Staying awake

[slofox]

Just about dropped everything yesterday and all through a lack of attention....so much for being a "careful rider".........
Was out back of Mystery Creek heading towards Kaipaki Road. There is a very sharp right angle turn on this narrow road...I come pootling along towards it, see the 25km sign, then start star gazing at the scenery and signposts on the corner...."wonder where that road goes?" sort of stuff......next thing, I am right on this right angle, still going around 80k, heading for the huge walls of loose metal on the outside of the corner........AAUGH!!!!!! All anchors out and managed to get round without too much drama....but there was lots of adrenalin behind the knees as a result.......
Good wake up call. I was tired and probably shouldn't have been out on the bike anyway, having done a ride earlier in the day. But I couldn't resist the short burst of sunshine that appeared.....
Next time I'll maybe think twice.....

[Mikkel]

Get yourself a motard - no fricken way you're going to fall asleep on one of those.

[Duke girl]

All it takes is a few seconds of loss of concentration and your days riding can quickly turn ugly. If you are ever out riding and are feeling tired and still have a way to go before returning home try and stop at the nearest Dairy or service station and buy yourself a can of either V or Red Bull as that should keep u alert enough to get home safely and even riding with your visor partly open can sometimes help to as having fresh air in your face can keep you alert. Glad to hear that you made it our that corner they way you did and are still hear today to tell us about it. Ride to Survive.

[CookMySock]

When I started out, that was my first "this is way different from a car" realisation. You can gaze into space in a car while you sit on your park bench and hum along. You cannot on a motorcycle.

Steve

[Fatt Max]

Glad to hear you made it out ok. True though mate, take the old 'mince pies' off the ball for a split second and it could all turn to jelly and custard.

[slofox]

Glad to hear you made it out ok. True though mate, take the old 'mince pies' off the ball for a split second and it could all turn to jelly and custard.

It was your post re keeping your distance that prompted me to put this one up Fatt Max..........

[vifferman]

When I started out, that was my first "this is way different from a car" realisation. You can gaze into space in a car while you sit on your park bench and hum along. You cannot on a motorcycle.

That's one of the things I love about it, especially commuting. It's a good start to the day (in fact, the best part of the day).

And speaking of staying awake, I just came back from a pootle to the library. On the opposite side of the traffic lights, a guy on a Suzuki with a Movistar paintjob filtered to the front of the queue, next to a very large transporter carrying a huge digger. The lights went green for a right turn, and the reason the transporter left such a big gap became obvious. "BRRAAAARRRRPPPPP!!!!" go the airhorns on the truck, and Mr Movistar had to move forward and sideways quickly to avoid geting run over by the trailer as the transporter swung wide around the corner.
Ooops...

[slofox]

Mr Movistar had to move forward and sideways quickly to avoid geting run over by the trailer as the transporter swung wide around the corner.
Ooops...

AND change his undies as soon as he got home, I bet.....

[Katman]

You can gaze into space in a car while you sit on your park bench and hum along.

And that's one of the reasons so many people are piss poor drivers.

[CookMySock]

And that's one of the reasons so many people are piss poor drivers.

Well I can't disagree with you on that, but my point would be more concisely put by saying "gazing into space in a car wont fuck up every corner, but on a bike it will."

I think this is why long trips just vanish on a bike, but feel like they take forever in a car.


Steve

[Gremlin]

Get yourself a motard - no fricken way you're going to fall asleep on one of those.

he also said there was gravel on the outside of the corner... why bother taking the corner? Have fun in the gravel first... the roads not going anywhere

[slofox]

he also said there was gravel on the outside of the corner... why bother taking the corner? Have fun in the gravel first... the roads not going anywhere

There was also a fat fence right behind the gravel.....

[Gremlin]

There was also a fat fence right behind the gravel.....

ah... you didn't mention that part

sooooo all this attention on this (seemingly) magnificent corner... shouldn't you have been looking at the way out?

[slofox]

ah... you didn't mention that part

sooooo all this attention on this (seemingly) magnificent corner... shouldn't you have been looking at the way out?

YES! I should have! That's the point of the post really - I was in lala land and didn't even look at the corner as I approached it....been thru it before you see and should have known better but just dozed away there.....dumb arse stuff....
It's not all that magnificent either...just a sharp right like a crossroad cept there's no straight thru bit. Driveway on my left where all the gravel comes from.....it's a nasty little corner that I would not want to try hard on....stones everywhere, real narrow.....not for the sleepy ones....