The best post I have ever read on Kiwibiker.

[James Deuce]

If people want help, they'll ask. If they ask me they'll get more help than they were bargaining for.

You change the world with small steps, not grand changes.

Cynical? Absolutely. Cynical about people who say one thing, recommend one thing, and then in meatspace do the exact opposite.

[babyblade250rr]

This is a great post, i truely gained a reality check from reading this and hey some may take it to heart others may not but if it saves one persons life that is an ultimate gain!!!

[janno]

I always thought I was a bit antisocial for avoiding big group rides, or getting twitchy about riding with people I don't know well, but I'm beginning to think it's nothing but a healthy dose of self preservation.

Is it really coincidence that nearly all the serious or fatal crashes I've heard about have been on big group rides with speed involved? (Before you start furiously typing, note I said "nearly").

I've ridden with various trusted people from KB, and they'll tell you I'm not the most experienced rider, but I'm not a noob either. Somewhere smack bang in the middle, probably. And I have no problem asking for help with lines, how to ride various road conditions (no such thing as tar melt in Aus!!), where I could have done better . . . big thanks to Pritch aka the grumpy gnome, pussy and nadroj who have given me a lot of pointers and help over the last six months.

But I do know that if someone else took me out, I wouldn't stand a chance, unlike some of you truly skilled and experienced riders who could save yourself from someone running in to your back wheel or heading straight for you on a blind corner because they've overshot their line.

So I'll err on the side of caution here and stick to small, trusted groups. Some of the riders I see, and hearing the crap they say - well, it scares me.

If I'm chicken for being that way, at least I'm a live chicken . . .

[ynot slow]

If you go on a KB ride and have to accompany a damaged person to hospital, or bits of a corpse to a funeral home, make sure you have the grace and humility not to rant at them or their family.

Tell that to my wife,used to work in funeral industry,in Auckland amongst other places,when accident victims come in,either car or bike to try and put them back together aint easy.The ranting never happens till after shock subsides,then anger and grief.

She had to try to embalm 3 boys from one family who were riding their pushbikes on a highway without helmets,got taken out in one hit,their parents wanted a viewing but the director closed the lids on 2 prior too them arriving,thus to view them would need court order to open the caskets,he was not bad,rest had half head off etc,we go on about laws etc,but the coroner agreed they could be alive with helmets.

[Big Dave]

Cynical? Absolutely.

GET OUT!!!!!!!

[Meanie]

Brilliant post by slowpoke
We never give up give up teaching our children because we care about what happens to them, even when they just dont want to know

Some of us choose to do the same for our fellow bikers, because we care
I always listen to advise given by a more experienced rider

[ynot slow]

Brilliant post by slowpoke
We never give up give up teaching our children because we care about what happens to them, even when they just dont want to know

Some of us choose to do the same for our fellow bikers, because we care
I always listen to advise given by a more experienced rider

Best quote given to me as an apprentice was never stop learning,when you do your dead.So kept asking questions,still do,and riding is the same.

[banditrider]

Slowpoke has actually done everyone a great service. What he wrote is actually deserving of wide publicity and could easily form the opening shotsof a hard-hitting safety campaign or training schemes.

A brilliant piece of writing from the heart.

I can't quote everyone so this'll do. Awesome post by Slowpoke - it does make the hairs on ya neck stand up. It certainly described a scene I never want to come across or be involved in.

This forum needs these sorts of posts. Who says you have to learn by your mistakes? You don't learn much from your own fatal one. If you can stop 1 squid from writing himself then that's one less to add to the road toll and one less death demonstrating that motocycles are dangerous - should we really allow them on the road? For this reason I hope that skiddy doesn't take himself or anyone else out. I also hope he gets smart real quick or gives up biking - don't want to meet him on the road, ever.

[Pex Adams]

The day Uncle B died, and I heard about what had happened. My thoughts not were only with Debbie, but also Jimbo600 who saw the whole accident happen right in front of him. I'm fairly sure Jimbo watched what Slowpoke put so eloquently, the description of what actually Bruce probably went through.

