Close one yesterday - Whew!

[Guest]

So I'm zipping up my favorite local road (old Snowbasin Road), cresting a rise after having just wasted 3 Hardleys where it comes into a big open area that intersects 4 ways. Right in front of me is some clown turning his car around for the drive back down Trappers' Loop. Looked like I was going to T-bone him, but in a flash I hit the front brake, chirped the front wheel, released the brake, and swerved to the left to go around behind him and reapplied heavy front brake. Once I saw it was clear I just proceeded on my way. Guy didn't even appear to know I was there.

Missed him by about 1 foot or so.

I wasn't going superbly fast (about 35 mph or so) but it was close enough that I thought I was going to hit him.

I could have probably done something "more correct" but in retrospect what I think is interesting is that first, I didn't panic and lock up. 2nd, I never touched the rear brake. I rarely use it anyway so it makes sense that I didn't this time either. 3rd, as soon as the front wheel locked I relieved pressure but at the same time I was able to process what I needed to do to avoid hitting that car, i.e., slow down, keep the wheels rolling, perform evasion maneuver, rebrake, etc...

Was thankful that I came out okay. What I should have done was slowed down approaching that intersection, knowing that someone approaching from his direction would have limited visibility. Remember, he's at the top of the rise, turning left, the road kind of curves to the right around the mountainside, and drops down away. I've ridden it lots of times before, but never on a Sunday afternoon. Usually its during the week and traffic is almost nonexistent.

In drivers' defense, his visibility was limited. He was probably turning left to go up to Snowbasin Resort, didn't see anyone coming the opposite direction, and made his move. Then from out of nowhere appears a motorcyclist. His only options (had he even seen me) were to stop or accelerate. Had he stopped I probably would have hit him.

Glad I installed those steel braided lines last year!

[Flyboy]

Glad to hear it all ended ok in the end, but it does get the heart rate going and the butt trying to pull all the foam out of the seat, been there, done that more times than I care to remember.

but in retrospect what I think is interesting is that first, I didn't panic and lock up. 2nd, I never touched the rear brake. I rarely use it anyway so it makes sense that I didn't this time either. 3rd, as soon as the front wheel locked I relieved pressure but at the same time I was able to process what I needed to do to avoid hitting that car, i.e., slow down, keep the wheels rolling, perform evasion maneuver, rebrake, etc...

Called experience, the more you ride, the more second nature it becomes, in aviation we say, you start with a full bucket of luck and an empty bucket of experience, the trick is to fill the bucket of experience before the bucket of luck runs out, that is how you stay alive, it is the same with riding.
It is amazing how your reaction times and thought process speed up, when you ride a lot, I found that after riding the bike for extended periods, like a few months, hop into a car and you find yourself braking far too early for everything, things are just not happening at the speed your brain is conditioned to.

[spyug]

Glad that you are ok and that you have learned something new. Now I think you should practice some more in an empty parking lot preferrably.

Things like emergency stops and evasive manouvers have to be relearned from time to time as (hopefully) we don't get to use them too often. It makes a lot of sense (IMHO) to practice several times a season.

Start with your emergency braking. Both brakes please at 20/30/40/50 mph etc. While its tempting to use only the front brake, panic stops really need both for maximum effort. Remember to stay on the back brake until you come to a full stop ( to avoid the potential of a high side get off).

Once that is down then its swerve time. No brakes this time. Set up a hazard. Bike in 2nd gear and around 20 mph. As you come on it, roll off throttle, flick bike to the desired side, flick back when glear and roll on throttle and away. Build up the speed until you are comfortable with it.

Avoiding these situations in the first place is key as you have already noted. Keep you're eyes and head moving as you ride along, take the "long look" ahead and soon your situational awareness will sharpen up and you'll "feel" the potential problem areas before your on them and have to react.

Somethings you can't avoid but practice and training wi almost always help.

Ride safe.
Spyug

[Flyboy]

+1 to all of what Spyug said, having ridden 10 years as a motorcycle courier, you faced with these situations everyday, and everyday you got to "pracice" them for real and everyday you got sharper, the occasional/weekend rider, or the rider that commutes 20 miles a day to work and back does not have the benifit of that constant exposure and experience, so it is critical that these skills be practiced on a regular basis.
In aviation, we get put through the wringer every six months, not to see if we can fly, but emegency procedures, to check that we are sharp and up to speed with any emergency that may manifest itself in flight.

A real fun way of doing it is to get a couple of mates together with thier bikes, say once a month and instead of aimlessly cruising down the highway with the brain in neutral, stage a gymkana (sort of obstacle course on bikes) in an empty parking lot.
You will be surprised how fast it develops your skill, afterwards you all sit around and brain storm, what made the winners quick and the stragglers slow.
It is pointless practicin on your own and you make the same mistakes over and over because yopu don't know what mistakes you are making, and no one to point them out to you.
I know that the GSR guys all get together for some of the rallys, maybe someone can take the bull by the horns and arrange a GSR Gymkana, and get a few sponsors to chuck in a few prizes, maybe make it a regular event, once every two or three months or so, it would be a great safety inititive and real fun social event.
I would start the ball rolling, unfortunately there is the small matter of the Atlantic Ocean between me and most of you.
A great South African Golfer, Gary Player once said in an interveiw, after winning the U.S Masters, "The more I practice, the luckier I get."

Oh yes, and BOTH brakes please....

[SqDancerLynn1]

You didn't drop it. You didn't hit the car! So you did the right thing..