You will not believe this

[busaconvert]

Thanks DAB. Excellent words of wisdom and support guys, but we've all heard it before. I don't think I've ever taken the risk seriously enough. Not that I'm naive or ride around with my head in the clouds, but I don't strap my hat on like I'm going into battle either. In hindsight, I probably avoid a dozen accidents a week, but think nothing of it. It just comes with the territory. I've got three daughters who are scared to death to let me out of the house. Maybe the rush isn't worth the risk.

Hey Dawg! Isn't God a little more subtle than that?

 

[TruWrecks]

Go to a big flat parking lot. Set up some cones, so you don't cheat yourself by altering the course while you ride. Do several 'Emergency Stops' and 'Emergency Lane Changes', until you find the 'Maximum Braking Ability' (how fast you can stop without locking up the tires) of your Busa.

Then, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice!

Do it enough and it'll be second nature when you need it.

It's not the only answer to crash avoidance, but it will make it much easier to keep your bike under control when you need to avoid a colission. The rest of the answer is better awareness of your surroundings, and thinking through your escape routes, wherever you ride. Use the sidewalk, if it's empty. The curb can hurt alot less then the rear bumper/window will.

Just my .02

 

[Rhythm]

Hey Dawg! Isn't God a little more subtle than that? [/QUOTE]

 

[busaconvert]

Funny how a streak of bad luck can humble a man.  Now I've got kids who were probably still in diapers when I was spending hours practicing panic stops and emergency changes, giving me riding advice (ex. hemibusa).  Don't get me wrong, We need to hear this stuff over and over again and I appreciate you all helping me through this tough time, but I do find it ironic.  
I was countersteering and doing stoppies, 20 years before they even had a name.  20000 on my '83 Shadow 750 (taught three different girlfriends how to ride on that bike).  19000 on my '89 900 Ninja and it was immaculate when I traded it.  21000 on My '93 zx11, one third of them at the track...not a scratch on her. 5000 on my '02 zx12...ugh, lets not go there.
I had assessed the hazards ahead.  I had the brakes covered.  I was reducing my already reasonable speed.  I have spent many hours familiarizing myself with the handling capabilities of this bike (not at all impressed I think I'll garbage those Bridgestones).  
The bottom line is, with all this done, I had .5 seconds to react to an obstacle 15 feet in front of me (average reaction time .75 seconds) and all I could do was try to hit as softly as possible.  
So I agree with you all...if not for practice, reasonable speed and awareness, I'd be typing this from a hospital bed.
By the way, Buddy in the suburban was charged with "proceding to turn left when unsafe to do so".

Man I hate second guessing myself.

Thanks for the lift guys.  Now I just gotta wait for the 'Busa to get out of the shop.

 

[paineless4u]

The more ya ride the more likely you are going to have a accident. Often unavoidable, glad you are ok.

 

[Revlis]

I don't remember who said it, pretty sure it was Polonius to his son Leartes.

This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Now this little tidbit is in the context of telling lies, but it also applies to most every facet of our lives. Being true to yourself means honestly accepting and understanding your limitations. Not saying you cannot ride, just saying maybe it's time to really look honestly at yourself and decide if you "Should" be on two wheels. I have many friends that intelligent and have various talents, but have NO business on two wheels, they simply lack some intangible *thing* that allows one to ride safely and effectively. So, it's worth thinking about, be honest with yourself and decide what to do...

 

[BigDawg_03Busa]

Thanks DAB. Excellent words of wisdom and support guys, but we've all heard it before.  I don't think I've ever taken the risk seriously enough.  Not that I'm naive or ride around with my head in the clouds, but I don't strap my hat on like I'm going into battle either.  In hindsight, I probably avoid a dozen accidents a week, but think nothing of it.  It just comes with the territory.  I've got three daughters who are scared to death to let me out of the house.  Maybe the rush isn't worth the risk.

Hey Dawg!  Isn't God a little more subtle than that?

Bro, God will do what ever, or allow whatever, it takes to get out attention or slow us down.

