The fear!

[B17DUF]

I Don't post too much on here, do a bit of lurking every now and then but have a bit of a question and could do with a bit of advice.
(Bit of history) Been on two wheels for about 9yrs and had a good history until recently when I had my first accident!
Story goes......I was minding my own business doing about 80kph on SH1 in Auckland when somebody decided they wanted to have a closer look at my bike with me still on it. Got sideswiped by an idiot who didn't check his mirrors, the front folded and sent me down the road, lucky for me I avoided being collected by anything else, Had a few bumps and bruises and a broken wrist but other than that unscathed. Got to say the my riding gear really did its job. This was all about 6weeks ago now and after waiting for parts to arrive from Japan (bike was repairable) I finally collected my bike from the shop today.
My issue lies now that on the short 10km ride back home I was on edge the whole time, every car I thought was going to pull across the front of me and really didn't like this feeling at all.
So........Is this a normal reaction, anybody been through this?? Any tips or advice will be greatly appreciated.
Of course I'm gonna get the "harden up" comments, this is KB after all.

Thanks in advance

Duff

[MIXONE]

Totally understandable.

[nzspokes]

Ive been nailed twice recently by cars. And yes you get the confidence back. Takes time but you do.

Glad you injuries were not to bad relatively speaking.

[unstuck]

Take your time, talk about your fears. It will get easier, but riding without total confidence is a bit dicey, maybe get your head straight first. :Punk::Punk: Good luck and safe riding.


P.S. If everything else fails, have a spoonful of cement and harden up.;)

[The Baron]

Sounds normal to me.

Try again tomorrow and the day after that...

[Mom]

Not at all surprising you have lost your mojo. It is just hiding, ride more and more and re-gain your confidence. You might consider what you could have done to anticipate Mr blind car driver taking you out. Be vigilant, look at others around you. Don't assume you have been seen, make sure you HAVE been seen.

Glad you were not too badly injured, maybe consider getting a bit more training to help you recognise the hazards and what to do about them.

[mashman]

I've never been nailed by a car but still have that fear when amongst the traffic. Essentially you won't get wiped out again, unless of course you do... but until that happens you may as well feel as comfortable as you can on the road.

The fuckers are out to get ya. With any luck you'll see them before they see you next time.

[Akzle]

I was minding my own business doing about 80kph on SH1 in Auckland when somebody decided they wanted to have a closer look at my bike...

you friggen pussy, you need bigger, hairier nuts, a real KBer would have kicked in his door and run him off the road, then wheelied away while humming "another one bites the dust" with a prayer to exact vengeance on his family...



((yeah, nah, aucklanders will do that to you. similar experience on sou-western. christmas on crutches is always good fun. innit.
best solution is to move the fuck out of auckland, everywhere else in the country we seem to manage without driving into each other daily...)

[Ocean1]

Not sure I'd do the morning motorway commute on a bike if I had to, when I start running out of escape options I really don't enjoy it.

I think it's pretty normal for the confidence to take a bit of a beating for a while. Unfortunately that in itself can reduce your performance, just be a bit more deliberate in your positioning for a while.

Anyway, was this a case where you had nowhere to go, or just no time to go there?

[Road kill]

I was on edge the whole time, every car I thought was going to pull across the front of me and really didn't like this feeling at all.

That's how I feel every time I ride.

The bad feeling goes,,,,but trust no cunt,,,not ever.

[Oakie]

Of course it's natural. Something hurts you, you are much more conscious of the possibility of it happening again. You are just super-sensitive to the possibility, that's all. To a very large extent, that super-senstivity will go a long way to prevent it happening again in the near future.

[Katman]

I was minding my own business doing about 80kph on SH1 in Auckland when somebody decided they wanted to have a closer look at my bike with me still on it. Got sideswiped by an idiot who didn't check his mirrors,

I trust you're working to improve your situational awareness.

[B17DUF]

Anyway, was this a case where you had nowhere to go, or just no time to go there?

Bit of both really, had a car on my inside so couldn't move over but mainly just no time to do anything....... as I was passing the guy he pulled over and hit me!

[Tigadee]

Bit of both really, had a car on my inside so couldn't move over but mainly just no time to do anything....... as I was passing the guy he pulled over and hit me!

Hope the police nails the bastard!

A healthy dose of paranoia all the time on the road is a good thing...
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7519C354CACBF142

[Ocean1]

Bit of both really, had a car on my inside so couldn't move over but mainly just no time to do anything....... as I was passing the guy he pulled over and hit me!

Yeah. Like I said, outside of dense traffic my strategy is to simply not be there. I manage dense traffic OK irregularly, not sure I'd want to expose myself to that form of Russian roulette every day.

[Laava]

This is the worst aspect of motorcycling IMO. Learning to try and predict what other drivers may do and having to be 100% vigilant in traffic. I spent some time communting on my Laverda in London and it was fucking awful most of the time. Hate the motorway but have to say the std of driving up here in Whangarei is worse. Thankfully we have little in the way of motorway.

[Katman]

I spent some time communting on my Laverda in London and it was fucking awful most of the time.

Imagine doing 12 hour days in it.

