A very close call

Originally Posted by specialone

i felt that focus going sometimes so just backed off a bit when i didnt feel confident.
I also feel during these times, my chances of an 'incident' are greatly increased.

The problems start when you don't feel that focus fading, but it is fading unbeknownst to you (or in the case of an early morning it was never there yet). Also when other things start to intrude on your mind other than the riding.

The first and last hour after leaving and before you arrive home on a day out on the bike are the most dangerous all day.

Originally Posted by BanannaMan

Lucky idiot.

+1

You might think he had good survival reactions when faced with the front of the second car, but that's it, the rest was just him riding beyond his limits, fecking it up then reverting to pure instinctive survival reactions, during which time luck is your only friend.

Nothing to do with the road surface IMHO. The existing skid marks could be a month old. How many thousands other cars and bikes got round there safely (including his faster mates in front) since those skid marks were left by a different idiot?

[the_lone_wolf]

Typical idiot rider...


...riding with his main beam on like that...

Clearly a very talented rider to get out of such a sticky situation.

[Nobbylad]

Clearly untalented to get there in the first place.

Is it luck that he didnt grab a fist full of front, lock up and go under the first car?
Is it luck that he didnt highside after clearing the car and getting the bike back under?
Is it luck that he didnt just stear right back into his own lane and thus into the front of the first truck?
Is it luck that once going left of the truck and onto dirt he once again didnt brake so that he locked up and washed out?
Is it luck that he didnt hit the 2nd rider coming around after going back into his lane?

If you're putting all that down to luck then this guy rides on the wings of angels! Yes there were undoubtably elements of luck involved Im not doubting that but his composure saved his ass IMO.

I dont know the guy, I cant judge his mental state or his skill level, I've seen 30seconds of his riding prior to a near miss which I hope none on here are ever going to experiance for them selves. In that 30 seconds all I see is some routine rideout riding, then some blinding composure flavoured with luck which when combined result in an almost holywood style accident dodge.
I dont condone his riding style but none of us when asked would ever say we did. Thats despite every single one of us on here having at some point done it ourselves making it another example of the fine hypocritical BS which poisons this forum.

RH, I've seen your riding vids and Im aware of your general career so I know you've got the skill and experiance to back up your opinion which is why I'll respect it. I just dont agree with it, just as it seems nor do you agree with mine no hard feelings.

id be dead!

I agree with Owenski in stating that the guy had incredible composure AFTER he f'ed it up. I'd say it's luck that got him past the first car, skill and composure got him past the second and third, a great deal of luck got him to not loose it in the gravel, BUT it was stupidity that got him in it in the first place :

1. He was clearly riding too fast for road visibility conditions : you can not see far enough into the curve (you can judge this by the number of seconds it takes from when something comes into FOV until it gets next to him and compare that to the number of seconds it takes to brake at ~80)

2. He was clearly riding too fast for road surface conditions : it's clear that the road is full of road snakes (the tar sealed cracks) which are very slippery and it's likely (probably less likely than target fixation) that it's what got him in danger in the first place

3. He was clearly riding too fast for road skill conditions : the lines are bad (okay, not really really bad, but definitely not good) and you can hear he doesn't roll on in the curves (and usually he's in the wrong speed to even do a roll on - he's almost redlining through some curves)

Bottom line is that yes, we all c0ck it up sometimes. I have, at least. The thing is, it's the fact that he clearly did not invest in his riding education before investing in the biggest and greatest engine. And it's THAT kind of behavior that I blame. The rest is just a game of chance, it's just that some are far less likely to come under fire than others (risk management).

Everything that kept him out of an ambulance, except not hitting the second car, was luck, IMO of course

[Balky001]

I have to agree with Ralph on that, lots of luck with some skill (or just survival instinct) inbetween.

Whether we have all done it before doesn't make it better but maybe more understandable.