Ok, I just got my bike and 2 weeks after i got it, me and my wife went riding down the beach (before hurricane Ivan) and it was really late and i dont know what the hell happened, but i started to go around a curve and i dont exactly know what happened but i do know i put on the brakes before the curve and i ended up in the sand. Thank god i aimed for it otherwise it would have been the pavement. My wife flew about 25 feet or so in the air and wound up with a sprained shoulder and i didnt let go of the bike and ended up with a sprained wrist, scrapes and a gash on my right leg. luckly we were not going too fast when we stopped or it could have been worse. i think it knocked me out for a few min cause i dont remember what happened. my wife thought i was dead. i am very lucky to be here right now. but i got right back on after letting it sit for awhile and it finally started back up. the only thing that sucked about it i did get a little dent in the tank but that is all the damage that i recieved from the accident. i rode her home and the bike sat for awhile due to the hurricane here in pensacola fl. i have ridden it for the last 3 days now due to my car being out of commission. the bike is still running strong and i wont give it up. i am still a little shaky sometimes, but hey who isnt after any kind of accident :!:
I learned the hard way on how not to take a curve
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I did something similar a year or so ago. It took a lot of soul searching before I was finally able to settle on the cause: Target fixation.
I didn't want to admit I had done something so fundamentally wrong. I was strafing a triple S-curve near my house, and I went into the first one a little too hot. Before I knew it I was headed into the second one, still going too fast. I hit the brakes and stood the bike up, while looking at my "out," which was a 3'-wide section of grass (and a small ditch!!) between some sign posts and a fire hydrant.
Long story short, I hit the grass headed for a cemetery
(suiting, huh?), and tried to stop the bike before I nailed the chain-link fence. When I locked up the brakes on the grass, the bike seemed to actually go faster (friction between tire and ground less than bearing friction?). I was headed for that damned fence, so I opted to lay the bike over on the left side.
I hopped up, made sure no one saw (I'm vain . . .), put my turn signals in my pockets, and went back to the house.
Mistakes made:
1) I had been using post hole diggers all day (ironically . . . putting up a chain-link fence!! :shock: )
2) I had drank 8 beers over the course of about 6-8 hours, so I had a buzz and didn't know it (A STUPID THING TO DO AND I HAVE NOT VIOLATED THAT RULE SINCE!!!!!!!!!! )
3) Rather than look where I wanted to go (i.e. through the turn) I looked at my "out" and wound up crashing.
FWIW, I still have a problem when I get into a turn too fast. I really need to work on that.
I didn't want to admit I had done something so fundamentally wrong. I was strafing a triple S-curve near my house, and I went into the first one a little too hot. Before I knew it I was headed into the second one, still going too fast. I hit the brakes and stood the bike up, while looking at my "out," which was a 3'-wide section of grass (and a small ditch!!) between some sign posts and a fire hydrant.
Long story short, I hit the grass headed for a cemetery
(suiting, huh?), and tried to stop the bike before I nailed the chain-link fence. When I locked up the brakes on the grass, the bike seemed to actually go faster (friction between tire and ground less than bearing friction?). I was headed for that damned fence, so I opted to lay the bike over on the left side.I hopped up, made sure no one saw (I'm vain . . .), put my turn signals in my pockets, and went back to the house.
Mistakes made:
1) I had been using post hole diggers all day (ironically . . . putting up a chain-link fence!! :shock: )
2) I had drank 8 beers over the course of about 6-8 hours, so I had a buzz and didn't know it (A STUPID THING TO DO AND I HAVE NOT VIOLATED THAT RULE SINCE!!!!!!!!!!
)3) Rather than look where I wanted to go (i.e. through the turn) I looked at my "out" and wound up crashing.
FWIW, I still have a problem when I get into a turn too fast. I really need to work on that.
I've heard folks say riding a motorcycle is just like driving a car or riding a bicycle. Well, those folks are wrong. So many fundamentals of motorcycling are not things that come naturally, like turning your head and eyes in the direction you want to go, looking through a curve and probably most importantly, always pay attention and constantly look for potential hazards. You can be lax in a car and generally get by with it but it just doesn't work on a bike. Every time you ride, practice the fundamentals of riding and it will be an extremely enjoyable experience. So glad your injuries weren't serious. Take care and be safe. The Old Geezer.
