I'm Scared to lean now...

[VirginiaJim]

It's so bad in Va.................that it is now not a reason to pull someone over.

[mikeb2411]

It's so bad in Va.................that it is now not a reason to pull someone over.

That's pretty bad. Well, it's still illegal to do it here but is NEVER enforced!

[VirginiaJim]

I use my high beam 'flash to pass' switch quite often when I am approaching a car waiting to enter the road ahead of me.  A couple of quick flashes seems to get their attention.

Very bad idea.  Saw a bike do just that and the driver of the car misinterpreted it as 'go ahead and pull out in front of me' and nearly took the bike and rider out.  Scared the crap out of me and sure it did to the rider as well.  Don't assume anyone knows your 'signals'....

[Conniesaki]

Very bad idea.  Saw a bike do just that and the driver of the car misinterpreted it as 'go ahead and pull out in front of me' and nearly took the bike and rider out.  Scared the crap out of me and sure it did to the rider as well.  Don't assume anyone knows your 'signals'....

Flash the high beams AND STILL assume they're going to pull out.

[Eupher]

Flash the high beams AND STILL assume they're going to pull out.

Zackly.

[maxtog]

People around here signal their turn after they have made the move or are halfway into it.  Strange.  If you are observant you can read the signals and know when someone is going to move over and most of them move so slowly you have plenty of time to blast them with your horn so they panic and almost go off the road the other way, while you motor on with a smile. 

That is exactly what I do.  I tend to watch everyone very carefully and almost always know when they are about to do something stupid.  And I will often be very ready and will, indeed, blast them with my air horn (of course, that is secondary to making sure I am safe).

I use my high beam 'flash to pass' switch quite often when I am approaching a car waiting to enter the road ahead of me.  A couple of quick flashes seems to get their attention.

That can be dangerous-  misinterpreted as yielding the right-of-way.  Although when I felt threatened, I have raised highbeams, but not in a flash manner.

[maxtog]

It's so bad in Va.................that it is now not a reason to pull someone over.

Sad but true.  All the police care about is freaking speeding, which is rarely an issue.  It is not using turn signals, following too closely, not paying attention, and changing lanes without looking that causes the vast majority of accidents and issues.

[mikeb2411]

Sad but true.  All the police care about is freaking speeding, which is rarely an issue.  It is not using turn signals, following too closely, not paying attention, and changing lanes without looking that causes the vast majority of accidents and issues.

Oh Maxtog, why'd you say it ... why'd you say "following too closely"? Don't get me started!

[Cold Streak]

Very bad idea.  Saw a bike do just that and the driver of the car misinterpreted it as 'go ahead and pull out in front of me' and nearly took the bike and rider out. 

Hmmm, I have to admit that never occurred to me and it's never happened to me.  As others have said though, I still assume they are going to pull out and keep my fingers over the brake lever.

[Rhino]

I use my high beam 'flash to pass' switch quite often when I am approaching a car waiting to enter the road ahead of me.  A couple of quick flashes seems to get their attention.

As others have said, that can be misconstrued to mean 'go ahead'. What I use is the 'wiggle'. Any car in a position to turn in front of me, I wiggle the bike. It wakes their brain up from "oh just a motorcycle" to "what the hell is that guy doing". An while they are looking at you like your crazy what they aren't doing is pulling out.

[Mage]

Many years ago with my first bike (Honda Silver Wing) I went around a corner and slid out on powdered asphalt.  From then on I always try to keep an eye on the road surface.  I can't say that I'm overly cautious but I do pay attention to what's lying on the road.  I've had a few slips since then but no downs.  I like MCing too much to stop riding.  I think if the desire to ride is there then eventually you'll get your confidence back.  If you don't, it's time to try other things.  I believe what you are feeling is quite normal, though.

+ 1

It takes a while.  It will come.  You will never be the fool you were!  Once bitten...

It bears repetition - PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!  Your life depends on it.

[maxtog]

As others have said, that can be misconstrued to mean 'go ahead'. What I use is the 'wiggle'. Any car in a position to turn in front of me, I wiggle the bike. It wakes their brain up from "oh just a motorcycle" to "what the hell is that guy doing". An while they are looking at you like your crazy what they aren't doing is pulling out.

