Why we crash

[Resto lad]

Wow that was superbness
well explained & written
no shit me not read reasons why
good coaching .
applause applause rapturous applause
thanks

[Irontusk]

I almost crashed due to number 5 tonight, I just didn't lean into the corner properly going through a rounabout, ended up kicking the grass and riding in the gutter, barely missing the curb. Have to commit to your corners.. something I'm trying to learn. Funny that it's the first place that I ever understeerd in a car too! (and only place in one of my cars, rear wheel drive!)

[awayatc]

I need to be reminded of these safety points. We all do.

reminding yourself would be the way to go......



Regarding visibility.....why oh why is 99% of all bike gear black?

[Salival]

Definitely guilty of number five, time and again. And it's self-reinforcing! My bike is much better than I am - need to lift my game!

Thanks for the reminders, great post.

[James Deuce]

Regarding visibility.....why oh why is 99% of all bike gear black?

It doesn't matter what you wear. The psychology of threat identification and the physiology of motion camouflage mean that we are never going to be seen unless people are taught extensively to look. How to look and what to look for.

[Okey Dokey]

What a very good post. Lots of things to think about. Well done! (the post not the crashing)

[davebullet]

Keep your eyes up - my biggest problem. When you actually look through your exit, and trust the line you've set for your bike in a bend / turn, you feel much more relaxed.

Getting confidence in wet weather will take me some time

[Sparrowhawk]

Number 5 is Alive! I caught myself out with it on Saturday through the Hunua Gorge. Came into a coupla corners too hot & lost my nerve. Luckily, I had the space to straighten up, bleed off a bit of speed, then go round. The bike coulda handled it if I'd just leant it over some more, and just ridden it through. After that, ran with the slow in / fast out concept...

[portokiwi]

I crash becouse I am a shocking rider.
None of this I should have could have. At the end of the day I am the one one that is battered and brusied
Bike looks like its a gypsy reject.
But the points that has been placed on this thread is great ..... gives me more resons to think what I do wrong.

[madbikeboy]

Number 5 is a tough one. I do a goodly number of track days every year, and the reason / logic is simple. When you're on a track you get to repeat the same corner over and over. One thing I like to do is experiment with lines, different braking points, different points for turning in. It is astounding how late / deep into a corner you can tip a bike and push through the corner if you're relaxed and thinking clearly, and of course looking through the corner.

We use distance to judge gaps, not speed, and in a sense, we need to calibrate our mind to work out what is really too fast.

Depending on the bike you ride, you can push it much harder into a corner than you'd believe. There are so many variables, tires/heat/road surface/camber/rider ability/rider depth perception/throttle control/balance/perception of speed or danger/attention, focus, or lack thereof... And then there is self belief and faith.

Good post, and it's great to see that people think about this stuff.

MBB.

[true-to-life]

Great stuff, I need to see and read this a lot more. Thanx heaps.

[Quasievil]

MOST crashes which are serious enough to cause injury to a biker are single vehicle crashes resulting PURELY from the rider going to fast and forgeting he is on a public road.

As long as there are Morons on bikes treating the road like a race track they will continue to die and crash.

here is my top tips for not crashing

1/ Dont go on group rides (defined by me as greater than three)
2/ Dont go fast on a public road
3/ Make sure your bike is mechanically top notch

thats it

If you want to go fast leave it for the track, or let your freinds and family suffer the results

[The Stranger:Me]

It doesn't matter what you wear. The psychology of threat identification and the physiology of motion camouflage mean that we are never going to be seen unless people are taught extensively to look. How to look and what to look for.

Lance is right madam.
It don't matter a toss what you are wearing - unless it is a patch or Police insignia.
Do you really think that the Head Hunters have a problem being seen wearing black leathers on black bikes?

2 of my closest calls have been cars pulling out whilst looking me in the eye.
I watch (among other things) for recognition the a driver has seen me. I know they bloody saw me.
Any guess as to what the excuse would have been had we connected?

[rina]

black snakes!
does this happen often? there are so many of them!

i know they obviously look slippery and you shouldnt ride on them, but i stupidly ended up on some exiting a corner in glenfield recently where they are finishing some road works, and it just lay me straight down (it was first rain mind you).
how can such a hazard be standard practice for road maintainence?! i had a go at a nearby roadworker for it but he didnt know shit from clay and creepily asked me if i wanted 'first aid'

[moT]

People crash because there noob!!