Where: US 129 across Deal's Gap â€" at the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.
Why: Three hundred eighteen turns in a little over 11 miles.
Purpose of Post: To serve as a reminder to all riders why it's so critically important not to cross the double yellow line:
(http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2009/03/medium_3348558125_28fdfbdaf2_o.jpg)
(http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2009/03/medium_3348558141_8946a56a54_o.jpg)
This must have really hurt!!! :-\
/Dane Cook
His shoes flew off!
/end Dane Cook
/goes to wash the awful taste out of my mouth
note: do not target fixate and grab your brakes...
(http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2009/03/medium_3348558125_28fdfbdaf2_o.jpg)
Mebbe he was trying to cop a feel (#1), but didn't realize the driver had a Claymore (#2)?
Imagine how much worse that woulda been if that turn was one of those left handerer where the dude has his tires just next to the DY and is hanging his head n' body into the other lane. . . :o
Look away from the yellow line....not that way. that big red thing will hurt a bit. Look the other way lean and roll on the throttle. exit turn with out impact. @&^$ too late!
[thumbsup]It pays to know the road.
ouch
If only that truck was a Dodge the irony would be delicious
/Dane Cook
man that would suck, you know the few seconds right before he hit he was just thinking...i can make it .....i can make it.....
That's gonna leave a mark. . .
Quote from: Mike_D on March 12, 2009, 02:59:18 PM
That's gonna leave a mark. . .
Nah, that'll buff right out.
Why do the shoes always pop off? I think the number 1 piece of safety gear should be an extra velcro strap around shoes.
Quote from: Dietrich on March 12, 2009, 03:03:27 PM
Why do the shoes always pop off? I think the number 1 piece of safety gear should be an extra velcro strap around shoes.
He shouldn't be wearing shoes that's why.
Quote from: Obsessed? on March 12, 2009, 03:01:11 PM
Nah, that'll buff right out.
ohhhhhh....I thought a skid mark in his pants
(http://i41.tinypic.com/514uaq.jpg)
at least he had a jacket and gloves in addition to the helmet.
not everyone knows it is stupid to wear sneakers while riding, but i bet he does now.
hope he recovers and learns.
One of the scariest sights i saw was turning a corner and seeing a smoking bike on its side, with a pair of sneakers a few feet away in the middle of the road and no person in sight. This guy had hit the curb so hard it flipped him out of his shoes and threw him into the forest that was quite a ways away from his bike. You could trace out where he had flown through the trees because the tops were broken off all in a row. But yeah, just seeing those white tennis shoes sitting there next to that smoking bike with no one around was really wierd. I dont know why the shoes fly off.
Man, that wasn't close to the apex even if it were one big lane. Plus that doesn't look like a blind corner, so he should have had plenty of time to see the car. What was he doing way out there?
No apparent reaction from the car driver in those photos, either. Not even trying to give him more room (not that one should expect this).
Quote from: wark on March 12, 2009, 04:42:23 PM
Man, that wasn't close to the apex even if it were one big lane. Plus that doesn't look like a blind corner, so he should have had plenty of time to see the car. What was he doing way out there?
No apparent reaction from the car driver in those photos, either. Not even trying to give him more room (not that one should expect this).
I'm guessing they were both going fairly quickly. I figure on a road that twisty, by the time you've seen the other guy it's probably too late to do anything.
That's really sucks. >:( How many times have I seen tennis shoes flying off at the first impact? I can't believe people rides with them on.
looks like he took the corner too fast (for his skill level). I dont know what the deal was, maybe before this shot he swerved to miss a deer or oil spot so it put him over the line. i use to have problems with getting close to the line like that and sometimes going over before i picked up a book on cornering and learned about how to take a corner (apex methods). Youd be amazed at how many riders dont understand the cornering methods, and that there is a way to take corners. As they get faster and faster they dont understand why its putting them over the line when they go through the turns. But like i said i dont know what his situation was.
wow, just saw the pic [bang]
Quote from: SaltLick on March 12, 2009, 05:09:57 PM
i picked up a book on cornering and learned about how to take a corner (apex methods).
what book?