[Geeen]

I've had similar happen to me in Tauranga, wasn't quite as bad as yours though. It does tend to dent your confidence for a while, every ride you do brings a little back. As has been said, never trust other road users and always be aware of whats around you. I'm doing a Heavy Vehicle course at the moment and part of that is hazard awareness, situational awareness etc and know when I ride or drive I can't help but see how shit at knowing what they are doing most drivers are.

[BigAl]

Get one of these http://www.aerostich.com/ear-cannon-air-horn.html

[CHOPPA]

I think your a better rider now. You should be riding thinking that no one has seen you and be prepared for everything.

If you were riding with your new found "fear" do you think you could have avoided the accident?

[jim.cox]

Feel that fear.

Take hold of it.

Wring it right out.

And do it anyway :)

I find riding 'assertively' helps.

[SPP]

Hey fulla. It’s normal so figure out what went wrong and put it behind you. You’ll be all good.

I ride a bit in Auckland jams, quite a lot indicators are used late or not at all but people normally turn their head before they pull over. Their door mirrors are good for seeing that if you’re coming up the side of them… if you see their full face get ready.

[Hacking]

Takes time and age ,crashed alot in my teens and twentys but as you get older and prioritys change riding on the streets compared to the track is so much better for confidence.maybe do a track training day than a ful on track day to regain some confidence .

[Old Steve]

I nearly wore one just like that on only the third day on my bike. Tauranga, going down Chapel St hill, guy inside just pulled into my space. Luckily I was able to swerve into the right turn lane at the lights and stop. I was alongside him and actually saw his hands move on the steering wheel. That shook my confidence a bit, but I bet that was nothing like being wiped off your bike.

I hope you overcome the way you're feeling. Don't let some other b*stard put you off.

I have since become very adroit at watching front wheels, hands on steering wheels and the head movements of drivers around me. My situational awareness was mightily heightened, and I hope I've retained that. I try to follow other cars on the road in a position where I'll be seen in their mirrors, since if they use anything it'll be the mirrors. But it's not always possible to do that on the motorway.

Like they say, get back on the horse which threw you. In other words "toughen up". :innocent:

[Paul in NZ]

I was on edge the whole time, every car I thought was going to pull across the front of me and really didn't like this feeling at all.

That's how I feel every time I ride.

The bad feeling goes,,,,but trust no cunt,,,not ever.

Damn straight - being a bit on edge will keep you alive and arguably had you been a bit on edge in the first place you may not have been collected? (impossible for me to know of course)

Stay a bit edgy and OUT of drivers blind spots.

[ducatilover]

Keeping on edge will not keep you alive.
Being relaxed, but with good situational awareness will. You will react faster from a relaxed and observant state than a hyperactive state, and the reaction will be better when relaxed too.
Riding in a petrified state is fucking stupid and very, very dangerous


Work through the fear, keep riding and take it easy.

[Paul in NZ]

Keeping on edge will not keep you alive.
Being relaxed, but with good situational awareness will. You will react faster from a relaxed and observant state than a hyperactive state, and the reaction will be better when relaxed too.
Riding in a petrified state is fucking stupid and very, very dangerous


Work through the fear, keep riding and take it easy.

Meh - I take your point but little difference in the detail..... We mean the same thing just describing it different.

Edgy isnt petrified in my book. Edgy is running the lists of shit that could go wrong before I even get near the bike... Have i checked the tyres? How much gas, oil? Did I back off the preload from last pillion trip etc etc... Am I in the guys blind spot, is this that place that sometimes has rocks from the cliff etc etc

[ducatilover]

Meh - I take your point but little difference in the detail..... We mean the same thing just describing it different.

Edgy isnt petrified in my book. Edgy is running the lists of shit that could go wrong before I even get near the bike... Have i checked the tyres? How much gas, oil? Did I back off the preload from last pillion trip etc etc... Am I in the guys blind spot, is this that place that sometimes has rocks from the cliff etc etc

:niceone: That kind of edgy is what I call normal
I suffer from anxiety and riding in a highly anxious mental state is not something I like, it's incredibly dangerous

[oneofsix]

You will get better but you (hopefully) wont forget. You will look for the first movement of the car towards you from now on, as time goes on you will learn not to be too jumpy about it but you will also notice escape routes you weren't aware of before like as the car moves towards you lane either getting ahead or dropping back, not just side to side. Kind of what ducatilover and Paul are saying only they put it better.

One thing I will agree with Ocean1, I avoid the traffic if I can, pisses the boss off a bit but keeps me alive and working.

[B17DUF]

Thanks everyone for the input to this thread, Some good points, some great points infact.

Will just get back out there (when my wrist is 100%) and get on with it I suppose, certainly wont let it beat me. :first:

[Banditbandit]

I've tangled with two cars in my time .. and slid down the road wondering where the bike had gone a few times too ..

Yes - that reaction is totally normal and understandable (The night before a long ride I sometimes lie awake wondering if I'll make it home the next day ,.. never stops me going ...) .. just get out there and takeit easy - your confidence will come back ..


And paranoia is healthy .. just treat al the cars as if they are trying to kill you and you'll be safe (because sometimes they will have a go ...)