Safety Tip

[jesse]

While driving down I-85 here in Atlanta yesterday I noticed a bike down on the entrance ramp to my right. I stopped to see if I could help in any way. Rider was OK except for the missing skin on both of his forarms. Bike was pretty scratched up and a few bent things here and there.

The rider told me he was accelerating down the ramp and looking to his left so that he could safely merge into traffic when he suddenly noticed that the cage in front of him had slowed to a near stop. His brake lights were out so the riders reaction time was also delayed. He layed the bike down and went tumbling over onto the asphalt. The cage did not stop.

Just another scenerio out there that I had not really thought too much about, but we all need to be aware of. Store it away with all the other things you look for out there to keep yourself safe.

Another note here. Rode up to the dragon last week and hooked up with a buddy from Rochester NY who had ridden down on his Goldwing. Had a great time. Met 4 guys from Quebec, all riding FJR's. One of them was the dealer that sold the others their bikes. Two 05's , an 07, and an 08. I chatted a little with them in French as I took French 1 three years in a row. I said Bonjour. That was about it.

 

[cougar8000]

That is a great tip, but do you think this problem could have been avoided if a rider maintained:

a. distance

b. not focused on 1 thing only, but rather scan aggressively

And I hope for the future of that rider sake when you said he laid it down it was because his brakes locked up or something not because he was trying to avoid a car? I hear people saying they lay it down to avoid something. When law's of physics changed that metal stops faster of the pavement vs. rubber?

Ride safe.

 

[radman]

Well, he didn't bash in the rear of the car, so who knows? I often have seen people start to do a right on red, only to change their mind and stop. My fear is that they move, I look left to follow, start moving, and turn forward only to see they're not moving. Caught myself doing that too many times, and have been lucky so far. Not a high impact danger, but still.........

 

[wfooshee]

Well, he didn't bash in the rear of the car, so who knows? I often have seen people start to do a right on red, only to change their mind and stop. My fear is that they move, I look left to follow, start moving, and turn forward only to see they're not moving. Caught myself doing that too many times, and have been lucky so far. Not a high impact danger, but still.........

That is exactly how I bashed my brother's bike and had my first drop of my new-for-me FJR last August. Looked up and the phuck was still there. Ooops.

Bashed is too strong a word. I scratched my front fender on his left-side can, and bent his can upwards a tad. Couldn't hold the bike up though, slowly down to the left. He was then the last man standing.

You have to keep at least one eye ahead, and you should shoot to kill any moron that stops or slows on an entrance ramp.

 

[cougar8000]

Radman, you would not be suggesting that it is better to lay it down then trying to stop using your brakes? Just checking.

You should stop fearing that and just start looking ahead before you move

 

[Crash Cash]

The rider told me he was accelerating down the ramp and looking to his left so that he could safely merge into traffic when he suddenly noticed that the cage in front of him had slowed to a near stop. His brake lights were out so the riders reaction time was also delayed. He layed the bike down and went tumbling over onto the asphalt. The cage did not stop.

Yup, this exact same thing happened to me on the East-West expressway about 2 years ago (except for the crash) - my worst fear was somebody would come barreling around the ramp and run into ME! This was on the SV, so I didn't have the luxury of ABS brakes, so there was a lot of pucker and swearing.

Thank god for air horns and my latching relay. I clicked the horns on and left them on. I had to be very careful because I was pretty sure she was going to try to merge in as I went around, and sure enough the ****** did, at about 15mph, so I stayed behind her for a while with the air horns on until I was able to safely go around. GRRRRRR!

 

[radman]

Radman, you would not be suggesting that it is better to lay it down then trying to stop using your brakes? Just checking.
You should stop fearing that and just start looking ahead before you move

I would suggest that he was scratched up but not busted up-who's to say he did the wrong thing? We weren't there. In any case, sometimes **** happens that isn't in the manual, nor are the methods used to avoid it.

 

[cougar8000]

we were not there, you are correct. But when law's of physics were rewritten? last time I checked 700 lbs sliding on its side goes further then the same 700 lbs trying to stop on the rubber doughnuts. And you have no directional control while you are sliding on the side either.

 

[Ed_Grant]

The lesson here is ... if you are following other cars onto freeway don't assume they will merge as expected for a minute. Do your head check of approaching traffic that are on the freeway well before you have to worry about what the drive in front of you will or will not do. We've got many elderly drivers around here that treat entry ramps as stop signs. Not good. :angry2:

 

[Hutchuf]

While driving down I-85 here in Atlanta yesterday I noticed a bike down on the entrance ramp to my right. I stopped to see if I could help in any way. Rider was OK except for the missing skin on both of his forarms. Bike was pretty scratched up and a few bent things here and there. The rider told me he was accelerating down the ramp and looking to his left so that he could safely merge into traffic when he suddenly noticed that the cage in front of him had slowed to a near stop. His brake lights were out so the riders reaction time was also delayed. He layed the bike down and went tumbling over onto the asphalt. The cage did not stop.

Just another scenerio out there that I had not really thought too much about, but we all need to be aware of. Store it away with all the other things you look for out there to keep yourself safe.

Another note here. Rode up to the dragon last week and hooked up with a buddy from Rochester NY who had ridden down on his Goldwing. Had a great time. Met 4 guys from Quebec, all riding FJR's. One of them was the dealer that sold the others their bikes. Two 05's , an 07, and an 08. I chatted a little with them in French as I took French 1 three years in a row. I said Bonjour. That was about it.

Driving in Atlanta sucks. Besides the fact that we're driving on mainly highways that were designed for a population of 1 million (currently have around 5 million), people drive like idiots here. I've lived in NY, FL, OH, AZ, and now GA and Atlanta driving is by far the worst. Anyone driving through Atlanta please be extra cautious.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Anyone driving through Atlanta please be extra cautious.

Saw the damndest thing driving through Atlanta.

We were in my truck heading to Sarasota and just passing through Atlanta.

Traffic, of course, came to a stop in all lanes.

We saw something on top of a minivan ahead of us.

It was a cage made of chicken wire.

Inside the cage were 2 live turkeys, just hangin' out and chillin'.

I about shat myself laughing.

Wish we woulda gotten a picture.