A crash at The Dragon

[weekend rider]

Well as been said before many many times thoughts annd prayers be with you.

Now I have to pose this question and here is where people will dog pile on and maybe think I am a little bit mean spirited. I am only asking this statement/ question because of the many varied answers that appear.

Nothing is implied or to be taken the wrong way. AS many have stated here that they have taken motorcycle ridding classes as how to better their ridding skills. That rider involved in that wreck was ans advance rider instructor, what could he have done in that split second to avoid or minamize that impact? The ones out there that have had classes please chime in. Your responses will definitely open all our eyes and ears and help us under stand what action we might be able to take to minamize another tragedy from happening.

Do this riding classes really prepare us for situations like this?

I am looking for information that will help me if I am ever encounter a situation like that .

weekend rider

 

[noob]

weekend rider,

I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to learn something from a tragedy like this, and oh yes, it's a tragedy, a very horrible one.

Although I"m an MSF instructor also, I don't see it helping much here.

Imagine: you're riding the gap (or war woman road, richard russell parkway, etc) you're at about 85%, keeping something in reserve because there's gravel in some corners, semi's, etc.

You're in the middle of a corner, right at the apex, and now realize someone is coming in the other direction, out of control, heading directly for you.

You have less then a second to do something. Staying on your same path of travel, or trying to stand the bike up and stopping means the person heads right into you.

And because you're leaned over pretty good, trying to swerve to the left would pretty much mean laying the bike down and low siding.

I really think in that second, our survival instincts would have us steering away from the other vehicle, in the hopes the other person gained control and steered back in the direction they should be going in.

Wishing for the best possible now for the survivors of this tragedy.

 

[cougar8000]

weekend rider

In the case like this you better be wide awake and plenty of training behind your belt, but also plenty of luck. Kurt was an instructor and most likely had plenty of training, but what he might have lacked out was luck on that day. I have been to the Gap couple of times on my FZ and was lucky enough to walk away from it. Knowing how tight those turns are one really has less then a split second to react to anything and more importantly no room to move away from the heat.

So, as far as I can see this crash can't really teach us what to do with in comming bullet, but what not to do. And it also teaches not to ride over ones head.

Another point I would think might be to demand the room all around you so you can move if needed. Granted on the Gap that room is taken by the nature, but we do ride out side the Gap.

And not to forget MSF classes. They are not a golden bullet and every instructor will tell you that they are just a beginning of a LONG trip and people should take them and retake basic every 5 years. And should not be discouraged by crashes like this and say no matter what I do I will get screwed.

So, ride safe and come and see us often.

 

[madmike2]

Nothing is implied or to be taken the wrong way. AS many have stated here that they have taken motorcycle ridding classes as how to better their ridding skills. That rider involved in that wreck was ans advance rider instructor, what could he have done in that split second to avoid or minamize that impact? The ones out there that have had classes please chime in. Your responses will definitely open all our eyes and ears and help us under stand what action we might be able to take to minamize another tragedy from happening.
Do this riding classes really prepare us for situations like this?

weekend rider

I think that some are missing a salient point. To me, it's not what Kurt could have done in this case because it was completely unavoidable to him. No different than a piano falling from the sky.

The issue not being discussed is the OTHER rider. For those who ride @ 8/10ths on roads they are not familiar with that stand a very real possibility of being the other guy, please take heed. Of course, we all have our favorite twisty road that is exhilarating to ride briskly but we never take into account that there could be an issue (new tar snake, gravel, oil, water, squirrled, horse, coyote, pedestrian, stopped RV or cage, downed motorcycle) in the roadway on a blind corner. Sure, we've ridden the road dozens of times and only last weekend it was perfectly safe...but that's not today!

How will YOU live with the results if you are the one who loses your bike in a corner and slides into another biker (or cage or big rig or guard rail, etc.).

IMO we should be looking at both sides of this tragedy, making mental notes, evaluating and adding it to our information bank, then applying it to how we ride.

Am I guilty of pushing? Absolutely! And I have been considering for some months exactly how risky some of my behavior has been, at times. I don't ever want to be in the shoes the Goldwing rider is wearing.

YMMV.

 

[weekend rider]

Thanks for the replies it put things in a different perspective for me and see things that one does not see when he reads of a tragedy like this. I hope one day I will be able to get back there and ride the "Dragon", as well as other roads. I know exactly what you mean about the road being a challenge and I would fall pray to that just like many others. Roads like these are what bring out that inner instict for one to accept the challenge. Except this time the rider was enjoying the ride and the time with his wife when this uneventful tragedy happened.

I just got back from about a 3000 mile trip up in the PNW and was fortunate enough not to have any problems or even a close call .

weekend rider

 

[KrustyKola]

Nothing is implied or to be taken the wrong way. AS many have stated here that they have taken motorcycle ridding classes as how to better their ridding skills. That rider involved in that wreck was ans advance rider instructor, what could he have done in that split second to avoid or minamize that impact? The ones out there that have had classes please chime in. Your responses will definitely open all our eyes and ears and help us under stand what action we might be able to take to minamize another tragedy from happening.
Do this riding classes really prepare us for situations like this?

weekend rider

I think that some are missing a salient point. To me, it's not what Kurt could have done in this case because it was completely unavoidable to him. No different than a piano falling from the sky.

The issue not being discussed is the OTHER rider. For those who ride @ 8/10ths on roads they are not familiar with that stand a very real possibility of being the other guy, please take heed. Of course, we all have our favorite twisty road that is exhilarating to ride briskly but we never take into account that there could be an issue (new tar snake, gravel, oil, water, squirrled, horse, coyote, pedestrian, stopped RV or cage, downed motorcycle) in the roadway on a blind corner. Sure, we've ridden the road dozens of times and only last weekend it was perfectly safe...but that's not today!

How will YOU live with the results if you are the one who loses your bike in a corner and slides into another biker (or cage or big rig or guard rail, etc.).

IMO we should be looking at both sides of this tragedy, making mental notes, evaluating and adding it to our information bank, then applying it to how we ride.

Am I guilty of pushing? Absolutely! And I have been considering for some months exactly how risky some of my behavior has been, at times. I don't ever want to be in the shoes the Goldwing rider is wearing.

YMMV.

Great point, I was on the islands in Lake Champlain sunday night night and saw a semi passing a Mini Van that I guess had been poking along. Anyway the Mini Van does not slow down at all and makes the semi make the pass on its own which seems to me to take forever. I thought I heard the Semi honk but not sure. By the time the semi gets settled the next corner is right there. Next thing not 10 secs after everyone looks normal again a bike comes around the curve, not out of control fast but way too fast to deal with a semi in his lane. The biker never knew how close he had been to having a bad day.