Bike vs bike crashes - why so many?

**jrandom** · 9th February 2009, 12:47

Another one this morning, on one of my favourite roads.

Seriously, what the fuck? How many bike vs bike head-on crashes have we had this summer?

A bike takes up maybe a third of the space in a lane. Maybe less. And yet people, given the whole road to play in, keep riding into each other.

Even when an oncoming bike has overcooked a corner and is running wide, the innocent party should still have room to squeak by. I just don't get it. Target fixation, perhaps?

I propose a rule of thumb for anyone faced with an oncoming overcooked squid - go right.

And a rule of thumb when overcooking it - hold your line or widen out toward the edge of the road.

Visualisation is a useful training tool. Maybe if we all keep this shit in mind and plan for it to happen, we can stop plowing into each other and snuffing it.

Thoughts?

**Hitcher** · 9th February 2009, 13:00

Originally Posted by jrandom

Thoughts?

Bikers are not the paragons of virtue they often claim to be. Many ride way beyond their competence, the limits of their machinery, the bounds of decency, in excess of the dictates of the prevailing road and weather conditions, and ultra vires to the Laws of Physics.

The fact that more aren't maimed or killed during the "riding season" is, I suspect, a statistical anomaly.

**ducatilover** · 9th February 2009, 13:02

i agree with hitcher.
but it is sad that we have all that tarmac to ride on yet people still fuck it up

**Mully** · 9th February 2009, 13:02

Mmm yes, there was also a 3 bike pile-up on the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway yesterday.

Possibly too many people thinking they are Rossi and trying (and failing) to race-apex every corner, rather than taking advantage of the plethora of quality trackdays available in which to hone their skills.

or summer weather has brought all the "born-again bikers" out to play, and their skills are rusty.

**James Deuce** · 9th February 2009, 13:06

Because motorcyclists are dicks.

**MIXONE** · 9th February 2009, 13:09

Is it just me or does there seem a theme of one bike overtaking cars and hitting other bikes from the other direction?
All I know is that the thought of some squid ,whose talent and common sense don't match the size of his ego, cleaning me out gives me the shits!

**slofox** · 9th February 2009, 13:10

Yeah - I ride that road a bit as well......

One bike crossed the centre line huh? Lots of possibilities, but could it be, just maybe, cornering too fast?
How often do you see that out there on the highway? Far too often IMO. Saw it on Friday a little north of there, saw it Anniversary weekend coming back from Raglan...the list goes on.

I think there are a few bikers out there who need a brain transplant - or maybe that should be IMPLANT...

**Quasievil** · 9th February 2009, 13:10

Originally Posted by James Deuce

Because motorcyclists are dicks.

Yeah largely thats so true in many cases, they think they own the freckin road and ride it like a race track, if you want to go fast on a bike the road AINT THE PLACE TO DO IT!!!!

one reason I dont ride on the road anymore is because of this kinda behaviour, not to mention a incident I was involved in, say no more.

**James Deuce** · 9th February 2009, 13:11

Originally Posted by MIXONE

Is it just me or does there seem a theme of one bike overtaking cars and hitting other bikes from the other direction?
All I know is that the thought of some squid ,whose talent and common sense don't match the size of his ego, cleaning me out gives me the shits!

They're not squids though. They're invariably Cruisers with pillions.

**jrandom** · 9th February 2009, 13:14

Originally Posted by slofox

cornering too fast

Indeed.

Originally Posted by MIXONE

Is it just me or does there seem a theme of one bike overtaking cars and hitting other bikes from the other direction?

Absolutely.

See, it doesn't seem to do much good to try and spread the word that it's bad do any of the above, does it?

Which is why I'm saying here, maybe we all need to do some visualisation and planning of what we'll do when there is a bike coming straight toward us on the road.

Me, I'm gonna turn right.

So I'd be much obliged to all y'all squids (or overly ambitious cruiser riders) out there if, having overcooked a left-hander and found yourself staring down the muzzle of a black GSX1400, you just fuckin' hold your line and let me handle the rest.

Ta.

**ducatilover** · 9th February 2009, 13:20

i almost got plastered by a cruiser. i pulled out to pass a cage and was happily trundling past at 120 and mr fuckstain decided he would pull out 30m ahead [coming towards me]

im sure he did the on purpose, i nailed it and got just in front of said cage who was a brilliant chap and pulled left. i pulled up next to him at some lights when we got to palmy and said thank you.
does it seem like that guy was trying to run me down? i think so.

**Quasievil** · 9th February 2009, 13:22

Originally Posted by jrandom

Which is why I'm saying here, maybe we all need to do some visualisation and planning of what we'll do when there is a bike coming straight toward us on the road.

Okay which way you going to go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9hKpsulmY

**jrandom** · 9th February 2009, 13:24

Originally Posted by Quasievil

Okay which way you going to go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9hKpsulmY

Yeah, I've seen that video before.

They're riding on the other side of the road there, so by my rule, if I was the guy who got taken out by the idiot, I'd be turning left as soon as I saw him on my side of the road.

My idea is that if a rider's already overcooked it, they're probably not capable of doing anything except running wider. So I'm going inside.

Make sense?

**Quasievil** · 9th February 2009, 13:30

Originally Posted by jrandom

My idea is that if a rider's already overcooked it, they're probably not capable of doing anything except running wider. So I'm going inside.

Make sense?

yeah I know mate, my point is that I doubt any plan will help bugger all given (in this case) the speed and reaction time.

In relation to "the incident" I doubt the boys did much more than go "fuck"

The speed limit is there for a reason, and applies to bikes as well for a reason, I drive my car on the basis of expecting a bike going 200 kmph coming towards me...........I allow for the stupid riders out there.

When a Bike is coming one way "fast" and another bike is going the other way "fast" a little ole dum human brain cant allow for fuck all.......it basically freezes..... if your on the wrong side of the road its game over rover

**ducatilover** · 9th February 2009, 13:34

Originally Posted by jrandom

Yeah, I've seen that video before.

They're riding on the other side of the road there, so by my rule, if I was the guy who got taken out by the idiot, I'd be turning left as soon as I saw him on my side of the road.

My idea is that if a rider's already overcooked it, they're probably not capable of doing anything except running wider. So I'm going inside.

Make sense?

scary as fuck, and totaly un-naturual. but it makes complete sense