How hard can it be?

[Geordie_Biker6]

I havnt been riding (or on this forum) for about the last 12 months while i fix my bike up. As im on here more regularly, I'm starting to remember the hatred/dislike for "cagers". Now I know a lot of people will say "yeah, i drive a car but i ride bikes too so its different". When youre riding around and start mouthing off to "cagers" inside your helmet, its the same, you dont know which of them ride bikes too... Anyway, Bikers are always saying about how car drivers need to do a bit of riding or extra training in cars to get things from our perspective, and i fully agree. However, the chances of that happening are very slim and we all know it. Yet many people always blame the cagers and never consider to upskill ourselves even though there are a vast selection of courses available to riders of all levels, on the track and on the road, available in most parts of the country, many of which are cheap and subsidised by ACC (meaning theyre normally around 1/2 price and about $50 for a basic 3 hour course. And still people refuse to upskill themselves because "its not our problem". This bloody annoys me. I dont know about you but id much rather spend a few hunderd dollars getting some quality training improving many aspects of my riding that will stay with me for my days then say, a shiny muffler thats 2db louder! Or few grand and a trip to the hospital when lack of training puts you face first into the side of a car very suddenly. For the price and time it takes the courses are fantastic and one of the best improvements you can make to your riding. No good putting sticky diablos on if you cant use them properly.

Theres my rant for the day. Go and get rid of those flat spots on the tires.

GB

[Grubber]

Well said! I agree entirely with you on this one. I have been riding for about 40 years. I have raced and ridin quite fast over the years. I have had 2 accidents in all those years and 1 was my own fault for going tooo hot into a corner and the other was another persons fault.
Some years ago i did a couple of coarse's that changed a few things in the way i rode and improved my ability to be more aware of my surroundings as well as my general riding style.
Then a couple of years ago i started doing the California Superbike school and that changed my riding a huge ammount. Now at 54 years old i ride with a lot more confidence and understanding of how my bike should be ridin.
Don't get me wrong, i could ride pretty well before this, but the understanding of the technical concept of riding has made me a far better rider than i was. Knowing how to see through corners and be more aware of my surroundings has prevented me from having any accidents at all. Over the last 20+ years i have never had even a close call of any kind. I now have the ability to recognise a potential risk way ahead of it ever becoming a total risk.
Every now and then i take a ride and see other bikes out there enjoying the day, and i often think to myself, do they really know how to ride those things. Even this weekend just gone, i was in my work vehicle heading out to Waimuaku way, seeing people riding large cruisers all dressed up in the usual gear (german helmet, white T shirt, vest and jeans etc) that took an absolute etternty to go round a roundabout. these guys weren't on there own, i also spotted a series of sports bikes that were on a hiding to nothing trying to ride like the proverbial idiots. Fast in a straight line and on the brakes to get round the corner.
In saying all this, there was a majority of riders that were pretty damn good all the same.
Well thats my 2c worth. All i can say is that a bit of time spent learning some of the tricks is well worth it.

[James Deuce]

Giant walls of text. Brain...melting....

But very good points.

Having said that, it is motorcyclists I am most wary of. They are vastly more unpredictable than most other road users whose behaviour can usually be predicted with a fair amount of certainty, once one has gained some "experience".

[haydes55]

As skilled as any rider is, a motorbike is as good as an invisibility cloak, no amount of upskilling will prevent cars T-boning and rear ending you.

The current system of licencing sort of discourages upskilling, why go do a course when it wont take time off your licence until you have had your licence for 12 months already. (or 6 months not entirely sure). Hoping the LAMS scheme has better incentives and courses. I would prefer it if there were 3 courses available that you take one to graduate first 3 months one more the next 3 months then another the next 3 months. Then the full licence will be granted after completion of the final course which doubles up as a test. Progressive upskilling.

[Katman]

As skilled as any rider is, a motorbike is as good as an invisibility cloak, no amount of upskilling will prevent cars T-boning and rear ending you.

Spoken like a true perpetual victim.

[haydes55]

Spoken like a true perpetual victim.

Just from riding around town 1 in 5 cars you can guarantee wont see you so I have been good at avoiding cars. Been in one bike crash on the road and man it sucks having no bike (ute was stopped at intersection, pulled out as I got close, on a corner. Only low speed but... My bike was made in Korea). I have learnt my lesson though, the horn is my friend and if I haven't made eye contact with the driver, make sure he knows I'm there.

On a side note I would be really interested in a gymkhana club or get together sort of thing maybe once a month around Hamilton. Fun way to improve bike handling throttle control and improving riding skills.

