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The Safety of Biking... or Otherwise

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xX-Alex-Xx
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PostPosted: 16:06 - 15 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

MarJay wrote:

You should learn the SMIDSY maneuvre.


Already aware of that one. It helps, but sometimes cage drivers gotta be cage drivers.
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Frappawotsit
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PostPosted: 14:03 - 16 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha wrote:


Ha, not seen that before.... quite like the idea though... anything that helps your chances of being seen has to be good right.
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Evil Hans
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PostPosted: 14:31 - 16 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unless the half-awake twat in the car interprets the movement of your headlight as a "please pull out" flash.

Anything is possible.
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hellkat
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PostPosted: 19:46 - 19 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paddy. wrote:
I'm 34, they are both quite old,

Shocked oi I resemble that remark Shocked
My daughter is 34.
Therefore I am also quite old Laughing

Having said that, she reckons she never did like being in a car behind me when I was riding, cos she worried she would see me geschmuttered in front of her eyes.

So now she has a bike licence in Australia, and she's ridden about down there for a year or so - but happily for me at least, she hasn't got a bike at the moment - one less worry!

My mum never really voiced her opinion about my bike riding exploits, although she did eventually complain that I only ever phoned her up when I'd had an accident on the bike (but survived):
"Hi mum, just rang to let you know I fell off the bike today - but I'm alright, no major damage".
I could see her point.
So I stopped telling her Laughing
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 19:51 - 19 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

hellkat wrote:

My mum never really voiced her opinion about my bike riding exploits, although she did eventually complain that I only ever phoned her up when I'd had an accident on the bike (but survived):
"Hi mum, just rang to let you know I fell off the bike today - but I'm alright, no major damage".
I could see her point.
So I stopped telling her Laughing


It never even occurred to me to tell my parents when I'd had accidents. To me, it was a matter of maybe a little personal pain and inconvenience, and sometimes more than a little financial inconvenience, which on most occasions was worse, but nevertheless, my problem, not theirs.
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hellkat
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PostPosted: 00:40 - 20 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the only reason I did is because if I DIDN'T tell her, and it invariably got back to her, then I would be in the doghouse for NOT telling her Laughing
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 01:21 - 20 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

hellkat wrote:
I think the only reason I did is because if I DIDN'T tell her, and it invariably got back to her, then I would be in the doghouse for NOT telling her Laughing


Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Easy option: damned if you don't Laughing
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Old Git Racing
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PostPosted: 19:45 - 22 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

My experience is nothing you say will put their minds at ease, they just come to accept it eventually. My missus has but she still worries.

50 years of riding bikes has taught me a few painful lessons. It IS dangerous and your biggest tool for avoiding pain and death is observation. You need eyes in the back of your head nowadays. Treat everyone like they might be trying to kill you unless you are sure they aren't

Wear good gear, good brands, you generally get what you pay for and it may save your life. If you can explain the gear to the relatives they may be reassured you are as protected as you can be. I've had over 70 offs including racing, several over 100mph but good gear has protected me, especially helmets. I'm not saying I've never been hurt but it could have been worse.

I hope you enjoy your motorcycling, been my hobby for 50 years, done probably hundreds of thousand miles and I'm still here, bit bent and broken maybe but still ripping it up, good luck.

OGR
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slowasyoulike
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PostPosted: 23:15 - 22 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Old Git Racing wrote:
...several over 100mph


I've never even seen 100mph Laughing
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Feasty
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PostPosted: 10:50 - 23 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

If there's one tip that's always helped me, it's this: If you are moving faster than all the traffic around you, you only ever need to be worried about what's up ahead! Twisted Evil

A mate recently splattered himself filtering, nothing broken but he's damaged and will have difficulty walking and bending over for a while (not like that!).
So he's made the decision biking isn't for him, after years of being in the saddle. Instead he's sold everything and bought a topless Merc, makes me shudder to think of doing that... Sick
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(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
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grr666
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PostPosted: 11:25 - 23 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

