getting knocked out of your limits

 I've been riding my big R1100GS for about nine years now. I've tried to
ride conservatively, but I've also practiced fast maneuvers with things
like making snappy lane changes on otherwise empty roads. Years ago I
took one of HWMNBN's dirt riding classes, and that did add something to
my traction-control skills. About a year ago I replaced the shocks on my
bike, and then rode a similar loaner with flabby stockers and I could
tell the difference, which says something about how well I sense what
the bike does.

And while not riding, I've thought about riding and discussed it
occasionally on these newsgroups. (There's also that FAQ thing I
maintain.) I'm not an expert, but I'm ... pretty good, maybe. Much of
the discussion is about riding within your limits. Tonight I got pushed
past my limits, and I live to tell the tale.

For the past month or so I've been riding a long commute to work on that
road from hell, 101 in the SF Bay Area, and getting a lot of
lanesplitting practice in. Yesterday was a weird day: headwinds the
whole way and plenty of people doing maybe 60 in the left lane,
oblivious to the traffic they're blocking. Today was weird, too; more
than the usual number of people not permitting lanesplitters.

One car had been signalling to change lanes right from 1 to 2, but there
was no place to go, so I passed anyway. Did I sense the car steering
toward me? I dunno; maybe I accelerated, but it ended up trying to do
that cop maneuver on me: hit my left saddlebag, pushing me into the #2
lane. Unfortunately, the front of the bike kissed a pickup truck in the
#2 lane, which pushed my front wheel to the left. So my bike was going
in all kinds of directions; I don't remember the details. I was way the
hell out of my comfortable limits. I felt out of control, but I managed
to keep it upright. It was one of those Zen moments like when I'm
playing hockey and exactly the right movement happens without conscious
thought and I make the save. I made the save on this one...

I signalled left, pulled into the breakdown lane, and put the bike on
its side stand. The offending car followed me and parked. No one was
hurt and we agreed to exchange information. I'll inspect the bike fully
in daylight tomorrow.

I was taught that a turn signal is a request for permission to change
lanes. In this case it was a signal of intent to change lanes, so get
out of the way! Do I allow someone who's got their signal on for a while
to prevent me passing? Probably a toot of the horn or a flash of the
brights would have been appropriate.

But the fact remains that the car hit the back end of my bike with its
front fender. Clearly she did not look when making the change. Sigh.
Gotta watch out for the idiots.

(It will be interesting to read the responses from the "Skill alone will
save me from unforeseen events" crowd. I do not consider myself a highly
skilled rider. I'm pretty good ... maybe.)

--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq:  http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
It's easy to say a war is so important your neighbor should go fight it for you.

 

Heh. Well, maybe I know now that my limit is further out than I thought
it was, which is a good thing... but but the cop fender-push maneuver is
still outside my limits. Safeword! Safeword! Where's the DM?! Safeword!
}: )   ;-)

--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq:  http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
It's easy to say a war is so important your neighbor should go fight it for you.

 

Timberwoof wrote:

Miss Rahee!

 




Sure. Unless sickness runs in his family and it's actually his sister.

 



Say. I was just wondering. Did you inherit any of the Carr family
tendancies?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Carr%2C_Earl_of_Somerset

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Carr%2C_1st_Earl_of_Ancram

Have you ever felt the urge to bend over for royalty?