Mistakes/Situations for New Riders to Avoid

[The Dude]

Yup. Here is an example of what can happen if you are unfamiliar with counter-steering on a bigger bike.

[video=youtube;WjYmJVo6gRM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjYmJVo6gRM[/video]

And here is an example of what I mean by poor throttle control. Basically what happens is that the bike accelerates faster than you expect so you grip the handlebar tighter to stay on the bike. However, the acceleration pushes you backwards, forcing you to open the throttle and accelerate even more. The more the bike accelerates is the more it makes you open the throttle and the following happens.

[video=youtube;UHZ0fsFVUiU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHZ0fsFVUiU[/video]

On smaller bikes with less torque, the acceleration is a lot slower so you are a lot less likely to lose control like this. This video was funny, but image it happening to you by an intersection at a red light.

 

[nirtime]

Well that is some very interesting stuff there. Never considered how G force would impact the rider from grabbing the bar tightly thus increasing throttle.

 

[The Dude]

In that situation the best thing to do is grab the clutch. Let the rpms shoot to the sky if it has to but you will have both hand firmly on the handlebar and would be able to control the bike and properly apply brakes.

I teach beginner's to always ride with the index and middle fingers resting on the clutch for this reason (this is called "shadowing the clutch) and get comfortable enough using the clutch so that squeezing the clutch becomes your panic response.

 

[nirtime]

That makes a lot of sense to me.

Friend of mine ran off the road yesterday because a biker hit him a high beam at night while trying to dangerously overtake a car on the oncoming Lane. Blinded him till he only had visual perception in time to pull off the road.

 

[The Dude]

Did that happen by felicity on the main road with three bikers involved?

 

[nirtime]

Did that happen by felicity on the main road with three bikers involved?

I think it was about 6 bikers and im not too sure on the location.

 

[The Dude]

Hmmm. I know three of my friends were riding in Felicity on the main road and almost got hit by a drunk driver last night. I didn't ask if anyone else was riding with them.

They said they just noticed a car on their side of the road coming straight towards them. The driver saw them late and panic braked picking up a skid. They all kept to the extreme left of the road and luckily none of them got hit but the car continued to skate and ran off the road.

They said a young (between 17 and 19) kinda chubby indian fella was driving drunk apparently. The three of them said they thought they were going die and said if the car had only hit them at that speed they most likely would have and the three of them could real ride (they are everyday riders like me) so I know it had to be a real close call for them to say that.

 

[The Dude]

Just talked to my friend he said it was just 3 of them. So probably it was a different accident

 

[nirtime]

That sounds like it. Yes its the same accident, small world. Im glad to hear it from their side as well cause what he said differs a bit.

 

[The Dude]

Damn, what are the chances. Trini real small for real. I just glad none of them got hurt cuz that would have been a hard call to make to their wives and kids.

 

[nirtime]

Damn, what are the chances. Trini real small for real. I just glad none of them got hurt cuz that would have been a hard call to make to their wives and kids.

I hear you, that's what prevents a lot of ppl from biking out here.

 

[The Dude]

Yup. No matter if you right or wrong in an accident, the biker always loses. However, the vast majority of deaths involve beginners. In that situation most beginners would have panic braked and picked up a skid, like your friend did, but these guys riding years. They seasoned to ignore that panic reaction. Believe me, it not easy to continue riding head on into a car in that situation and ignore your reflexes telling you to mash brakes.

That however can't be taught and comes only with years of experience. I want to start a bike school next year so I could at least help people avoid getting into accidents when they now start riding, seeing that that is when it's most dangerous.

 

[nirtime]

Yes Dude I always think that for Bikers. Whether the bike man is wrong or the car is wrong, the bike man loses in the end due to injury/death.

Indeed, my friend isn't all that experienced behind the wheel so I can clearly see why he had a typical stomp on brake, pray ABS does the job type of reaction.

Really sorry that had to happen though, it came really close and by the forces that be it didn't happen.

I would really like if you taught these new bikers the proper thing as well, too many of them lean into blind corners and come directly on/over the white line. Had a few incidents where they almost got clipped on narrow roads up Maracas already. Blow a horn and they more vex than you too.

 

[The Dude]

Just like drivers, you will always have those riders that don't ride for everyone else and would have cars pulling to allpw them to pass. Thankfully my group doesn't ride like that. We all ride like we are invisible so once you driving your drive you have nothing to worry about.

Sad to say but I think your friend bent the story a bit cuz I know the riders real experienced. If they over taking a car they only in the oncoming lane for a split second. We just whip around the car and back in our lane. Plus bikes could fit between the two lanes of traffic if push come to shove. I just glad everyone was ok though.

 

[nirtime]

Yes I think he bent the story too. It simply did not add up what he said. The emotions were over extreme for what he described. Yet it fits into what the bikers described.

Lots of bikes pass between two cars easily, they do come close at times but its usually manageable.

 

[The Dude]

On another note, here is a video about another common mistake among new riders called target fixation. I believe this is what happened to Alex Atherton a few months back. Basically, the rider sees where he/she will potentially crash and fixate their focus on that location. Becuase they are so focused on that location, they cannot bring themselves to turn away because unlike a car (where you only need to turn the steering wheel) with a bike you may need to re-position your body to properly lean to avoid the obstacle. However, without looking where you want to go, you cannot properly position your body and steer the bike away.

Long story short, you must always look where you WANT to go and not always where you are going. Even if you are pretty sure you are going to crash.

[video=youtube;ewDS5ROrLcE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewDS5ROrLcE[/video]