To be honest, with some modern bikes with 6 axis IMU and intelligent lean sensitive ABS, slide control, anti wheelie,
TCS and often a variety of power modes to allow for rain and low grip riding it's never been 'safer'. Perfect excuse to
splash out on a brand new bike IMO, for safety reasons obviously.... Laughing
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xX-Alex-Xx
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PostPosted: 14:28 - 23 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

grr666 wrote:
To be honest, with some modern bikes with 6 axis IMU and intelligent lean sensitive ABS, slide control, anti wheelie,
TCS and often a variety of power modes to allow for rain and low grip riding it's never been 'safer'. Perfect excuse to
splash out on a brand new bike IMO, for safety reasons obviously.... Laughing


"Don't worry that it's got 215 ponies ... I'll leave it in C mode, I promise" Twisted Evil
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 14:50 - 23 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Old Git Racing wrote:
My experience is nothing you say will put their minds at ease, they just come to accept it eventually. My missus has but she still worries.

50 years of riding bikes has taught me a few painful lessons. It IS dangerous and your biggest tool for avoiding pain and death is observation. You need eyes in the back of your head nowadays. Treat everyone like they might be trying to kill you unless you are sure they aren't

Wear good gear, good brands, you generally get what you pay for and it may save your life. If you can explain the gear to the relatives they may be reassured you are as protected as you can be. I've had over 70 offs including racing, several over 100mph but good gear has protected me, especially helmets. I'm not saying I've never been hurt but it could have been worse.

I hope you enjoy your motorcycling, been my hobby for 50 years, done probably hundreds of thousand miles and I'm still here, bit bent and broken maybe but still ripping it up, good luck.

OGR


OP, you may read this and think, "why on earth didn't he quit after the first couple of crashes?!"
To which I say, if you never try it, you'll never know. Must be something pretty special about it though, right?
I have been through my own traumas, although I was a bit of a hooligan for many years, so I got what was coming to me. In everyday riding, ride safely and you can mitigate most of the risks, and as others have pointed out, everything in life has its risks; just being alive means you're at risk!
At least try it. It may not be for you, but again, if you never try...
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 20:37 - 23 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good gear, good obs and positioning, and a wise head. I’m convinced I also mind-control drivers waiting to emerge from junctions (“Do not… do not!”) and that a hard stare helps. A planned evasive manoeuvre/ escape route is good too but not always practical. My greater fear is the stuff I can’t control or anticipate; deer and poor road surfaces, for example.

At work I was obliged to take an on-line (car) video driving test of the type I guess learners do these days where you have to spot the hazard. As a biker I’d spent my three chances to recognise the danger before the glaringly obvious one appeared. I had seen potential danger everywhere, including those unanticipated by the training developers. As a result I failed their stupid test. And yet I won… Middle Finger Very Happy
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colin1
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PostPosted: 23:53 - 24 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ride as if no one has seen you as a lot of them haven't.
Try to make eye contact at junctions as people notice you more if you stare at them.

Don't ride in groups with other bikes unless on the track.

The temptation to ride like an idiot is your biggest danger, not other road users.

Avoid braking mid corner. Brake before a bend and accelerate through.

I'm now a cager, and even though I used to ride a bike, even I'm not that aware of bikes sometimes, so most car drivers will not notice them a lot of the time.

Car drivers are used to seeing near misses as minor annoyances, but for you, each one could be fatal.
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Last edited by colin1 on 23:48 - 29 Sep 2022; edited 1 time in total
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blamski
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PostPosted: 18:05 - 26 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

really interesting to hear from you all. appreciate it.
my general message is that I feel safer on the bike than in a car because I can see so much of what is happening around me. I'm more focussed, more present and more in the moment than I am in a car.
30 odd years of driving has given me a decent road awareness, and the 'everyone else is an idiot' thing has been my motto from the beginning.
I also tell them that the CB500X I have now is a safer bike than the twist-n-goes or the little 125s I've been riding for the last 3 years. More visible and more capable of getting out of trouble fast.

But still... I accept that falling of it, or another bike, at some point in the future is pretty much inevitable, whether its my fault or someone else's.

