Makes you think; may save your life.

[beyond]

Remember the weekend of the Great Burger Fest Coro loop, organised by Steve (ZRXER)?

R6 kid and a couple of others passed by a little time after my friend Gary had his crash after hitting the huge lump just before the lookout around 20kms South of Coromandel.

Before the rest of the group came through, I had already gone back down the hill to Coromandel to find a farm or place where Gary could coast his bike down the hill and store it for the night.

I was leaving a property that was just around a bend on those fantastic high speed sweepers just after the Manaia one way bridge, The people who owned the property were not home but as luck would have it, arrived just as I was leaving. They came in two four wheel drives and I was on the far side of their vehicles from the corner on my bike when the rest of the group came through, about 20-25 bikes. You couldn't hear yourself think and no one would have been doing under 140kmh. Sounded impressive to me but the locals were not impressed.

The next day, I helped Gary's brother pick up the bike in a van and we had to pull out of the same driveway.

Think on this, because it really had me going over so many rides and how we take things for granted or assume all is clear ahead.

The guy who owned the property got talking to me and mentioned how he loves fishing. Directly over the road, is a small jetty where he launches his boat. So quite often he crosses the road in his four wheel drive, towing his boat around 30 metres back from the high speed sweeper.

Here we all come on a great Coro GP, leaning well over on one of our favourite corners at around 140-150kmh or more (usually) and right there fully across the road, is our local with his four wheel drive, towing his boat and both lanes are totally blocked. :gob: :shit: :gob: :shit:

Question: where are you going to go? Can't go around him or into the other lane. Can't go behind him as you won't be able to lean enough to make the gap as you are nearly at the edge of the bikes handling envelope already.
You can chose which might be softer to hit: the four wheel drive or the boat, or maybe a quick trip into the mangroves, but they are horrible gnarly thick rooted and trunked things. :( Could be messy aye?

But then, riding back at around 100kmh in the van with the smashed bike in the back (write off by the way) there were so many corners that had drive ways, farm entrances, hidden gates and picnic areas.

It's made me sit up and analyse my riding style.

I love going fast, I love even more pushing my bike through tight twisties and sweepers and tossing it around. There is no better way to unwind and get rid of stress, which is why I wrote this some time ago:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=32775

I still stand by every word in that article I put together one night but I do want to remind everyone to be careful out there. I would hate to see or hear of anyone on KB, especially those I have ridden with and met, come to grief or die in an accident. :(

So, when you are entering that fast sweeper and leaning over enjoying your ride, ask yourself; what if there is gravel on the road on the apex, farmer brown pulling out of a blind gate around the corner on his slow moving tractor with a hay trailer attached, a stray beefer wanting to give you a free leather suit when you whack him and take his hide off or a farmer on a tractor with those huge fork things sticking out the front at chest height coming around the corner on your side of the road while sucking his coffee (it happened to me and it was real close.)

I bet, like me you have enjoyed leaning into a nice long sweeper looking at the world from obscene angles and then the tourist comes around the corner in a campervan straddling the white line and their huge mirror just happens to be at head height. You pull your block in like a turtle getting mauled by a dog, but man it really upsets your line. :(

When on a fast ride, we are so busy concentrating on what we are doing, we almost appear to push back in our minds, the what ifs? I know one road where my friend and I went through at up to 200kmh because it so nice to ride with fast sweepers and I did it in the car a few weeks back and nearly bogged myself at all the hidden entrances, drive ways, dogs walking around without owners or on a lead..... it's getting to darned dangerous riding like this on the road.

So, if I can save a life tonight, next time you are riding and everytime you ride, always ask, "what if", when you commit to a corner that you can't see around at speed.

Live long and ride safe.

[Matt Bleck]

well said Paul,:niceone: when ever I've been pushing the bike and see a cage with Ma, Pa & the kids I get that what if thought, which I guess is a good, it may have not slowed me down but has changed the way I think about riding on the road and has made me push more towards track days & racing.