I have seen many recommendations about "wiggling" or quickly weaving the bike... and I do use that method sometimes and I believe it is effective.  It lets cars know that you are a bike, that you are not a stray light, it makes you more visible without yielding, it is very "different" so people will stop and think more, and it also helps cars to judge your distance a little better.

I will point out that highbeams and high-pointed auxiliary lighting can blind people even in the daytime and sometimes even make it harder for people to actually see the bike or judge distance.  It also obliterates turn signals.

[elp_jc]

Intentionally crashing to avoid a crash is usually a terrible idea. If you had taken the time you spent "laying it down" and used it for maximum braking and/or swerving, I wonder if your outcome would be different?

That statement is absolutely true, especially since it says 'usually' (I'd have said 'almost always'). And even for those very few instances, you need to 'panic' brake until the last possible moment, since hard braking scrubs much more speed than sliding. And that's a fact; you don't need 'experience' to know that. And finally, most people claiming they had to 'lay down' the bike in reality fell down and used that as an excuse. And that usually happens due to inadvertently locking the rear wheel, since another fact is most people don't use the front brake hard enough for fear of flipping over the bike. Please note I use the word 'most' in all of my statements, meaning not all... because that's true. The good news is with ABS, nobody is going to accidentally drop this bike on purpose. In fact, I'd challenge most here to 'lay down' this bike and see if they can do it, and how ... if I had a spare ABS Connie to do that. Bottom line is drive defensively enough to never be on that situation. And if you are, brake like hell and let your reflexes/experience take over, meaning you NEED to practice panic braking if you're not used to it already, meaning that you're actually braking hard enough to invoke ABS . Have a good one folks.

[gPink]

Sometimes there comes a point, regardless of what led up to that point, you just have to chose.....head or gut.

[gggGary]

I couldn't raise even a whimper from the counter steering video?


This forum is all so enlightened and knowledgeable that we are all true believers and practitioners of counter steering, all are doing spot avoidance to hammer it in on a regular basis?  Seeing as it's the polar opposite of car driving I find I need to keep in practice so if (when?) that day comes, I make the right moves...
Pick a feature on the road, do an evasion using counter steering, repeat often. Seriously exercise the front brakes even on the ABS models.  You may be surprised at how much arm it takes to resist YOUR forward momentum.  Not so great if the bike's safely stopped but you are facedown over the fairing.

[VirginiaJim]

Troublemaker..

[AlbertaDoug]

Sometimes there comes a point, regardless of what led up to that point, you just have to chose.....head or gut.

  +1

[gggGary]

Sometimes there comes a point, regardless of what led up to that point, you just have to chose.....head or gut.

Without knowledge and constant PRACTICE of the correct techniques the gut will maim or kill you.


The gut just told someone lay "r" down was the right answer!


Once you've laid it down you will go UNDER whatever you contact.  I'll take the top side of the oncoming if it comes to that, thank you very much!


Top level motorcycle racers STILL go out and do a practice lap before the race. Warm up the bike but they know that overnight they have lost some of the edge and need to bring focus and concentration to top form.  We may not be two wheel sliding through the corners but our days are filled with distracted cagers that don't notice our existence.


Troublemaker?  Who? Me? 

[VirginiaJim]

 

[DaddyFlip]

Just a thought...

Uh, no on your little over thinking cross stitched wall hanger. Here's some quotes from Ronin for moto riders:

Spence: You think too hard.
Sam: Nobody ever told me that before.
____________

Spence: You worried about saving your own skin?
Sam: Yeah, I am. It covers my body.
____________

Sam: Whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt. That's the first thing they teach you.
Vincent: Who taught you?
Sam: I don't remember. That's the second thing they teach you.
____________

Deirdre: You're scared!
Sam: Of course I'm scared! You think I'm reluctant because I'm happy?
____________

Sam: Either you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution or you're just part of the landscape.
____________

Sam: Good reflexes.
Gregor: Oh yeah, they die hard.
 
Sam: You're great in the locker room, pal, and your reflexes might die hard, but you're weak when you put your spikes on.
____________

Vincent: A friend of yours?
Sam: Yeah, we went to high school together.
Vincent: Well, everyone's your brother 'till the rent comes due.
____________

Everybody's a Hollywood script track star stud on the Internet. Hold on to your fear.