Ever got in over your head...

[plecostomus]

How many of you guys have crossed to the point of no return and knew you were going down (at that time), and were able to walk or ride away?
I once was following a very experienced rider, both of us riding the 1984 Ninja 900, going towards Great Falls, VA.   It was my first bike and I was trying hard to keep up with him.   We were on a long left two-lane sweeper flanked by trees (LSD).  I was caught behind a truck and wanted to pass it on a double yellow, to keep up with my friend.   I calculated that if I wacked the throttle wide open I could beat an on-coming car (if there was one that would come out of the vertical horizon).    So here I go.   I whack open the throttle to pass the truck on the long sweeper---sure enough, there is a fuggin car that emerges from the trees the instance I accelerate.  I'm shitting, but blow past the truck and merge back into the lane and it then occurs to me that this left-hand sweeper begins to sharpen drastically.   Doing about 80mph I see a fast approaching puddle of water ahead in my trajectory where I must start forcing the bike into a maximum turn.   I have just entered into a new dream-state of conciousness.   Time is no longer comprehendable and everything is in slow-mo.    I hit the water where I must begin turning and the bike does an oscillating front-to-back shimmy for about four revolutions.   I see the lip of the road which is about 6" higher than the pebbled shoulder, and the guard-rail.   I've leaned the bike over like there's no tomorrow and  here comes the lip.   I am terrified.   Somehow, miraculously, the tires regrip the pavement and I am now moving away from the lip at a slow rate of speed.    I slow down and pull over at the next driveway and I am shaking.   I sit down to collect myself and realize that I no longer enjoy riding this bike!  I cannot believe that I was able to ride away from this moment.   From then-on, I gained a new respect for riding bikes and never did stupid poop again (well, there were a few other instances..)
Anyone else have a similar out-of-body experience?

 

[BulletTrain]

Yeah, that one time Train lit the rear tire up at over 100 mph on a damp section of roadway that I ran up on under full throttle caused quite a pucker factor. Luckily I knew to steer into the slide and NOT let off. That coulda been really fugly. I figured I was goin' down for sure. Sure was glad I didn't. It was also a very cool feelin' AFTER it was over and I got the seat cover pulled from my anus.

 

[Revlis]

If you don't do this a couple times a year, you ain't trying hard enough...  


Man, seems like every time I start thinking I have a bike mastered, it'll find a way to remind me that I still have more to learn.  It's part of the riding experiance, if you don't freak yourself out once in awhile your not growing, your not learning.

If your slow and afraid of leaning over?  And you never push yourself?  Then your never going to learn, never going to get better.  A certain amount of Pucker Factor is healthy...

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[jwcfbd]

Yep I got in over my head once and rode away, rode away in a ambilance.

One night after work I followed two guys down a road that they ride every night. This was the first time I went this way. They took off fast and I hung with them through the first turn. They started to pull away from me through the second turn and when I exited I saw my chance to catch up with them. I dropped it down two gears and hit the gas. I caught up to them just as they entered the third turn that I didn't see comming. I hit the rear brake only (bad habbit I no longer have now I use both front and rear brakes) I felt the tire lock up and the bike starting to slide out from under me. I panicked and could only do one thing. I got off the brakes and aimed for the opening in the guardrail. I missed the rail but not the tree. I broke my right leg in four places, sent three days in the hospital, missed four months of work, work light duty for two months, and hobbled around on crutches for the better part of a year. 2001 sucked big time.

 

[plecostomus]

Train- That would even scare the plecostomus!

Jwc- That's some crazy sh!t. What were you thinking as events were unfolding??

 

[jwcfbd]

Train-  That would even scare the plecostomus!

Jwc-  That's some crazy sh!t.  What were you thinking as events were unfolding??

1) When I got off the brakes all I could say was "Here we go".
2) When I left the road and started bouncing around everything went to a total blur. I then went airborn and that is when saw the tree that I was about to hit. At that time all I could get out was "Oh Shhh" and then the next thing I knew I was face down in the dirt. I went to roll over and that is when I knew that my leg was broke because I had to lift it in order to roll over.
3) Once rolled over I took off my helmet and got out the cell phone. Just as I was about to call for help my friends had made thier way back. I looked up to see one of them come flying off the road toward me and start skidding in the wet grass. "Oh poop now I'm going to get run over!" He was able to stop before hitting me.
4) Most importantly "How's my bike and oh yeah my leg is broken"

 

[plecostomus]

heh heh. I'm glad you're OK. Have a picture of the bike?

