Close One

 Heading up to Big Bear Lake today just for fun and was following a
bright red HD bagger when we came around a curve and sighted several
cars stopped ahead of us waiting for the traffic to clear around a
stalled Chevy.

No sweat, just slowed down behind the bagger and was almost stopped
when I glanced in my mirrors and saw a Jeep grille coming up behind me
at around 40 MPH with no room to stop.

Yelled *SHIT!* inside my helmet and transposed the bike forward and to
the the left of the Harley just as fast as I could, then watched the
jeep pass by me (and the Harley) on the right, hit the ditch, vault
the bank beyond it, and then pass between two large pine trees before
bouncing to a halt circa 15 feet from the edge of the pavement and
about two car lengths ahead of me.

The traffic chose that moment to move forwards and I never got a look
at the Jeep driver but I'll never forget his (?) grille.

Sure glad I'd shifted down and was able to use 1st gear to scoot out
of the path of destruction.

 I about had the same thing when traffic suddenly stopped on the 5 freeway,
except:

- The guy was doing about 70

- I was too close to the car in front of me to go anywhere

At the last minute he pulled his head out of his ass and realized he was
going to eat it.  He swerved into the breakdown lane and stopped about 100
feet ahead.

After cleaning off some homemade seat polish I pulled MY head out of my ass
and learned to respect the whole 'escape route' thing.

CS

 
That is one thing I wish there could be in an MSF advanced rider course ...

The MSF course teaches you to be in a gear consistent with your speed at all
times so that you can stop braking and start accelerating (or accelerate
from a stop) at any time.

But frankly, if I were stopped and saw a threat from the rear where I had to
fit through a narrow space (between cars) ahead and accelerate as rapidly as
possible at the same time, the vehicle dynamics would be a little uncertain,
because I don't normally accelerate rapidly from a stop and swerve at the
same time.  It would be doable but a bit unfamiliar.

And I'm not sure how long to wait ... I have been in situations before where
I've started rolling because I wasn't sure the car behind me was going to
stop, but I've always wondered if I'd spot the situation and react quickly
enough if it was the real deal (someone closing on me at 50 MPH).

What I'd like to see is an MSF exercise where you are stopped behind an
inflatable full-size car, you see an image or something of a car not going
to stop, and you have to accelerate as rapidly as possible and fit in the
gap between the inflatable car ahead of you and one beside it.

I also think it should be a mental exercise that whenever you stop, you have
an exact escape vector planned so that you know what you're going to do in
advance if there is a threat from the rear.

There is something to be learned from aviation about preparedness.  In this
video:



at 0:47 the instructor discusses the 200 feet threshold for trying to make
it back to the field, and at about 2:00 I indicate we've reached 200 feet
(translation--a line break or other issue after that point and we definitely
can make it back to the field).

The important point is that the emergency actions are already decided and
agreed on so that if something happens there is less uncertainty about what
to do.  Before 200 feet, and you pick a spot ahead.  After 200 feet, you try
to make it back to the field behind you.  Decided in advance.

When you see the grille behind you and realize it isn't stopping ... that is
not the best time to make the decision about what to do.  The specific route
you'll take should have been decided in advance as you came to a stop.

I'd like to see THAT taught in an MSF course.

DF

 wrote:

If you are using a street strategy as taught in the MSF curriculum,
you will not stop behind a vehicle in such a way that you *have* to
both accelerate and swerve to avoid a hazard from the rear.  Stop at
least a car length back, in one or the other automobile wheel track,
with the bike slightly angled toward the escape gap.  Keep the bike in
first gear and monitor your rear view mirrors until there is not more
possibility of a collision from the rear.


If you are in doubt, move out of the way.   Don't wait until it is too
late.


You don't need an MSF exercise for that.   It is an extremely low-
percentage accident.  And you can practice it your self, in
practically any parking lot you choose, and you don't need an
inflatable car.  Use a real one.


You mean you don't already do that?


Well, you were apparently sleeping when you took the Basic and/or
Experienced Rider Course, because this is part and parcel of the
street riding strategy included in the MSF curriculum.  It used to be
SIPDE, now it is SEE.

It is.   Over and over and over and over again.

 

Was my thought too.


--
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chateau dot murray at idnet dot com