Stupid - 2

No injury, don't know how, but I almost planked a biker.

Got off an exit on the highway onto a two lane 45mph road. I turned to the right lane, then changed to the left. Doing about 40mph in the left lane, a silver jelly bean car comes out of McDonalds' and into the right lane. A brand new shinny blue Victory pulls out behind it, hovers around the left tail light and then wobbles into the left lane, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

Slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn, everything on the seat is on the floor. I don't know how I didn't hit this fool.

He wobbled over to the two turn left lanes to my left 3/4 of a mile later as we both had to stop at the next red light. Guy had a brandy new Victory, brand new matching helmet and a leather Victory labelled up jacket. Must be a "Re Entry Rider".

I didn't hop out of the truck and tell him he makes all bikers look bad, I didn't bitch at him for not even looking left when coming out; I just hope his heart is racing faster than mine and maybe he'll be smarter the next time.

I hope I don't read about him in the paper.....

Good job not hitting him!

Yesterday I was taking the kids back to their mother and driving along a country road behind a pair of youngsters in a shiny new 4Runner. They turn left across traffic into a prestigious gated community and into the path of an elderly couple running 55 the other way. Thankfully I saw it coming so when elderly couple swerve to avoid jack wagon kids I was already hard on the brakes to avoid a head on accident.

I did choose to have a few hard words with the boys and they both looked appropriately scared/chastised when I finished.

Thank you for not hitting the moron, I hate to see that.

I was in a left exit lane on the highway this weekend when a biker in front of me suddenly realized that it was an exit and went right with no signal and not one glance at a mirror. There was a bro-dozer Tundra coming up the lane to our right FAST (they were in the left lane technically) and they had to stand on the binders to miss this whack-a-mole. Like most full sized trucks with massively oversized wheels, this thing still had stock brakes so kudos to Toyota for making good ones. They saved a guy's life.

I grantee he E36 M3 his pants. Hopefully he gets the training he needs to have safe fun and not become a static.

A few years ago, one of the guys on the fire department bought a new Harley. He had to have another guy ride it home from the dealer. A week later, we were in the fire truck stopped across from him at a light. I gave him a wave but it looked like he was afraid that the bike would fall over if he took one of his hands off the handlebar.

Everybody should learn to ride on a dirt bike.

I was out riding early (5:30am) Sunday so I could have the twisties of NY97 north of Port Jervis all to myself for a bit. By 10am it got crowded enough with every manner of bike and fair weather rider that I bailed for lonely secondary roads but on the way out I witnessed some of the most awful lane discipline and traffic management skills possible. Like not just blowing a corner by dipping a tire over the center bad but coming back across from the opposite shoulder bad. Baggers wobbling and squids cooking the entry like clockwork. They made the texting drivers look like experts.

I am not what I would consider to be a super skilled rider. I've got a lot of seat time over the years, and a couple classes/books. By comparison to what I saw this weekend though ... the unwashed masses could do to just think about what they are doing a bit. Just a little. They are not putting any effort into even the basics.

I guess it's good for the motorcycle parts business and ambulance companies.

organ donors ….

That didn't take long ......

wbjones wrote: organ donors ….

In reply to 914Driver:

Well, without donors these things can languish. They are very maintenance intensive.

I saw a couple of kids (squids) hauling ass down U.S. 1 in Daytona this weekend. No shirts, wearing shorts and flip-flops, and of course no helmets. They were flying.....

Now I'm not one to insist that every rider must wear all the gear, all the time, but this was just ridiculous. I mean, flip-flops? On a motorcycle?

It's amazing how stupid some folks can be......and don't even get me started on all the drunk riders during the biker events. More wobbly big-harleys at stoplights being ridden by middle-age moms than I care to remember.

I'll seek my secondary roads and ride alone--- riding in traffic isn't much fun.

whats the stat here? 60 percent of brand new bikes sold to first time riders are crashed within the first 100 miles? Something like that?