Quote from: wark on March 12, 2009, 04:42:23 PM
Man, that wasn't close to the apex even if it were one big lane. Plus that doesn't look like a blind corner, so he should have had plenty of time to see the car. What was he doing way out there?
Hard to say, particularly without knowing what came before that corner. If it's the last turn in a series of five, remember that errors are cumulative. If you blow the first turn a bit, by the time you get to the fifth turn, you can be hangin' out in the middle of nowhere like that dude. If that turn is at the end of a straigh, it's a different story.
Quote from: silvy1200 on March 12, 2009, 05:23:34 PM
what book?
I dunno what Saltlick read, but either Lee Parks's Total Control or Hough's Proficient Motorcycling has a really good discusion about different lines, turn-in points and apexes. I don't remember which (it may be Total Control). The diagrams are really helpful. Both are worth reading, particularly for street riding. Twist of the Wrist also has incredibly valuable discussions about cornering and apexes, but the writing style is hard to read (in fact, it makes me wanna kick puppies into traffic) and it's more geared toward track riding.
This thread is a good reminder of the Survival Rule: Rights v. Lefts (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=11778.0)
Quote from: Spidey on March 12, 2009, 05:29:33 PM
either Lee Parks's Total Control or Hough's Proficient Motorcycling, Twist of the Wrist
i'll be looking into these [thumbsup] thanks!
Lean,,,,,,,Lean more! Our tires are better than us!
Man that is scary looking. I was watching the animated pic trying to see if I saw any limbs flopping in ways they should not. I could not tell but he had to be hurting.
Quote from: wark on March 12, 2009, 04:42:23 PM
Man, that wasn't close to the apex even if it were one big lane. Plus that doesn't look like a blind corner, so he should have had plenty of time to see the car. What was he doing way out there?
No apparent reaction from the car driver in those photos, either. Not even trying to give him more room (not that one should expect this).
Not close to the apex.. true.
But, might not look blind from that angle, but I've ridden that road and it's quite possible the turn that the bike is coming form is blind.. there's lots of tight turns with high embankments to block your views. So it's possible he didn't see the car until too late...
But, he shouldn't have been there in the 1st place. What he was doing, was making a mistake. What that mistake was... who knows. Inexperience, over confidence, lack of focus... could be any of 100 things or any combination.
The car doesn't have much room to go... so even if they had time to react there's basically no where to react to. Save for pull off areas, going off pavement at the gap is a bad plan.
If you want to see some of the gap, Jbubble has some clips from when me and xler8r went down the Gap
http://www.youtube.com/user/jdubbs32584 (http://www.youtube.com/user/jdubbs32584)
Bubs is leading, I'm 2nd, xler8er is 3rd w/ the cam
And, I high quality cam can shoot a lot of frames a second, so the real events probably happened even faster than that animation
no matter what... sucks to see that. Hope he heals, and learns
Quote from: yuu on March 12, 2009, 06:58:08 PM
no matter what... sucks to see that. Hope he heals, and learns
...and tells people.
Quote from: Spidey on March 12, 2009, 05:29:33 PM
I dunno what Saltlick read, but either Lee Parks's Total Control or Hough's Proficient Motorcycling has a really good discusion about different lines, turn-in points and apexes.
I've read both a Twist of the Wrist and Total Control (and met both authors). I agree: Total Control is a great book. A Twist of the Wrist has valuable info but is difficult to get through. Lee Parks' book is a great read and highly instructional. I'm hoping to take his course this summer.
And for the record, the MSF course is not enough. I'm appauled at how many motorcyclists don't have a clue about riding and don't seem to care enough to get one.
(steps off soap box)
Two books one called "proficient motorcycling" and the other one called "more proficient motorcycling" i picked them up at my library one day, thinking it would be a cheesy yet fun read on the toilet. Come to find out the books go over cornering in detail, lots of good pics and actually the books have alot to say about all subjects. heck if you can get it from your library do it. Alot of writing on how to be looking ahead at your next turn and sizing it up and lining up the apex and your turning point way before you get to the turn, how to downshift in time and roll on the throttle through the turn ect. If you practice that stuff after a while it becomes automatic, and to me kind of like a mathmatical game in a way. i found myself making it a game to see if i could hit the apex right and follow that imaginary line to it. over and over and over. Each corner is different, therefore more calculations are needed Alright ill shut up now, i just remembered how much i miss all that. Cant wait for the sun!
heres a pic from the book, might dredge up some discussion on the delayed vs the early apex.