[Freakshow]

I have had thought many a times and some times that gut feeling is there for a reason. The trouble I find is finding places to open up where the risk gets smaller!

[sAsLEX]

Yes and the other thing is, other than leaving some "Flex" , is to listen to that little voice in your head that says "hmm this might be a little quick"

<story>
Flying up 22 was myself, zed, pom on a r1 another vfr and a cbr250 putting a rather decent pace on, now I trusted Zed as he knows the road like I do, but hadn't ridden there with the others it was getting on in the day and was feeling a little tired but kept the pace up for a bit but then just sat up on a straight and left it in that gear and cruised...... a minute later come up to the decreasing right that catches everyone and R1 guy had come off followed by the vfr and the cbr carnage basically, Zed had shimyied his Bird through the flying bikes somehow.

So I get a thumbs up kinda from the R1, then go and the two bikes that had been rather close to me minutes ago off the riders lying bleeding under them
<story/>

Listen to that voice, a riders 6th sense is invaluable!

[Gixxer 4 ever]

Yep all you said. I love pushing it on the road but I have taken it to the track and slowed down on the road. I miss the buzz from the harder riding on the road but I don't want to spend years healing. Must set a good example to my boy who is riding now.
I am a farmer and I know how hard it is to move stock and tractors on the road. Not so bad on a country road but when you hear the scream of the inline 4 coming you gota take action fast so they know you are on the road. I see both sides on this one.

[_intense_]

karma. That is well true and good. much wisdom and restraint here. -pay heeeeed all yee young troutwhallopers

[The_Dover]

fuck, i was always slow on the road anyway

[Bytor]

Wise words indeed and exactly what I tell myself when I set off for a ride. Trouble is that by the time I'm the other side of Clevedon, the engines warm, the tyres are warm, I'm warm and all those wise words seems to get replaced with words about acceleration, braking, positioning, corner speed, leans, rythem etc. You end up in a world of your own where Mr Jones looking at the map on his Sunday drive, some young tart on her mobile or Farmer Giles towing his boat to the boat ramp don't get a look in.

It's why I ride bikes! Not to put myself or someone else in danger but to get my head free from reason even if it is just for a couple of corners.

[Highlander]

I have had thought many a times and some times that gut feeling is there for a reason. The trouble I find is finding places to open up where the risk gets smaller!

It is called "The Track". Everyone travelling the same way (no head ons). No driveways, no pedestrians, people standing there with warning falgs to tell you the way ahead is not clear.

[sAsLEX]

Dont forget though Beyond the hill over from Coro town and all the tight fun stuff has few if any houses etc on it!

[Keystone19]

Last Sunday night I was driving home from Taupo after having raced for the day. I had ridden down on the Friday, raced all day Saturday and decided to take the car home. Coming around a corner in the dark at about 90kph with the trailer on the back I saw some funny lights ahead. Just in time I slammed on the brakes, the trailer tried to lock up but I must have eased off in time. There was a herd of about 50 cows wandering down the road, no farmer, just the cows. If I had been going any faster I would have hit them. If I had been on the bike I would have probably been dead.

Wise words Beyond and SasLEX. Go fast on the track but ease up on the road. I was glad I chose not to ride home that night.

[Macktheknife]

Beyond and Saslex have the true of it, it only takes one little thing to change your life.
After spending 7 months (so far) healing from my worst injury in 25 yrs of riding, a broken collar bone, I have decided that I need to slow down and relax on the road. I love to ride and enjoy the feeling from taking corners well and doing a bit of 'zen' on the bike.
I also enjoy being able to use both of my arms and legs, so I will be more restrained in future.

[sAsLEX]

Beyond and Saslex have the true of it, it only takes one little thing to change your life.
After spending 7 months (so far) healing from my worst injury in 25 yrs of riding, a broken collar bone, I have decided that I need to slow down and relax on the road. I love to ride and enjoy the feeling from taking corners well and doing a bit of 'zen' on the bike.
I also enjoy being able to use both of my arms and legs, so I will be more restrained in future.