 

[BentValve]

I don't remember who said it, pretty sure it was Polonius to his son Leartes.

This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Now this little tidbit is in the context of telling lies, but it also applies to most every facet of our lives.  Being true to yourself means honestly accepting and understanding your limitations.  Not saying you cannot ride, just saying maybe it's time to really look honestly at yourself and decide if you "Should" be on two wheels.  I have many friends that intelligent and have various talents, but have NO business on two wheels, they simply lack some intangible *thing* that allows one to ride safely and effectively.  So, it's worth thinking about, be honest with yourself and decide what to do...

Why the hell would you say that? He even stated that the guy in the Suburban was charged...AKA it was not his fault.

Accidents happen, just because a guy goes down a few times in a short period of time doesnt mean he should put the keys down.

I can think of better reason that many less experienced riders should be putting the keys down though.


Busaconvert, I think you know it was just a series of bad luck, put it behind you and keep riding...obviously its something you love to do.
Very, very , very few people have the kind of miles you have logged over the years.
Live to Ride , Ride to Live as they say.

 

[busaconvert]

I hear ya Rev.  Puttin down the keys had crossed my mind several times.  But that was yesterday.  You're right BV, today I just wanna ride.  I can honestly say this forum helped me get my head screwed on straight.  
Thanks again guys. Keep the rubber on the road.

 

[Relsek]

Sorry to hear about your fate busaconver!! .... also one thing that I do is, keep telling myself that im an average rider and i have a lot to learn!!

Be careful... ride safe!!

I can't believe it, Shenoy had something other than  

 and he had the best response of all. Good job Shenoy, you just made up for being a total ho.

Kev

<!--EDIT|Kevin Kesler
Reason for Edit: None given...|1118931742 -->

 

[Relsek]

Someone with some wisdom...tell me what this means.  I consider myself a skilled rider, much more cautious than in my younger days.  I'm not a bad person.  I work hard.  Put in extra hours. Don't cheat on my taxes or my wife.

What is going on, and what should I do?

Ok, Pimp for starters,your low post count is probably what is causing all of this madness, having a high post count here on the board will diffinetly help keep the crazy azz Vo Doo off ya, for sure.  Just remember the higher the post number you accumulate the more protection you will have .  That dont include post whoring eithier.

[/QUOTE]
This also makes total sense, the more you post, the less you are riding, hence the less likely to crash.

 

[shimmyz]

Slow down. Drive as if all others are trying to kill you.

 

[Professor]

Don't second guess your abilities, learn from your experience. Improve your skills and press on. But you do need to make an evaluation of the risk. You are going to put yourself at greater risk riding a motorcycle than taking the car. You need to be willing to accept the consequences of taking that risk. You have a family to consider. But it is your risk to take, you have to make the decision. You also have to take steps to reduce that risk.  

At risk of offending you (this is not my intention at all) I hope you don’t mind if analyze some of the information. I do have a bit of experience investigating traffic accidents. Accidents rarely involve one mistake. They usually involve multiple mistakes or factors that build up. Get enough factors and now we have conflict which can result in an accident.
Do you see anything that could be contributing factors to the accident on your part? I wasn’t there to see it but from your description I see things that might have made a difference. Unless I’m interpreting your comments and description of the accident, here is what I see.  
The major factor was the suburban failing to yield to you by entering your right of way. He was cited for it and I agree this was the final factor that caused the accident.
Other factors:
Your speed. You were passing cars stopped in the in the other lane approaching a red light.  It is common for riders (and drivers) to pass in this manner to fast. It is also common for the cars in the stopped lane try to move into the shorter line to improve their “position†when the light changes. Kind of like a race! There is also potential for the drivers in the stopped lane to leave an opening. For these reasons there is a great potential for conflict. The amount of damage on your bike tells me it was likely excessive for passing stopped cars. I’m also taking into account you should have scrubbed some additional speed after you saw the suburban and before you fell. Looking at the skid and scrapes on the pavement would tell more.
Your observation of the potential conflicts. A Suburban is a pretty big vehicle. There should have been some potential for seeing it before it even crossed in front of the stopped car in the left lane. ( I wonder if one of the drivers stopped waved him through) If not, another sign was the extra distance between the two cars the suburban pulled through.  
Your lane position. You were in the right lane passing cars stopped in the left lane. It appears from your description you were in the left third of the lane. Maybe a better position would have been the right third of the lane as the most potential for conflict should have been coming from the left. You would have had a better angle to view him and he could have seen you quicker as well. I don’t know what the potential conflict was to the right however.
Your evasive maneuver. It sounds like you performed a swerve. Is it possible you touched the brakes while attempting the swerve? This is a VERY common mistake. I have seen it occur many times on training ranges.  Was a swerve the correct maneuver? Would a quick stop have been better>
Training/Practicing: 3 most common contributing factors in the crashes. 1 Alcohol use. You didn’t say so I’m assuming it was not a factor 2) new bike/borrowed bike with less the 500 miles of time on it. Not a factor here. 3) Self Taught/No FORMAL training. Not sure, but you do show the classic signs of never having formal training. You appear to be self taught, or had minimal instruction early on form another rider.