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t117/salt_lick/apex.jpg)
From the animated pics, he wasn't THAT far across the line. Like Derby noted on P.1, he might have target-fixated on the Blazer and then grabbed the brake. :-\
In the early frames, you can also see that he was following another bike. If he got a little testosterone-poisoning and was trying to 'keep up' with his buddy (or whoever was on that other bike), he may have been carrying excess speed into the corner.
@SaltLick - The Proficient Motorcycling (http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236956098&sr=1-1) books by David Hough are excellent and highly recommended for riders of all skill levels. The books are basically compilations of Hough's regular columns in Motorcycle Consumer News magazine. IMO, these books are 'required reading' textbooks and they occupy a prominent place on my reference shelf. Total Control (by Parks) and Twist of the Wrist (by Code) are also very good. [thumbsup]
Quote from: bluemoco on March 13, 2009, 07:56:33 AM
From the animated pics, he wasn't THAT far across the line. Like Derby noted on P.1, he might have target-fixated on the Blazer and then grabbed the brake. :-\
In the early frames, you can also see that he was following another bike. If he got a little testosterone-poisoning and was trying to 'keep up' with his buddy (or whoever was on that other bike), he may have been carrying excess speed into the corner.
Over is over.. and that road does not forgive over easily.
He was actually probably locked onto the photog and the possible LEO sitting by the photog more or before the blazer now that I think about it. It's nice to get photos of yourself, but I know I fixated briefly on the killboy cars - even though I knew they would be there and I should do it...
I'm going to pick up Proficient motorcycling this weekend and engross myself in it.
If you notice the bike remains stationary as soon as it hits the ground, you can tell that he wasn't going very fast at all.
Quote from: El Matador on March 13, 2009, 08:15:59 AM
you can tell that he wasn't going very fast at all.
certainly not after hitting the 5,000 pounds of truck.
After watching the animation looks like the heal of the shoeless foot doesnt look right. looks like it broke after the impact.
Quote from: El Matador on March 13, 2009, 08:15:59 AM
If you notice the bike remains stationary as soon as it hits the ground, you can tell that he wasn't going very fast at all.
Despite Stats quip - this is a good point and observation. Though the collision scrubbed off some speed, it couldn't have been that much. She it's look like speed might not have been the biggest factor... target fixations a pregnant dog
Quote from: River on March 12, 2009, 07:40:01 PM
I've read both a Twist of the Wrist and Total Control (and met both authors). I agree: Total Control is a great book. A Twist of the Wrist has valuable info but is difficult to get through. Lee Parks' book is a great read and highly instructional. I'm hoping to take his course this summer.
And for the record, the MSF course is not enough. I'm appauled at how many motorcyclists don't have a clue about riding and don't seem to care enough to get one.
(steps off soap box)
I couldn't agree more. TC was a great read and the course was amazing. I took it last year with Lee when he was in town personally teaching the course. The two books are written in very different styles. For those who tend to be more analyitical, Nick's Twist of the Wrist may suit your reading style more. My mind tends to wander when there's too much analizing taking place in a text and not enough application/demonstration of principals. Total Control however, is impressivly well written and easy to read and put into practice; it's no subsitute for the course however, but it's worth owning.
In regards to the lack of learned skill by the number or riders who do not take the MSF course....it is more than appaling, it's staggering to realize that many riders haven't a clue about how to use the very machines unto which they are entrusting their lives. Apply that thought process to those who drive cars without licenses and you'll never want to ride in traffic ever again!!!!
Ride safe. [moto]
We see this scenario entire too many times up there. We've had a couple regulars injured by other bikes taking them out in the same manner ~
JM
Quote from: bluemoco on March 13, 2009, 07:56:33 AM
From the animated pics, he wasn't THAT far across the line.