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Posts like this make me stop and think (and shudder!), because I don't think I'm particularly good at curves and turns. I have always just taken them slowly and carefully, trying to do all the right "stuff". But what scares me, is that I have no confidence that I can handle a crisis in a curve, because so much can be happening, all at once. In a curve, you have to be a LOT more careful with the brakes, and the balance of the bike, and your speed, and especially those brakes. I'm pretty good at straight hard braking, and I can veer, and I have always been good about scanning ahead, and checking my mirrors constantly. So far, those have been enough, I've avoided being in a bad spot on a curve. I really don't know how I'd do, and that worries me! I'm glad you came out of it okay, and thanks for posting. It scares me a bit, but I think in a good way.
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I hear ya! More than once I've come into a turn too hot and had to drag my back brake to slow down all the while telling myself that I shouldn't be touching the brakes and at the same time leaning into the curve!!wavyredlaurie said:
Last couple of weeks I've been having a little fun on some new roads I found that are deserted in the day and real twisty.
I tried different things in those curves, for one run I only kept my eyes focused maybe a hundred feet ahead and never beyond a turn, anybody following me would have thought I was drunk.
I tried only looking way ahead and would cut the inside corners.
Finally I tried it the way it's supposed to be done, looking alternatly at the apex and the exit, it's the only way to go. Just use your eyes properly and you don't even need to think about steering.
A young man I work with doesn't have his full permit yet and needs to have a licenced rider with him ( on a different bike ), so I went riding with him. I took him to the same road and had him lead the way on his GIXXER ( yes I know ! ) well he looked like he was DWI and I had no problem keeping up with him on my 50hp Volusia ( at least in the turns ).
I then took the lead and had him follow a couple of hundred feet back telling him to keep his eyes on me. He was astounded as to the difference in his riding and cornering abilities by just looking further down the road.
Took a while to really sink in though, whenever he'd take the lead his cornering skills would diminish and the improve when he followed me. Had to get him to focus on the road ahead rather than the rider ahead.
I tried different things in those curves, for one run I only kept my eyes focused maybe a hundred feet ahead and never beyond a turn, anybody following me would have thought I was drunk.
I tried only looking way ahead and would cut the inside corners.
Finally I tried it the way it's supposed to be done, looking alternatly at the apex and the exit, it's the only way to go. Just use your eyes properly and you don't even need to think about steering.
A young man I work with doesn't have his full permit yet and needs to have a licenced rider with him ( on a different bike ), so I went riding with him. I took him to the same road and had him lead the way on his GIXXER ( yes I know ! ) well he looked like he was DWI and I had no problem keeping up with him on my 50hp Volusia ( at least in the turns ).
I then took the lead and had him follow a couple of hundred feet back telling him to keep his eyes on me. He was astounded as to the difference in his riding and cornering abilities by just looking further down the road.
Took a while to really sink in though, whenever he'd take the lead his cornering skills would diminish and the improve when he followed me. Had to get him to focus on the road ahead rather than the rider ahead.
I agree with Landry - it is target fixation, the bane of most riders (mine as well). Your instincts tell you to look at a dangerous object: boulder, sand, tree, car etc. The problem is the bike will head directly where you look...
Your instincts will also tell you not to lean into a curve...but the problem is if you don't lean enough, you'll not make the curve.
You must fight these stupid instincts and take conscious control of the situation. David Hough mentions the British system in his book - talk to yourself during the ride, especially during the tricky parts. It works great for me. Whenever I enter a hot curve, and I feel like I'am about to lose control I talk to myself: "LOOK at your EXIT, LOOK at your EXIT! LEAN! LEAN! NO BRAKES!"...and wow, it works like a charm. :wink:
Your instincts will also tell you not to lean into a curve...but the problem is if you don't lean enough, you'll not make the curve.
