My bike tried to kill me today

[Elysium]

Whats this about a rear disc brake? New fangled technology. My GLORIA (Hyosung GV250) has a rear drum brake and as we can't get up to frightening speeds it's been perfectly adequate.

I remember when I was very new to riding, second or third ride, I went into a left hand corner and started to fade wide. I didn't know to look at the vanishing point or to lean more to tighten up my line around the corner, so I gently touched my rear brake thinking that at a slower speed I'd get around. All that did was set me upright and I went outside the curve to the right - luckily there was a wide painted median on which I came to a stop, but in a normal two lane road I'd have ended up on the other side.

Yep, you pretty much need to pick your line before you enter a corner, well for bikes like mine anyway. Not a good a good idea trying to re-adjust your line while already commited.

[MSTRS:Me]

Whats this about a rear disc brake? New fangled technology. My GLORIA (Hyosung GV250) has a rear drum brake and as we can't get up to frightening speeds it's been perfectly adequate.

I remember when I was very new to riding, second or third ride, I went into a left hand corner and started to fade wide. I didn't know to look at the vanishing point or to lean more to tighten up my line around the corner, so I gently touched my rear brake thinking that at a slower speed I'd get around. All that did was set me upright and I went outside the curve to the right - luckily there was a wide painted median on which I came to a stop, but in a normal two lane road I'd have ended up on the other side.

Surely you hauled on the front as well? It is the front brake that will stand the bike up - not the rear.
Use of the rear when cranked over risks locking the rear and/or flicking the back towards the outside like motards 'backing it in'. Worse case scenario is a lowside.

[CookMySock]

Yep, you pretty much need to pick your line before you enter a corner, well for bikes like mine anyway. Not a good a good idea trying to re-adjust your line while already commited.

All riders should have absolute choice over exactly where their tires go at any time on an ongoing basis. This business of committing to a corner and then staying there as if on rails is bad self-training. When the shit hits the fan you better be ready, willing, and well-able to put your tires exactly where you want them without a moments' hesitation, or else you are going to wear the bumper of that 4WD across your forehead!

[Katman]

All riders should have absolute choice over exactly where their tires go at any time on an ongoing basis. This business of committing to a corner and then staying there as if on rails is bad self-training. When the shit hits the fan you better be ready, willing, and well-able to put your tires exactly where you want them without a moments' hesitation, or else you are going to wear the bumper of that 4WD across your forehead!

(Quoted for posterity due to the novelty of a worthwhile post from DB).

[motor_mayhem]

KM:

read your posts through this thread and while I see your general reasoning IMO you have your skew quite wrong.
Firstly lets be absolutely clear, you cannot be prepared for everything that could possibly happen on the road. The only way you could would be to not go on the road at all. Do you wear body armour every day as there is a miniscule chance you could encounter a gun-toting maniac (though more likely you may need protection from disgruntled kbers)? Do you wear all your bike gear while posting on KB?
I think you have to define a line between what is reasonable risk and what isn't. I personally don't like following rubbish trucks or vehicles carrying rubbish too closely as there could be debris flying off that could make my ability to control my bike difficult (plastic bag covering visor). However I think if you regularly maintain/look after a vehicle, particularly from new and within the warranty period, I think it should be more than reasonable to expect it to work exactly as per manufacturer's specifications, particularly considering the lifespan of the vehicle would be expected to be a lot more. If a part is failing while being duly maintained then the manufacturer needs to be reexamining the design of the part and/or assigned maintainence routine. One of my mates while riding on dirt had his handle bar mounts snap, I am not sure how one would ride to be prepared to control the bike if that happened.

[Ocean1]

I personally don't like following rubbish trucks or vehicles carrying rubbish too closely as there could be debris flying off that could make my ability to control my bike difficult (plastic bag covering visor).

Another thing to worry about when following trucks. I was doing just that one day when I noticed something sorta blinking in and out of view between the dual rear wheels. It took several seconds to occur to me what this might be and what it meant, in the meantime I'd rolled back a few yards and faded right a bit 'cause being there didn't feel good.