Today I went out for my first ever long ride on twisty roads on a big bike (though for sure some of you might argue that this is not a big bike), and it struck me quickly how much I still need to learn.

Ride safe everyone... whatever your interpretation of safe is
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Abaaba
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PostPosted: 20:48 - 26 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do more training, bikesafe, advanced rider training, I am road smart.........anything training you can afford really. keep checking your speed and fight off the urge to give it some beans Very Happy
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kawakid
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PostPosted: 15:37 - 29 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just changing the subject slightly,

Why did you do the A2 test? You're 54

The A2 test is typically for youngsters 19-23. In my opinion a pointless test and i've told my 19 year old to just wait until he is 24 and just do his DAS.

You're lucky people care about you. I remember 18 years back, riding to work and getting there (with Ls) and phoning the wife and she was like "Yeah and". When I have binned the bike, she dropped me off at the hospital, but didn't wait for me as in her words "You've hurt you arm, not your legs". (I walked home). {4 miles}
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MCN
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PostPosted: 19:35 - 29 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Motorbikes are not dangerous. I have three in the garage and it is perfectly safe to go in there.

Only dangerous thing is a fool on or around a motorbike.

Don't be a fool.
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Bhud
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PostPosted: 19:36 - 29 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

kawakid wrote:
Why did you do the A2 test? You're 54

The A2 test is typically for youngsters 19-23. In my opinion a pointless test


This is a good point. Nobody over the age of 24 should do an A2 test - complete waste of time.
Some people might do it because of yellow brick road / ladder to nowhere psychology. "Pay yer doos", "serve you toyme", "join the back of the queue" sort of thinking. Madness.
For some people that's a habit. I'm seeing it everywhere now. But in any case, don't do A2 unless you have to.
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Nobby the Bastard
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PostPosted: 19:47 - 29 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Meh, there was no A2 or DAS when I passed my test. I passed on a 125 and that gave me the right to ride any size bike. No shits given.

Admittedlly, though, back then you had to employ someone to run ahead of you with a red flag....
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Diggs
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PostPosted: 23:52 - 29 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nobby the Bastard wrote:
Meh, there was no A2 or DAS when I passed my test. I passed on a 125 and that gave me the right to ride any size bike. No shits given.

Admittedlly, though, back then you had to employ someone to run ahead of you with a red flag....


Me too, and not so with the red flag. On 'L's my GP125 (15bhp of Suzuki's finest)) did an indicated 80 downhill. I wish I still had that bike....
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 00:19 - 30 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Diggs wrote:
On 'L's my GP125 (15bhp of Suzuki's finest)) did an indicated 80 downhill. I wish I still had that bike....


Oh, oi remember...
Before the 12.5bhp limit.
I had a go on the GP100, and that warn't no slouch neither.
Couldn't beat bruv's RD125 (air cooled) though, which I snuck a go on when he wasn't looking. Always wanted to try the 200 version of that.
Better put away the rose tints now though...
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Feasty
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PostPosted: 11:45 - 30 Sep 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

kawakid wrote:
Just changing the subject slightly,

Why did you do the A2 test? You're 54

The A2 test is typically for youngsters 19-23. In my opinion a pointless test and i've told my 19 year old to just wait until he is 24 and just do his DAS.


Fair few years ago now and I was probably about 30ish, but I wasn't in the need for instant speed.
Started with a 50cc moped, did my CBT and got a 125 bike which taught me all about gears. Then it was far cheaper to do the A2 than the direct DAS route. That left me with a max 33bhp for 2 years, I kind of stayed around that Cool until the restriction left me and I went upwards from there.
I felt it was a cheaper option in the long run and stopped me getting a stupid bike and killing myself too soon. Thumbs Up
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).
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jeffyjeff
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PostPosted: 10:50 - 01 Oct 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

In my experience, after you return home alive and well a few times, your mother will realize that riding a motorcycle does not equate to instant disfiguration and death. She will eventually become acclimated to you riding motorcycles, and it won't be such an emotional burden on her. Assuming that you make it home alive for the first few rides.
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