I ran a red light today...

[Jiminy]

I'm not too proud of myself here, but had a couple of good reminders at no cost, so can't be too unhappy.

I was crossing lanes right after coming out of a curve to turn into the next street on the right. Almost no traffic, but a few pedestrians looking like they were about to cross the road without seeing me. Turned out that they had seen me, but I spent so much time looking at what they were doing that I forgot the traffic lights ahead.

So after passing the pedestrians and scanning the roads a couple of times, I look up and see the red light just a couple of metres away. First reflex: grab the front brake... and lock the front wheels, oops. After wobbling a bit and screeching my tyres a couple of times, I released the front brake enough to take control of the bike and stop... quite some way after the lights.

Lesson 1: It's good to keep an eye on a hazard, but don't forget about the other ones.

Lesson 2: My braking skills are crap, time to find an empty parking lot for some practice.

Lesson 3: My M50 is very forgiving, I love her.

I got lucky this time.

[fergie]

those sort of events just become building blocks of knowledge,
Im sure from now on at every set of lights you will react/think differently.

[mowgli]

A valuable lesson for you and a timely reminder for the rest of us. Thanks for sharing.

[90s]

I'm not too proud of myself here, but had a couple of good reminders at no cost, so can't be too unhappy.

I was crossing lanes right after coming out of a curve to turn into the next street on the right. Almost no traffic, but a few pedestrians looking like they were about to cross the road without seeing me. Turned out that they had seen me, but I spent so much time looking at what they were doing that I forgot the traffic lights ahead.

So after passing the pedestrians and scanning the roads a couple of times, I look up and see the red light just a couple of metres away. First reflex: grab the front brake... and lock the front wheels, oops. After wobbling a bit and screeching my tyres a couple of times, I released the front brake enough to take control of the bike and stop... quite some way after the lights.

Lesson 1: It's good to keep an eye on a hazard, but don't forget about the other ones.

Lesson 2: My braking skills are crap, time to find an empty parking lot for some practice.

Lesson 3: My M50 is very forgiving, I love her.

I got lucky this time.


Good on you for sharing and learning, but how are you on an 800cc bike with poor basic skills? Did you get it by an exemption? Or is it teething troubles going up from a 250 to an 800?
I'm not having a go, just curious.

[faredce]

i had a similar thing happen to me but almost went up a cars arse. for some reason everytime i look at something when i look forward again the cars all seem to have stopped in that split second. fortunately my bike weighs 114kg and has a brake disk the size of a large dinner plate sooo i was fine.....this time

[Badjelly]

A valuable lesson for you and a timely reminder for the rest of us. Thanks for sharing.

What he said!

I had a "driving through red light while concentrating on something else on the road" moment a few months back. Embarrassing, but could have been much worse!

[martybabe]

Easily done , I was so focused on a loose dog and whether it was gonna run out into the road, I failed to notice the bloke in front had stopped for the same reason, left a bit of rubber on his bumper but that's all ,fortunately going slow because of the dog.

So focused on preventing an accident I actually caused one, albeit minor, it's so easy to take your eye off the ball eh.

[mowgli]

Good on you for sharing and learning, but how are you on an 800cc bike with poor basic skills? Did you get it by an exemption? Or is it teething troubles going up from a 250 to an 800?
I'm not having a go, just curious.
Hmm, you bring up a good point, always ride within your limits. I read it differently though.

Emergency braking is a skill that must practised. Regular braking won't prepare you properly.
Task fixation is a potential killer. Keep that head moving scanning for hazards and escape routes.

[swbarnett]

it's so easy to take your eye off the ball eh.
Indeed.

I've run a red twice in my driving career (apart from the times you cautiously go through when they won't pick you up).

The first was on my CB125T and was definitely a newbie mistake - I hit oil just as I was braking and had a choice of either riding or sliding through the intersection. I chose to ride with horn engaged - just as well as there was a car that would've hit me otherwise.

