hey, out of curiosity, was your bike a silver yamaha?
blue R6
wow. i was wondering if you were okay. of course at the time i didnt know it was you.
i was working the tolls yesterday, and had to call in the ambulances going through the lanes, responding to a motorcycle accident.
2 rural metro ambulances, one a van the other a suburban…right?
im glad your okay 
it was right at the start of my day, it was quite interesting
glad ur ok, props to safety gear, guess ur gonna be more careful next time tho…
:word: Thank God you were dressed appropriately. Do a little reflecting on what happened and what you should have done differently. There’s NEVER “nothing that could have been done.” More focused SIPDE (you do remember Scan-Identify-Predict-Decide-Execute don’t you?,) better space cushioning, have an out ready, well-practiced threshold braking skills, possibly better maintenance if inadequate tire/brakes contributed, not riding if you were too tired to stay focused, etc etc etc. The second you deny responsibility for what happens to you on your motorcycle is the second you need to get off it.
I’m not judging because I’ve made mistakes too. For example, a couple of years ago I threw my bike under a blazer on Maple because I was ass clowning and then looked up and saw brake lights, locked up my wheels and low sided. But I admit that there were tons of things I could have done better. Even in close calls I force myself to admit what I did wrong and what I need to do better.
Slow84ta, those are terrible braking habits. I’m not hating, I’m only pointing it out for the good of anyone that reads your post and doesn’t know better so that those habits don’t spread.
I’d STRONGLY suggest taking and practicing the MSF course to anyone that wants to ride a motorcycle. You get your license automatically if you pass the class, and I can’t describe how worthwhile it is. Motorcycling is more fun when you know what your doing. I’ve never let any of my friends or family start riding without taking the class. My life has undoubtedly been saved many times by what I learned in that course.
:tdown: to brake spiking and rubbernecking
:tup: to your safety
eeeeekkk
You got off really lucky :tup:
I’ve been wanting to get a bike for a while but stories like this turn me off to the idea every time…
Glad you are ok.
The other day I had my first close call. Of all things, some old lady pulled out in front of me and guess what she was driving… A Harley!!! WTF, of all people to be aware of a bike, it would be another biker.
I know I’ve only been riding 5 weeks but I got 1600 miles so far and have yet to lock up the brakes. The last time I did that was in the safety course. I do remember locking my front on the quick stop part of my test but I let off immediately and reapplied like I was supposed to. If you lock up the rear and let off, be prepared to go flying through the air. The bike will try to right itself and find its center quickly.
I always apply both brakes at the same time like I was taught.
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Good to see so many of you took the course. I haven’t because I haven’t owned my own bike since I got my motorcycle license years ago.
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An “out” is probably the most important part of being on any roadway at any time. You should think about an “out” more often than you check your mirriors… I do it in my car too. Ya know what? My brakes are better than 90% of the cars on the road… but when the SUV in front of me spikes the brakes… and then rear-ends someone… all of a sudden that extra 40 feet of space I had came to a screeching hault. Of course that only applies to people who follow too closely. Which is all of us. Im not saying all the time… but I can guarantee you have been in situations where being 2-4 seconds behind someone was impossible (there are many reasons for this but you get what I’m saying).
2b. An out should also apply for stop signs, red lights, or any other time traffic has slowed or stopped around you. If traffic is stopped in front of you, for an accident, do not park on the guys ass in front of you. Chances are there is an ambulance, firetruck, or police officer behind you trying to reach the accident… if you have no where to go cause the bumper in front and behind you prevent you from moving… you are now stopping help from getting to the accident. Same for red lights… how many times have you looked in your rearview to see a car/truck hauling ass and either not paying attention, or just not stopping quick enough? Now you have 10-12 feet to move up and give this asshole some more room. Or you can move to the side… because your not 2" from the car in front of you.
2c. This also applies for people who suk at manual. I’ve seen people roll back 3-4 feet before they start moving forward again. Before I got used to my clutch I would roll almost a foot… sometimes almost a foot means I’m almost in your bumper… and that sucks for both of us. Also… when the light goes green and they don’t go… give it a couple seconds. There could be something going on in that intersection that your not aware of. Like a dumbass pedestrian who is trying to cross (or an old crazy lady) or an emergency vehicle entering the intersection that you can’t see. If it is some dumb bitch applying makeup or talking on her cell phone lay on the horn and run her ass off the road … please.
I don’t feel like typing anymore.
Glad to hear you made it out ok… I hope you know how badly it could have ended up.
I have had soooo many close calls when it comes to rear ending people, but its instinctual for me to try and avoid a collision rather than lock up the brakes and hope I stop in time. I usually dart to one side or the other (while being heavy on the brakes) depending on what is in my way on either side. This has saved my ass several times.
yea i guess when i think about it there were numerious things i could have done better or should have done. i probably should ahve locked the back wheel instead of the front wheel… probably should have fallowed less closely, probably should have had an out. etc. i also think some of the reason i walked away is because i did the wrong things when it happend. if i had locked the rear tire up and lowsided instead of front breaking to much, i think i would have hit the bumper of the car infront of me… and fyi about the msf course… u get up to 30mph and brake hard… whihc is hard enough let alone at 70… but yea when i reflect, there were alot of things that could have been done better… thanks for the support tho guys. please ride safe everyone
No no no. YOU DONT WANT TO LOCK ANY TIRES ON THE BIKE. Apply the pressure firmly and smoothly on BOTH BRAKES. That is how you stop. NO LOCKING THE REAR. That shit is only for motocross taking a berm, or some type of stunt. FIRM PRESSURE ON BOTH BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME. If YOU LOCK UP, release slightly to get the wheel spinning again and re-apply firm gradual pressure.
Locking up the rear tire will put you under the fucking bumper of the car in front of you.
Don’t believe me? Start @ 70 and lock the rear brake. Hold it until you come to a complete stop. Now do it with a car in front of you. Now do it in the rain. Now do it in wet grass. Now you know why I started in wet grass.
You got really lucky… all of your fuckups actually saved your life… but had you missed one mistake… you could be dead.
Glad your OK. Just to add info to the thread, proper braking technique consists of firm initial pressure on the rear brake steadily getting lighter, while pressure on the front brake steadily getting firmer. This is because as the weight of the bike pitches forward you have to redistribute brake force properly. You can brake harder as time goes on (tenths of a second) at the front. If you maintain the same brake force out back the tire will lock up as there is less weight there.
Yes, I should have said firm progressive pressure applied to the brakes. If you pay attention when you are braking, you should have a good feel of your rear brake pedal and how much pressure it takes to lock it. Then as Charlie Murphy would say, you become a habitual line stepper in terms of how much pressure you put on the rear initially. You get close to the line, but don’t cross it.
GLAD YOUR ALRIGHT
Sounds like he shouldn’t be using the rear brake at all, next post
“New worst night of my life, I highsided”
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everyone has their ideas of what should have been done differnt… either way what happend allowed me to walk away haha…
glad to hear that you’re ok John
Thanks 