The pain of having to watch a mate die, is something I never wish upon anyone. Yet alone twice, as in Jimbo's case.

Then we move onto FATJIM who had to go to Masterton to identify the body... Slowpoke hit half the mark. What about the rest of us (including the ambulance, police, fire crews, family, friends...) that have to clean up the mess, of a loss of life...

The reminder is there for us all to watch out for ourselves, and those not smart enough to think for themselves.

[ital916]

Re-read that post again, will always send chills down my core. Never want to go through something like that and would never want anybody else too. Skidmark may be a tiwt, but i'd rather him be an alive and kicking stupid fucker than a dead one. Until then skiddy, is there really any need to go through 55's and 150. A mate of mine said the other day it's not bad when a bike hits someone, they'll be bounced to the side. Unfortunately, not the case i told him, bikes cause serious damage when they hit people.

Ride safe guys

Drider

[jcupit69]

An amazing post by slowpoke, and hopefully skidmark will listen, but somehow i doubt it.
A big part of riding a bike for me is knowing that they are dangerous, and that on them no matter what you do your vulnerable, and respecting the inherent danger that comes with riding. I love riding, and love riding fast, but public roads aint always the place.
Crashing hurts no matter what. I would never want to see a mate dying in front of me and would hate for one of my mates to have to tell my parents and girlfriend that iv been killed. I felt bad enuf when i had an accident n that wasn't even my fault. Cus its not just your pain, its the emotional pain you inflict on the ones you love.
So congrats to you slowpoke, for a refreshing post on the darker side of the hobby we all love so much.

[dmouse]

well done slowpoke and very true, i badly binned in rush hour traffic and the bike a triumph tr6r weighing 700 pounds plus landed in my chest, and continued to spin in circles next to me, and me with my feet in the road in rush hour traffic no fucker stopped to help, cops rekon it was cos of my black leather clad body, i had punctured my lung six broken ribs, damaged my liver,bladder and cut my spleen in two i was loseing blood internaly in a major way, i had to get back on my bike to get home and help, and no way was there a stupid grin on my face, i was crying short of breath and even now four years after im still in pain i still see the faces of the cage drivers rubber necking at me, i have to piss through a tube my memory is stuffed i am only half of what i was before, ive slowed down, but i was not going fast on the bend i was below the posted advised limit for the corner, but the sun blinded me simple so simple and so much pain but i still ride, ive slowed down i take time to look at the scenery and the mad antics of other bikers, and think to my self mate your going to off badly n i hope your not on your own when you do.

take care and well done slowpoke for a awsome and true post if it helps one person slow down and think then you will have achieved so much, i take my helmet off to you sir.

regards

dave

[BBzz]

This is a great post, i truely gained a reality check from reading this and hey some may take it to heart others may not but if it saves one persons life that is an ultimate gain!!!

I agree with babyblade.
We all only have so many near misses over a life time. To increase the time maybe we need to slow down on the road?

[Ixion]

Sadly, I think Mr Jim2 is right.

Horses, water and all that.

I've found by now that I can identify the newbies that have what it takes for the long haul. And those that haven't.

The first do not need the results of stupidity explained to them, they can work it out for themselves. The second won't take it on board no matter what. None so blind, etc.

[Mully]

Great Post by Slowpoke, and bling awarded.

Unfortunately, it was wasted on a fucktard who seems to think that he will become a martyr to the biking gods if/when he's cleaned up on a bike.

Consideration also needs to be paid to the family who are out for a nice drive on the Coro loop of a weekend and come round a corner to find a retard on a Kawasaki (a good one, it's got USD forks) dragging his knee in their lane and cleaning the twit up. That, although not their fault, plays on their (and their kids) minds for years afterwards.

I was never on this site when Bruce was around, but from what I've read, he would not have approved of said Fucktard's constant actions and bullshit.

I've tried to help him once, I wont bother again.