His entire bike is over the line. It's not like he was just on the line and a part of his body was over...
Quote from: causeofkaos on March 13, 2009, 08:27:10 AM
After watching the animation looks like the heal of the shoeless foot doesnt look right. looks like it broke after the impact.
Yeah, probably broke during the impact with the Blazer. This is the eact situation where a proper moto boot may have helped...
he's lucky he wasnt a few secs early or he'd have been INFRONT of the truck!
Quote from: Statler on March 13, 2009, 08:21:20 AM
certainly not after hitting the 5,000 pounds of truck.
If he had hit the 2 ton truck head on, yes, there would have been an immediate deceleration and change of direction. But in this case, the way he impacts the truck on the side would cause the bike to "bounce" off the truck and shed some speed, and the angle indicates that any quantifiable amount of force would've continued to push the bike on a forward trajectory.
Which does not happen. Instead you can see how the bike after falling on its side, just lays there. This indicates that the vehicle was traveling at a reduced rate of speed. Which is probably the only reason that the bike does not hit the blazer head on and the pics aren't as gory as an installment of SAW
And that concludes the physics lesson for the day.
IIRC from the photogs comment on the local site for Deal's Gap (my local forum) Speeds were right around the posted 30mph limit ~
JM
Quote from: NAKID on March 13, 2009, 09:08:17 AM
His entire bike is over the line. It's not like he was just on the line and a part of his body was over...
True, and there's really no excuse for that. But I guess my point is that he wasn't intentionally running wide and using the whole road. If that were the case, he'd have center-punched the Blazer right in the Bowtie.
IMO, he ran wide because he target-fixated or had a series of 'cumulative' errors as Spidey noted earlier.
That or does like so many do - Enter the curve WAY too hot & slam the brakes on and run wide. Some of those turns you could run wide on a 50cc scooter ~
JM
Quote from: the_Journeyman on March 13, 2009, 09:24:30 AM
IIRC from the photogs comment on the local site for Deal's Gap (my local forum) Speeds were right around the posted 30mph limit ~
JM
Linky? I'd like to see what a witness to the events has to say since we are all really just guessing
[laugh]
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc263/speedgeek_2007/Misc_Linked_Crap/Squid.jpg)
Here's the origin site of the post:
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203215 (http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203215)
I found it on another site, but this is where it originated. There are a lot more pics posted on that thread of the accident sequence.
Quote from: Monster Dave on March 13, 2009, 10:59:12 AM
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203215 (http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203215)
I found it on another site, but this is where it originated. There are a lot more pics posted on that thread of the accident sequence.
Ahhh evil! That's (another ) VS owned site...
Quote from: Dietrich on March 12, 2009, 03:03:27 PM
Why do the shoes always pop off? I think the number 1 piece of safety gear should be an extra velcro strap around shoes.
How about investing in quality riding boots....i.e. not timberlands......$150 would have saved this guy $5,000+ if his broken foot does not require surgery. Oh yeah, his foot is broken! Take a look at a how its moving in the photo sequence.....that is a bad looking flop. Could it be the loose sock?....maybe, but I 'm guessing the SUV wheel/rim caught and folded his foot. Not pretty!
I have tested my boots twice and WALKED away. $50 pair of used Dainese boots worth every penny.
Michael Fabrizio stalled his 1098R on the grid at Phillip Island last year and was run over by a Kawk rider. The tire grabbed his boot and slung it 50' into the air. How he walked away with only bruises to ride in the second race can be attributed to quality gear and luck.
amazing how brutal and ignorant the comments on teh other forum are, compared to here..........I'm glad I got a Monster and get to hang around here, and not there
Well, I signed up on there with the intention of posting some pics of me in that corner.. but i can't find them. I've got some in other corners... but if its not the same one its useless... it wasn't a bad corner though.. there's really no reason for him to have blown it other than not knowing how to ride. If he's from texas its understandable. way too many squids here
Quote from: gh0stie on March 13, 2009, 12:19:22 PM
amazing how brutal and ignorant the comments on teh other forum are, compared to here..........I'm glad I got a Monster and get to hang around here, and not there
What was ignorant about the comments over there?