 

[busabrother]

One time was in august when i was coming down from a wheelie too hot and when I was going to exit in a turn a car was in my lane. I made a split decision to stay straight and hold on for dear life. As i tried to slow the bike down i was headed for a house so i hit the curb said "Oh poop!" and laid her down. It was surreal, becuase all i remember was a dull thud (Like when you get tackled very hard) then I THOUGHT I slid while laying sideways holding the handlebars to try to slow the bike down. But i found out i held onto the bike while i slid through the grass, but once I hit the neighbors driveway my leathershooked and i rolled alongside my sliding bike. once i felt i was stopped. I jumped up and snatched the bike up from its side like it weighed 100 pounds. (adrenaline) I then rode the bike back to my house and walked back over to apologize to my neighbor. My head and the biek were only 5 feet from their front porch.

 

[busabrother]

The other time (YOu would have thought I would hae learned my lesson) was right after i had put on my air shifter and went up two in the rear. I was on the highway with a zx-12. I nodded at him then went into hyperspeed on I-95 South. am in the fast lane at about 150 mph. Apparently a pick up truck figured I was a ways back, so he gets into my lane. By the time he gets there I am damn near on his tailgate. I calmly (no time to be scared) lean hard left in the DAMN emergency lane. (Praying there was no car nor debris there) Still going 150 i pass then lean easy right to get back onto highway, I quickly get over to far right lane, slow down and check my drawers. I was okay, but that was the day i decided to keep my bike on the track. I have only ridden once since then.

 

[jwcfbd]

heh heh.  I'm glad you're OK.  Have a picture of the bike?

no I never had a chance to get pictures. I had my friend take it to the shop for me and forgot to ask him to take some pics. When I called the insurance company and asked them if they has taken some they said yes but couldn't give a copy because they were property of State Farm. I still don't get that one at all.
The only things replace were:
mufflers, side fairings, hump, gas tank, both side engine covers and clutch. Total damage parts and labor $4500. My leg on the other hand cost about $60,000. Thank god for insurance.

 

[Tufbusa]

I remember when I attended Mike Sullivan's Race School, the first thing he told us was, "If you are not a racer who knows how to back it into the corners, stay off the rear brake". He said the rear brake was the number one cause of riders going down on the track who didn't understand braking. I actually crashed a busa once as a result of using the rear brake while entering a corner. Wasn't pretty.

Actually we loose over 3,000 motorcycle riders each year in the U.S. and according to the NTSB 46% of those deaths are attributed to single vehicle (Bike) accidents of which most result from entering a turn with to much speed and unable to make the corner. Death is a result of hitting objects like trees, guard rails, sign post, embankments or any number of imoveable objects. Many of the two vehicle deaths are attributed to entering a corner with to much speed and crossing the centerline resulting in a head on collision with oncoming traffic. That one is almost always fatal.

I totally disagree with Revles about pushing yourself on the highway and if you don't get that pucker factor, you're not learning!!!!! When you push you limitations on the highway, you are dancing with the devil. You are likely to become one of the statistics. If you want to learn to go fast and corner well, spend a few bucks and go to the track where you aren't likely to hurt yourself. Pay for an instructor for a half day and learn just what your limitations are. Could be the best money you'll ever spend? I find people who really know how to go fast, never ride at 100% on the highway. Never push their skills, just way to dangerous! Safety First and you'll live to be old and grey like me

Rule of thumb "Always know your limitations"

 

[ChronosWS]

I have learned two lessons speed-related lessons in by bikes thus far. One was while riding on some back roads with a couple of friends on sport bikes (I was on a heavy, underpowered standard.) They get into a right hand turn which is cresting a hill. I am following. As I get over the hill, the road disappears - or isn't where I expected it to be. Turns out this was actually a tight S-curve, and the descending left-hand turn is too sharp for me to make at my speed. I see the road edge coming up, it's gravel and dirt, so I straighten up and scrub off speed. The gravel is (thankfully?) deep, so the bike slows but goes down quick. Scraped off a turn signal and messed up my left side fender and stator cover. Got a nice bruise that lasted for about 6 weeks out of it too. Lesson? Don't ride fast on roads you don't know and be especially careful of blind corners.

The second one was on my SV1000S. I was doing about 120 in a 60 on a divided freeway (with a concrete divider.) I actually know this road quite well. What I did not do correctly was get into the corner soon enough. As I approach the curve, I can feel that I am going too fast for the corner, so I start drifting outside. I get to the left-hand yellow paint line, and my bike starts to wobble. For about 3 or 4 seconds as the corner tightens, the bike is shuttling between the line and the concrete divider as it alternately loses and regains traction around the line boundary. Frankly, I totally expected to go down and into the barrier. The motorcycle gods granted me a second chance along with a serious case of the shakes. Lesson learned? On public roads, double the speed limit in corners is too dangerous, so I give corners MUCH more respect. It makes me slower than someone who is willing to push those limits, but I am not willing to push them there any more.

 

[PACIFICBUSA]

hrmm...lesse.

