Crash pointers

[CC Cowboy]

I was on another forum today (God forbid) and there was a link to a news clip in Jacksonville (wherever that is). It seems that with the nice weather there have been a lot of motorcycle accidents. I thought I might give a few pointers of why I have been lucky enough to avoid crashing for a few miles.

Ever see the signs on the back of trucks "if you can't see my mirrors I can't see you"? I always ride in peoples mirrors (bikes, cars, or trucks). I can look in their mirror and see their face so I know if they see me, if they are paying attention (on the phone, eating, picking their nose, etc) and if they know I'm even there.

I not only look at people's faces but I watch the tires to see where the vehicle is going (wandering across the line, turning at an intersection, starting from a stop).

When I go on group rides I always tell all the riders to ride in the mirror of the rider in front of you. This way you are not too close, not too far, and they know if you go down (hopefully they are paying attention).

When riding on twisty roads I look for places where dirt and gravel would wash down into the road after a rain (especially intersections), I look for corners where other vehicles could be on the wrong side of the road (blind corners), I look for dips in the road (usually dark spots where oil and dirt have fallen of a vehicle when it bottoms in the dip), I look for marks in the road where other have crashed, and I always expect something around every blind corner.

I always look both ways in every intersecton when I have the green or when I'm starting out after the light changes. I always look behind me when I'm stopped at a light or stop sign. I always pull to the side of the lane so I have an escape should some one want to rear end me when I'm stopped.

On the streets of a wooded area I always expect an animal to run out in the road. In a neighborhood I always expect a kid to run out or someone to pull out of a driveway without looking.

I almost always ride with one finger on the front brake, and I know I can stop on a dime. I know what my bike can do and I believe in it. I never freak out but I do get pissed at idiots.

[bikeguy57]

[clegg]

Sounds like a man after my own heart!... my saying I use in my job is "I always expect the worst to happen... and I am never dissapointed"

[Soujyu]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I always look both ways in every intersecton when I have the green or when I'm starting out after the light changes. I always look behind me when I'm stopped at a light or stop sign. I always pull to the side of the lane so I have an escape should some one want to rear end me when I'm stopped.

I violated that rule and almost t-boned into a car doing a California stop at a light (I had the green light). Luckily my brakes were solid and I stopped just before hitting the car. No harm done to either party.

[KJohnson21]

Great pointers! Those are all things that I try to do when it's appropriate.

Sometimes I play a mental "game" of, "What's the worst thing that could happen right now?" ...and sometimes it ends happening right in front of me like I could predict the future. More than a few times, because I was watching the drivers around me, I was able to comfortably back of out situations that could have gone horribly wrong.

[cnichols79us]

[Banzai]

Look out for man hole covers!

[Cab305]

Sometimes I look up to check for falling helicopters.

[backinthesaddleagain]

I think of myself as a hockey goalie and everyone thing around me is a puck ready to score. Now if I could get the shift better positioned for my skates.

Seriously though I try to see people's eyes around me. Irritatingly I saw 2 drivers this week' when I saw their eyes, I knew they saw me, and in both cases squeezed my riding area a bit, which caused me to go from the left side of my lane (right lane) to the right side of my lane.

[littledog]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I was on another forum today (God forbid) and there was a link to a news clip in Jacksonville (wherever that is). It seems that with the nice weather there have been a lot of motorcycle accidents. I thought I might give a few pointers of why I have been lucky enough to avoid crashing for a few miles.

Ever see the signs on the back of trucks "if you can't see my mirrors I can't see you"? I always ride in peoples mirrors (bikes, cars, or trucks). I can look in their mirror and see their face so I know if they see me, if they are paying attention (on the phone, eating, picking their nose, etc) and if they know I'm even there.

I not only look at people's faces but I watch the tires to see where the vehicle is going (wandering across the line, turning at an intersection, starting from a stop).

When I go on group rides I always tell all the riders to ride in the mirror of the rider in front of you. This way you are not too close, not too far, and they know if you go down (hopefully they are paying attention).

When riding on twisty roads I look for places where dirt and gravel would wash down into the road after a rain (especially intersections), I look for corners where other vehicles could be on the wrong side of the road (blind corners), I look for dips in the road (usually dark spots where oil and dirt have fallen of a vehicle when it bottoms in the dip), I look for marks in the road where other have crashed, and I always expect something around every blind corner.

I always look both ways in every intersecton when I have the green or when I'm starting out after the light changes. I always look behind me when I'm stopped at a light or stop sign. I always pull to the side of the lane so I have an escape should some one want to rear end me when I'm stopped.

On the streets of a wooded area I always expect an animal to run out in the road. In a neighborhood I always expect a kid to run out or someone to pull out of a driveway without looking.

I almost always ride with one finger on the front brake, and I know I can stop on a dime. I know what my bike can do and I believe in it. I never freak out but I do get pissed at idiots.

Thanks for putting this post up. I want to ride my motorcycle, and not get hurt. You are helping.

