Scary situation, request for advice and warning to newbies

[R-Soul]

Right so I am on my way to Paeroa race, and have three cars in front of me. The road zigs right and then after a short stretch, left again, after which it goes over a blind rise. The oncoming traffic lane is empty.

I reckon "sweet as", and grab a handful of throttle, passing the first two cars easily. I then get greedy (and feeling almost a little disdainul of the cars - you know how it is with V-twin acceleration), piling it on to pass the front car before the left bend.

As I pull in I realise that I am going in pretty hot (ok WAY hot), and that the left hand corner will take a little more commitment than I am usually prepared to give. I also cannot see if there is incomng traffic. There are no signs showing a reduced speed corner though...

So I brake hard while I am upright, then turn in, but still find myself drifting a little wide. Luckily just then I was over the rise, and I could see that there was no incoming traffic. So I drifted into the incoming traffic lane, slowed down a little, and promised myself not to get too greedy or ride with ego again.

Boy, riding has a way of humbling you reeeeal quick.

If the turn was a slow one, or the radius was decreasing, I would have been a little stuck, and requiring a helluva lot more lean than I am used to. I am not sure if I ould havebeen able to put it into that lean, or whether I would have frozen up and ended up heading into incoming traffic and instant death - One small error of judgement, and it's that fast.


Two points:

1) By going to track days, I figure I will have abetter idea of what the bikes limits are and how much lean I can still give, and be less liely to freeze up. Which is why track days are useful. Although there will be some that argue that I will then ride faster. But I wont, because I would still take into account the unexpected - like dogs, turds in the road, traffic james, potholes etc.

2) Especially for noobs:- Its not just about whether there is enough space to pass- its also about whether there is enough space to move back into the lane and settle to a suitable speed for the next corner after passing. (Yes I know - obvious to some...)

Hey, I dont like admitting that I made a pretty basic judgement error - but if it can make a rider think better and save an accident in the future, its worth it.

[Laxi]

1) By going to track days, I figure I will have abetter idea of what the bikes limits are and how much lean I can still give,

true, but it's also easy to start riding as close to your new limit, so if you're not careful you can just end up back in the same sittuation only going faster

[duckonin]

Just slow down the road is not a race track...

[MSTRS:Me]

Ahhhh - the sweet feeling of relief when it doesn't turn to custard....
Ride with your brain, NOT your willy.

[Blackbird]

Track days are indeed worthwhile to explore the limits of your bike but a good advanced ROAD course is even better because a decent one will focus on situational awareness techniques to reduce the risk of you putting yourself in difficult positions. The one I did a few years ago was brilliant in that respect. I still screw up on the odd occasion because of inattention but undoubtedly not as often as had I not done the course in the first place!

[HenryDorsetCase]

Dont sweat it, we've all done it. some of us more than once. OK me. I try not to play those odds now. One day there WILL be something on the wrong side of the road.....

[sinfull]

Yeah do some bloody track days ! learn the bikes capabilities ! The nay sayers will always be nay sayers, but in a lot of cases, riders slow down on the road cause they get the need for speed fix elsewhere !

[R-Soul]

Track days are indeed worthwhile to explore the limits of your bike but a good advanced ROAD course is even better because a decent one will focus on situational awareness techniques to reduce the risk of you putting yourself in difficult positions. The one I did a few years ago was brilliant in that respect. I still screw up on the odd occasion because of inattention but undoubtedly not as often as had I not done the course in the first place!

good point - I have been intending to do those anyway.

[R-Soul]

Ahhhh - the sweet feeling of relief when it doesn't turn to custard....
Ride with your brain, NOT your willy.

Initially it was relief, yes, but it turned to sheer shock when I realised the possible outcomes of my stupidity (death or permanent incapcity, kids without a dad, wife without a hubby, family stuck in New Zealand without permanent residency, no income, etc- basically a complete fuckup). And all just to see how quickly I can pass a car.

One thing that I am is realistc and honest with myself - and that was just FUCKING STUPID.

[R-Soul]

true, but it's also easy to start riding as close to your new limit, so if you're not careful you can just end up back in the same sittuation only going faster

The thing is that I dont usually ride fast on the road - only when passing I like to get in and out quickly. When riding on the road, I (like to think I) factor in that I must give myself a buffer for predicting the unpredictable. And I can't afford speeding fines. So I would not ride any faster. But if I do find myself in bad situations (and its not like I will go looking for them) I will have a better chance of not freezing, or doing the right thing.

[MSTRS:Me]

... it turned to sheer shock when I realised the possible outcomes of my stupidity...

Which is why you should ALWAYS ride with your brain. Think ahead to the 'what if' before you commit to any manoeuvre...and if the 'what if' is a distinct possibility (say, because your view ahead is not clear) then don't.

[riffer]

Just to add to that, I've found that, barring a few times I've been victim of cagers, every time I've come off the bike it's been because I've stuffed up when I chickened out. I've never dropped the bike through going too fast through a corner for the bike to handle it - always been due to braking or steering wrong because I THOUGHT it couldn't. Most bikes can handle way better than the rider thinks. Just got to learn to ride smooth. I'd use a track day to learn how to ride smoother, not consciously try to ride fast. The fast comes as a result of the smooth.

[FROSTY:Me]

Im probably THE strongest advocate for trackdays as a rider skills improvement place.
However one VERY valid point that was raised by one of the naysayers is well worth remembering.
"HAVING Rossilike riding skills doesn't mean that you should ride like Rossi on the road."
So I'd suggest the point really should be not so much what to do when you get yourself into the situation but more what to do to avoid getting into the situation in the first

[riffer]

Im probably THE strongest advocate for trackdays as a rider skills improvement place.
However one VERY valid point that was raised by one of the naysayers is well worth remembering.
"HAVING Rossilike riding skills doesn't mean that you should ride like Rossi on the road."
So I'd suggest the point really should be not so much what to do when you get yourself into the situation but more what to do to avoid getting into the situation in the first

Yeah when I learn how to stop doing that I'll start offering advice on THAT one...

[R-Soul]

Which is why you should ALWAYS ride with your brain. Think ahead to the 'what if' before you commit to any manoeuvre...and if the 'what if' is a distinct possibility (say, because your view ahead is not clear) then don't.

And I generally like to think that I do use my brain. Until now it simply it never occurrred to me to think about what happens after the overtaking. I always focussed on the overtaking itself, reasoning that once I am past the car, I am home free. Not so.

Which is why I wanted to share my experience with all. Perhaps others may not have considered this aspect either. There are definitely two steps to planning an overtaking manouver.