More analysis:  Lanes are 12’ wide. If you hit the suburban in the front tire after you crossed over the center portion of the lane, the suburban traveled approximately 8’ into your lane. With the cars in the left lane centered and about 7’ wide. He should have been visible for another 2 foot before entering your lane. I’m guessing here but he should have been stopped if the other cars gave him room to cross, putting him traveling 10 feet after he was visible at 10mph or less.  This would have been at least .7 of second of visibility. Maybe a better reaction would have been a quick stop. @ 25mph (which would be very excessive for the condition, 15 would have been more appropriate) You should be able to stop in less than 20â€. MSF tests @ 32, but with a high performance bike and practice 20†is reachable. I had a beginning rider do it in 22’ this weekend @ 25.22mph

 Looking back at your previous accident gives me a few clues as well. “Evasive maneuver around a protruding manholeâ€. It possible should have been spotted earlier. Would it have been better to go over correctly than to swerve. Usually a swerve it for something the moved if front of you. It appears you identified the hazard too late. Was speed a factor?  High side on the ZX12. OK, throw out the speed, we know it was a factor. A high side is usually caused by improper brake application. The rear brake gets locked up, the rear starts to try to pass the front and kicks out, the rider reslease the brake with the rear kicked out, the rear regains traction while stepped out. Snap the bike reacts and we have a high side.  The other cause (on extreme performance bikes) is loss of traction while exiting the corner due to excessive (or abrupt) acceleration. The rear steps out and the rider chops the throttle or hits the brakes. Traction is regained and “snapâ€.

Not an attack, but you asked “what is going on and what should I do†You seem to think it is bad karma or the asphalt gods calling you down. There were several responses which you seemed to take offence. “Now I've got kids who were probably still in diapers when I was spending hours practicing panic stops and emergency changes, giving me riding advice (ex. hemibusa)† I hope you don take this message the same way. I truly want this to be a learning experience for you and others reading this.  You received some good advise:
1) “Perhaps to drive a little more defensively† 
2) “Maybe review a few books like Twist of the Wrist 2 and Sport Riding Techniques just to be sure its nothing on your end.â€
3) “I Think you should reduce your speed so that you dont have to do your "evasive" manuvers too often† 
4) “your low post count is probably what is causing all of this madness†( ok, not this one)
4) “Man it sounds like you just need to pay attention.  Not sure of the circumstances of the first crash on the 12 but the last two could have been avoided by paying attention. Look ahead 5-10 secs.  You would have saw the pothole and the jerk pullin out in front of you.  Dont give up riding just learn from your mistakes.â€
5) “I would suggest paying more attention and concentrate on what is going on around you.â€
6) “you reacting to a potential collision situation, causing you to over-reactâ€
7) “Stop looking at your front wheel and start looking at the road far enough ahead to anticipate stupid people doing stupid things, dead dogs in the middle of the road etc. Give everyone (and yourself) enough room to make mistakes.â€
8) “Assume you are invisible to everyone else on the roadâ€
9) “Go somewhere quiet (car park) and practice your emergency stops.â€
10) “At junctions, assume everyone is trying to kill you. Slow down and prepare to stop suddenly.â€
11) “Get your mind in gear before you ride, it's the best defensive tool you have. Keep up an internal dialogue with yourself as you ride, assess the risks constantly.â€
12) “Go to a big flat parking lot.  Set up some cones, so you don't cheat yourself by altering the course while you ride.  Do several 'Emergency Stops' and 'Emergency Lane Changes', until you find the 'Maximum Braking Ability' (how fast you can stop without locking up the tires) of your Busa.â€
13) “Then, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice! Do it enough and it'll be second nature when you need it.â€