You must fight these stupid instincts and take conscious control of the situation. David Hough mentions the British system in his book - talk to yourself during the ride, especially during the tricky parts. It works great for me. Whenever I enter a hot curve, and I feel like I'am about to lose control I talk to myself: "LOOK at your EXIT, LOOK at your EXIT! LEAN! LEAN! NO BRAKES!"...and wow, it works like a charm. :wink:
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One thing I've been using to help correct some of my bad habits is, I'll go into a turn going slower than optimum speed, and I'll lean the bike really hard, taking the tightest line possible.
This allows me the added confidence of knowing I have some wiggle room, and after the turn, I realize that I could have taken it a LOT faster than I did.
At least with me, confidence is a big deal. Confidence in the bike, confidence in the tire/traction (that's my biggest problem . . . when will they let loose?!?), and mostly, confidence in your self.
Confidence in the bike is easy. People take Bandits and pass folks on full-on sport bikes in the curves all of the time. I know the bike can do it.
Confidence in the tires is a big problem for me. Sand, gravel, bumps . . . exactly when will the tires let go and send me skidding? I've seen videos where folks leave skid marks from the rear tire, without crashing. That makes me realize that I am underconfident in my tires. The aforementioned exercise helps to wean me from that fear, by allowing me the extra space to push the bike at deeper lean angles, with no loss of traction.
Confidence in the rider, well, too much confidence is a bad as not enough. Delicate balance, there, for sure. I'm confident, but sometimes that extends to cockiness, which leads to over-riding, which leads to close calls <knock on wood>.
[EDIT: It's kind of funny . . . when I first got the bike I was happy to just be able to take off/ride/stop without crashing. <heh-heh > I thought that was "riding." What a tard I was.]
This allows me the added confidence of knowing I have some wiggle room, and after the turn, I realize that I could have taken it a LOT faster than I did.
At least with me, confidence is a big deal. Confidence in the bike, confidence in the tire/traction (that's my biggest problem . . . when will they let loose?!?), and mostly, confidence in your self.
Confidence in the bike is easy. People take Bandits and pass folks on full-on sport bikes in the curves all of the time. I know the bike can do it.
Confidence in the tires is a big problem for me. Sand, gravel, bumps . . . exactly when will the tires let go and send me skidding? I've seen videos where folks leave skid marks from the rear tire, without crashing. That makes me realize that I am underconfident in my tires. The aforementioned exercise helps to wean me from that fear, by allowing me the extra space to push the bike at deeper lean angles, with no loss of traction.
Confidence in the rider, well, too much confidence is a bad as not enough. Delicate balance, there, for sure. I'm confident, but sometimes that extends to cockiness, which leads to over-riding, which leads to close calls <knock on wood>.
[EDIT: It's kind of funny . . . when I first got the bike I was happy to just be able to take off/ride/stop without crashing. <heh-heh
> I thought that was "riding." What a tard I was.]biking is a totally mental game...it's almost like StarWars...you have to feel the FORCE... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I agree - I see squids on some supersport bikes, but they can only ride them in a straight line ("throttle monkeys"). Put them on a twisty road, and an experienced rider will take them even on a bigass cruiser. :lol:
I agree - I see squids on some supersport bikes, but they can only ride them in a straight line ("throttle monkeys"). Put them on a twisty road, and an experienced rider will take them even on a bigass cruiser. :lol:
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I think in many cases it is curves that separate the truly good riders from what I call the "power posers" (you know the kind, they hitch up thier pants and brag they've got more bike than you - more cc's, more noise from the pipes, more $$$$, whatever).
I'm glad I at least know my weakest area. And I want to work on it. But it's not easy when you live in the coastal flatlands! There are not many curves to be found!
Before I took the MSF, I coached myself through corners by looking at 3 points as I approached the curve, my point of entry, the point of inflection on the curve, and my point of exit. I would go for the outer portion of the lane on point of entry, try to make my point of inflection as far on the right side of the lane as possible, and have the point of exit on the outer portion of the lane (except not in a blind curve! But we don't have those here.) This got me through any shape of curve, and gave me room in the lane when I didn't quite pull it off as planned. It pretty much made me look and lean adequately. I guess this is how engineers drive motorcycles, it's just like a trigonometry problem, but lots more fun.
