Cookie Monster
noob
This thread makes me not want to commute to work anymore. 
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Rider Longevity
- Thread starter NeilInPacifica
- Start date
tzrider
Write Only User
Not everyone is good at documenting procedures or even thinking them through completely. It doesn't mean that they can't perform them when required to. There are a lot of people who do things "by feel." I relate to that, to some extent. Describing a sequence was something I had to learn to do.
I agree with Lou's mindset of taking sole responsibility for the outcome. As riders, there is little to gain by acknowledging luck, beyond building in a "fudge factor," or margin for error in our riding when it comes to speed, line selection, etc. There is a lot to gain by conditioning ourselves to take "more than our share" of responsibility, to work on our skills and to have a mindset of never giving up.
That said, I do know that we can't be looking in all directions at once and sometimes things feel like they came out of nowhere because we were looking somewhere else at just the wrong time. We can reduce the risk of exposure to that, but we can't eliminate it.
unirr
Eating popcorn
unirr
Eating popcorn
This thread makes me not want to commute to work anymore.
It's a spicy world out there ..
You're best survived by acknowledging it and navigating accordingly. No need to pack up your toys and stay at home .. Get out and
kxmike
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2003
- Location
- clearlake oaks/spring valley
- Moto(s)
- 2018 KTM350xc-f, 2017 r6(track), 2014 Ducati Hypermotard sp, 03 Cannondale 460, 2017 street triple
- Name
- mike
I agree...I believe focus and awareness will keep you out of trouble most of the time but you need good reflexes/skills to avoid the occasional surprise. ..thats why I still ride dirt bikes and do several trackdays every year. 47 years of riding for me...and I ride fast... by barf standards! Lol
It's a spicy world out there ..
You're best survived by acknowledging it and navigating accordingly. No need to pack up your toys and stay at home .. Get out and
Quoted just because this is the first time I've seen an unedited Unirr post!
louemc
New member
This thread makes me not want to commute to work anymore.
Commuting to/from work, by motorcycle is the only way, I'd do it.
Driving a car, in the confines of a lane, in thick traffic, and traffic tie-ups, is so stress-full , it (and work its self) is what Heart attacks, thrive on.
For me, slicing through the thick, is fun.
Reading the drivers (in their mirrors), as your coming up on them, and the gaps (if any) that they would change lanes into, and reading the path of their tires.
It's like a real would video game.
clutchslip
Not as fast as I look.
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2004
- Location
- Corkscrew-me-Carousel
- Moto(s)
- Ones faster than I can ride them.
- Name
- Skippy Dog
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 400179
Can't be, since he admitted to having flaws.
Yeah great, I am alive because I take responsibility. The trouble is that everyone is nimrod that has bad luck. He did to me, when I posted about my head-on with a car on the WRONG-fvking-side of the road. Like somehow, if I had ungodly Lou skill, I could have leaped over the Land Cruiser and avoided any injury. I was just incompetent. Screw that attitude. I bet I can ride this guy of the mountain. He is just lucky, and doesn't know it.
tzrider
Write Only User
louemc
New member
I know me, better than you know me...
And... Making My Good Luck, And, Avoiding the what gets called Bad Luck, from arriving.I never said anything about "leaping over the land cruiser" . If you can't read correctly, that would explain not seeing the land cruiser, that was in your freakin lane, and then hitting it head on, though.
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I know me, better than you know me...
Maybe you should apply that logic to yourself when judging others in your posts.
unirr
Eating popcorn
Commuting to/from work, by motorcycle is the only way, I'd do it.
Driving a car, in the confines of a lane, in thick traffic, and traffic tie-ups, is so stress-full , it (and work its self) is what Heart attacks, thrive on.
For me, slicing through the thick, is fun.
Reading the drivers (in their mirrors), as your coming up on them, and the gaps (if any) that they would change lanes into, and reading the path of their tires.
It's like a real would video game.
We were split at birth .. I swear .. Though, I'm on the darker side complexion wise 
corndog67
Pissant Squid
I hate to interrupt the insults and whatnot, but here's another thing I've noticed a lot of people do, even some pretty experienced guys. I've heard all of these stories about why they crashed (from the riders themselves).
My tires weren't warmed up enough.
My tires only had 400 miles on them and weren't broken in yet, still had the release compound on them.
It's a CBR900RR and I can't get a good 16 inch front tire.
I was running a sport touring compound and should have had a race compound on there.
I had the wrong spring on my shock.
I had too much rebound damping in my forks (are you sure that maybe it wasn't enough, harhar).
I had the wrong fork oil weight in there.
I didn't have a slipper clutch and when I banged a downshift going into the turn, the rear wheel locked up.
The rear brake was too touchy and locked the wheel.
The rear brake was too weak.
The bike didn't have enough engine braking.
The frame was flexing.
The list goes on and on. Bottom line? You crashed. Blaming the bike is weak. Hopefully, when you crashed, you learned something about why you crashed.
l
When a guy told me he crashed because the front tire was a sport touring compound, I asked if he put it on. Yep. I didn't say anything else. For one thing, he didn't crash because of the tire compound. In his mind, I guess that was a convenient excuse. To save face maybe?
I guess my point is (I think there is a point there somewhere), part of your job, the rider's job, is to make sure your shit is right. Crashing and blaming the tire? You put it on there, you knew it was there. Why would you put it on there and then blame the tire? Same with the suspension being out of adjustment or whatever. It's your bike. It's your ass out there. If it is less than what you consider optimum, slow the fuck down.
My tires weren't warmed up enough.
My tires only had 400 miles on them and weren't broken in yet, still had the release compound on them.
