Motorcycle Skills Avoided an Accident
Friday, December 22nd, 2006 at 3:55 pm by angrybob
Ugh. I have been commuting on the bike this week to a training center in downtown Phoenix by the airport. I chose the bike as the urban mode of transportation since traffic here is disasterous during rush hour going ‘inward’. Motorcycle out here have the luxury of using the diamond (read: carpool) lane which cuts the commute in half at least.
Anyway, for someone like me who lives on the edge of town and drives away from traffic each part of my commute, I had forgotten what rush hour was. I have been a little consumed with other people doing stupid stuff affecting me more than anything. Why not? I’m a good rider and have been on two wheels for decades (I can honestly say that…I feel old).
Yesterday, on the way home from the third and final day of training, I had a ‘moment’. This was as I was exiting the last bit of highway a couple miles from my house. This was also an operator error. There are no good reasons and no one to blame but the ugly guy I see in the mirror every morning (that woud be me…no homo jokes) for this error.
I was on the off-ramp, a long leaning right hander and got caught up day dreaming. At 75mph the sharper part of the bend came upon me too quick for comfort in the middle of my moment sitting on the beach with my wife and a mai tai. REAL SOON, I was on the left edge paint with the three or so feet left until I hit dirt…literally. What saved my butt? Proper Vision and the wherewithal not to panic. I took a deep breath in looked wayyyy ahead of where I was (read: where I wanted to go), cranked the bike over and registered a save. Heh - I also registered an unforced error.
Its this type of event that I think riders’ skills come into play. I knew I was in trouble, but I knew how to fix it. This comes with practice both on and off the track. I actually learned proper vision in the mountain twisties of Deal’s Gap in TN & NC. It works, and I’m grateful for it.
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Last summer me and Tom were out for a Sunday ride. We went out on a nice new chunk of pavement that goes through New Denver. Its a nice ride full of twists and turns. We had just stopped to make some comments on the last few miles we had throttled through and had just toke off on a straight stretch. I could see it playing out, a truck was signaling to turn left and we were coming up to the intersection. The truck off course turned right in front of Tom. There was a poof of smoke as Tom hammerd on the brake then just as fast let off leaned it over to the left and just swung around the back bumper. Now it may be wrong but in a strange way I was glad to see Tom fire through that. Now before you think I am phsyco let me explain. I am much more confident riding along side Tom knowing that he has the skill and the common sense to avoid an accident. Untill we face that type of situation we are can only presume we are great riders.