Once, hittin about 120 at 2am. Ridin with my regular bunch of friends...we hit a stretch of road, and I decide to punch it.

One friend was on the fast lane, so I decide to punch it from the slow lane. He hears the Busa screamin, so slowly starts to drift from the fast lane into the slow lane. By that time, I'm hittin 120 and it's gettin a little hard to turn. I lean a little bit, start to hit the outside part of the lane. By this time, we're both in the slow lane.

I fly by him at 120+mph...and barely miss clippin him. When we stopped, he said I was within a foot of his fairing.

Needless to say, I won't do that again.

 

[Relsek]

<span style='color:red'><span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>Yes</span></span>

 

[Revlis]

TufBusa Said:
I totally disagree with Revles about pushing yourself on the highway and if you don't get that pucker factor, you're not learning!!!!! When you push you limitations on the highway, you are dancing with the devil. You are likely to become one of the statistics. If you want to learn to go fast and corner well, spend a few bucks and go to the track where you aren't likely to hurt yourself. Pay for an instructor for a half day and learn just what your limitations are. Could be the best money you'll ever spend? I find people who really know how to go fast, never ride at 100% on the highway. Never push their skills, just way to dangerous! Safety First and you'll live to be old and grey like me [/QUOTE]

Well it was mostly meant tongue in cheek. Though I do think seriously that there are a crapload of "Riders" out there that have no business on a sportbike. They are the ones that are afraid to lean, and are the ones locking up the rear and standing their bike up when they get into a corner too hot. Now if they had simply pushed themselves "JUST A LITTLE" now and then, maybe they would recognize a fuggin Survival Response and manage to ride out a close call instead of crashing, or being paralyzed into inaction or simply hitting the brakes. The modern sportbike is WAY more capable than many folks think, these are the folks riding straight off the road with the REAR brake locked up... Pushing yourself once in awhile is the only way to learn. I am not talking about going full out and getting in over your head, I'm talking about taking a familiar corner 10 mph faster than you did last time, and trying it out... Otherwise, you end up with a cripple on a sportbike, having no clue where that edge is or when they may be approaching it.

So while I really wasn't advocating riding FULL OUT like a fuggin retarded monkey. I am saying that riding fully within yourself 100% of the time and having NO idea how to react if you make a mistake or get caught out is suicidal... I've always found empty parking lots to be excellent places to improve your skills, to lean that little bit further, to practice panic stops, and work on other skills like swerving as well...

So, I wasn't advocating riding 100% on the streets, I am advocating at least finding out what 90% feels like, instead of having no clue about the capabilities of your bike. There are too many folks out there like this and many of them on Busa's.

 

[PACIFICBUSA]

What Rev says!! Lean until you feel the peg scrape!!!

All this, of course, at low speed.

 

[ChronosWS]

Seems to me a good day at the track is what is needed. Go to a place where if you screw up, you don't run into walls, trees, cows or other people. Find those lean limits. Find your own limits. Then back it off a reasonable amout for the street, and Revlis will stop calling us weenies

 

[Tufbusa]

You are right! Go to Portland, Oregon and attend a track day with Mr. Pinkstaff and crew. They put on the best track days I have attended. There are lots of instructors to help you and give advice. You'll probably learn more there on your first day than you'll learn on the streets in the next two years. There are always crashes but rarely does anyone get seriously hurt. A broken colar bone is probably the most common serious enjury and usually the results of a high side which began with the use of the rear brake. Just one day on the track will improve your riding skills tremendously!

 

[Revlis]

You are right! Go to Portland, Oregon and attend a track day with Mr. Pinkstaff and crew. They put on the best track days I have attended. There are lots of instructors to help you and give advice. You'll probably learn more there on your first day than you'll learn on the streets in the next two years. There are always crashes but rarely does anyone get seriously hurt. A broken colar bone is probably the most common serious enjury and usually the results of a high side which began with the use of the rear brake. Just one day on the track will improve your riding skills tremendously!

I can't argue with that, The track is definitely the place to push it (On a rented Bike) remember, insurance won't help ya if you 86 it on a track.
But big clean parking lots and actually thinking about what you are doing is a decent alternative. At least until the police show up.

Besides, I want nothing to do with anyone named "Mr. Pinkstaff..."

Oh damn... Pink Staff.... Where to begin?

Seriously though, the wife just got back from a Great interview in Seattle, so who knows, I might end up in that area...

 

[Revlis]

Seems to me a good day at the track is what is needed.  Go to a place where if you screw up, you don't run into walls, trees, cows or other people.  Find those lean limits.  Find your own limits.  Then back it off a reasonable amout for the street, and Revlis will stop calling us weenies

Weenies?

Sorry my bad... Most of us here are indeed NOT weenies. But there is a substantial portion out there...

So long as your having fun, what does it matter?