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Thread: Braking - My Take

  1. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by sugilite View Post
    I've had several experiences of objects falling off peoples trailers, trucks and so on in front of me. I've also been following vehicles in front that have run over debris redistributing them, and wammo, one has to take action to mitigate. Think you will find most motorcyclists have at some stage experienced thus. Unless one lives a charmed life. When it comes to motorcycle safety threads, it may not be the best place to troll in an effort to score points over a personal vendetta.

    Just sayin.
    Had a chat to a guy in Chch recently. Two years ago, he came off at 25 kmh after hitting a tie-down strop buckle in one of the tunnels south of Kaikoura.

    You know, the ones where your eyes are accumstomed to riding in bright sunlight, but then they are unable to see very well in the brief period of dark through the tunnel.

    So far the damage to his leg has cost ACC $1.2M. And he will never be right. Had to sell his business, and he's only recently back at work.

    Sometimes bad stuff happens that we just can't do anything about. The best guess I have seen is around 5% of crashes are thus.

    Meaning 95% are those we can take action to avoid.

  2. #62
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    Meaning 95% are those we can take action to avoid.
    Amen to that Pete. Shame it's so hard for the masses to accept it...

  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by caspernz View Post
    Amen to that Pete. Shame it's so hard for the masses to accept it...
    Here's one for you...

    This last Sunday I was travelling along on the Buller Gorge road when a wasp got behind the visor and stung me just under my left eye. Damned near had me having a big moment too. No amount of braking practice prepares you for that sort of bad boy moment!

  4. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    Boots make a huge difference. I don't ever ride with steel toe boots. Ever, Nil feel of the gear lever.
    I find there is no difference in riding with steel caps, armored road riding or MX boots at all.

  5. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by Navy Boy View Post
    Here's one for you...

    This last Sunday I was travelling along on the Buller Gorge road when a wasp got behind the visor and stung me just under my left eye. Damned near had me having a big moment too. No amount of braking practice prepares you for that sort of bad boy moment!
    Had that happen between Hastings and Havelock North. Got stung behind my right ear. Managed to make it back to my parants place thank goodness.. Took my gear off while feeling quite ill then sat on the couch in the louge. Dad finished work about an hour and came though the back door seeing that I was puffed up like the Michiilan Man and very ill.

  6. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    Boots make a huge difference. I don't ever ride with steel toe boots. Ever, Nil feel of the gear lever.
    I often do. But I position the lever so it sits just behind the steel cap. I can feel the lever through the leather.

    But ... On the FJ ... I seldom need to change gear. It happily goes everywhere in top.

    Horsepower and torque ... makes life easy ..
    When life throws you a curve ... Lean into it ...

  7. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by Navy Boy View Post
    Here's one for you...

    This last Sunday I was travelling along on the Buller Gorge road when a wasp got behind the visor and stung me just under my left eye. Damned near had me having a big moment too. No amount of braking practice prepares you for that sort of bad boy moment!
    Yup. Been stung a few times. Had them in me hemlet but the worst was riding into a swarm and getting multiple bees up the sleeves of my jacket.

    Hit a pheasant "speed testing" an old 750 years ago. I hit it with the clutch lever and fractured my fingers before it hit my chest and embedded a pillow full of feathers into the zip. Same jacket as I got stung in. After managing to remove the jacket with one hand it never left the closet again.

    I dread to think what would have happened if it hit the brake lever. Ouchies.
    Manopausal.

  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by FJRider View Post
    I often do. But I position the lever so it sits just behind the steel cap. I can feel the lever through the leather.

    But ... On the FJ ... I seldom need to change gear. It happily goes everywhere in top.

    Horsepower and torque ... makes life easy ..
    What is the sole rigidity like? Crashes can fold up the foot a bit.
    Don't you look at my accountant.
    He's the only one I've got.

  9. #69
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    Not funny.
    Manopausal.

  10. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by Navy Boy View Post
    Here's one for you...

    This last Sunday I was travelling along on the Buller Gorge road when a wasp got behind the visor and stung me just under my left eye. Damned near had me having a big moment too. No amount of braking practice prepares you for that sort of bad boy moment!
    Of course this sort of thing will happen aye Lee. I've been stung once or twice, so now visor goes down nice and early. Neck buffs are handy to keep the problems in that area. Yeah it's warm but it serves its purpose.

