ChristianSRA Posted July 20, 2010 Posted July 20, 2010 Well I've been none stop driving now and I've noticed first hand about the whole car drivers being ignorant so and so's well first 100 miles already had about 5 close calls yet happily I'm not deterrered from riding Rant over
Gas up - Let's Go! Posted July 20, 2010 Posted July 20, 2010 first 100 miles already had about 5 close calls Thats a significant number........ Everytime you have a 'near miss' you should be thinking about what you did wrong, and how you can avoid being in that possition next time. Car drivers aren't evil, they just don't look, we can't make them look so we have to make sure we do all we can to be seen. Next time you have a near miss, stop and think about what happened. Decide what you are going to do to avoid it next time, if a similar thing happens again then you need to think about it again. This is where experience comes from, you live, you learn.
Moderator Airhead Posted July 20, 2010 Moderator Posted July 20, 2010 wise words again from Gas-up.... Dont ride in the gutter, take command of your bit of road you own it. Expect every car is going to pull out on you, make eye contact with the drivers of these cars. Be lucky and learn, your riding wont be at its best if you harbour fear.
kishan Posted July 20, 2010 Posted July 20, 2010 yup the roads are full of idiots who are inconsiderate and etc safe riding
Ttaskmaster Posted July 20, 2010 Posted July 20, 2010 It will get better as you gain experience. Learn to look as far ahead as possible and look everywhere, to see everything. There hasn't been a single incident I've had where there weren't clues as to what was about to happen. Often I've suspected it was about to happen, but I'd been going too fast or dithering about my immediate action. Fortunately, the fact that I'd been aware of the possibility meant I was still prepared to deal with it and already planning a way out of it.
Hughsie Posted July 20, 2010 Posted July 20, 2010 I remember when I first started out on the road. I was so scared of crashing, I was only concentrating on the car in front of me. Glaring at those brake lights should they decide to come on. A year and a half later. I'm scanning the entire road, pavements, too. Looking out for indicators that flash. Looking out for kids who think it's funny to run out in front of you. (If they had done that a year ago, I can safely say that at least one of us would have been 6 foot under now. But thanks to experience, I let off the throttle and cowered the brake should they run out - Bloody good job I did that) Close calls are all part of roadcraft. You can't expect to be a perfect rider as soon as Day 1 is over. I consider myself to be a much better rider than what I was, but by no means am I a fully aware and experienced rider. That takes decades of riding. Even those who are extremely experienced can have close calls. Different situations call for different observations. Get yourself a copy of "Motorcycle Roadcraft" (Link Here) Scan through that a few times. If you still want more training, the local constabulary occasionally run a "BikeSafe" scheme (Which costs somewhere around £45 for a weekend.) I haven't personally attended one, but I have a few friends who have and they said that there are so many more things to learn that they hadn't even thought about. The scheme is undertaken by a couple of Police Motorcyclists, who, as you know, go through intensely difficult training and a whole range of examinations to even be considered. Their standards of riding are intensely high. Right, enough of the rambling. Hope you have fun rides out on the roads, but most of all, be safe.
Gas up - Let's Go! Posted July 20, 2010 Posted July 20, 2010 , the local constabulary occasionally run a "BikeSafe" scheme (Which costs somewhere around £45 for a weekend.) Search for BikeSafe in Google, there is a website and each constabulary has it's own take on how it is delivered. Up here in Cumbria it's free to motorcyclists (the funding comes from various groups including the Speed Camera's), you'll walk away with freebies such as Roadcraft, some DVD's and whatever else the BikeSafe co-ordinator can fleece out of the suppliers! As a result of Cumria's approach the courses are difficult to get on, but around 1 in 4 motorcylist has or is booked on the BikeSafe course. It could also be that the new co-ordinator up here is a rather attractive Girlie ..... I've done it and it's very good, even as an Advanced Rider there is still lots to learn. The course should include an assesed ride, where the Police will actually tell you what you are doing wrong. You see the human side of these guys too - it will change the way you look at them in future. For smaller bikes some forces run ScooterSafe, same as BikeSafe but with a focus on low powered machines.
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