You helped with the other fellow who decided to superman in front of me, and I will tell you what that was one of the more scary accidents I have seen (too hot for corner , well prob not really but he thought so, on go the brakes lock up then riding along the ditch till he hit a bump and was sent cartwheeling 30 feet high through the air towards some big immovable trees, stop the bike quick as take helmet and gloves off to cool nerves compose then tried to find the bugger but I couldn't! Searching through the bushes I spot some of his leathers hear the next bike coming along so back up from the bushes flag them down pull out there key tell them to stop the next person and there has been accident, back down into the bushes and find the crashee had managed to land himself in a big bed of soft shrubbery right next to the big immovable tree, blood on face not moving much not making much sound oh shit! not good carefully lift visor start to try talk to him grab his hand gave it a good squeeze and got one back plus some murmuring (hopefully not about a broken hand lol) and then the real medics came down and sorted him out.......... )

moral of the story it don't take much to crash and luck has a part in how well you will survive that crash, he had good gear on which no doubt helped alot. And procrastinating uni work is easily achievable on KB.....

[Edbear]

The older I get the more tenuous I realise our hold on life and health is and I endorse the cautions here. One only has to scroll back through the Image Gallery and view the results of accidents!

We've all had those moments when we realised we could have been killed but for sheer luck and I ride according to the road and traffic conditions. Many times on rural roads I've come around corners to find tractors or animals on the road and was pleased I wasn't going faster.

There are places where one can stretch the legs of one's bike in safety but they are few and the track is certainly the best place.

Love the Coro, but fully endorse the comments made!

[skelstar]

Wise words mate. Ive had a similar epiphony recently and have shared this enlightened thinking with some of the local crew. To be honest you gonna have to try very hard to convince someone who has been lucky for many years that they may not be that lucky for much longer...esp if they can ride bloody fast over a local racing/proving ground.

All ye beware the blind fast corner with the hidden apex!!!

[trumpy]

Had to see a client in Taupiri on wednesday, it was a beautiful day and all I needed to take with I could fit in a small backpack.........well now, I didn't really have a choice did I??!! Onto the bike and off over Pohipi rd, Mangakino, Wharepapa, Cambridge, Gordonton....Great ride, virtually no traffic and those techniques I was trying out of Keith Code's book really were working. Quick job then back on the bike. Clear run and virtually no traffic (and no boys in blue). Suddenly there was Cambridge, a lot sooner than expected. Time for coffee and reflection (and to calm the shaking).
Those who know me know I'm a tail end charlie at best, so this was obviously a step ahead of my normal pace. As two cups of coffee and sensibility started to encroach on my overexited brain, the realisation of just how many small holdings are on that piece of road, how many of them have blind entrances and what time of the day it was (mums in 4wd time) was enough to give this BAB with exactly 12 months back on a bike a dose of the chills.
I have buried anough friends to know how fragile and transitory life really is. Still, had a quicker than usual trip the rest of the way home (for me anyway) but had those fingers on the brake lever anwhere that looked in the slightest way "suspect".
Looks like regular trackdays might have to start being on the agenda.
Great thread guys, great wisdom.

[Jimmy B]

Great post Beyond

There seems to be a mentality that says fast riders are good riders, in my mind good riders are old riders

[terbang]

I'm with yer there Paul..
Here is some of the weird shit going around in my head on this subject..:
Road Safety (http://tetoro.blogspot.com/2006/10/road-safety.html)

SH-16 (http://tetoro.blogspot.com/2006/10/sh-16.html)

[yungatart]

I'm with yer there Paul..
Here is some of the weird shit going around in my head on this subject..:
Road Safety (http://tetoro.blogspot.com/2006/10/road-safety.html)

SH-16 (http://tetoro.blogspot.com/2006/10/sh-16.html)

Fantastic write up there! It goes a long way towards capturing the spirit/soul of riding.
I ride, as I drive, cautiously and defensively - maybe being a mother with a still dependent yougun, keeps me in check. I know I'm not ready to leave this planet yet, too many things I still want to do and I'm very conscious of that when I'm on the road.
Regardless of the speed, the exhilaration of riding is the same, dependent on your skill level and the best rides are those that you come home from, with you and your machine intact.

