making skills or no common sense.

Originally Posted by wedooit

Muscle memory and awareness is what we teach in firearms instruction....interesting that concept applies to bike riding as well! Thanks for the tips!

Those two things are kind of a mainstay in any safety or control related scenario. The same goes for familiarity. A person familiar with their weapon will be more effective than someone who is not, just like a person who is familiar with their bike. I am intimately familiar with the weight, balance, and recoil of my Browning .308 X-bolt, so I will always be more accurate with it than I will with any other random rifle I just pick up, especially past 500 yards.

[China Rider 27]

Motorcycle course I took in Feb talked about Risk Management and really that seems to be what it is all about. Managing your risk in any given situation. So I always ask myself what are the risks today? The firearms analogy regarding situation may be better termed "situational awareness." What are the risks here and now associated with my situation? Alertness to the environment is critical and why I ask myself before a ride "do I have the alertness necessary to be safe today." Despite all preparations, complacency is the battle and will get you into trouble. I was riding on a logging road couple of weeks ago and had been riding for about 2 hours so familiarity and fatigue may factor when I came around an unfamiliar tight sweeping right 45 degree turn and looked over my shoulder to the inside of the turn and when I looked back the bike moved right a couple of feet and off a steep rock road edge of 10 inches and down she went. I was only going about 15 mph so I just stood up but I strained my hamstring and thigh muscle. About getting better at risk management!

[kingofqueenz]

They don't kid around during MSF when they say "turn your head" and "look where you want the bike to go"

Amazing how a brief head turn can you take you down in an instant even if you think you are keeping the bars ( and your arms straight )

Thanks for sharing and more importantly..glad you are ok.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by China Rider 27

Motorcycle course I took in Feb talked about Risk Management and really that seems to be what it is all about. Managing your risk in any given situation. So I always ask myself what are the risks today? The firearms analogy regarding situation may be better termed "situational awareness." What are the risks here and now associated with my situation? Alertness to the environment is critical and why I ask myself before a ride "do I have the alertness necessary to be safe today."

Situational Awareness = being aware of your environment and the potential risks. Your term of alertness is close to the same thing, but one can be alert and still have poor situational awareness.

Risk Management = Altering your riding to mitigate or put yourself in a position to be out of those risks. This can be both active and passive.

Active would be approaching a junction, seeing a car roll up to said junction, then changing your lane position to improve your own visibility and/or covering the brake and clutch in case they do not see you.

Passive would be pulling up to a stop light in traffic and not placing yourself directly behind the vehicle in front, and instead stopping to the outside of the lane, just in case an inattentive driver comes rolling up behind you. Thus getting hit with a glancing blow instead of being crushed between two cars.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by Megadan

People that ride like that are known as Darwin Award contestants, and there is no helping people that have poor decision making skills or no common sense.



Those two things are kind of a mainstay in any safety or control related scenario. The same goes for familiarity. A person familiar with their weapon will be more effective than someone who is not, just like a person who is familiar with their bike. I am intimately familiar with the weight, balance, and recoil of my Browning .308 X-bolt, so I will always be more accurate with it than I will with any other random rifle I just pick up, especially past 500 yards.

Darwin Award contestants. Yeah, kinda upscale version of what we used to call those kind of riders. "Yup, looks like God is thinning out the herd, don't it?" ... ARH

[China Rider 27]

Healing up my small injury and I will be just fine and hopefully smarter for it. What it made me realize though was something I didn't want to think about and had been keeping in the back of my mind. That is the fact that riding two wheels means the chances are high the bike and or you will be going down sooner or later, because of your judgement or some other factor beyond your control. You need to prepare for this event. When I got home I ordered a padded and armored jacket and will be getting some pants soon!

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by China Rider 27

Healing up my small injury and I will be just fine and hopefully smarter for it. What it made me realize though was something I didn't want to think about and had been keeping in the back of my mind. That is the fact that riding two wheels means the chances are high the bike and or you will be going down sooner or later, because of your judgement or some other factor beyond your control. You need to prepare for this event. When I got home I ordered a padded and armored jacket and will be getting some pants soon!

Don't count out proper riding footwear and good gloves either. I cring at how many people I see riding without gloves on. The first thing to usually hit the ground are your hands.

[China Rider 27]

I hear yaa! Good reminder. Those thin leather gloves I got gotta go!

[OneLeggedRider]

Amen on the gloves Dan. Your hands and eyes are probably the most valuable things you posses. When I took this last spill I high sided at 60mph, got body slammed into the pavement and slid for several feet after. But thanks to the helmet jacket and Jean's the only road rash I suffered was on my right palm. And I got lucky, even it wasn't too bad but I should have been wearing gloves.

My problem is I have very large hands and have always had trouble finding gloves, shoes and hats to fit. I worked as a welder/fabricator for 20yrs and only found one company that made kidskin gloves that were big enough. A couple months ago I ordered a cheap Amazon pair in the largest size and I couldn't get them over my knuckles. I might try some Mechanix gloves but they don't afford alot of protection.

I will say one more thing, when you climb on a motorcycle you assume the risk. The freedom you feel when you lean around a tight curve and power out with the wind in your face.. should also be a reminder of just how exposed to the elements you really are. I got complacent, hadn't had a serious motorcycle accident in 30yrs so I got stupid and careless. And the human body is pretty fragile when exposed to G-forces and sudden stops. So wear the gear, I'm a firm believer in that. But getting body slammed at 60mph on the pavement? Doesn't matter what gear you've got on, something's going to give, something's gonna break.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Don't count out proper riding footwear and good gloves either. I cring at how many people I see riding without gloves on. The first thing to usually hit the ground are your hands.

Amen to that. It's natural instinct when you fall from a bike, motorcycle, bed, ladder we tend to use to hands.
A good pair of riding gloves are not very expensive. I been using a pair of Rev'it! dirt 2 gloves i paid for them only 70 usd.

[culcune]

I'm no one to talk or judge if you have seen my pizza delivery videos.