In the local news, a guy died in a motorcycle wreck yesterday. The news said the police were trying to pull him over for erratic driving, and he took off at a high rate of speed. The police pursued, he lost control, crashed and died. He was riding a 2007 R6. He was 39 yr old and his first name was Orlando. Investigation is pending.

[Scott1620]

Originally Posted by KJohnson21

Sometimes I play a mental "game" of, "What's the worst thing that could happen right now?" ...and sometimes it ends happening right in front of me like I could predict the future.

Yea, I try to predict what a driver will do whether its in my car on on my bike. I also avoid riding in others blind spots at all costs as well (whether it has me slow down or speed up)... "Sport riding techniques" by Nick Ienatsch appropriately labels the blind spots next to a car "Death spots"

[SteveL]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I was on another forum today (God forbid) and there was a link to a news clip in Jacksonville (wherever that is). It seems that with the nice weather there have been a lot of motorcycle accidents. I thought I might give a few pointers of why I have been lucky enough to avoid crashing for a few miles.

Ever see the signs on the back of trucks "if you can't see my mirrors I can't see you"? I always ride in peoples mirrors (bikes, cars, or trucks). I can look in their mirror and see their face so I know if they see me, if they are paying attention (on the phone, eating, picking their nose, etc) and if they know I'm even there.

I not only look at people's faces but I watch the tires to see where the vehicle is going (wandering across the line, turning at an intersection, starting from a stop).

When I go on group rides I always tell all the riders to ride in the mirror of the rider in front of you. This way you are not too close, not too far, and they know if you go down (hopefully they are paying attention).

When riding on twisty roads I look for places where dirt and gravel would wash down into the road after a rain (especially intersections), I look for corners where other vehicles could be on the wrong side of the road (blind corners), I look for dips in the road (usually dark spots where oil and dirt have fallen of a vehicle when it bottoms in the dip), I look for marks in the road where other have crashed, and I always expect something around every blind corner.

I always look both ways in every intersecton when I have the green or when I'm starting out after the light changes. I always look behind me when I'm stopped at a light or stop sign. I always pull to the side of the lane so I have an escape should some one want to rear end me when I'm stopped.

On the streets of a wooded area I always expect an animal to run out in the road. In a neighborhood I always expect a kid to run out or someone to pull out of a driveway without looking.

I almost always ride with one finger on the front brake, and I know I can stop on a dime. I know what my bike can do and I believe in it. I never freak out but I do get pissed at idiots.

You don’t get better advice than that.

Steve

[ScraitT]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

In a neighborhood I always expect a kid to run out or someone to pull out of a driveway without looking.

But why would you brake? Thats a potential 10 points your missing!


Good post Most of that stuff I already do, but I really liked the group ride one.

[JeffM]

Originally Posted by Cab305

Sometimes I look up to check for falling helicopters.

You too

[Momaru]

Good list CC, thanks for posting it!

BIG +1 on planning for someone to cut the (blind) corner you're taking.

Expecting those woodland creatures has saved me twice recently, including avoiding an inadvertent turkey roast on my exhaust headers when it panicked the wrong direction yesterday.

[CZroe]

Good advice but I should point out:

The MSF and most driver's manuals say that you should not cover the brake, even with a finger. The one exception is when legally lane-splitting in CA.

[FrugalNinja250]

Yeah, my instructor said the samething. Thing is, I learned to cover my brake when riding bicycles and as soon as I got on a motorcycle I continue to do the same thing. It has, literally, saved my ass twice in the last year, once when a teenaged girl made a left turn across three lanes of traffic in front of me (she was on my right, I was in the middle lane, and I missed the rear quarter panel of her Mustang by less than a foot with full brakes on) and once when some jackass decided to swerve across the interstate to make his exit.

It took a while to get used to holding the throttle with two fingers and palm friction, and it was worth it in my case.

[JeffM]

May I add that in the twisties slowing first then taking a late apex will help you see the moose standing in the road a bit earlier.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Banzai

Look out for man hole covers!

There's a man who speaks from experience!

[Banzai]

Originally Posted by Alex

There's a man who speaks from experience!

Yeah, I went back and measured that thing. The one that popped out in front of me is 31 inches in diameter!

[CC Cowboy]

I know the MSF sayes not to rest your finger on the front brake lever. I'm only stating what I do ( and has worked for me through 43 years of riding and almost 10 years of racing). I feel that split second it takes to get to the brake (with all finger on the grip) is a matter of a few feet or even yards ( depending on speed), and that can mean the difference between stopping and crashing.

I only use one finger to brake and don't feel I need any more. In fact more than one finger is too much pressure and will lift the rear wheel on my bike (besides, I'd rather have the rest of my hand on the grip to hold on.

[eddiekay]

Metro area riding has it own requirements
Look for the oncoming left turner
Eyes left right left right left right left right...and then some more as you approach every corner
Look for the oncoming left turner and even when they sit there looking like they;re not going to make the left...assume they might.
Oncoming left turners kill about 1 biker a month here and prob injure a hundred more and definitely cause 100000 more bikers to swerve.
The oncoming left for city street riders.

[adri99an]

Originally Posted by Cab305

Sometimes I look up to check for falling helicopters.