[Buster]

Theres nothing more sobering than having to bury one of your mates. It makes you realise just how fragile the human body is. My riding has always been on the fast side, and Ive had my share of bins. Part of the reason I ride a small bike after 16 years of riding is to keep my speed down. I need to think about building up speed instead of it just being there. Minimising the risk by wearing good safety gear is a good idea but in an accident it mostly comes down to luck. How many times have you heard people say "geez they were lucky to walk away from that"? Sometimes people dont.

[Toast]

This is the reason that I (usually) always keep some in reserve (since I grew a brain anyway)…leave the front tyre with a bit of grip in reserve so that I can tighten my line if need be…

But leaving some in reserve is boring, and that’s why I’m getting out of fast road riding, and have bought a track bike. After a certain age (different for everyone), barrelling around blind corners loses its appeal…at the end of the day, it’s just stupid to roll with the dice of fate like that…but I will always cherish the memories of those 200km+ hot laps around the Coromandel when I should have been at class :D There is something on the roads that a track can’t quite give you.

[trumpy]

Great post Beyond

There seems to be a mentality that says fast riders are good riders, in my mind good riders are old riders


Some of us are just old............

Seriously tho, I'm with you on that.
Haven't seen any Kiwi stats but if you look at the Aussie figures for motorcycle deaths there are two major spikes in the stats: one at 19 yrs old and one at 54 yrs old........I'll be 54 in a couple of months........................

[Macktheknife]

You helped with the other fellow who decided to superman in front of me, and I will tell you what that was one of the more scary accidents I have seen (too hot for corner , well prob not really but he thought so, on go the brakes lock up then riding along the ditch till he hit a bump and was sent cartwheeling 30 feet high through the air towards some big immovable trees, stop the bike quick as take helmet and gloves off to cool nerves compose then tried to find the bugger but I couldn't! Searching through the bushes I spot some of his leathers hear the next bike coming along so back up from the bushes flag them down pull out there key tell them to stop the next person and there has been accident, back down into the bushes and find the crashee had managed to land himself in a big bed of soft shrubbery right next to the big immovable tree, blood on face not moving much not making much sound oh shit! not good carefully lift visor start to try talk to him grab his hand gave it a good squeeze and got one back plus some murmuring (hopefully not about a broken hand lol) and then the real medics came down and sorted him out.......... )

moral of the story it don't take much to crash and luck has a part in how well you will survive that crash, he had good gear on which no doubt helped alot. And procrastinating uni work is easily achievable on KB.....

Yep that was me, be glad to catch up for a beer sometime mate, how about you pop along to the pub for a beer next thursday night? Or just give me a PM and we will arrange something.

[SPman]

Some of us are just old............
Seriously tho, I'm with you on that.
Haven't seen any Kiwi stats but if you look at the Aussie figures for motorcycle deaths there are two major spikes in the stats: one at 19 yrs old and one at 54 yrs old........I'll be 54 in a couple of months........................
Thats why you shouldnt treat the road like a racetrack.
I'm just a wee bit over 54, but, after 30 odd relatively incident free years, I've now had 2 write-offs in 12 months! This has/is causing a major rethink about the why / how / even when, of riding. (having found out the hard way, riding at night, or even in the evening, is not good for your health, over here).
Both incidents, could quite easily have had very different endings!
Track days are fun, but the real enjoyment is riding on the road, with all of its variables and uncertainties. Speed is really a non event, its the ability to ride quickly and cleanly through an unknown section of road that gives me ultimate satisfaction, but that brings in the inherent risks, pointed out above.
Being aware of all the obstacles and dangers that could be present, is very important - but then - I was very aware of the potential dangers the other week and thought I was riding accordingly, slowing and getting slower, on high alert - I still got caught out!

