Noob traps

[mowgli]

This morning on my way to work I got another wake up call. Into the city along the old Hutt Road, right into Tinakori then left onto Murphy. The lights were green crossing Tinakori so I was about to merge between 4 and 5 in a line of 6. At first 5 didn't look like he wanted to let me in but after a indicating, looking over my shoulder (#1) and moving right, he got the idea.

Then things happened very quickly. The back of 4 is all brake lights as 1 stops for pedestrians @#%!@$#. My initial reaction was perfect with a rapid counter steer to the left back into the merge lane (practice works). For some reason (probably panic and inexperience) I also stabbed the rear brake (but not the front thankfully) and locked the rear. I went a bit sideways but got it back under control after releasing the brake. Anyway nothing hit, nothing dropped, but a little red faced I completed the merge and carried on to work.

Over the next few hours I pondered the incident trying to figure out where I'd gone wrong. I decided that coming off Tinakori I must have been going a bit quick for the merge. It wasn't until the ride home that it struck me what I actually did wrong. It was basic. It was dumb. And it happened at the (#1) in my account above. I changed lanes while watching over my shoulder!!!! If I was that concerned about the guy behind then I shouldn't have been switching lanes in the first place. The safety glance should be just that. A quick look for danger then eyes front again BEFORE moving position on the road.

Fortunately I got away it and I've learned from the incident. Hopefully my red faced account will cause other noobs to watch where they're riding and not over their shoulders.

A final thought. Strangely, going sideways felt quite normal - perhaps it was the dirt from my teens.

[Subike]

downhill
urban aread
morning traffic
blind corner
mmmmmm
travel at a speed that you can stop in half the distance of what you can see in front of you.
urban areas, business districs, shopping centers all areas that offer the worst senarios for bikers at any given moment night or day.
If you are inside the city limits of any town ANY TOWN, treat it as a battle field, you WILL be confronted by obsticles that WILL try and stop you DEAD!
You are a comutor on a bike, ride as such.
100% CONCENTARATION 100% OF THE TIME

[heyjoe]

Thanks for sharing your stories with us mowgli. Keeps us in touch with the real world no matter what our experience. Keep riding safe.

[Jantar]

...My ride to work each morning includes this corner on Awarua St in Ngaio. Ninety degrees, downhill and pretty much blind. Exercising common sense and not completely comfortable cornering my approach to this corner was understandably cautious.

This week I came round that corner to find a car stopped in the road and other coming up the hill. You see folks park up for the Awarua Station leaving only space for one car to get though. As per the road code, good drivers heading downhill give way to those coming up. Anyway I had to stand the bike up and brake hard not once, but twice on separate days. Second time made me think hard about what was going on.....

My first bin (37 years ago) was an almost carbon copy of your experience. Downhill, tight, off camber, blind left hand corner. I was most of the way around the bend when I discovered a truck taking up my side of the road, and coming towards me. I swung to the right hand side of the road, head on into a car, that I hadn't been able to see because of that bloody truck.

[Terminated]

I have enjoyed reading this thread this month. Rob as a newbie out there, it is good to see your posts about your experiences on the bike.

Reviewing, analysing, reading forum feedback and encouragement, identifying and reinforcing improved technique and methods: there are so many positives out there and it is good to see people replying with their support. While you are alone on your bike and at one with it, you are never truly alone because your skills and technique are improving as if someone is riding there with you.

Heads Up and Enjoy - Well Done

[Caladbolg]

I have a good one to add. This morning on the way to work i had to take a different way as the entrance to the road my work is on is closed for re-surfacing. It was slightly wet this morning so i was taking it easy. So i come into a right hander ive been round plenty of times, next second i've lowsided. I was pondering on how it happened all day. So i went back there after work and looked at the road. I played the line i took through my head and figured that as i came round on the center of the road (I could see there was nothing coming, its an unobstructed corner) in which grip was fine at the lean angle i had, then as i got toward the outside of my lane it becomes slightly off-camber (which ive never taken notice of before, silly me) and combined with the slightly moist conditions, the extra angle being used by the tyres and the slight acceleration out of the corner caused me to lose the rear end and dreadful scraping noises followed by some %$&&($#%

A NOOB TRAP... definitely caught this noob out. From this ive learned to watch for a change in surface conditions even more than i already try too.

At least the bike was fine apart from some scrapeage and a bent brake lever.
I got a sore knee and a grazed knuckle. Quasi leathers did there job

[quickbuck]

And it happened at the (#1) in my account above. I changed lanes while watching over my shoulder!!!! .

Heck, you're a worry.

At least you have the smarts to analyse your mistakes though Rob.
I'd expect nothing less from you though.

Anyhow, take it easy on your new VTR, and I'll catch up with you at work sometime

Speaking of NOOB mistakes, I was following one of our young lads (well new to motorcycles, may not be young) to work this morning.
I know he was new, as it was really wet, and cold, and he was as stiff as a plank on his ZZR 250.

As he turned of SH1 onto Tangimoana road, he rode over every piece of paint he could.
Must have some magic tyres on the ZZR... and NO power!

He stayed upright by these facts, and a bit of luck.
I know if I touched any of it I would be looking at the sky while laying on the road. See it is less than 3km from my gate to this point.

Fact is he didn't have to ride over any paint, and cuting the corner to ride over MORE was really silly!

Hope we get to him before the plastic gets scratched.

[chubby]

Mowgli. Thanks for sharing.

You write a good thread, I enjoyed reading and yep tucked away the impotant bits (it's dangerous joing in with cages, better to stay wide and blatt past).

And yet i still live, lifes 9th mystery eh.