Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival thread

I notice a lot of riders following cars with 1 to 1.5 seconds of space. I guess it is to stop them from squeezing in. I know here in Richmond, Va if you leave 2 or 3 seconds between you and the car in front of you some jack ass will fill the space. Of course it drives me nuts these damned cars tail gating me all the time. Some times I am afraid to break because if I break this jack ass behind me is going to run me over.

I also two weeks ago saw a guy on a Harley Road King Classic, half helmet, sunglasses, golf shorts, t-shirt and ready, flip flops. yes it was a warm day 90 +. But flip-flops? I hope he had his organ doner card. Though if he did crash I doubt they'd get much skin from him...

 

Great point for novice riders like me. I almost had to learn that the hard way but was able to keep her up. Lots of filler out here in the country, almost as bad when it's hot out as gravel in the turns.

 

Just came back from Europe and you would not believe the lane-splitting and scooters everywhere. Gear was variable, from "light" to full-on boots to green vests. When traffic stopped, scooters and bikes would lane-split up to the traffic light, then go first. When traffic was rolling, motorcycles would ride the white line, splitting into oncoming traffic to pass the slow cages. And all this without horns honking !! The preferred scooter is similar to the 400 Burgman, with many European makes not seen here.
You would simply be arrested if you tried to pull that here !!

 

We had a rash of missing manholes covers a few years back 8O - scan scan scan

 

My four rules are:
#1 Ride like I'm INVISIBLE, trusting no one.
#2 Swerve side to side within my lane to get the attention of some pulling in front of me. Even if we're making eye contact I'll do it.
#3 "Practice" emergency braking on the streets (not a parking lot) for real world senerio. ONLY when there are NO cages BEHIND me.
#4 Use traffic to my advantage with good clearence and a way out.

 

Trust your instincts about a cager. Many times I see them and just get a bad feeling about them. I stay behind them and give them room, and sure enough they usually do something that could have killed me.

Nomally I am not a fan of state troopers but last week coming home from Fairfax, Va to Richmond on mile marker 104 on I-95 this crazy cager in a SUV just comes over on me. I am going 75 in a 70. State trooper behind me. She doesn't look, she just comes over I was riding to the left of the lane and I was in the far left lane. She splits my lane I hit the breaks and get in to the shoulder which is about 3/4 of a lane wide. Then in my mirrors I see blue lights. I though WTF he's gonna pull me over? NO he goes after her and writes her tickets for reckless driving, illegal lane change and speeding, 85 in a 70 oh which is another reckless charge. How do I know this I pulled over and asked the cop to arrest her for attempted manslaughter changes.

 

SPEAKING OF freeway riding: I was thinking about this on the way in this morning, as I did what I'm about to discuss:

Riding in a gap.

Freeway traffic, unless VERY heavy (and even then) tends to run in "clumps." There will be a group of vehicles; then a gap (sometimes as great as a mile or more) to the next group. While there will always be a vehicle or two running fast enough to go from one group to the next, most of the traffic will remain in the "clump" leaving a nice gap to the next pack of fools.

Whenever possible, it pays to find one of those gaps; and adjust your speed accordingly so you can ride along IN it for as long as possible.

MUCH better to be humming along at 75 with nothing in front of, next to or behind you for a half mile or so. Lots less opportunity to get lane-changed upon.

No, it's not always possible; but a lot of the time it is. Something to think about the next time you get on the superslab.

As always, ride safe--- Fitz

 

I did a lot of freeway riding this past weekend and was concentrating on doing this exact thing. It sure feels good to be humming along at 70 and be able to squirt the throttle just a little to zip into the gap past the cars in the next lane. Gotta love these high-revving XJ's!

 

I hate the slab, only use it when I have to....
Unfortunately, it is part of my commute for a few minutes......
On the way in it's not bad as I can skip out of the mainstream and cut through
a new commercial area that was built.... longer but less traffic and more curves.. win--win
On the way home however, It's a multi-lane mess of stupidity as people jockey to screw over the next guy to get 2 seconds ahead ...

looking for a pic....
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=44.68414 ... &t=k&hl=en

 

Doc makes a good point, more and more I see guys (and gals, actually gals more so) wearing tank tops, shorts and flip flops while riding. This has got to be the most ignorant, small minded, narrow visioned riding I have ever seen. These people seem to think that they have a cage around them while riding. Man talk about taking your own physical well being into your own hands, they just don't realize all it takes is one inattentive driver to pull in front of them, not even hit them, and cause a panic move that really could cause serious injury, without being hit.

 

You know Massimo, I think it is simply a two fold issue first they I am not gonna crash, have an accident syndrome. Second, personal freedom. People don't like to be told what to do. And the long history of motorcycles and the open road, freedom ect people are gonna do what they want. Honestly I think they are all fools and I will have no pitty for them if they crash and loose most of their skin. Personally, I'll put up with being a little warm at a traffic light than loose all the skin on my body.

People ask all they time aren't you hot in that stuff I tell them the truth only when I am not moving. Even at 25MPH there is enough wind to stay cool.

This morning I saw a woman on a crotch rocket in a pink halter top, short, shorts, and tennis shoes. full face helmet. No gloves. I just shook my head as she blew down the road weaving in and out of the traffic. It was a 55 MPH zone. I was doing 70 and she passed me like I was standing still. I guess really riding like that why bother with safety equipment, that one accident is gonna kill you anyway... Seriously she had to be doing 90.