They're bashing him for being a squid, yes. Some of the comments a bit harsh but the dude could have killed somebody. Imagine if that was a motorcycle he hit instead of a car.
I dunno. I applaud the gixxer community for being angry about this guy.
But maybe thats just me. Flame away.
Quote from: JBubble on March 13, 2009, 12:46:34 PM
What was ignorant about the comments over there?
They're bashing him for being a squid, yes. Some of the comments a bit harsh but the dude could have killed somebody. Imagine if that was a motorcycle he hit instead of a car.
I dunno. I applaud the gixxer community for being angry about this guy.
But maybe thats just me.
I hear ya, JBub. But, without knowing how the guy was riding, it's possible he just made a mistake. A stupid mistake, to be sure, and we're all responsible for riding within our abilities, but every last one of us has done something stupid on a bike before. His mistake cost him, big time.
And ghostie, I agree as a general rule, this is a WAY better forum than any other bike forum that I've seen.
Quote from: swampduc on March 13, 2009, 12:56:12 PM
I hear ya, JBub. But, without knowing how the guy was riding, it's possible he just made a mistake. A stupid mistake, to be sure, and we're all responsible for riding within our abilities, but every last one of us has done something stupid on a bike before. His mistake cost him, big time.
And ghostie, I agree as a general rule, this is a WAY better forum than any other bike forum that I've seen.
I guess I'm of the mindset that it was a mistake that could have killed someone and people have a right to be angry. I've ridden that road several times and I'm tired of seeing these guys in my lane because they're riding beyond their limits on a very technical road. So thats my bias.
But I don't think we're going to agree on this. [thumbsup]
So [beer] for everybody. Oh and have fun when you go ride it. Its a lot of fun. ;D
Quote from: swampduc on March 13, 2009, 12:56:12 PM
I hear ya, JBub. But, without knowing how the guy was riding, it's possible he just made a mistake. A stupid mistake, to be sure, and we're all responsible for riding within our abilities, but every last one of us has done something stupid on a bike before. His mistake cost him, big time.
And ghostie, I agree as a general rule, this is a WAY better forum than any other bike forum that I've seen.
my point exactly........
it's really hard to judge from those pics
alone if he was riding irresponsibly or just made a mistake
he may well be a squid, but nothing in those pictures prove that
I say that as a fairly new rider who's made a few mental mistakes in the last 8 months (that could easily be me)
I was comparing the comments on the first few pages on this thread to theirs
it seems like the folks over here are more sympathetic and a lot more analytical about the circumstances surrounding the crash
while almost everyone over there seemed to immediately jump on him and start calling him squid right away
without examining all of the possibly scenarios/circumstances leading up to the incident
that to me is ignorant
then there is the guy talking about kicking said riders ass after the accident
even more stupidity
Either way - gotta respect the Dragon or you'll get bit.
Quote from: yuu on March 13, 2009, 01:22:44 PM
Either way - gotta respect every single road on which you ride or you'll get bit.
edited.
Quote from: yuu on March 13, 2009, 01:22:44 PM
Either way - gotta respect the Dragon or you'll get bit.
great advice on any road, but not my point
As a side note, this guys gotta feel awefully embarassed for the mere fact that his accident pics have been posted all over the internet!!!
Quote from: gh0stie on March 13, 2009, 01:13:57 PM
it's really hard to judge from those pics alone if he was riding irresponsibly or just made a mistake
If it wasn't a mistake then it was one hell of a bad plan.
The bike was leaned less than 5 degrees. I'm pretty sure the bike and the tires were able to handle more lean than that and his body was actually leaning the wrong way for the turn.
Not knowing how to turn a bike and riding the dragon = irresponsible.
Doing it while not wearing proper gear = squid.
I don't think they were too harsh on him... I know that road like the back of my hand and I know EXACTLY the corner this photo was taken in... it isn't a bad corner.. there are definitely more difficult ones on that road. Many of which he already passed at the point that the photo was taken. Some of you are asking "how can one be sure he was riding irresponsibly?"
