I've only been riding for about 7-8 years but I've done 41,000 miles in the 3 years I've owned the GSX 1400, did around 30k on my bandit 600 and 10-15k on my CBF 125. But even after all those miles there's still things that can't be predicted. Luckily I was riding with a new tire fitted yesterday, roads were wet and car in front slowed down to turn right so I was luckily not going fast round the bend.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2TfWPamdAhQEwEm6A
You can live for a million years and ride a million miles - at the end there will still be things you can't predict. The thing you can predict is that someone will do something stupid. You just don't know when.
Similar thing happened to me this season. Not the first time I must add! Every time it was a well seasoned "grown up". And at higher speeds than your situation. The BIG difference was that I ride corners different than you did there!
I approach corners so I can see into them. Left-hand corner I stay to the right, right-hand corner I stay to the left. That way I don't need a crystal ball.
Couldn't agree more, there's always gonna be thing you can't predict. I do normally ride into corners the same way you do but with exceptions and that bend is one of them. It's literally down the road from my house so I go round it loads and I know damn well there's a likely chance some prick is gonna cut the corner coming from the left.
Normally there isn't some prick riding a bicycle on the wrong side of the road and there isn't really any hazards on that bend besides a driveway on the left that's more when you've exited the bend rather than on it so the biggest danger normally is people cutting the corner and hence I ride arguably incorrectly by sticking closer to inside but ride slower not that it's a bend to be taken quick anyway being in a 30 mph zone. I ride the same on country roads here in the UK for the same reason though on right hand bends as I'm still sticking close(ish) to the grass verge then I'm riding on the outside of the bend like you're supposed to do.
I'd rather lose my ability to see through the bend then risk coming head on with a idiot cutting the bend and to compensate for my loss of seeing ahead I slow down giving me time to react to anything if need be. On wider single carriageways I ride how you ride sticking to the outside of the bend to give maximum visibility through the bend.
actually just re-watched the video, my bike is pretty much center of the lane which is as far as I dare go to the outside of the bend with people cutting the corner like they do. I then moved towards the inside after realizing that kid on the bicycle was gonna ride across my path.
Ride to survive: - on bends give yourself the greatest distance between your current position and the `vanishing point`ie. in the UK, L/H bends stay close to the middle white line, R/H bends stay left. Dual carriageways & motorways ride in a position which will always give you an `opt-out` option, which often means almost riding the white line in order that you can flick the bike around a car rather than have to crank it over from a position too `deep`.
In `76 I almost died after hitting an oncoming car head-on at 80mph on a shallow bend. Had i have adopted the above we would have missed each other, and two vehicles wouldn`t have been written-off. However, I did get a 6 month holiday from work.... :facepalm:
Quote from: DP1400 on Wednesday, 08 January 2020, 06:24 AM
In `76 I almost died after hitting an oncoming car head-on at 80mph on a shallow bend. Had i have adopted the above we would have missed each other, and two vehicles wouldn`t have been written-off. However, I did get a 6 month holiday from work.... :facepalm:
Forgive me if I miss understood but surely by sitting close to the center line on a L/H bend you're putting yourself closer to danger by being closer to oncoming traffic? While it could be argued that you can see ahead better and swerve to avoid, I'd argue that this is dependant on then bend and how sharp it is. Long sweeping bends you'd have time to react and swerve out of the way but sharp bends like the one in my video (if at speed) then there's no enough room for reaction if someone is tanking round the bend cutting the corner. I've had several cars nearly knock me off there by cutting the bend so I choose to keep left despite it being a left hand bend. Plus I like to keep furthest away from junctions so if there's a junction on my left I stick right and if junction on my right then I stick left. In short I like to keep a good safety bubble around me and my bike even if that sometimes means reducing my ability to see ahead round a bend.
Again forgive me if I've misunderstood what you were saying but glad you're okay. There's just some bends round where I live where following the correct way of sticking to the outside of the bend can be arguably dangerous if oncoming traffic were to cut the bend. There's a bend on a country road near me where people cut it all the time and there isn't really enough time to swerve not to mention if there's any gravel, mud or damp patches then swerving can be a problem.
IMO you're both right, it all depends on the corner, environment & situation.
For me when I'm on quiet country roads & known twisties, I always go to apex each corner. Brake leading in (& sometimes into the apex, if I've come in a little hot) & throttle on firmly at / just after the apex, so I'm exiting the corner at good speed.
Gives me something to concentrate on & practice.
I see nothing wrong with your riding, you did well to miss the little prick.
Quote from: Irish in Oz on Wednesday, 08 January 2020, 08:18 AM
I see nothing wrong with your riding, you did well to miss the little prick.
Agree. Good job on missing the little wanker.
Quote from: Irish in Oz on Wednesday, 08 January 2020, 08:18 AM
I see nothing wrong with your riding, you did well to miss the little prick.
Quote from: Sweaty on Wednesday, 08 January 2020, 08:44 AM
Agree. Good job on missing the little wanker.
Cheers, was mainly down to the fact the car in front turned right so had to slow down. Stupid town planners turned what used to be an ordinary T-junction into that joke of a junction with a blind bend. It's so difficult to see round when turning right there even on a bike let alone in a car where you've got a bonnet in front of you. Was sketchy though being on damp roads and had new tire fitted on the front yesterday albeit a road 5 GT but my first time running it as didn't have chance to ride yesterday and not had the road 5 before only PR4's so also lucky that I was taking it steady considering the conditions.
Let's just hope that idiot has learnt his lesson and will take more care next time. He might have not been so lucky If I was in a car.
Agree you did very well. Bloody pushbikes, we all have a story about them.
This is the sort of thing which explains why I'm currently doing an advanced riding couse with the IAM. Tbh nothing in it is rocket science & I knew it all already from reading a few things on the subject & just thinking about riding. But having an independent viewer commenting has helped me use that knowledge better. As a bonus Carole Nash do offer insurance discounts for it too.