Passing thoughts.

[AllanB]

Todays question is brought to you by the chap riding a blue and white bike this morning, a bit south of Tai Tapu.


The event sparking my thoughts:

Peeled over in a nice corner (blind exit) I find a fellow motorcyclist on my side of the road sharing my most excellent corner while he/she passes a slow car. It was fine in that I was holding a nice inner line as I like to allowing exit room to drift out if I am over cooking it. All was well other than my thoughts of 'WTF are you doing there sir?' all three parties carried on. Hopefully he/she had a little bit of pee come out in their leathers and it will smell bad every warm day for the next year or so.

I assume (ass out of U & me) he/she had not considered another motorcycle in the corner at speed before committing to his/her somewhat questionable passing maneuver.

In reality it was just a stupid-as-fuck to be passing.

Which brings me to my question: Do you consider the potential for a motorcycle at speed 110% committed to their corner on the opposite side of the road from you when you consider a passing move?

I do, and have for decades due to the volume of motorcycles on my usual stretch of road, it's not unusual to see a fellow rider on the other side of the road committed to his/her cornering craft (read going rather fast officer...).

Bike-on-bike is nothing like girl-on-girl, sure fluids will be spilt, but the former is going to hurt like shit.

There have been plenty of passing opportunities that due to the outstanding acceleration, braking and cornering abilities of modern motorcycles I could easily have committed to the pass, but when considering the possibility of a motorcyclist on the opposite side equally committed I hold back for a better location to dispense of the car/bus/tourist/gay bunch of cyclists.

So - do you consider the potential speed of a oncoming motorcycle when you commit to that pass?


And to this mornings rider - really WTF where you thinking if I'd been in the car it could have been very, very messy for you. Cunt.

[caseye]

Spidy kicks in for bikes as well as cages and trucks, I do allow for them, it happens far more often than most would ever consider possible. An of course, it's always them on your side, not giving a flying fuck, no Op's , shiet, sorry, I've um made a boo boo, Bo Bo, just ride on oblivious to it all.
1100K's last weekend, only really close one was just this,in the Awakino gorge, hardly Dieveson with big bugger aboard, right over my side, same deal, but for a tidy corner line I'd have needed to make some adjustments, as it was, I simply got a bit more throttle going and loosened my exit line, avoided them without breaking a sweat, but, a nod, a small, ah bugger, nope, nothing, just the skull mask, bandana and the pudding bowl.

[Moi]

How could you, good Sir, spoil their overtaking manoeuvre?

As you said, they were fortunate that it was you on a bike and not Grandad Joe in his 4x4...

[Gremlin]

Yes.

I've often raised it with other learners, and for some reason, a decent proportion of motorcyclists seem to think of lumbering trucks coming the other way giving plenty of warning. Its equally likely its an R1, knee down, going for it.

That said... peeled over, I assume you were able to stop in the distance you could see to be clear, given that it was a 2 lane road?

[george formby]

Summit like that can be a shit stain moment, maybe worse, or just another fuckwit uttered if you don't have to move too much.

Car, bike or boat, true story, accelerating at you through a corner really exposes how you ride.

I'm a great fan of option 2, when you avoid a shit stain moment by not being in it, gruff swearing is totally acceptable. One of my favs is knob gobbling felcher.

[mulletman]

{ So - do you consider the potential speed of a oncoming motorcycle when you commit to that pass? }


I do often think "what if someone is honking along coming the other way is there still plenty of room for both of us ? "
if i think not then ill wait :cool:

[SaferRides]

I've had a few moments with Hardly's on the wrong side of the road in a corner. Boaties towing the Titanic are another hazard at this time of year.

[AllanB]

That said... peeled over, I assume you were able to stop in the distance you could see to be clear, given that it was a 2 lane road?

Define stop ............. eventually I would have ground to a stop if there was some tourist parked in the middle of the road taking photos. Such is the nature of a blind corner.

Which reminds me I must write to Council or someone - there are a couple of nice sweepers out that way but the Council in their wisdom have a car park/looking on the outer edge - blind corners you understand if heading CHCH way.

Dangerous planning by Council/Doc/whoever owns it placing a lookout area there.

[mulletman]

Which reminds me I must write to Council or someone - there are a couple of nice sweepers out that way but the Council in their wisdom have a car park/looking on the outer edge - blind corners you understand if heading CHCH way.



Lindis Pass, Westcoast , The Neck at Wanaka - Hawea , Devils staircase (pretty much all over NZ to) all have rest areas where people can turn right across / in front of you , this needs a serious re think for everyone's safety.

[Gremlin]

Define stop ........
I'll quote the cat, coz it's good. Do you want me to beat you slowly, or stop beating you? :sunny:

[Jeff Sichoe]

nah I ride my bike to the road I can see, I assume there will be a truck blocking the path on any blind corner

all this really means is that I get to accelerate out of corners more :)

[Autech]

Had a similar experience recently driving to Taumaranui in my wifes cage.
Coming round a blind tight right had corner came across a pure fuck head on an adventure bike in my lane leant over passing a car. Luckily I was able to change my line mid corner and JUST miss him/her.
A truck or a less slower reflexed driver would have cleared them up big time.

Dick head.

[nzspokes]

nah I ride my bike to the road I can see, I assume there will be a truck blocking the path on any blind corner

all this really means is that I get to accelerate out of corners more :)

You sir are smart.

[Swoop]

If people would stay on their side of the white line, there would be very few crashes. Anywhere.:shit:

Sadly the "culture" is getting worse and TPTB refuse to acknowledge the problem. Treat the painted white line like a concrete wall (at all times) and choose overtaking situations wisely.

[Banditbandit]

Which brings me to my question: Do you consider the potential for a motorcycle at speed 110% committed to their corner on the opposite side of the road from you when you consider a passing move?





Not on a bike - only on two wheels - I ask what if I was coming the other way ...

[PrincessBandit]

If people would stay on their side of the white line, there would be very few crashes. Anywhere.:shit:.

Well there would certainly be a decrease in crashes if hat were the case. Unfortunately many of us have done it at some stage - unintentionally to be sure, but the outcome is potentially the same. Crappy overtaking though is another matter altogether and a menace to all road users. Really jst comes down to two things: (1) ride like everyone else is out to kill you, and (2) never take anything for granted (e.g. that your exit line is going to remain clear when you can’t actually see it all unless you have eyes on stalks like a snail).

[Swoop]

Well there would certainly be a decrease in crashes if hat were the case. Unfortunately many of us have done it at some stage - unintentionally to be sure, but the outcome is potentially the same. Crappy overtaking though is another matter altogether and a menace to all road users. Really jst comes down to two things: (1) ride like everyone else is out to kill you, and (2) never take anything for granted (e.g. that your exit line is going to remain clear when you can’t actually see it all unless you have eyes on stalks like a snail).

Not referring to just bikes, but ALL road users (cars, trucks, 4x4's towing their boats, ... everybody)

[GazzaH]

I can't stop other idiots swerving or overcooking it on corners or fiddling with themselves and/or their cellphones or falling asleep or whatever and driving at me. Well maybe I could but my weight plus the bike only has so much momentum. I'll not bank on it.

So, I try hard to plan ahead and maintain my escape routes, and not to be so close to the edge (in all senses) that I run out of options.

Back to the original question, no I don't anticipate some 2-wheel nutcase coming at me on the wrong side on a bend. I don't anticipate anything that specific or quick. I guess I'd rely on instinct in that situation ... but the metre or two of slack space may be all I need whereas if I was already fully committed to kissing the apex, I'd have nowhere left to go. Space, and just enough milliseconds to see and flinch, is the all-purpose last-chance escape route.