quote:

There's two types of riders...those who are going to go down and those who have.

Truth.

I've been riding for a hair over 50 years and I've been down hard on the street 3 times. No broken bones, no really serious damage to the bikes. Once entirely my fault (too fast on a strange road) once due to equipment failure (instantaneous flat on front tire) and once due to road conditions (just started raining, slick intersection).

Just yesterday I had a person who should have known better ask me "Isn't it too hot to wear all that gear?" Yeah, it was. DAMN hot. But I've donated enough epidermis for this lifetime, thank you.

Oh yeah. I get away from any vehicle hauling anything whenever possible. Those ladders on that truck-no way. Mattress on the roof....I shudder.

Defensive driving is a must and takes practice.

We had a guy in the small town about 3 miles away that always went out into the street when turning around while mowing. This street, however is a state route.
He did what most do after doing it for so long, he failed to look....got smacked by a semi.
He did not die, but told me once he wished at times he would have. Broken back and many bones.

Wreck here yesterday. At least the rider is alive, not sure how.
Area of the crash is congested and has some "S" curves. Sounds like the motorcycle rider was going to fast for conditions as he will be facing charges.


http://www.local8now.com/conte...ieces-436384443.html

Many years ago, I attended one of the ride around a parking lot to learn how to ride a motorcycle classes.
During the riding portion of the class, I realized being out on the road surrounded by cars, wasn't something I should be doing.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Oh yeah. I get away from any vehicle hauling anything whenever possible. Those ladders on that truck-no way. Mattress on the roof....I shudder.

I was going down the I-15 in SoCal when a Little tikes toy truck came bouncing out of the back of a pick up. I have had this happen several times with various items from vehicle parts to paint brushes, even a landscaping boulder the size of a basket ball. That truck was the one that really stuck. Having just finished a trip out east (Philly, Upstate NY, VT, NH) i was amazed at how many just throw crap in the back of their trucks with no concern what so ever.

"Just yesterday I had a person who should have known better ask me "Isn't it too hot to wear all that gear?" Yeah, it was. DAMN hot. But I've donated enough epidermis for this lifetime, thank you."

Here in the midwest where almost nobody wheres a helmet or anything more than a HD T shirt and bandana. I get asked that all the time and my reply is that I may be hot right now but I have never thought, man I am sure glad I wasn't hot a minute ago, while I was bouncing down the road.

That is defensive driving in a nutshell. Always imagine what could happen, don't go where it could hurt you, and have a plan if it happens anyway.

Good for you.

Skilled motorcyclists practice defensive driving. That is our only safety net to PREVENT a motorcycle accident.

Motorists simply "stab it and steer it", relying on the safety crap in their vehicle to protect them. They are the ones we fear the most.

(Well, young dumb blond girls, too.)