 

I noticed a phenomenon related to this during the recent bout of super-hot weather here in the midwest:

On the really hot days, it seemed like nearly every bike on the road was being ridden by the shorts and flip-flops crowd; and MOST of these seemed to be on Harleys or large, Harley-esque cruisers.

Then as the weather moderated somewhat, the ATGATT folks on the sportbikes, etc., began to reappear. Myself included.

Then it occurred to me: the guys who won't ride without their protective gear simply weren't out on the road when it was SUPER hot (I know I wasn't) just the fools who seem to think the physical size of the motorcycle they're on somehow shields them from harm.

Most of those folks ride with the "it won't happen to me" attitude.

It will; and then they might learn. Maybe. Or quit riding and blame "motorcycles" for their own stupidity, which is usually what happens.

 

I am an ATGATT as well. But I have summer gear vented and armored. I ride to work everyday. Even when it was 100+ in the afternoon. Was it hot yep when I wasn't really moving. most of my ride is highway and I leave work at 4:30 PM EST so I get a jump on the true rush hour traffic.

Honestly, around here it seems like the norm is t-shirts shorts, tennis shoes, and some sort of helmet which is required by law. Riders in all the gear are the exception and guys in at least jackets, gloves, jeans and boots are rare. No matter if they are on cruisers, sport bikes or what have you.

I ride a lot with a local group most of them ride half helmet, t-shirt, boots, jeans. No gloves and riding glasses. They usually look at me like I am nuts in my jacket, pants, full face helmet and gloves. Usually I just tell them I dress for the slide not the ride.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

You're lucky your schedule allows it.

We've got so much construction going on in the Metro Detroit area right now it's virtually impossible to get out of the city, especially to the north and during rush hour, without running into some serious stop-n-go traffic jams.

I've got a vented/armored jacket as well, but it's black (the only color "talls" come in) and 10 minutes stopped in 102* heat would cause me to melt and fall over. If I knew I could keep moving, it would be different; but when it's truly brutal I need the AC'ed comfort of the Wabbit.

Quite honestly, I think it's raw experience that separates the "flip-flop-fools" from the ATGATT folks. All it takes is one wreck to realize exactly how life-changing the injuries can be; those fools have never crashed, or they'd be dressed differently.

I know it converted me, and that was 30+ years ago.

 

Seems to be everywhere then, we have a big crowd of the here as well...
Mostly the weekend warrior wanna be crowd ...
but also some of the regulars I see in gear are sometimes without on the hotter days...

I commute on mine as soon as the ice is gone until it returns....
I'm ATGATT, notice most of the adventure touring guys are as well..
Starting to see more cruiser guys in full gear as Iwell, but as you mention the hot weather brings out the others.... figure a lot of them only ride when it's hot...
I'd like to see one of the short/flipflop guys just lose their footing at a light....
bet that would change a bot of the thought pattern

 

wet your t-shirt before you put on your vented jacket, that's good for twenty minutes

 

Perspiration seems to keep it nicely wet for an extended period.

 

It is a great day here in Va, the low was in the upper 50's last night it was 62 when I left for work high in the low 80s today. Lots of bikes on the road. here is what I saw:

3 crotch rockets rides in t-shirts or long sleeve shirts, shorts, no gloves, full face helmets, tennis shoes

1 street bike some sort of BMW: full face helmet, wind breaker, slacks, loafers, no gloves

1 HD Hog: half helmet, t-shirt, leather vest, jeans, boots no gloves

1: KLR: rider full face helmet, riding suit, gloves

1: V-Star: rider full face helmet, jacket ( armored), short pants, boots, gloves

1: xj650J: me: armored jacket, gloves, armored tri-tex pants, boots, full face helmet

Just a sampling of what is out there. At 7:00 - 7:30 am

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

I understand the personal freedom and I don't particularly like being told what to do either, but this isn't about that. It's about being around long enough to enjoy the ride and trying to minimize the possible amount of pain and suffering, if and when the inevitable happens.
But that's just me.... and i agree Doc no pity or sympathy for people who won't take the time to protect themselves.

 

BigFritz the other day said something about raw experience. While I think yes, being in an accident and surviving then getting back on the bike will hopefully teach you some harsh lessons about gear. But even having all the right gear isn't a guarantee of complete protection. I have not been riding that long. I have not crashed, but for me it is pretty plain to see. A bike is nothing like a car. The only protection you have in an accident is whatever you can strap, zip, button, or otherwise put on your self. Can the gear get hot? Yep it can. But I'd rather sweat some and be as protected as I can vs. being cool and looking 'cool' and not being protected. I am very much a person who believes in personal freedoms. I very much believe that you should do what you want to with in reason. By no means am I saying you should be forced. But a little common sense would be nice.

Bottom line riding is risky, it is up to each rider to determine the amount of risk they want. riding unprotected is as risky as it gets -but if you want to have at it. Just don't expect me to have pity or sympathy for you. Don't shake your head at me when I ride in full gear even in 102 degree heat, because when that day comes I'll have a better chance of walking away or at least surviving the crash.

I guess bottom line it comes down to this, do what you want it is your life and your body. If you want to just wear a helmet and go 150 miles an hour on your bike more power to you, but do us all a favor sign that donor card, because your internal organs if they survive will be useful to someone. Lord knows you won't have any skin left to donate.