Take responsibility

[sendler]

"And when a problem does occur, they resist blaming others because they know that most mishaps can be avoided through their own actions."
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http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/yo...src=SOC&dom=fb
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[Motofool]

Originally Posted by sendler

"And when a problem does occur, they resist blaming others because they know that most mishaps can be avoided through their own actions."
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http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/yo...src=SOC&dom=fb
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In my experience, these two points of the article are the base of any decent riding:

1) "These riders have a well-developed sixth sense that foresees hazards before they materialize. Developing this sense isn’t that hard, but it requires a high level of alertness to spot the sometimes-subtle clues that warn of an unfolding situation."

2) "Besides these primary skills, the best riders also strive to brake and accelerate smoothly to preserve available traction and stabilize the bike’s chassis. They’ve learned the language of handing dynamics and tire loading, using them to understand what the bike and tires are saying about the limits of control and traction."

Most riders that I have known work on the bike and on control skills, try to become faster and faster, and then stop there...... or eventually crash.

Precious information comes through total focus and an acute awareness and sensibility.
Correct decisions, which may save lives, are impossible without that information.

[sh123469]

I was nearly hit head on last year.

I had spotted this Jeep Cherokee acting a little sketchy taking off from a light about half a mile in front of me. He was weaving a little but staying in his lane.
I was in traffic that had just left from the light I had just gone through.

He caught my eye as soon as he was in visual range. I kept an eye on him the whole time I was heading toward him. Sure enough about a quarter mile after the light, he began a slow arc right into my lane and straight toward me.
I had traffic in front of me that was oblivious. I had traffic behind me that was oblivious. I watched his actions. It was clear he was asleep and the vehicle was arcing by itself so not really going to change its course.

I knew he would be in my lane the same time I was there and moved over into the paved median and hit the brakes. About then when I did something to avoid the problem and he was entering my lane, the cars behind me (now beside me) slammed on the brakes. One was missed by maybe six inches, the other by a couple feet. He went on across the road, jumped the curb and about 100 feet or so into a field before stopping.

Had I not spotted the potential problem early and planned what to do if the problem arose, I'd be squished right now. I couldn't hit brakes in front of the cars tailgating me. I'd get hit. Couldn't speed up. Cars in the way. It made sense to get to his right since he was arcing left and let him pass in front of me.

Nobody is watching out for you but you. The sense to anticipate potential problems is there in all of us. Pay attention to it when you get that little feeling that says something's not right up here. Learn to spot the signs. Do what you have to do to preserve your ride and your life. And by all means don't ride under the influence of anything or when you are tired or 'out of it'. It'll get you.

[CaliGrrl]

Originally Posted by sh123469

The sense to anticipate potential problems is there in all of us. Pay attention to it when you get that little feeling that says something's not right up here. Learn to spot the signs. Do what you have to do to preserve your ride and your life.

Totally. There's a lot you can see if you're paying attention, even if you don't know that you know it, that little voice knows something is wrong.