New pants please!

[GOONR]

Ok, I stuffed up the other day. Didn't hit anything but it was damn close. Heading north over the harbour bridge on the clip on. Moderate traffic and I'm in the left hand lane watching about 4-6 cars in front of me. I glanced in my mirror and noticed a car slightly behind me in the right hand lane indicating left, there is no gap for him to get in to so I assume he's heading for the 'gap' that is me. keep on glancing in the mirror then do a head check cause I can't see him anymore... the next thing is I'm looking forward again and everything in front has almost stopped. I hit the brakes hard, the 4x4 behind me hits the brakes hard. There is probably less than a metre in between me and the car in front and I would guess a bit less between me and the car behind.

Now, I know I didn't have an exit route planned, number one ferk up. I let the car behind me get way too close, number two ferk up. I think that I must have been giving the car to the right too much of a priority but at the time he seemed to be my biggest threat.

What should I have done, apart from having an exit route. I don't want the "Katman" explanation of we are all fuckwits and get what we deserve. I want to learn from this and know how to avoid this kind of situation in the future.

'PS Katman' I'm a learner , I'm on my L plate and it is always on the back of the bike. I'm after advice not crap criticism

[Katman]

What should I have done, apart from having an exit route. I don't want the "Katman" explanation of we are all fuckwits and get what we deserve. I want to learn from this and know how to avoid this kind of situation in the future.

'PS Katman' I'm a learner , I'm on my L plate and it is always on the back of the bike. I'm after advice not crap criticism

If that's all you've manged to glean from anything I've posted, my advice is.....improve.

[GOONR]

If that's all you've manged to glean from anything I've posted, my advice is.....improve.

Like I said, if you have no constructive input then please stay quiet. Thank you!

[Katman]

Like I said, if you have no constructive input then please stay quiet. Thank you!

Fuck, who are you? The Polite Nazi?

[gwigs]

Glad your ok Goonr .....you cant plan for everything...sometimes it all happens too quick .And Katman Fuck Off you Homo..Waiting behind his keyboard ready to pounce, what a joke..

[paddy]

Just some thoughts in no particular order - I'm a relatively new rider as well; however, I have a lot of advanced driver training under my belt from a former life.

* It was good to notice the hazard behind and to your right; however, don't forget to keep scanning. Don't fixate on one hazard. Just incorporate that hazard into your scan. That way you will always have an idea as to where the car is.

* Lengthen your following distance. Firstly, it sounds like you were probably following a little close to start with, but even if you weren't, lengthening the distance further will give you more breathing space and more room to react - especially when you make mistakes which you inevitably will as a learner rider (or an experienced rider for that matter).

* Don't get squished by the car behind you that is also no paying attention - lengthen your following distance.

* When you ride, practice identifying escape routes. See if you can always have one planned.

Stay safe.

P.

[steve_t]

+1 for increasing the distance between you and the vehicle in front of your when there's someone tailgating you. You get to slow down slower and reduce the chance of getting smashed from behind

[GOONR]

Just some thoughts in no particular order - I'm a relatively new rider as well; however, I have a lot of advanced driver training under my belt from a former life.

* It was good to notice the hazard behind and to your right; however, don't forget to keep scanning. Don't fixate on one hazard. Just incorporate that hazard into your scan. That way you will always have an idea as to where the car is.

* Lengthen your following distance. Firstly, it sounds like you were probably following a little close to start with, but even if you weren't, lengthening the distance further will give you more breathing space and more room to react - especially when you make mistakes which you inevitably will as a learner rider (or an experienced rider for that matter).

* Don't get squished by the car behind you that is also no paying attention - lengthen your following distance.

* When you ride, practice identifying escape routes. See if you can always have one planned.

Stay safe.

P.

Cheers Paddy,

Yeah, I may have been a bit closer than usual to the car in front, nah fuck it, I must have been too close for the gap to disappear like that. Generally I try to leave a large gap but must have misjudged it in this instance. Yup target fixation must have be a part of it as well.

[skinman]

hey goonr
well done for not binning
how do you get on with the fuzz going over the bridge & I presume some distance on the motorway on an L?
living in the south the m way for me is a quick way of getting around but have not used yet as not meant to do more than 70 although there are so many roadworks that most of the mway seems to be 80 limit at the mo.

[Hawkeye]

I've always found it beneficial to travel just off the white line. Right in the left lane, left in the right lane.
This gives you the best options. You are in the mirrors of the car in front and you have the gap to shoot alongside in the case of what you describe.
I went into the back of a ute by doing exactly as you have described. A ute with ABS brakes can stop much quicker than a bike especially if you don't leave a big enough gap.
Leaving too big a gap can have the opposite affect. Cages will try to use it. It's all about balance. Make sure you always have your escape route available but don't travel too close or too far back.

[GOONR]

hey goonr
well done for not binning
how do you get on with the fuzz going over the bridge & I presume some distance on the motorway on an L?
living in the south the m way for me is a quick way of getting around but have not used yet as not meant to do more than 70 although there are so many roadworks that most of the mway seems to be 80 limit at the mo.

Over the bridge is easy really, it's only a 80kph area, so me doing 85 (yes it's illegal) and keeping up with the flow has never been an issue, I've had plod sat right behind me and never been worried bout being pulled over.

[GOONR]

I've always found it beneficial to travel just off the white line. Right in the left lane, left in the right lane.
This gives you the best options. You are in the mirrors of the car in front and you have the gap to shoot alongside in the case of what you describe.
I went into the back of a ute by doing exactly as you have described. A ute with ABS brakes can stop much quicker than a bike especially if you don't leave a big enough gap.
Leaving too big a gap can have the opposite affect. Cages will try to use it. It's all about balance. Make sure you always have your escape route available but don't travel too close or too far back.

get ya with the white line thing, do the same myself.

Cheers.

EDIT: just didn't think I had enough room between the car in front and the car in the right hand lane to use that option.

[YellowDog]

Yes I agree that it is not a nice feeling when you can be compromised from left right back and front. And the harbour bridge is a bit of a free for all.

You do need to leave a reasonable gap between you and the car in front however as has already been said, some bugger will fill it if it is too big.

My own strategy for the bridge is to work with the traffic flow and keep overtaking when safe. This involves avoiding car mirror blind spots and passing when clear. If you are always overtaking you can't get boxed in and if it all stops, you have an escape route between the lanes. 10secs up and 10 secs down and then up the Onewa Road.

[sinfull]

What should I have done, apart from having an exit route. I don't want the "Katman" explanation of we are all fuckwits and get what we deserve. I want to learn from this and know how to avoid this kind of situation in the future.

'PS Katman' I'm a learner , I'm on my L plate and it is always on the back of the bike. I'm after advice not crap criticism

Calling Katman ....

If that's all you've manged to glean from anything I've posted, my advice is.....improve.

Fair input !

Like I said, if you have no constructive input then please stay quiet. Thank you!

Glad your ok Goonr .....you cant plan for everything...sometimes it all happens too quick .And Katman Fuck Off you Homo..Waiting behind his keyboard ready to pounce, what a joke..

You coonts are so bandwagon it aint funny, can either of you dweebs actually tell me the point Katman tries to get across ?

[GOONR]

Calling Katman ....

Fair input !



You coonts are so bandwagon it aint funny, can either of you dweebs actually tell me the point Katman tries to get across ?

The point that he tries to get across is that we don't do ourselves any favours by coming to harm to often, that is taken on board (hence why I asked what could I do better next time)...... His delivery sucks, did he offer anything constructive to this thread. No.