[cheshirecat]

You need to do this course - graduation ceremony on purpose build M/C road course track. Note girl lead instructor.

[caspernz]

Well said GB. The hardest thing to change is an ingrained attitude in some folks that 'the problem' is not theirs to solve. Funny thing is that as a rider one can go a fair way to solving 'the problem' by taking a course or two...if only it wasn't cursed with such a stigma that makes hardened bikers stay away huh?

[Pseudonym]

It’s a sad state of affairs when we’ll spend $20k on a bike and another $4k on gear but not $500 to do a day of training.

[oneofsix]

You need to do this course - graduation ceremony on purpose build M/C road course track. Note girl lead instructor.

Did you note that even on a purpose built track that they have all to themselves they still do the head check before moving off. If only .....

[avgas]

It's very hard. You try telling a 250 rider that they don't now EVERYTHING

[cheshirecat]

Did you note that even on a purpose built track that they have all to themselves they still do the head check before moving off. If only .....

Yes if only. The nearest I've come to this was a UK police bike course way back in the 70's. There were five of us with a Police bike front and rear. Making progress i think they call it these days. We had to be very accurate in road postioning and speed. Marks were deducted for letting the centerline of the tyre cross the edge of the yellow line and the centerline of the tyre not "kissing" the edge of the yellow (no crossing) line. Using all available width that is. All along fast 70 mph limit A roads at night keeping perfect distance and road position between you and the rider ahead.

I must admit if that Japanese course was compulsory here and I was new to bikes, it would encourage me to take up biking knowing on graduation I'd have skills like that.

[willytheekid]

Very good thread!

Totally agree that MC training should be compulsory! (instead of a basic handling test, heres ya license...good luck!)

I went to three advanced rider training courses and loved every minute of it!
...the funny thing was, I had been riding since I was 8yrs old (road & dirt bikes)...and I thought I knew it ALL before doing those courses!....oh how wrong I was!

I will be celebrating 30yrs of riding in Febuary!...and I attribute my survival to this training, and trying my best to use it everyday on the bike...and even in the car! (Im NOT a natural in a car...things scare the hell out of me ...but I am safe!...slow...but safe!)

If only ACC and NZTA would focus on funding for REAL training and guidance for riders (young and old...we all need refresher courses etc), maybe people like me wouldn't have lost so many friends over the years...to their own egos and inflated sence of skill

...if only

[SMOKEU]

The hatred for cagers is because most drivers are absolute fuckwits. Most people these days get taught to drive by their parents or friends (who usually can't drive properly in the first place), and since there is no legal requirement for people to take driving lessons from a qualified instructor, bad driving is inevitable. I will go as far as to say that the majority of people in NZ can't drive properly. Most people can't even indicate properly at a roundabout, they drive slowly in the right lane when they should be in the left lane, they brake during, rather than before a corner. They are too distracted by their passenger, mobile phone, radio, food etc to even notice what's around them. It's simple things that every driver should know how to do which is leading to the high road toll.

[Grubber]

Very good thread!

Totally agree that MC training should be compulsory! (instead of a basic handling test, heres ya license...good luck!)

I went to three advanced rider training courses and loved every minute of it!
...the funny thing was, I had been riding since I was 8yrs old (road & dirt bikes)...and I thought I knew it ALL before doing those courses!....oh how wrong I was!

I will be celebrating 30yrs of riding in Febuary!...and I attribute my survival to this training, and trying my best to use it everyday on the bike...and even in the car! (Im NOT a natural in a car...things scare the hell out of me ...but I am safe!...slow...but safe!)

If only ACC and NZTA would focus on funding for REAL training and guidance for riders (young and old...we all need refresher courses etc), maybe people like me wouldn't have lost so many friends over the years...to their own egos and inflated sence of skill

...if only

THe old "thought i knew it all" syndrome. Not sure i was quite like that, but even though i could ride fine, i still learnt a bunch of shit that i didn't know about when i did my coarses.
It was more so recognising what lay ahead before it jumped out and hit me i think. The seeing through the corners much better did the world of good.
There is whole bunch of stuff that many riders out there on big cruisers etc getting back into biking or just starting out , have no idea about. One can see it in thier riding everyday.
I even have a couple of mates that won't declare they need some help. One evens says that he doesn't ride fast enough to be a worry. I have riden with him long enough to know that he travels around 120k's and that is fast enough to die.
Ego's don't ride well do they! The mightier than though complex usually crashes mid corner. Notice how 'corner' can be misspelt as 'coroner'. Ironic isn't it!