Joe Gearin wrote: I saw a couple of kids (squids) hauling ass down U.S. 1 in Daytona this weekend. No shirts, wearing shorts and flip-flops, and of course no helmets. They were flying..... Now I'm not one to insist that every rider must wear all the gear, all the time, but this was just ridiculous. I mean, flip-flops? On a motorcycle? It's amazing how stupid some folks can be......and don't even get me started on all the drunk riders during the biker events. More wobbly big-harleys at stoplights being ridden by middle-age moms than I care to remember. I'll seek my secondary roads and ride alone--- riding in traffic isn't much fun.

I didn't realize that FL was an organ donor state (no helmet requirement) LOL… I knew that SC was

914Driver wrote: That didn't take long ......

wbjones wrote: organ donors ….

well, that's how I view the "it's my life, leave me alone, you can't make me wear a helmet" riders

Joe Gearin wrote: Now I'm not one to insist that every rider must wear all the gear, all the

Why?

When I used to ride, we wouldn't even let people go with us that weren't at a minimum wearing helmet, jacket gloves, jeans..........tennis shoes, OK, but everyone that rode often were all wearing SIDI's or similar.

A lot of the guys would even wear full leathers on the street. And this was in OK, in July/August as well.

One of my big fears is hitting a biker who is at fault, because it seems like everyone always assumes that the biker is always the victim, always.

Motorcyclists need to know a couple of things, and in todays "not my fault" society, its hard for people to accept. First, there are only 2 types of bikers. Ones who have crashed, and ones who will crash at a later date. Second, you are not as noticeable as a car, particularly if you are wearing all black on a black bike. Ride like you are invisible. Third, and most importantly, you are the one who will suffer from either your mistake, or the mistake of others. Prepare and ride like your life depends on it.

Joe Gearin wrote: Now I'm not one to insist that every rider must wear all the gear, all the time, but this was just ridiculous. I mean, flip-flops? On a motorcycle?

One of the things that puzzles me about riders in flip-flops: How do you upshift without really hurting your toes?

In reply to Streetwiseguy:

I don't necessarily subscribe to the fatalistic approach of every one crashes eventually (unless off-road, then, yes, almost daily) but I do definitely always assume that if I am ever surprised by something or have a close call IT'S MY FAULT. And it's always a real possibility.

Not that the car/biker/pedestrian/falling rock/deer/farm tractor/amish buggy didn't do something wrong or out of place - but I should have seen the scenario unfolding. Otherwise I wasn't paying enough attention to the big picture and processing it accordingly. I should never suddenly realize I'm vulnerable and have to react to it. Even the case of coming around a blind curve to find a tree in the road, it is not something you can predict, but if you hit the tree you were riding beyond your sight (too fast) and that is always a no no. So, your fault.

In the end, it's not really better to be lucky than good, or just good. It's better to be good, and a bit lucky. ;)

Shiny side up and all that, yada, yada...

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to Streetwiseguy: Not that the car/biker/pedestrian/falling rock/deer/farm tractor/amish buggy didn't do something wrong or out of place - but I should have seen the scenario unfolding. Otherwise I wasn't paying enough attention to the big picture and processing it accordingly.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

rcutclif wrote: whats the stat here? 60 percent of brand new bikes sold to first time riders are crashed within the first 100 miles? Something like that?

I've heard the percentage of deaths of the first ride is quite high. And I could have been one of them.

Streetwiseguy wrote: ...First, there are only 2 types of bikers. Ones who have crashed, and ones who will crash at a later date....

I keep hearing that, and yet 10 years later... nothing. Of course, I go to great length to AVOID SITUATIONS that might create that.

It does amaze me that so many choose the most unwieldy, least maneuverable bike possible as a first bike!

I saw a lowered stretched Busa on I-35 through Waco a couple weeks ago. Guy was in flip flops, swimming trunks, no shirt and that's it. Girl on back was in a string bikini, no shoes at all, but she did have on a helmet They were both getting bounced off the seat every bump they hit, doing 80, through a construction zone surrounded by traffic.

In reply to Nick_Comstock:

At least the view must have been good as they passed you.

In reply to bgkast:

She was pretty hot. My wife and I both thought she was naked until we got close enough to see the strings. She wouldn't have looked as good after having all of her skin removed by some hot Texas concrete though.