Topic: Scare tactics//Statistics//New Rider//

[Stev-o]

Who's your Daddy?!    Can't stop laughing, funniest post of the year!

[vfourfreak]

A good piece of advice that I was given a long time ago, and it applies to life in general : You were given two ears and one mouth - use them in that proportion.

The day I stop learning something new (in any field) is the day I want my pine overcoat.

Kev

[MikeKato]

In a perfect world a guy could hop on a  CUSTOM, MOUNTAIN BOSS HOSS WITH A 502 BIG BLOCK **WITH NITROUS** and get filled to the brim from  a biker-bar that offers free beer to whoever owns the "awesome red bike".

150mph, shatfaced without a care in that perfect world,heading off to the next free beer joint.

http://nd.craigslist.org/mcy/4477128393.html

[Bob Wessner]

Let's keep things civil, shall we.

[calj737]

Is spanking children outside the bounds, Bob? If so, perhaps just send him to bed without dessert...

[Retro Rocket]

Who's your Daddy?!    Can't stop laughing, funniest post of the year!

Bahahahahaha....Impressive....

Cal, you hit the nail right on the head, "near misses" are the ones you've avoided through either luck or skill, I've had quite a few of both, thats also the main reason i'm so retentive about Tires and suspension, if you use the best suspension and tires you can buy, you know the bike is able to do what you want it to do {within the limits of the machine}, the rest is solely up to you, and like the old saying goes, "practice makes perfect", NOTHING beats time in the saddle, I don't care if Casey Stoner is your instructor, he's not the one riding the bike... 

[vfourfreak]

My last post on this thread was directed towards Fenders, apologies if it sounded random.

To the OP CBparakeet, I hope the many inputs of wise and experienced riders are of a benefit to you.

Kev

[Bailgang]

Don't try and race on the roads. If you really want to see what your bike can do, or how much faster / braver / stupider you are than your mates, book a track day.

Amen to that. Right now the wife and I are about an hour away from Deals Gap, NC (the dragon tail) and we've been there a couple of times this week and oh boy the crazy s##t I saw. Some goof showed up at the resort with racing slicks on his bike not to mention all the knee draggers ripping towards me coming the other way as we rode through it. 

[calj737]

Slicks! That would scare the living dogsh!t outta me if I saw him on the road. Frisking pretenders!!! Think I might be tempted to walk past and intro my Kershaw to his sidewalls.

[petercb750]

NOTHING beats time in the saddle, I don't care if Casey Stoner is your instructor, he's not the one riding the bike... 

Absolutely spot on mate.
We instruct in basic motorcycle skills and control, it's impossible to replicate every real road situation, but what we do is give sound advice, dos and don'ts, examples, dvd's, real life experiences, time on a bike etc etc...the rest is up to the rider, and it's only real time on the bike that will hone those skills as well as exposure to the cockheads and riding conditions.
Been riding for 43 years, as you probably have too, and every time I get on the bike I know I'm going to face potential danger, but I hope that my skills and experience, as well as a good dose of luck, will get me home with a big grin on my face. But I know it's up to me to make that happen, and not rely on other drivers/riders saving my butt.
All this chest beating about 'never had a near miss' 'never had an accident' is just emu head in the sand stuff...it will happen. Old mate fenders is just kidding himself (and giving it a fair old tug too).
Peter.

[vfourfreak]

Slicks! That would scare the living dogsh!t outta me if I saw him on the road. Frisking pretenders!!! Think I might be tempted to walk past and intro my Kershaw to his sidewalls.

Back in the day, Yam TZs were being delivered with 3 groove Yokohama slicks that EVERYONE discarded immediately. I got a heap of them and fitted them to my RD400 on the road. What fun. Till it rained, or they did not heat up enough and I almost high sided. Lesson learned.

Road use needs proper road equipment. If you want to race, go racing properly.

Kev

[petercb750]

Slicks! That would scare the living dogsh!t outta me if I saw him on the road. Frisking pretenders!!! Think I might be tempted to walk past and intro my Kershaw to his sidewalls.

Back in the day, Yam TZs were being delivered with 3 groove Yokohama slicks that EVERYONE discarded immediately. I got a heap of them and fitted them to my RD400 on the road. What fun. Till it rained, or they did not heat up enough and I almost high sided. Lesson learned.

Road use needs proper road equipment. If you want to race, go racing properly.