Sometimes, it just comes down to the way the dice fall!

So, we have to be prepared to accept that probability, or just not bother riding - and that , for most of us, is just not an option!

[Jimmy B]

Spman, Unlucky mate but what I found interesting about your account was the perception of increased risk so you acted accordingly but as you say still got caught out. Important point you made but I wonder what would have been the outcome if you had been oblivious or ignoring the risk, could it have panned out much worse? Glad it didnt but would be interested to hear if caution minimised the damage

JB

[Jimmy B]

Trumpy,

no neeed to woyry mate. You are 53 now and when you turn 54 you will actually be in your 55th year so crisis averted...

[SPman]

Spman, Unlucky mate but what I found interesting about your account was the perception of increased risk so you acted accordingly but as you say still got caught out. Important point you made but I wonder what would have been the outcome if you had been oblivious or ignoring the risk, could it have panned out much worse? Glad it didnt but would be interested to hear if caution minimised the damage

JB
Well - I could have hit it faster - it was bad enough at the speed I was going - at 65-70 k, I went down pretty hard.
Or, I could have missed it by 2 seconds by going faster or slower - in a world of infinite probabilities - ultimately - I was in the one where I hit it!
I guess its all about risk management, trade offs and luck.
Although I thought I was alert - the little sod still came from where I least expected it!

[Jimmy B]

Know what you mean, I nearly got tidied up turning into a side street off Mt Eden Road, stopped waiting for a decent gap, indicating, 100% sure that I had all angles covered, accelerate smoothly into the path of a beanie pilot who had launched 40 meters from parked position on the opposite side of the street, must of got upto 50ish in that small stretch, that would've hurt for sure. Not sure who got the biggest fright but I know who would've come out on top. :dodge:

[GSX-RJIM]

I know that I do freak out about taking some one or my self out by smacking in to someone/thing at a full on speed, but once I'm out on the road I tend to ride fast after a while any how. This -for me-often happens after I have past a cage and I just keep on going fast. Oh that buzz of riding fast in and out of corners DAM is it good or what.
So I have been thinking I need to buy my self something like V-Strom or someithng to change the ride abit or something with less HP as I can't be trusted. But i have been saved by the '6th sence' on many occations so maybe I should just try to carm down a listen to that more.

[Jimmy B]

GSXR Jim

Interesting you should say that, was having a converstion on the topic with a Blackbird rider, goes like this:

Yep thats all very relavent to the way that I feel about riding these days. If you remember when I started looking the Bird was the only fully faired bike worth consideration with the GS1200 a possibility and I had a strong preferrence to big naked bikes. My reason for this, other than asthetics is that for me, speed is only relevant in as far as it is a product of acceleration (which is where the action is for me) but its not really related how fast I am actually going.



Confused? I maybe having some trouble trying to accurately convey the words :-) its like 0-120kph on a RM250 over dirt would have you believe that you had cracked the sound barrier in a rocketship yet 280kph around a decent track on a fat bike, behind capable fairings could actually be boring by comparrison. Those sort of high end speeds on the road are infinitley more dangerous yet the payoff in terms of acceleration are soon lost because there is no real sensation of speed once you get there, so you become desensitised to it and you dont have to work hard to get there, but the increased danger remains.



So I figured that I would get the same kick out of hooning around at near legal speeds on a naked bike and in fact it may even be more of a challenge and sort of self balancing safteywise. What I have found in the X11 is a comfortable rocketship that will let me know what 140 into a headwind really feels like and I suspect anything over 200 could not be sustained. At very high speed I would have to work way too hard for my liking and therefore reduce some of the inherant danger. I guess this is kind of where your thinking maybe as well. I remember on the CBR1000, 150kph felt like you could hop off and jog to a stop. The same speed on the X11 takes no time to get there and when you do it actually feels fast, really fast, it feels cool.

