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Author Topic: First close call...  (Read 646 times)
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benjameenie Topic starter
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« on: April 12, 2010, 04:56:14 PM »

So its raining and I'm riding at about 30 mph with a good cushion of about 100 feet between me and the next car. The next car then stops and is going to make a left, but no signal, just sits there. So I initially didnt stop, just disengaged the throttle, realize that they aren't going to move and now there's only about 50 feet left, haven't checked my blind spot yet so I can't safely swerve. I hit the back brake and it locks, I'm sliding, no traction, going right into the back of this effing car, my back is slightly sideways now because I'm trying to lean to go around the car. By literally inches I slide past, slide past, the back of this driver and regain control and call it a day. Just a reminder to anyone who is going to ride in the rain, be extra extra careful, I got lucky and should have been already checking my b-spot and changing lanes to get around the guy in front.
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« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2010, 06:12:37 PM »

Sounds like a close call today,Great job  thumb 

Ride safe out there,rain or shine be careful.
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« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2010, 06:20:44 PM »

Live and learn 'eh !. It does suck to miscalculate. A cushion is good thing. Been there and done that. ! I'm glad all is well.  knary
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« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2010, 06:23:58 AM »

I refuse to ride in the rain.  The very few times I have gotten caught in it, just the little bit it takes to get off the road is like ice skating to me.  I do realize that it's most slippery when it first starts to rain, but I'll wait it out.

Glad you made it OK.
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« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2010, 06:41:07 AM »

There is a bit to learn from this one.

Any vehicle that doesn't signal turns deserves extra caution, and I was expecting this car to slam into you.  As soon as the hazard is identified, an alerting brake flash  followed by a mirror check so you know your options beforehand is a good habit to get into.

On wet roads it is advisable to stay in a lower gear so you can slow down with engine compression only in many cases. 


Use both brakes.  Most stopping power is up front, and as you decelerate even more weight shifts up front.  Stopping only the wheel that is losing weight is a losing proposition.  Think of stopping a belt sander with your hand: the harder you push, the quicker it stops, but you can glide your hand on the sanding belt with minimal weight all day long (ouch) without stopping it at all.  

The good thing is that you stayed on the brake.  MSF teaches this with the induced lockup: stay on the brake till you stop.  Release a locked wheel and it discovers it is on moving ground and tries to catch up.  Usually by kicking out to the side, same as fishtailing with wheelspin.

Proper technique is the issue, tires can stop just fine.  There is plenty of traction, you just have to use it right  (traction pie).
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« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2010, 09:15:06 PM »

It's funny how your first really close call can imbed habits that (thankfully) can be hard to break.

My first and most serious one was when I was stopped on a highway, just over the lip of a hill, waiting for oncoming traffic to clear so I could turn left. I knew I'd just passed a big old boat of a car and it'd be coming over the hill at any moment. I kept my eyes glued on my rearview and, sure enough, there it was barreling down at me at 55 mph. Long story short; a short break in oncoming traffic allowed me to accelerate to the opposite shoulder just as I heard the car's brakes screeching. I later went back to the spot and looked at the skid marks on the roadway. They went right through -- and about 25 feet beyond -- where I'd been sitting.

Now, I can't help but watch my rearview whenever I'm stopped on the road waiting to make a turn.
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« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2010, 06:13:25 AM »

Glad you came out unscathed, +1 to the above advice.  Ride Safe  thumb
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« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2010, 06:35:24 AM »

Quote
I refuse to ride in the rain.

The rally has me re-thinking this.  I didn't ride in the rain, but I did ride on wet roads, and my confidence in the tires is much higher.

Also, since I low-sided the bike, I can say that it happens very fast.  One has no time to think - he/she has to know instinctively what is the best thing to do.  And one has to practice these exercises under controlled conditions so that, when it's crunch time, he/she is confidently ready.

I've got a very long way to go.  Fortunately, the practice is a blast.
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