Kev

Yeh, a few years ago a wanker in the hills near here was running slicks and thought he was really cool and ultra quick, until he rounded a bend with a small bit of water running across it....he's now looking down on us, very dead, wishing he had used more fkn brains. Maybe if he had ridden with all his 'professional riding' mates he would still be with us, cos apparently they don't have accidents or near misses.....

[Retro Rocket]

Pete, a mate of mine in Sydney was T boned by a goose on a bike at night riding without his headlight on, that was very messy and i can assure you Russel didn't see that one coming, there's so many variables its impossible to ride a motorcycle and not have near misses, I have them in my ute most days, especially on roundabouts, some people just can't work out how to drive a friggin car...

[petercb750]

For sure....
I drive 160km round trip commute every day, most days in my ute, and about two thirds of it on country roads.....I see stuff every single day that just leaves me shaking my head.
Bikes, cars, trucks...doesn't matter, there's nut cases in/on all of them.

[calj737]

Peter - curious if you'd agree with the following:

Skills are what we use when we experience the need to perform a maneuver to ride safely that our judgement tells us is necessary, or out of the norm, which is the direct result of experiencing time in the saddle in actual riding conditions.

Any substitute for that formula that you know of?

[petercb750]

Peter - curious if you'd agree with the following:

Skills are what we use when we experience the need to perform a maneuver to ride safely that our judgement tells us is necessary, or out of the norm, which is the direct result of experiencing time in the saddle in actual riding conditions.

Any substitute for that formula that you know of?

I was with you in the first part, then got a bit confused,  but I think it seems fair enough. Really, any situation on the road that you find yourself in requires judgement and evaluation, then execution of skills, whether it be avoiding another vehicle, pothole or obstacle.
We have an acronym we use....SEE....search, evaluate,  execute.
But the execute part relies on you having the skills to make the bike do what you need it to. These, some of them being quite basic but surprisingly lacking in many riders, come with training and learning by experience, sometimes sadly the hard way.
I think that's sort of what you said anyway.

[calj737]

Yes. Perhaps a bit poorly written as I didn't copy it from a handbook 

[grcamna2]

I think it'd be a nice idea if insurance companies offered big discounts for drivers if they would take a driver skills improvement course every so often;I wonder if some ins. co.'s do that ?

[HondanutRider]

I think it'd be a nice idea if insurance companies offered big discounts for drivers if they would take a driver skills improvement course every so often;I wonder if some ins. co.'s do that ?

Its getting less so unfortunately, but most insurance companies around here used to give new riders a break on their rates if they had taken a safety course to obtain their motorcycle endorsement for the second level (the "M2").  Some companies simply won`t insure the very first level of rider license (the "M1").

[BobbyR]

I think it'd be a nice idea if insurance companies offered big discounts for drivers if they would take a driver skills improvement course every so often;I wonder if some ins. co.'s do that ?

I and others have gotten credit for a defensive driving class on our car insurance for taking the MSF class.

[grcamna2]

Bobby,
That defensive driving class..,was it offered through New York state? do you think I can find one(a MSF?) around here in Pittsburgh ?

[ekpent]

I took an accredited course last summer because a buddy of mine was the instructor. Got a little discount on the insurance by flashing my card to my agent, but not much.

[dave500]

like any skill some people are naturals and others just don't get it,and never will?

[Retro Rocket]

Peter - curious if you'd agree with the following:

Skills are what we use when we experience the need to perform a maneuver to ride safely that our judgement tells us is necessary, or out of the norm, which is the direct result of experiencing time in the saddle in actual riding conditions.

Any substitute for that formula that you know of?

I was with you in the first part, then got a bit confused,  but I think it seems fair enough. Really, any situation on the road that you find yourself in requires judgement and evaluation, then execution of skills, whether it be avoiding another vehicle, pothole or obstacle.
We have an acronym we use....SEE....search, evaluate,  execute.
But the execute part relies on you having the skills to make the bike do what you need it to. These, some of them being quite basic but surprisingly lacking in many riders, come with training and learning by experience, sometimes sadly the hard way.
I think that's sort of what you said anyway.

Peter Peter Peter, how many times do I have to tell you, the last "E" in "SEE" is for execute alright but, its execute the m0r0ns that continually run over bike's that "they didn't see"....  Just thought I would clear that up for you mate...

[petercb750]

 
Haha, yeh, and that..