March 2012

[Zola]

Today is March 19th and Central New York is enjoying the second consecutive week of mid-day temperatures over 70 and sunshine punctuated by only the occasional shower. That's not necessarily good news for riders.

Motorcyclist are on the road in unprecedented numbers for March, more typical for May. Couple that with 1) the same number of cars and trucks driven by people who have not seen motorcycles on the road for the past four months and aren't expecting to see them this soon and 2) motorcyclist who haven't been on the road in four months... and we have tragedies.

Rt. 49 runs east-west along the north shore of Oneida Lake in CNY. The road is popular with motorcyclists. It also is a route with two notoriously dangerous intersections and one locally infamous, deadly curve. Yesterday, a motorcyclist broadsided a crew cab turning left off 49 east onto Whig Hill road. The motorcyclist and his passenger were declared dead at the scene.

This horrendous scene was repeated again today. Another truck turning left onto Whig Hill, another two motorcyclist downed.

Please, everyone, be focused out there. There are times when you are invisible to another vehicle operator, whether a truck, car, motorcycle, bicyclist, or pedestrian.

If you reside in a "seasonal" riding state like New York, develop a set of strategies early season riding. When we make it through May our chances greatly increase for seeing another one.

Please:

1. AGATT
2. Drivers haven't seen you on the road for months. Some will not see you and turn left or stop short in front of you, tailgate you, or cut you off too much of the time.
3. Ride with awareness all the time.
4. Read articles from time to time that will build your skills. Print or in-line. Motorcyclist, Cycle World, Rider, and many other sources are available.
5. Make time for practice.

Nothing here you haven't heard before.

Just a plea to live.

[Xoulrath]

I don't have the same problems here in Georgia where the weather is fine for year-round riding, but good reminders for every time you ride.

Even when motorists are accustomed to seeing riders, they don't always see them. As a rider, you ALWAYS have to YIELD. At least if you value all of your parts and your life.

[Whiskey]

Cover the horn approaching any junction

I had some jackass look straight through me & proceed to pull out in-front of me yesterday. I let off 2 beeps as I rolled off & braked which got his attention. If I wasn't covering the horn he would have been in my lane before braking.

I'd rather come across as rude on my bike than be polite and under it

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

Cover the horn approaching any junction

I had some jackass look straight through me & proceed to pull out in-front of me yesterday. I let off 2 beeps as I rolled off & braked which got his attention. If I wasn't covering the horn he would have been in my lane before braking.

I'd rather come across as rude on my bike than be polite and under it

Screw the horn. Just concentrate on braking. I heard you should always cross an intersection at 30mph, as you can stop so quick.

I'm an upstate New Yorker, and am glad the weathers like this! Just got my dirt bike and can't wait to ride it haha

[CZroe]

Something like 8 consecutive days if 85-degree weather in GA. They say that's a March record and each individual day was also a record temp. The pollen is covering EVERYTHING!

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Something like 8 consecutive days if 85-degree weather in GA. They say that's a March record and each individual day was also a record temp. The pollen is covering EVERYTHING!

Is it really humid there as well?

[Jono]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Something like 8 consecutive days if 85-degree weather in GA. They say that's a March record and each individual day was also a record temp. The pollen is covering EVERYTHING!

Pretty much the same here in Memphis. It is so weird. We hit another record high yesterday. It broke a +100 year record. But I am not complaining. Just worried this summer is going to be really hot.


And the pollen is not as terrible as it was last week. But everything is yellow/green.

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

Screw the horn. Just concentrate on braking.

And that's how to
Make the other driver aware of your presence, if you just brake yourself & they see you too late they stop directly in your path, you've then to come off the brakes & swerve to avoid them or end up T-boning them with brakes on full. (you have about 2 seconds to react & complete the evasive move, try this reaction timer to see if you've got what it takes)

It becomes second nature to cover the horn, you literally move your thumb about an inch and still have the other hand covering the brake. A quick blast usually causes the other driver to brake before they get into your path.

Originally Posted by nickjpass

I heard you should always cross an intersection at 30mph, as you can stop so quick.

That goes against all advanced training advice, take up an appropriate position to see any approaching vehicles, have your speed, gear & revs in the range where you can accelerate / engine brake if needs be, cover the horn.

Dropping to 30 on a 60 road is asking for someone to rear end you, or attempt a dangerous overtake (especially at a junction) meaning you have to watch out for idiots all around you, not just in front of you.
If someone drops pace approaching a junction the assumption is that they're turning off.

Get yourself some advanced training, you sound like an accident waiting to happen

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

Is it really humid there as well?

It was but we've been begging for rain since the pollen started almost two weeks ago and haven't gotten any relief (pollen count was almost 10,000 yesterday - a new record). That means it has been getting steadily more dry, but it still felt really humid for quite a while after that storm from a few weeks ago (same one that killed all those people in Indiana).

Originally Posted by Jono

Pretty much the same here in Memphis. It is so weird. We hit another record high yesterday. It broke a +100 year record. But I am not complaining. Just worried this summer is going to be really hot.


And the pollen is not as terrible as it was last week. But everything is yellow/green.

I'm not allergic but I'm finding it impossible to clean anything. I had my blue rims off the bike and cleaned them. Before I finished cleaning the second one, the first one was almost completely covered in yellow again!

I hosed them off and put them indoors until I could take them to a dealer for a tire change. When I got them home, they were covered in pollen AGAIN just from those quick jaunts to and from the car.

My dogs don't even want to go out there to breathe that stuff. WAY beyond ridiculous!

Originally Posted by Whiskey

And that's how to
Make the other driver aware of your presence, if you just brake yourself & they see you too late they stop directly in your path, you've then to come off the brakes & swerve to avoid them or end up T-boning them with brakes on full. (you have about 2 seconds to react & complete the evasive move, try this reaction timer to see if you've got what it takes)

It becomes second nature to cover the horn, you literally move your thumb about an inch and still have the other hand covering the brake. A quick blast usually causes the other driver to brake before they get into your path.




That goes against all advanced training advice, take up an appropriate position to see any approaching vehicles, have your speed, gear & revs in the range where you can accelerate / engine brake if needs be, cover the horn.

Dropping to 30 on a 60 road is asking for someone to rear end you, or attempt a dangerous overtake (especially at a junction) meaning you have to watch out for idiots all around you, not just in front of you.
If someone drops pace approaching a junction the assumption is that they're turning off.

Get yourself some advanced training, you sound like an accident waiting to happen

He's probably talking about a car because he doesn't ride on the street.