I'm glad I at least know my weakest area. And I want to work on it. But it's not easy when you live in the coastal flatlands! There are not many curves to be found!
Before I took the MSF, I coached myself through corners by looking at 3 points as I approached the curve, my point of entry, the point of inflection on the curve, and my point of exit. I would go for the outer portion of the lane on point of entry, try to make my point of inflection as far on the right side of the lane as possible, and have the point of exit on the outer portion of the lane (except not in a blind curve! But we don't have those here.) This got me through any shape of curve, and gave me room in the lane when I didn't quite pull it off as planned. It pretty much made me look and lean adequately. I guess this is how engineers drive motorcycles, it's just like a trigonometry problem, but lots more fun.
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I'm the opposite!! :wink:Louis said:
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@ Uncle Bob: That's a great idea! I wish somebody had trained me to take corners like that. I noticed that at the MSF course. Our instructor would stand at the exit of the turn and tell us to look at him, and everybody made the turn flawlessly. When it came time for the actual test, somebody asked if he was going to be standing at the exit. He said no. The person asked, "Well, how will we know where to look?" :shock: But I think that's a great idea to lead a rider into the turn to make them realize where they need to be looking.
@ Meat: Yeah, I've been doing that lately, too. Taking the turn way sharper than I need to just to see how much of the tires I'm not utilizing. On a side note, I looked at my front tire yesterday, and you know what I noticed? The slick stuff on new tires that wears off after 100 miles or so was still on the inner 3rd of my tires! (Closest to the rim...) That's 33% of my tires that I haven't been using! I'm gonna work on wearing that stuff down a little, in case I need it in an emergency.
@ SuzukiGirl: Left hand turns for me too. I think it has something to do with the confidence of leaning into a left hand turn I still have total control on the throttle with my right hand, but when I lean to the right I put more pressure on the right grip with my arm and don't feel like I have as much control on the throttle. I know it's one of those phantom things where I've still got control, but it "feels" different than turning left.
@ Meat: Yeah, I've been doing that lately, too. Taking the turn way sharper than I need to just to see how much of the tires I'm not utilizing. On a side note, I looked at my front tire yesterday, and you know what I noticed? The slick stuff on new tires that wears off after 100 miles or so was still on the inner 3rd of my tires! (Closest to the rim...) That's 33% of my tires that I haven't been using! I'm gonna work on wearing that stuff down a little, in case I need it in an emergency.
@ SuzukiGirl: Left hand turns for me too. I think it has something to do with the confidence of leaning into a left hand turn I still have total control on the throttle with my right hand, but when I lean to the right I put more pressure on the right grip with my arm and don't feel like I have as much control on the throttle. I know it's one of those phantom things where I've still got control, but it "feels" different than turning left.
You guys should buy and read these books:
Total Control: High-Performance Street Riding Techniques - Lee Parks
A Twist of the Wrist: The Motorcycle Road Racers Handbook - Keith Code
A Twist of the Wrist 2: The Basics of High-Performance Motorcycle Riding - Keith Code
These are besides David Hough's books - which should be mandatory!
They will save your ass some day :wink:
Total Control: High-Performance Street Riding Techniques - Lee Parks
A Twist of the Wrist: The Motorcycle Road Racers Handbook - Keith Code
A Twist of the Wrist 2: The Basics of High-Performance Motorcycle Riding - Keith Code
These are besides David Hough's books - which should be mandatory!
They will save your ass some day :wink:
i am opposite
when i make a left hand turn, i am all good with it. but with a right hand turn i freak out! i dont know why but i do!! it is sooo weird. that night i dont know what the hell i did wrong, i just know i wigged and crashed. like i said, i got lucky with just a few scrapes and a sprained wrist but it could have been much worse. now when i ride, i try to go a route without right turns. sucks dont it?
when i make a left hand turn, i am all good with it. but with a right hand turn i freak out! i dont know why but i do!! it is sooo weird. that night i dont know what the hell i did wrong, i just know i wigged and crashed. like i said, i got lucky with just a few scrapes and a sprained wrist but it could have been much worse. now when i ride, i try to go a route without right turns. sucks dont it?
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