Well I think that the answer to that is pretty evident. I mean he did go rather far into the oncoming lane and hit a passing vehicle. Wouldnt you say that riding over ones abilities and over shooting a nice smooth easy corner is riding irresponsibly? I do. More than likely he didn't have alot of experience on Deals Gap.. which is all the more reason to be a responsible rider and slow it down to be safe. Obviously, this is an example of a riding FAIL.
Quote from: BastrdHK on March 13, 2009, 11:28:06 AM
How about investing in quality riding boots....i.e. not timberlands.....
Timberland made some great riding boots (Downshifters)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31N0FNHVNNL._AA280_.jpg)
They have to have high ankle support and shin protection to count in my book......those are better than tennis shoes, but not much.
I didn't see anyone else comment on this, but how bad would it suck to be the truck driver and have your window shattering in your face like that?
I hope that person didn't get hurt too bad either.
Quote from: BastrdHK on March 14, 2009, 02:36:45 PM
They have to have high ankle support and shin protection to count in my book......those are better than tennis shoes, but not much.
I used to cheap out and wear Redwing work boots when I rode but after almost catching my foot in a wheel well when a car pull out next to me I started looking for full on riding boots.
How far is that photographer from the corner? Good thing the SUV driver didn't freak out and go straight off the road.
Quote from: erkishhorde on March 14, 2009, 10:41:59 PM
How far is that photographer from the corner? Good thing the SUV driver didn't freak out and go straight off the road.
Maybe 5-6' off the edge of the pavement. There's a number of small pull offs at the gap that are wide enough for a single car/small truck to pull off, but that's it. So yeah, if the driver who got hit freaked and ran off the road they could well have run into the photog, or at least the photogs car.
showing off for the camera maybe?
cameras have a way of doing that
Quote from: Privateer on March 15, 2009, 08:29:29 AM
showing off for the camera maybe?
Showing off his ability to go straight on a curvy road?
Nah, the guys showing off for the camera would be trying to get more lean to show off their mad skillz.
Quote from: bobspapa on March 15, 2009, 08:34:02 AM
cameras have a way of doing that
case in point: Girls Gone Wild
Jerry the owner, temporarily distracted by all that gear he was finally compelled to wear, makes an unfortunate mental mistake...
:P
Quote from: ducatizzzz on March 15, 2009, 09:49:22 AM
case in point: Girls Gone Wild
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc19/silentbob_pics/joel.jpg)
Quote from: silentbob on March 15, 2009, 10:45:06 AM
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc19/silentbob_pics/joel.jpg)
Ewwwwwwwwww
Ewwwwwwwwww
Ewwwwwwwwww
Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track by Nick Ienatsch and Kenny Roberts
This book was full of information and so much easier for me to understand than 'Twist of the Wrist'.
Read the book before going to Deal's Gap (for the first time), took the book with me and paged through it at night. It's not enough to know the information, it has to be instinctive.
Quote from: il d00d on March 15, 2009, 10:38:43 AM
Jerry the owner, temporarily distracted by all that gear he was finally compelled to wear, makes an unfortunate mental mistake...
:P
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
May have been better off with the flip-flops.
Quote from: silentbob on March 15, 2009, 10:45:06 AM
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc19/silentbob_pics/joel.jpg)
This...
is funny.
I don't care who you are. ;) [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
Quote from: NAKID on March 15, 2009, 11:53:45 AM
Ewwwwwwwwww
Ewwwwwwwwww
Ewwwwwwwwww
I don't get it ???
Quote from: jasaretta on March 15, 2009, 09:40:41 PM
I don't get it ???
That's BobsPapa photoshoped on there
Quote from: yuu on March 13, 2009, 10:33:45 AM
Linky? I'd like to see what a witness to the events has to say since we are all really just guessing
I looked. The photog took the pic posts on EastTNRiders, and there was an entire post on there analyzing it. It's a small forum, and inactive threads get automatically deleted if they're inactive for 30 days and the discussion is gone now. The photog said it looked like the rider got startled by the vehicle and target fixated, and the rider wasn't going very fast and seemed inexperienced with really technical roads. I can't see Gixxer.com at work, so I have no idea what they're saying.