[GSX-RJIM]

Jimmy B

yep you are on to something there.
To increase the chances of riding till I'm so old I can't hope on my bike i will need to change something I do/ride.
With the V-Strom my wife can jump on the back and we can ride around the SI and do all the metal roads easy to really 'get away from it all' as well.
Maybe I could get a track day bike of some kind as well?

[trumpy]

Trumpy,

no neeed to woyry mate. You are 53 now and when you turn 54 you will actually be in your 55th year so crisis averted...

Thanks mate, I feel much better now.........!

[Ixion]

But, until then you are still in your 54th year. So the crisis may be nearer than you think :devil2:

[trumpy]

".........will let me know what 140 into a headwind really feels like and I suspect anything over 200 could not be sustained. At very high speed I would have to work way too hard for my liking and therefore reduce some of the inherant danger.......... "

You're absolutely right about this JimmyB. It's pretty damn breezy at 140k on a naked bike so you get the sensation of speed at much lower velocity. In fact my bike feels faster at 130kph than my racecar (single seater) felt at 230kph (I used to sit very low in the cockpit, thus very sheltered....although some did suggest I was really hiding in there 'cause I was terrified)

[trumpy]

But, until then you are still in your 54th year. So the crisis may be nearer than you think :devil2:

Well that thought buggered my weekend...!!:crazy:

Although the sheer lunacy I observed driving home from Auks today will probably keep me off the road for the weekend anyway. After watching several very,very near misses on blind corners (DUMB ARSES!!) on state highway one, I gave up and dived down some of my favourite back roads for a while.....not quite so much fun in 3 tons of high roof, four wheel drive van with enough unsprung weight to anchor an entire navy! Got me home safe tho'.

Never mind about cagers trying to kill you, theyre trying pretty damn hard to kill each other!

[babyB]

well done Beyond hope it'll touch a few

guys if ya wanna test limits go to the track and do it

heres food for thought..
its realy not nice to lose someone close
and its tough when one becomes a widow
and tougher on children to understand

......one of the reasons ill never be fast on track is
my gal lost her dad (& nearly lost me)
so i cant/dont take the risk, i dont want her to lose me too!

stay safe out there ppl
take a look at what gets left behind

[R6_kid]

MotoTT now has tracktime booked pretty much once every month for the next 16months or so. When with the months that they dont have them Puke or Manfield (and hopefully soon Hampton Downs) will be open anyway! I've got to the stage now where i have to much to lose riding at 'that' pace on open roads and i'm choosing when and how i ride quite carefully.

Also my bike goes into the workshop next week to get my gearbox rebuilt, which is going to unleash 2nd gear again, meaning im going to have to take a step back and learn to ride my bike again for a little while. I've done my first performance mod - braided brake lines, soon to be followed by a beefy ohlins rear shock.

I find i can be all too reckless with my riding when on the bike alone, and after reading some of twist of the wrist and putting it into action i now ride at 7-8/10 of 'my pace' and spend that left over 2-3/10 on thinking about my riding which leaves me a that extra bit of room, both time wise because im going a bit slower, and in thinking space because my head is already engaged - this may not stop me from hitting a 4x4+trailer as mentioned but it'd give me a much better chance.

But i can say, nothing makes you take things as seriously as when you are carrying someone special on your pillion seat.

[trumpy]

..........I find i can be all too reckless with my riding when on the bike alone, and after reading some of twist of the wrist and putting it into action i now ride at 7-8/10 of 'my pace' and spend that left over 2-3/10 on thinking about my riding which leaves me a that extra bit of room, both time wise because im going a bit slower, and in thinking space because my head is already engaged............

I find that I do virtually all of my riding by myself now as I tend to ride faster when with a group. I think that (putting the testosterone issue aside) it is too easy to be focussed on just keeping up with the group (or in my case at least keeping some of them in sight!) , despite any promises you might have made to yourself about "riding your own ride". Being tail end charlie is worse as you seem to have to ride even harder to keep up - strange phenomen.
This leaves little time for conciously working on your technique so that you can work towards that state of unconsious competence.
By myself I can slow down, speed up, try different body positions, repeat corners several times if I want to without having to worry about anything/anyone else. Seems to work better for me.
Having said that, the company of a group is nice every now and then.

