What do you do when.....

Ok so i was out riding today and i was going down the road(up a hill) and a car decides to pull out right in front of me. I barely touched my brakes. What i did was down shifted was sitting on low rpms just cruising. I down shifted to get back in the power band. And Shot out around the front of the car. I had to partialy go into the oncoming traffic lane(nothing was coming i had a clear view) but i avoided and accident.

What do you guys do in a situation like that or what would you do

 

Depends, you only have 2 choices, hit the brakes and try to stop, or as you did scoot around. If the other side of the road is clear that would be the safest route.... All comes down to how close were they and what escape routes, if any, are available?

 

Thats the joy of these snappy little bikes. We have that instant acceleration for situations just like that. I have been in a few where I felt that it would be safer to speed thru rather then hit the brakes. But every situation is different.

 

You guys wanna know whats messed up? This is my first year of riding. Only been riding like 1 month regularly. I already have the reaction time to do something like i did today. and i didnt even panick it was all like i knew what i was doing. Could i be a natural? lol

 

Of course if the wife had been on the back, she probably would have bent the foot peg while slamming the imaginary passenger break peddle.

 

i prolly shouldnt laugh but thats funny

 

To be honest, I feel that while it is very good to hone your instincts to react to a situation like this, the best thing to do is to practice anticipating what the cagers are doing. You have to profile the drivers based on their behavior, and always expect another driver to pull out in front of you. As you approach, you would go from a point where braking is the option to where accelerating and swerving is best. All this planning and predicting would be done for any cage that can cross your path (that includes oncoming traffic that can turn left in front of you into a parking lot).

If you don't pay attention to the cage, and expect them to yield to your right of way, they will disappoint you. If you see them, and expect them to "try" to run you over, then you will "act" when you see it coming, and will be full prepared, and not rely on reaction times or instinct.

 

Once you leave the spot where the Bike was parked and venture out into the World; you have to be PLAYING DEFENSE all the time.

Once you get above 45 Miles per Hour. You nave NO Brakes.
You onlly have devices which will LOCK-UP the WHEELS.

The Bike DOES NOT Stop.
The Bike keeps moving in the same VECTOR is was was moving at the instant the Wheels lock-up.

Locking-up the Brakes on your Bike does not stop you.
Locking-up the Brakes LAUNCHES you in the direction the Bike was going when the Wheels stop.

You need to learn to Ride the Bike like it has NO Brakes.
The faster you are going the more vulnerable to accident situations you become.

The 9 Square Inches of Tire Contact with the Road ain't much.

2010 will be the most dangerous year for those of us on two wheels.
The Cagers got GPS, Stereos, Cell Phones, Laptops, Texting, Tweeting and Internet Access on their iPhones.

Ride like EVERYBODY else is YOUR Assassin.

 

A guy in a jeep with a "watch for motorcycles" sticker cut me the he!! off once.
So that got me a bit ticked,
And I work my way thru morning traffic, and end up with "pole position".
While waiting for the light, a work truck pulling a trailer comes up behind me in full brake lock, tires smoking.
I had no problem running that light. Really, what would a cop say.

 

Suppose he meant "Aim For Motorcycles"

 

Rick very well put. Im always watching ahead of me. Always have my eyes on the road watching for poeple like that. Even when im driving in my cage im the same way. I try to have a view of at least 3 cars in front of me that way i can anticapate the stop or what is going to happen

 

I agree wholeheartedly. Jamming on the brakes is almost always the wrong thing to do.

Congratulations on keeping your wits - good drivers avoid collisions. Poor drivers lay into the brakes and just hope.

Of course if there had been oncoming traffic the correct action might have been different....

 

You even have to watch behind yourself at stoplights just like TTR says.
read what happened there thursday...very sad..


http://www.abc15.com/content/news/centr ... QMC6Q.cspx

 

Hate to say this but ride like you have a BIG target painted on your chest and back. It's not paranoia if they REALLY are out to get you (THEY ARE)!!!

skillet

 

2010 will be the most dangerous year for those of us on two wheels.
The Cagers got GPS, Stereos, Cell Phones, Laptops, Texting, Tweeting and Internet Access on their iPhones.

And some are even driving Toyotas

 

Don't forget about the good drivers out there. Ya know the ones that just didn't see you comming. And then there trying to figuer out why your giving them the universal american salute. My theory is stay in front or stay in back and dont get boxed in .

 

Always a good rule of thumb to live/ride by...."Ride like you are invisible".

 

My brother just passed truck driving school. The instructor told one of the students " just go straight on thru this red light up ahead" .
So the trainee blows a light without stopping or looking !! (pulling an empty trailer)
Sh!+ can happen at ANY TIME !!

 

RickCoMatic's last line was THE first piece of advise on riding I ever got from a rider when I started and I make sure to pass it on as my number one as well.

"When you're on a bike with air and leather between your skin and the asphalt remember that EVERYONE out there is constantly, actively trying to murder you. It's up to you not to let them. The big rig, the RV, the soccer mom, the guy that paved the road last year and left that low spot where the pot-hole is now, ALL of them want you dead. Ride accordingly. "

That and
"Rubber side down, shiny side up" are about it.

"armored glove through mirror is closer than it appears"

 

Since we don't have a "Safety" forum, we started this thread back in '08:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=11852.html

There are 12 pages of some very interesting and useful information there; give it a read.