The second was as a courier on my CBX400. I'd just finished a delivery to the Westfield freezing works and came out of a driveway that was only about 10m from a light controlled ped. crossing on an empty road. I didn't even see the lights and went straight through in front of a couple of guys that could've flattened me with one finger given half a chance. They yelled at me and I looked back to see the red light - I chose not to stop and apologise for obvious reasons.

[R6_kid]

emergency braking funnily enough can't be done in a hurry, you need to be smooth with your application of the brakes and not jump on them.

Things like suspension and tyres need a fraction of a second to get setup for hard braking, jumping on them doesn't allow for this.

The application should be smooth and 'exponential' (increasing at an increasing rate of change) but as long as you are smooth then you shouldn't lock up the wheel.
Now, go practice.

[swbarnett]

always ride within your limits.
Pushing them a little is also very beneficial. Just don't push them too much all at once.

[Jiminy]

There were some good comments in here. Thanks guys :first:.


Good on you for sharing and learning, but how are you on an 800cc bike with poor basic skills? Did you get it by an exemption? Or is it teething troubles going up from a 250 to an 800?
I'm not having a go, just curious.

No exemption. The BHS braking test didn't teach me how to brake, but where the brakes are ;). I have my full license, but I still call myself a newbie (don't say it too loud, though :)). A license arguably tells you that you are a good enough rider (kind of), not a good rider, so I keep practising.

As to going up from a 250 to an 800, I ride a cruiser, so weight is the main issue, not displacement. Would be different for a sports bike, I guess. Also, my M50 is more stable than my EL250 was. With the EL250, I probably would have binned.

[90s]

There were some good comments in here. Thanks guys :first:.



No exemption. The BHS braking test didn't teach me how to brake, but where the brakes are ;). I have my full license, but I still call myself a newbie (don't say it too loud, though :)). A license arguably tells you that you are a good enough rider (kind of), not a good rider, so I keep practising.

As to going up from a 250 to an 800, I ride a cruiser, so weight is the main issue, not displacement. Would be different for a sports bike, I guess. Also, my M50 is more stable than my EL250 was. With the EL250, I probably would have binned.

Fair enough.
One of the first things I do when I get a new bike is to practice emergency braking and tactics on it until I feel confident. In fact with my last 2 bikes I also did the RRRS course as soon as I got them as well. Practice before you need the skills!
Those are nice bikes. A friend of mine just got one - they're not sport bikes but their not slouches either.

[madbikeboy]

The take out for me in this thread is about two things.

The first is situational awareness and the amount of attention you spend. Experience teaches you to plan well ahead, scanning for exits and shit about to happen. Further, when shit happens, it's the bit that takes the braking and handling of the bike and turns action from thinking about action, to reflexive and natural action. Practice. More practice. And more practice. I've been riding for a week or two (since Duran Duran were around), but I still do braking drills every week.

The second take out for me is that the time spent learning on your 250 wasn't spent doing enough skills based riding. Find a local run course that gives you practice on the basics. I'm yet to meet anyone who knows it all, even if you think you won't learn something, I can assure you that you might learn one thing that could save your life.

The people who are most open to learning more skills are the ones who have been riding a long time, who realise their limitations. I am one of those people, I have a long way to become a Mick Dohaan / Aaron Slight, and I am willing to listen to advice from anyone.

Forgive me if this sounds like a beat up, take this as a quiet word from Tim the Toolman Taylor's next door neighbour.

MBB.

[avgas]

Oh well these things happen.
Here is hoping that it scares you to DEATH so that it NEVER happens again.
Would hate to see this thread rehashed as you lie in a hospital bed.

[Burger]

Crikey.

I remember hooting down Aotea Quay in Wellington on my old RZ250 years ago, a set of lights was red ahead of me and 2 cars in the other lane had stopped. I just wasn't paying attention and flew right through at 80 odd k/ph. It wasn't until 100m later I realised what I had done and promptly thanked my stars that I was very very lucky.

Those lights are for freight trains, if one had been coming I would be pulp.

Needless to say I've improved my concentration levels.