JM
Quote from: lauramonster on March 15, 2009, 12:07:28 PMIt's not enough to know the information, it has to be instinctive.
I agree with this for the most part. There are of course those exceptions that can pick it all up from reading a book, but reaction times and good decisions often require instincts to take over where the brain may have a bit of a hiccup.
As long as I've been riding... its kinda funny. I'll read something in a book and it wont make any sense to me... then I'll watch a video of my riding or have a track instructor following me... And I'll figure out that I'm doing everything the book says, it just doesnt make sense to me when i read it...
FTR..... my boobies are more better :-*
Quote from: bobspapa on March 16, 2009, 07:44:25 AM
FTR..... my boobies are more better (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/damien311/smileys/girl.gif)
fixed it
I'm from NW South Carolina and have been riding pretty much daily for over 35 years. We have a bunch of friends from a neighboring state that are some of the nicest people and best riders I/We have ever seen. Many of them have been or still racers and/or do frequent track days. These guys will "cut the corner", that is, if the road ahead is visible for a couple of turns or more, they will go into the oncoming lane to shorten the corner. Like I said these guys are some of the best technical riders I ever seen and always wear full gear, but they pretty much are all given to this practice.
Guys I ride with that I grew up with and that are from here, who likewise come from a racing background and are very good technical riders, will NOT EVER take the other side of the road, no matter how far ahead we can see clear road. We treat the yellow line or middle of the road on unlined pavement as if it were a cliff that is sudden death to drive over - even if it's clear way ahead.
Just seems like a bad habit to us.
LA
alot of that can depend on where they grew up riding, and the conditions as well...
I do have a racing background and consider myself to be a decent rider when it comes to matters of a technical nature. And I admit... in some instances I have crossed it (yellow line)and in others I've refused to.
Growing up at Deals Gap for example... I learned that in the fall or spring, when the temps dropped a little at night... often in the summer too... when I'd go to make a few runs on the Gap, the yellow line would be VERY slippery because of condensation. Just like wet leaves. once it warmed up and the dew evaporated, it wasn't a big deal as long as the road was clear ahead.
I admit that in this photo(Deals Gap, Oct.12.08), I was about to cross the yellow line.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/damien311/rep5-2.jpg)
I waited until i could see though the exit of the corner and then made the move more to the inside. Had it not been clear, just a little more throttle to widen my line some and the line wouldn't have been compromised.
Here in TX... the roads are so choppy, I don't bother trying to add in the potential for slippery yellow lines. My suspension is usually working hard enough to keep the tires in contact with the pavement as it is... dont need to add slick conditions into it when i'm out having fun.
You know though, riding hard like that is ultimatly best suited for the track.
Saves lives, saves bikes, saves you from the law [leo]
Quote from: Monster Dave on March 17, 2009, 09:27:56 AM
You know though, riding hard like that is ultimatly best suited for the track.
Saves lives, saves bikes, saves you from the law [leo]
I agree 100%... thats why I've already logged twice as many track miles this year as street miles.
I didn't mean anything directed at your comment; just making a general comment about safe riding.
Kudos to you on your track days so far this year though! That's awesome! [thumbsup]
Quote from: bluemoco on March 13, 2009, 07:56:33 AM
@SaltLick - The Proficient Motorcycling (http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236956098&sr=1-1) books by David Hough are excellent and highly recommended for riders of all skill levels. The books are basically compilations of Hough's regular columns in Motorcycle Consumer News magazine. IMO, these books are 'required reading' textbooks and they occupy a prominent place on my reference shelf. Total Control (by Parks) and Twist of the Wrist (by Code) are also very good. [thumbsup]
As a follow-up to the discussion earlier in this thread about David Hough and other reading materials re motorcycle riding, Scott Nelson just posted a bunch of really good David Hough articles over in the Riding Technqiues forum.
Check 'em out: http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=20506.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=20506.0)