    Some weeks ago I mentioned to the participants on my course to close their visors going down into a valley known to be full of bugs/bees etc. Those who closed their visors merely got splattered, those who didn't had a lot more "fun" as it turns out

  11. #71
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    I left my house with the visor just cracked an inch. A fly bounced off the chin piece and right up my nostril. Bleeerrgh. I had to push the other nostril closed and blow to get it out. What a disgusting start to the day.

    Then I considered how the fly must have felt.
    Don't you look at my accountant.
    He's the only one I've got.

  12. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    Had a chat to a guy in Chch recently. Two years ago, he came off at 25 kmh after hitting a tie-down strop buckle in one of the tunnels south of Kaikoura.

    You know, the ones where your eyes are accumstomed to riding in bright sunlight, but then they are unable to see very well in the brief period of dark through the tunnel.

    So far the damage to his leg has cost ACC $1.2M. And he will never be right. Had to sell his business, and he's only recently back at work.

    Sometimes bad stuff happens that we just can't do anything about. The best guess I have seen is around 5% of crashes are thus.

    Meaning 95% are those we can take action to avoid.
    Yeah, spot on mate. My two worst were slow speeders. 4 breaks in the femur, one an eye catching spiral for the xray - went down due to inexperience with knobbly tyres on the road. My Fault. 2nd one de-gloved lower left leg when a truck failed to indicate, knocked me off at less than 10 kph, then ran down the side of my leg. It de-gloved as I ripped it out as it went under the rear wheels of said truck. Cops blamed him, though there were things I could have done better to avoid. I've had 9 crashes on the roads, most when I was pre 20 years old. Only one was unavoidable. I have had countless crashes racing.

    After talking with many riders about their crashes, I became aware that many get a fright, then tell themselves they are crashing, then promptly fulfill their own prophesy. They basically gave up even trying to save it. I have got away With many crashes by trying and not giving up until it's over and I'm on the ground.
    Case in point below, This was me on a ZX10R Superbike. I had only just got it and had to find the limit of the front end - something one simply has to do if they want to be at the pointy end. As you can see, I'm still trying to ride the bike despite clearly having crashed already


  13. #73
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    One minute my hands were full. The next they were empty .

    My mighty 50cc racer flicked me over the high side. Yeah i know. It happens.
    I can Save it. I can save it. . . . I can read the number board. Oh shit.
    Don't you look at my accountant.
    He's the only one I've got.

  14. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by F5 Dave View Post
    What is the sole rigidity like? Crashes can fold up the foot a bit.
    They're heavy duty work boots. But easier to walk in than some motorcycle boots I've owned. Similar to Army boots but steel toecaps. And good ankle support. With regular treatment .. very waterproof. More waterproof than some motorcycle boots I've owned.
    When life throws you a curve ... Lean into it ...

  15. #75
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    I was fortunate to be trained by an old school trucker whoÂ’d had his share of heavy metal interactions... One thing he passed on which I later put into practice twice is sometimes you may not be able to stop but you can CHOOSE what your going to hit.

    So IÂ’m northbound from a day watching winter series at Manfield cruising at a dollar twenty on the GSXR back when it wasnÂ’t a heinous offence. Overtaking a grubby farm ute when he slams anchors and turns into driveway at my point of no return.
    I grab a handful of brakes end up staring at front quarter panel... amazing the time your brain has to think in slow mo in these events. Headline Mc killed while overtaking turning vehicle you bastard it will look like my fault when you just havenÂ’t indicated or they were mud covered or didnÂ’t even look for me....
    I realise current trajectory ends very badly, I still have an option...
    I let go of brakes and violently turn to right and pass just in front of his bumper....
    IÂ’m now on a rural grass verge at night still doing 70k probably but thinking us yay IÂ’m
    Alive!!Â’
    But then I see the next property has a letterbox on verge attached to a dam solid round post...
    I remember lifting my foot of peg as leg amputation didnÂ’t seem like something I would like...
    Somehow I miss that too and end up back on tarmac cruising in state of shock....

    One issue from my side was I was out wide prob in his blind spot I used to give people too much room maybe.

    IÂ’ve had my fair share of near misses (and actual crashes) but that has been my closest near death bike incident. 20 years ago and managed to avoid anything being as close as that through collective learning experiences on the road in trucks and bikes.
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

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