It's a CBR900RR and I can't get a good 16 inch front tire.
I was running a sport touring compound and should have had a race compound on there.
I had the wrong spring on my shock.
I had too much rebound damping in my forks (are you sure that maybe it wasn't enough, harhar).
I had the wrong fork oil weight in there.
I didn't have a slipper clutch and when I banged a downshift going into the turn, the rear wheel locked up.
The rear brake was too touchy and locked the wheel.
The rear brake was too weak.
The bike didn't have enough engine braking.
The frame was flexing.
The list goes on and on. Bottom line? You crashed. Blaming the bike is weak. Hopefully, when you crashed, you learned something about why you crashed.
l
When a guy told me he crashed because the front tire was a sport touring compound, I asked if he put it on. Yep. I didn't say anything else. For one thing, he didn't crash because of the tire compound. In his mind, I guess that was a convenient excuse. To save face maybe?
I guess my point is (I think there is a point there somewhere), part of your job, the rider's job, is to make sure your shit is right. Crashing and blaming the tire? You put it on there, you knew it was there. Why would you put it on there and then blame the tire? Same with the suspension being out of adjustment or whatever. It's your bike. It's your ass out there. If it is less than what you consider optimum, slow the fuck down.
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- Joined
- Apr 21, 2010
- Location
- SF Bay Area
- Moto(s)
- anything I can throw my leg over
- Name
- Eric
- BARF perks
- AMA #2086825
I may add, that in addition to "make sure your shit is right", make sure you understand what your shit is.
If you know there is a shortcoming of the tires, suspension, whatever, understanding the limitations of the equipment and adjusting your ride accordingly is 100% the riders responsibility.
If you know there is a shortcoming of the tires, suspension, whatever, understanding the limitations of the equipment and adjusting your ride accordingly is 100% the riders responsibility.
ontherearwheel
New member
It must be my age, but I don't care how long I live, but how I live. No one gets out alive. When it's your time,it's your time.
All you can do is your best, make wise choices, know yourself and your current skill set.
Maybe it's because I've been done so many times, more than most on here, for a wide variety of reasons. The only reason I am alive is ......I don't know. I've had get offs that killed other people, but not me. Why?
It wasn't my skills that did it, sometimes it was my skill that got me in that crash. It wasn't my choices that did it. It just wasn't my time.
It's foolish to live worrying bout dying or how long you live. Just live each day as its your last. Hug your love ones like it is the last time you see them. Enjoy every sandwich. Don't leave hard feelings, arguements unsettled. Say I love you more....and mean it.
This is what I learned from being alive when others died doing the something I did.
All you can do is your best, make wise choices, know yourself and your current skill set.
Maybe it's because I've been done so many times, more than most on here, for a wide variety of reasons. The only reason I am alive is ......I don't know. I've had get offs that killed other people, but not me. Why?
It wasn't my skills that did it, sometimes it was my skill that got me in that crash. It wasn't my choices that did it. It just wasn't my time.
It's foolish to live worrying bout dying or how long you live. Just live each day as its your last. Hug your love ones like it is the last time you see them. Enjoy every sandwich. Don't leave hard feelings, arguements unsettled. Say I love you more....and mean it.
This is what I learned from being alive when others died doing the something I did.
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2010
- Location
- SF Bay Area
- Moto(s)
- anything I can throw my leg over
- Name
- Eric
- BARF perks
- AMA #2086825
^^ like that 5th paragraph
redtail
only ones and zeroes
Yup, agreed. A crash can be an education, learn as a rider what you did and move on.
Very nice! Something we all know, but need to be reminded of from time to time!
weasel
Eradicator
Triplets
It's foolish to live worrying bout dying or how long you live. Just live each day as its your last. (Because one day you'll be right
Well said
Climber
Well-known member
A ton of knowledge in this thread!
Dennis, can we sticky this thread? It's more valuable than any of the other sticky threads and if the information in here saves just one life it's worth it's weight in gold!
Some things to add and re-enforce..
I've been riding on the street for 29 years and I still try to learn how to read traffic better, do what-if scenario's in my head while riding.
While riding in traffic, I'm constantly re-evaluating my position on the road and trying to put myself in a position of least vulnerability with other vehicles whether I'm splitting lanes, riding down the carpool lane or just moving through traffic.
I always ask myself if I can maintain 100% focus 100% of the time before I get on the bike, if the answer is no I don't take it.
I never listen to music or radio while riding.
I never let myself forget to respect the risks while riding and never forget that 2 seconds of stupidity can put me in a situation where there are no good outcomes.
I take an active role in my safety, looking for the potential of a threat rather than a passive role where I'm reacting to a threat that has already developed and may not present any options that have me getting home safely that day.
Dennis, can we sticky this thread? It's more valuable than any of the other sticky threads and if the information in here saves just one life it's worth it's weight in gold!
Some things to add and re-enforce..
I've been riding on the street for 29 years and I still try to learn how to read traffic better, do what-if scenario's in my head while riding.
While riding in traffic, I'm constantly re-evaluating my position on the road and trying to put myself in a position of least vulnerability with other vehicles whether I'm splitting lanes, riding down the carpool lane or just moving through traffic.
I always ask myself if I can maintain 100% focus 100% of the time before I get on the bike, if the answer is no I don't take it.
I never listen to music or radio while riding.
I never let myself forget to respect the risks while riding and never forget that 2 seconds of stupidity can put me in a situation where there are no good outcomes.
I take an active role in my safety, looking for the potential of a threat rather than a passive role where I'm reacting to a threat that has already developed and may not present any options that have me getting home safely that day.