The blinky thing stopped blinking and started getting bigger and half a brick went past my left ear. It'd been stuck in between the tyres when he'd been on a demolition site and stayed there until motorway speeds eventually flung it out. That was years ago, but I've seen the blinky thing several times since, it's not that uncommon. If you see it then fuck off outa there, if you get a chance tell the driver too eh? it's fook'n dangerous.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Another thing to worry about when following trucks. I was doing just that one day when I noticed something sorta blinking in and out of view between the dual rear wheels. It took several seconds to occur to me what this might be and what it meant, in the meantime I'd rolled back a few yards and faded right a bit 'cause being there didn't feel good.

The blinky thing stopped blinking and started getting bigger and half a brick went past my left ear. It'd been stuck in between the tyres when he'd been on a demolition site and stayed there until motorway speeds eventually flung it out. That was years ago, but I've seen the blinky thing several times since, it's not that uncommon. If you see it then fuck off outa there, if you get a chance tell the driver too eh? it's fook'n dangerous.

I pass anything in front of me as soon as it's safe to do so. Never know what's gonna be flicked up from under the vehicle in front! Clear road ahead is best!!

[Katman]

read your posts through this thread and while I see your general reasoning IMO you have your skew quite wrong.
Firstly lets be absolutely clear, you cannot be prepared for everything that could possibly happen on the road.

My 'skew' is that riding at 10/10ths on the road is not allowing any safety buffer to be able to react to an unexpected occurance.

If you can't see the sense in that then I suppose that's your problem.

[motor_mayhem]

My 'skew' is that riding at 10/10ths on the road is not allowing any safety buffer to be able to react to an unexpected occurance.

If you can't see the sense in that then I suppose that's your problem.

I am not sure what sort of safety buffer you could allow for any of the following happening:

- handle bar mounts snap (as mentioned above)
- pretty much anything to the front wheel - blowout on the front tyre (maybe not such a problem off road) while cornering or sudden front lockup at any time let alone spokes break or axle snaps.

I could probably think up some more but I think you get the idea, they're pretty much minimal chances but they could happen.

[Katman]

I could probably think up some more but I think you get the idea, they're pretty much minimal chances but they could happen.

At least you're thinking.

[Ocean1]

I pass anything in front of me

I was having a wuss day, I'll try to do better in future OK?

[Crasherfromwayback]

I'll try to do better in future OK?

Good man...

[Viscount Montgomery]

If sum-cunt is riding their motorbike without even being aware of a sticky rear brake that's gonna heat up and lock the pads solid then they shouldn't even be riding motorcycles. Yet another example of greenhorns on bikes trusting every other cunt to keep themselves alive. Wake the fuck up and take responsibility for what the fuck you're doing. Take no fucken notice of the posturing drip-heads like the mouthy crashfromback spouting shit about how they pass everything in sight, blow-arses who talk that are living in a little bubble of self-importance. Probably spent his childhood being ignored by the other kids and getting bullied but found that riding motorcycles made him feel like a special person... Again, ignore all the sewerage from these wankers and wise the fuck up, use common fucken sense and check your fucken bike over for faults before you start charging around the fucken roads

[Elysium]

All riders should have absolute choice over exactly where their tires go at any time on an ongoing basis. This business of committing to a corner and then staying there as if on rails is bad self-training. When the shit hits the fan you better be ready, willing, and well-able to put your tires exactly where you want them without a moments' hesitation, or else you are going to wear the bumper of that 4WD across your forehead!

Yes riders do have a choice but far as I was tought (as in by people with years riding exprience) you should have worked out where you're line is before you enter said corner, not after you've gone into the corner. Obviously if a car is crossing centre line towards you for example, then yes you try to adjust your line and get out the way if you have time and space.

Correct me if I'm wrong here folks, but isn't that what novices are tought at track days?

wank, wank, wank, wank

Easy there cowboy.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Take no fucken notice of the posturing drip-heads like the mouthy crashfromback spouting shit about how they pass everything in sight, blow-arses who talk that are living in a little bubble of self-importance.

Mate...you're hogging NZ's supply of P. I wasn't stating I pass everything like I'm fast or it's a race you retard...merely so I can have a clear road ahead. When I wanted to show people how fast I was...I went racing. You should try it. Better than racing your hand up and down your lil cock shaft as you do.