I feel you are a good guy, but step back and take a look from the outside.  These people gave you some very good advice but let me add to it. Get some professional training. Is there an equivalent of a MSF training site near you? How close are you to the US to travel to one if not? Take the equivalent of the MSF ERC and let an experienced rider coach help you work on your technique. Then Practice, practice..ummm see #13 above. It does not do any good to practice an incorrect technique so seek some help getting it right and then work on it.   You said you are a bit humbled about the events. Ok, now do something about it. Either make the decision  that riding is not for you or work to improve your skills. Motorcycle riding is a continuing learning process. When we think we know it all, it bites us!

Again please do be offended by my post. I truly want you to enjoy a long time of fun riding. I do not want you to become another statistic. Please be open.



<!--EDIT|Professor
Reason for Edit: "typo"|1118990140 -->

 

[him]

wow long ass post

 

[Professor]

wow long ass post

Shouldn't that add about 10 to my total!

 

[DAB]

wow long ass post

Shouldn't that add about 10 to my total!  

If you'd broken that up into multiple posts you'd be a Top Gun by now!

 

[Revlis]

I don't remember who said it, pretty sure it was Polonius to his son Leartes.

This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Now this little tidbit is in the context of telling lies, but it also applies to most every facet of our lives. Being true to yourself means honestly accepting and understanding your limitations. Not saying you cannot ride, just saying maybe it's time to really look honestly at yourself and decide if you "Should" be on two wheels. I have many friends that intelligent and have various talents, but have NO business on two wheels, they simply lack some intangible *thing* that allows one to ride safely and effectively. So, it's worth thinking about, be honest with yourself and decide what to do...

Why the hell would you say that? He even stated that the guy in the Suburban was charged...AKA it was not his fault.

Accidents happen, just because a guy goes down a few times in a short period of time doesnt mean he should put the keys down.

I can think of better reason that many less experienced riders should be putting the keys down though.


Busaconvert, I think you know it was just a series of bad luck, put it behind you and keep riding...obviously its something you love to do.
Very, very , very few people have the kind of miles you have logged over the years.
Live to Ride , Ride to Live as they say.

WHY? Dude, there is no such thing as luck, not really. Do you know how often I've been CLOSE? Or even better how many times I've avoided a potentially bad situation altogether just by being in the ride/ planning ahead? It has NOTHING to do with who is at fault.

My point is valid, the application may not fit though. Plain and simple some folks have NO business on two wheels, seriously.

Wasn't being a d!ck, was mearly saying it's important to be honest with yourself and your abilities. Thats all.

Now reapeat after me "Rev is not a d!ck, Rev is not a d!ck."

<!--EDIT|Revlis
Reason for Edit: None given...|1118994493 -->

 

[05BUSABLU]

i ride as if im invisable to all cagers

 

[cache]

adding to the fact that I agree with almost all the advise mentioned....

find a dirt road that doesnt get much traffic. you don't have to go fast, around 30mph. you will QUICKLY feel how loose the tires get.... practice the balance in turning and slowing. just try it a little and you will see what I'm saying.



one thought I had while reading the professor's encyclopedia....
did you not have your brakes covered when passing the stopped cars??

 

[busaconvert]

Words of wisdom Prof. Thanks for taking the time to help me put it all into perspective. No offense taken.