BIker down harbour bridge

[Ixion]

Surely it wouldn't be too hard to install a set of orange flashing lights to warn motorists that a hazard exists ahead (tail of a queue, accident, bit of rubbish on the road). Attoms (not sure correct spelling of acronym) monitor cameras on the Auckland motorways surley they could activate a switch that turned the lights on and off. I hear them on the police scanner, and they know whats going on.

They do sometimes. I've seen them use those overhead lights that show which lanes are open to put an orange X in some lanes, which I interpret as lane is open but watch out for hazards. So I slow down.


In my usual nanaish way I always obey the speed limit over the bridge (lots of plod around, and no point taking a chance for the excitement of going over the bridge at 100kph) and my observation is about 50% of the traffic is 80 - 90kph , the rest 100kph or a bit more.

The other nasty hidden queue palce is the motorway on ramp from Stanley street where it bends round to the left to join the motorway proper. Almost came to grief there in the car once, on a wet road. Came round a bit fast, oh shit everybodies stopped, got all crossed up and (literally) sideways, only sorted myself out just in time. Now I nana that corner every time. (real, real scary thing about that one was, I was following my boss! Hitting him would not have been a good career move!)

[c4.]

By the holy motorcycle gods, I am glad that rider is alive.
I have been commuting on that lovely piece of roading filth for too long now.
When I tried (to my disgust) in a cage, to get over the bridge today at 1600, I knew there was something up!
When I got to work I found out that a biker had been dealt to??!!! F**k they said his bike was in 2 pieces!!??!! I am soooo glad to hear that it wasn't someone killed, and they weren't doing 120 lane splitting.
It is dangerous sh*t playing with AKs MWays. Look once, look twice look three and four f**king times. Never go to sleep on that bas**rd
Best wishes to MR's mate. Kia kaha.

[NinjaBoy]

Came round a bit fast, oh shit everybodies stopped, got all crossed up and (literally) sideways, only sorted myself out just in time. Now I nana that corner every time.

The only problem is that now you've got that sus'ed, the driver behind you probably hasn't. Got rear ended in the cage a couple of Fridays ago in 10-20km/h rush hour traffic. While I was watching the driver behind wasn't. Towbar took out her car (undrivable after) But what if I was on the bike !!! eeeeck!!!

[justsomeguy]

The only problem is that now you've got that sus'ed, the driver behind you probably hasn't. Got rear ended in the cage a couple of Fridays ago in 10-20km/h rush hour traffic. While I was watching the driver behind wasn't. Towbar took out her car (undrivable after) But what if I was on the bike !!! eeeeck!!!

Thats why you are always supposed to maintain 2 seconds of distance between the vehicle in front AND 2 SECONDS BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE BEHIND. You cannot rely on the vehicle behind to keep a safe distance so if he is tailgating you then you simply keep 4 seconds of breaking distance between you and the car ahead.

Whoever taught you to ride or drive should have hammered that into your brain........ unless you learnt outside Auckland where you are not familiar with our stupidities..

And leave crashe alone.... I'm sure she did not mean anything harmful.

I understand your reaction though SM.... these are sensitive topics that can easily get underestimated.

Sorry to hear that this is one of your mates MR....

I hope he makes a complete recovery. It would be great to meet him and shout him a drink for having survived his ordeal......

Since no one has asked yet..... how is the bike?? And was it a CBR?? which one??

I hope it is NOT A BLUE CBR600

Kind regards and my best wishes

[FROSTY:Me]

well i feel for the dude--there but for the grace of god go i---
i ride that road twice a day 6 days a week. -not fun in rush hour.

[moggy]

Heck, that sounds like the guy had a really lucky escape. Though sat here in England I am chuckling at the complaints of heavy traffic from everyone. Lack of traffic is one thing that I am looking forward to.
Over here lots of bikers do Advanced training with either IAM or the Police as we know we need eyes in the back of our head and the ability to predict the future to stay alive on some roads. The one accident I ever had was in heavy queuing traffic - one guy obviously didn't leave enough space to brake and decided he would swap into my lane instead. I was darned lucky despite being in the middle lane, rolling into the outside lane and my bike shooting accross into the hard shoulder someone everyone managed to avoid me and the bike.
Queues are bad because unlike other potential accidents, even if you react, there is no where to go to get out of it.

I also feel for the people in the car, having someone fly through the car (espcially not wearing a red cape and underpants on the outside) must have been one scary experience

[750Y]

phew!, glad to hear the guy's ok.

[Lou Girardin]

How many times I have been nearly run into the barriers on the bridge by speeding drivers I cant count them even when I am doing 100kms. And NO I have never seen anyone obeying the 80kms rule on the bridge. I get tailgated doing the speed limit. HEAPS!

