Practice Makes Perfect

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
08/11/2020 at 19:52 • Filed to: None

After taking MSF classes this week end, I spent about 45 minutes this morning making emergency stops on a side road. Well on the way home today, at about, probably the worst time a day to be on a motorcycle, some old lady pulled out in front of me on a 35 mph 4 lane road.

Thankfully I was paying attention, I saw her looking right before she pulled out of the Chinese restaurant, to turn left. Because I’d been practicing, there was no thought just muscle memory, and I was able to come to a full stop about 5 feet from her door. So I didn’t end up like this guy.

DISCUSSION (16)

dumpsterfire! > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 20:08

nice when practice and luck are on your side.

TheRealBicycleBuck > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 20:11

I’m glad to hear you had a near miss instead of an accident. I’ve had several near misses over the years but I learned from each of them. Riding now is a lot different than when I started. My first thought when I saw the gif was that the rider was looking where he’d already been instead of watching where he was going. He was busy checking out the danger he already avoided instead of looking for danger ahead.

You’ll be even more prepared for the next time.

OhCrikeyTheRozzers > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 20:17

Nice to hear a good ending, and it’s a great habit to always keep practicing and learning. I taught MSF for eight years and still regularly practice emergency stops to keep the skills fresh. Ride like nobody sees you—as the old lady today surely drove like you weren’t there —and you’ll avoid a lot of problems.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TheRealBicycleBuck
08/11/2020 at 20:20

Yup. You have to be diligent especially in heavier traffic. Lots of people where driving stupid. My wife was about a 2 blocks ahead of me and earlier she had to hit the brake for some on coming traffic that turned left in front of her. I think in the future I’ll go around that area at that time of the evening. Too many people getting off work in a hurry to get home or whatever. I’ll stick to the smaller roads.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > OhCrikeyTheRozzers
08/11/2020 at 20:22

Yeah. One important thing was that I’d already slowed down after I notice that traffic as higher, and a bit more chaotic than usual. Normally I do 15 over on that road as a lot of people do, but I was probably going the speed limit at the time.

OhCrikeyTheRozzers > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 20:27

Sure that was key—slowing down (or speeding up), changing where you are in a lane, or downshifting in anticipation of what * might* happen can make all the difference in the world.

CB > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 20:53

Glad to hear you’re good.

Have you considered a jacket with an airbag? Peter Black credits it to reducing a lot of the injuries in his accident.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CB
08/11/2020 at 21:01

Not really. My BIL told me abo it a cheaper vest optio, which is reusable and powered by those little CO2 cartridges for cycling.

TheRealBicycleBuck > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 21:18

Avoiding the area is an excellent strategy. There are places that I don’t drive my car if I can help it. I’m going to break those rules for the sake of the Oppo Hunt, but I can’t help that, now can I?

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 21:28

I spend the vast majority riding on the highways and fast roads, I can’t be bothered to leisurely rip into the city for BS like the U-Turn in that gif and the rest of the intersection shenanigans.

Left turns are just such a hazard. It’s not just the peeps waiting at intersections facing you. They also dart out from your right to head the opposite direction and from the left and cut you off.

People don’t look anymore, it’s this rush glance scan for a car or bigger. They’ll miss indicators like shadows and reflections of a not yet fully visible object. Also they’ll appropriate a distance but not enough to gauge the variable of velocity.

Part of the reason why I went with my gear was visibility. It’s actually stunning how many drivers take notice and don’t turn in front of me between the blue LED headlight, r ed leathers and helmet , and the GoPro mounted asymmetrically on the helmet. It high vis gear does make a difference.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
08/11/2020 at 22:04

I hope my yellow bark busters help abit in the visibility department, I think I’m going to get a hi-vis helmet as well. When I bought my helmet I wasn’t even planing on riding motorcycles, I bought it for RallyX. So it being black wasn’t a concern.

wafflesnfalafel > OhCrikeyTheRozzers
08/11/2020 at 23:07

right, and folks are even more distracted recently with all the covid stress, etc - gotta drive for both you and everybody else around you

Nom De Plume > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 23:18

That is the right mentality. Avoiding putting yourself into a situation is a very good instinctual decision.

Your gif shows a nearly unavoidable situation once it begins. Curb to curb U-turn in front of a bike offering no escape angle, no way to stop, and no way to get their attention. Only choice is drivers door/quarter panel behind the wheel so you go over the hood. It can be very hard to predict a running car is in drive and about to crank the wheel.

Nom De Plume > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 23:23

Avoid deer and don’t use bicycle gear on a motorcycle.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2020 at 23:40

I can suggest and recommend that you try fitting the bike with a decent, rechargeable LED bicycle light that has a powerful random flash/strobe mode on it. They make the bicycle very visible and may work quite well on a motorcycle that doesn’t have such a flash ability out of its headlight.

I run a very small Lezyne Mini Drive 400XL that was less than 40 bucks.

Kinja'd!!!

...but there are many others...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/12/2020 at 09:53

Shit - glad you’re okay.