What I see as a motorcyclist eight years on - A tribute to Kiwi Biker

[caspernz]

I think you will find the biggest killer by number of motorcyclists involved in single vehicle accidents is motorcyclists.

They are certainly the only ingredient that is universally present.

Oh c'mon now, this type of common sense we don't need around here...least of all on a Friday afternoon

Just from personal observation, I'm surprised the accident rate isn't higher. The summer/weekend rider outings certainly display some woeful skills, never mind the law of the land being treated as a suggestion

[2wheel dodgem]

My $0.02 on corners... the sign is another piece of information, nothing more.

What's the road surface like? Camber? Sudden wind gusts as you round the corner? Chance of loose stock wandering onto the road, just around from where you are now? Is there a driveway just around the corner? Does the radius decrease or increase? Is there a roadworks patch just beyond your sight line with fresh chip laid down and still loose? Is it a shaded, damp part of the road, with moss starting to grow on it? Are there fallen leaves on the surface... and did it rain in the last couple of days? How wide is the road, what's coming the other way, and are you projecting into an oncoming truck's cab?

What's the rider's state like? Fresh and rested, or tired? Are you at the start of your ride, or trying to get home at the end of a long day? Do you know just how far over you can lean the bike, if you get caught out and need to lean more? Can you change lines mid-corner, use countersteer, recover if a tyre slips? Are you trying to keep up with other riders?

What's the state of the bike like? How old are the tyres, how likely is it to touch down if there's a bump mid-corner?

In the end there's simply too much to process consciously, so a set of habits and reflexes become necessary. Experience counts. Training really counts. Keep track of mistakes, try to notice them and learn from them, adapt your riding to the conditions you find yourself in. It's not as simple as an advisory sign.

But if it says 25 and it's a reverse camber, yeah, do 25.

+1 to this.

The other factor which for me is critical is whether I can see right through to the corner or not.
Generally those narly 25km corners are on the side of a hill with no visibility greater than the apex.

[george formby]

+1 to this.

The other factor which for me is critical is whether I can see right through to the corner or not.
Generally those narly 25km corners are on the side of a hill with no visibility greater than the apex.

Hopefully the apex. One of the two which catches me out is like a circle hook, heh. The apex is round the corner as it were.

You do have a point, heh. Speed is dictated by what you can see rather than an advisory. I don't recall looking at my speedo before entering a corner, to much going on.

[Berries]

There was an article in an AA magazine a few years ago that said the biggest killers in single motorcycle crashes are bends.

As opposed to what, straights?



You are full of win in this thread.

[Oakie]

What's the road surface like? Is there a roadworks patch just beyond your sight line with fresh chip laid down and still loose?

Exactly what I struck two days ago on a right handed off-camber curve on the other side of a rise that I must have transited about 2000 times in the last 9.5 years on the way to work. Some poo nearly came out as I went from looking at two driveways as possible run off routes and then managed to resist braking and keep it on the road and rode on cursing people who don't put warning signs out.

[swbarnett]

...someone on here posted about taking a 80k bend at 95 and coming to grief on gravel.

Had they been going slower they would've had more time to correct but their speed was most likely not the cause.

My speedo is in miles. Most corners in good weather I can take a little below the posted recommendation speed quite comfortably i.e. about two thirds higher in kph.

[swbarnett]

Despite this faster cornering ability the chance of a collision with a hazard around the bend will remain the the same for those who ignore the signs.

As long as you can stop within your visibility there's no problem.

You have never been around a 20km bend then with your thinking. Even others posting here are saying they are to be taken seriously.

Taken seriously, yes. I take ALL corners seriously. That doesn't mean that they have to be taken at no more than 20kph if correct planning is done ahead of the corner.

[Drew]

Holy fucken shit, what a friggin thread this is.

[James Deuce]

Holy fucken shit, what a friggin thread this is.

I tried to bring it back on track but these other cunts have some sort of tightening radius corner up their arse.

[eldog]

I dont look at my speedo either but the signs for me give me an indication of how many gears to change down.

20 = change down 2 gears
30 = change down 3
50 = change down 5?
70 how many gears do you have?

[Drew]

I tried to bring it back on track but these other cunts have some sort of tightening radius corner up their arse.

Once this sort of "what I do is right and I know more than you" bullshit starts, don't try and get it back on track.

Just poke fun at the fuckwits.

[eldog]

Of course the speed was not the cause the gravel was but by lowering your speed (in this case) the gravel would be seen sooner giving some rather than no chance to avoid it.

The faster you go the SOONER you will see it.

going SLOWER gives you MORE time to react

often the best option is no sudden movements and keep on the gas

[buggerit]

They must feel though for most modern vehicles they can hold their roadworthy state for a year otherwise they would not have changed the inspections from being 6 monthly.

Yep, all tyres last at least 12 months now, no matter how many km you do, same with brake pads, tie rod ends etc

[eldog]

Hopefully the apex. One of the two which catches me out is like a circle hook, heh. The apex is round the corner as it were.

You do have a point, heh. Speed is dictated by what you can see rather than an advisory. I don't recall looking at my speedo before entering a corner, to much going on.

If I have time to look at speedo going into a corner then I am either going to slow or not concentrating on what I should be.

I still need to sort corners consistently. But that's practise and I need it.

[Drew]

If I have time to look at speedo going into a corner then I am either going to slow or not concentrating on what I should be.

I still need to sort corners consistently. But that's practise and I need it.

Hang on. You're giving advice one minute, the next you're admitting you don't know what you're doing.