We now KNOW that this particular incident did not invovle speed thank you SpeedMedic for clarifying that. But I feel it is not appropriate to dis a KB member for sharing an opinion

Feel free to trash my opinion. Thats what the site is all about isnt it?

MD

Sorry to disagree Mad Duck, but I travel the bridge twice every day and more on weekends. It is rare to see speeders (more than 100 k's). I'd check my speedo if I was you, you may find it's reading way fast and that's why you're having problems.

[jrandom]

... just around the bend, traffic had suddenly stopped which was not visible to him until it was too late. He couldn't brake in time, so he rearended into the back of one of the cars...

This has happened to me at a similar speed differential; I've just switched into filtering mode and ducked up between the cars. I didn't really think about it, I just sort of twitched into lane 2A naturally as the cars rushed up to me.

I suppose if one isn't in the habit of filtering, no option other than panic braking presents itself as an automatic reaction in that situation.

My best wishes to the poor bastard, hope he recovers fully and takes it easy for a while. Glad there were no major injuries.

[XP@]

Well actually most accidents can be avoided but what is pointless is hindsight. Accidents, while they may have been avoided, were not and there is nothing we can do to change that but we can learn from them and move on as you suggested. Dissing peaple is something that happens when online (and in person though it seems to happen more online.) though one would hope that, in a place like this one where peaple may actually want to meet in person, it wouldn't happen very often or just be a PT.

Agree!
Tonight I will give a little extra room, I don't want to become the hood ornament of the car in front.

[vifferman]

Thats why you are always supposed to maintain 2 seconds of distance between the vehicle in front AND 2 SECONDS BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE BEHIND. You cannot rely on the vehicle behind to keep a safe distance so if he is tailgating you then you simply keep 4 seconds of breaking distance between you and the car ahead.

It's not really practicable to do that in Dorkland, as someone will go, "Oooh - a gap! That lane must be going faster - I'd better queue jump!"
I had to take my wife into work on Sunday, and even though the traffic was light, there were still heaps of fuckwits swapping lanes erratically, not indicating, following too closely, and just being.. well, fuckwits, I guess.

I always look waaay ahead on the bike (not continuously, just glancing now and again) so I'm aware if there are holdups or whatever. For that reason (and others) I choose not to follow something I can't see past, like a truck, van, big 4WD or bus. And as for people running into the back of me if the traffic slows down, I keep an eye on my mirrors, so if someone behind me is likely to run into me, I can do what jrandom says and just dive between lanes. I also slow down, turn around and glare at anyone who's following to close, and if that doesn't work wave them back or change lanes. I'm not going to rely on others to repsect my safety zone, so if they are getting too close, I make space any way I can.

[James Deuce]

can we agree to disagree. Accidents are accidents. They happen and cant be avoided. We can maybe move on? Someone made a bad choice as you do.

I still cant see where dissing people in public for their opinions(ie KB forum)will solve the problem.

There is no such thing as an "accident" in a motor vehicle. A human being either made an error of judgement, performed a selfish action, a malicious action, or a negligent action. They are all avoidable. The road toll will not drop significantly until we stop regarding it as OK to have motor vehicle "accidents". People need to take responsibility for their own contribution to the cause of an "accident". Every motor vehicle accident I've had has been my fault to lesser or greater degree, irrespective of the legal position taken by enforcement agencies.

[Motoracer]

Hey dudes, I will let him know about all the great replies and ask him to look at this thread when he can. He is on KB but doesn't post or check in here much. It was a black '04 CBR 1000 RR. Don't know about the damages on the bike yet but I'd imagine fucked forks, buckled wheels etc etc at minimum.

Cheers!

[James Deuce]

Hey dudes, I will let him know about all the great replies and ask him to look at this thread when he can. He is on KB but doesn't post or check in here much. It was a black '04 CBR 1000 RR. Don't know about the damages on the bike yet but I'd imagine fucked forks, buckled wheels etc etc at minimum.

Cheers!

He didn't, by chance, happen to have a helmet mounted camera on? That would make for some cool footage!

Make sure you get him to post when he can and let us know how he's doing.

[BNZ]

How many times I have been nearly run into the barriers on the bridge by speeding drivers I cant count them even when I am doing 100kms. And NO I have never seen anyone obeying the 80kms rule on the bridge. I get tailgated doing the speed limit. HEAPS!
MD

Try getting out of the fast lane? :spudwhat:

Hahaha, na im an aucklander so know what you mean. It can get pretty chaotic during peak hours!