[RnB Fan]

Excellent post. It's words of wisdom and experience that help newbies like myself on the road. It's too easy to get cocky once you've been riding for a while with no incidents. reading of others experiences and thoughts makes one think a little more about their own style of riding.

Cheers

[thehollowmen]

Well said.
I ride a bit like a nana, late apex and all that for that very reason. Had a few close encounters on blind curves... I have a good one about a helecopter on the road just outside of picton.

[Highlander]

SH-16 (http://tetoro.blogspot.com/2006/10/sh-16.html)

And here's me thniking he was going to spot a cyclist as he was hanging it into a left hander.... :shit:

Good thread people.

[Squeak the Rat]

So, when you are entering that fast sweeper and leaning over enjoying your ride, ask yourself; what if there is gravel on the road on the apex, farmer brown pulling out of a blind gate around the corner on his slow moving tractor with a hay trailer attached, a stray beefer wanting to give you a free leather suit when you whack him and take his hide off or a farmer on a tractor with those huge fork things sticking out the front at chest height coming around the corner on your side of the road while sucking his coffee (it happened to me and it was real close.)

....snip...

So, if I can save a life tonight, next time you are riding and everytime you ride, always ask, "what if", when you commit to a corner that you can't see around at speed.


I was on this road yesterday and this thread came to mind. I've always prided myself on riding with a what-if mentality, but I decided to put it to a test.

Entering a long sweeping right hander doing a reasonably decent speed I reasoned that I would have no problems stopping within the visible road ahead.

Long story short, I hit the brakes in a practice emergency stop. And fuck me if I couldn't stop before the point I had picked.

I've practiced many times doing emergency stops from 100kph or on straight bits of road but never tried with limited visible road. What got me was underestimating the huge difference in stopping distance between 100kph and 1xxkph.

Made the rest of the ride a little unsettling. What if there's an accident around the corner.....

Sobering.

[Terminated]

On my first mentor ride, Uncle B corrected my riding strategy particularly on left sweeping bends, all bends now always have me thinking 'what if'.

Thanks Uncle B.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[NighthawkNZ]

I The trouble I find is finding places to open up where the risk gets smaller!


Open Race days at the track???

[Roj]

Great post Beyond

There seems to be a mentality that says fast riders are good riders, in my mind good riders are old riders


I am older than some and younger than others, I suspect that I am not as good as I would like to believe, hopefully this is why I am still here:mellow:

[Toaster]

fuck, i was always slow on the road anyway

uhuh...... I believe you dude. YEAH RIGHT! I'm sure that GIXXER gets its beans every weekend mate!

I almost "became one" with a cow the other day... a whole bunch of these pre-burger shitters standing in my lane ON a bend on SH16 north of Kaukapakapa. I still don't know how the heck I managed to stop in time.

There I was face to face with a cow only about one foot ahead of me, who didn't seem fazed by my muffled colourful language sounding from my helmet.

Forum host "BEYOND" .... Good comments about safe riding man. Good stuff dude.

[Toast]

I almost became one with a truck full of them on SH16 once. I reckon I could jump off of the bike if I was about to nail a cow...but I can't jump tall buildings or even a stock truck. Good to practice braking with a lean on.

[Toaster]

crikey! A mate of mine was once taken out at lights. He jumped upward off the footpegs.... saved his life as the car collected his bike from under him.

[Toaster]

... I dunno if I could jump off... as the crap in my pants would stick me down to the seat after shitting myself.

[Fishy]

... I dunno if I could jump off... as the crap in my pants would stick me down to the seat after shitting myself.

A mate of mine had his front end slide out on him around a left hander with an on coming car. As the bike was going down, he lept from his bike and cleared the car, his bike went straight under the front of the car and he missed it completely but hit the ground hard on the other side of the car and broke a couple of fingers. Lightning fast reaction.