The killing season

[Knifemaker]

I had almost the same thing happen to me, but in my case my brain somehow worked out the appoaching trajectories and told me to just stay against the inside edge of the pavement and the oncoming asswipe would just miss me.

I'd say if our tires were painting our tracks on the road there would have been one spot where they were only about a foot apart. It was that freaking close.

Rather than turn to anger in these situations I try to keep my cool and have faith that the laws of karma will eventualy catch up to these riders and the next time they do this it will be a 4 ton SUV instead of another bike coming at them.

Glad you got through it intact. After 30+ years riding the amount of "close calls" has now moved from counting with my fingers to using my toes.........

KM

 

[Fastfar]

Haunt Ducati Island for awhile, ya may see him...If ya find him, make a scene and I'll come running......I'll hold him, you punt his helmet into the lake...

 

[COLDCUT]

Great job of avoidance! Rode the Ortega yesterday with the wife and was impressed with the light amount of traffic for a beautiful summer afternoon. Ride went well except for an impatient MF who decided that the best place to pass me was in a tight hairpin. I have a tough enough time already getting the wife to join me on a few rides. The last thing I need is some joker trying to ride me into the wall. Oh well, it was a great day otherwise.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Well done on keeping your cool there, DCarver. You'll be the one cleaning the OUTSIDE of your riding gear rather than disinfecting the inside. Your quick thinking potentially saved two lives, although one is still in danger, if you should happen to catch him, right?

My two cents involves the number of riders who get in over their heads then don't have the skills to get out. Of the riders out there, how many actually KNOW how a motorcycle turns, as opposed to just 'doing it'? When I learned to ride, many long years ago, countersteering was never mentioned by name. I was never taught to press on the left grip to go left. I just did it and it worked. Had I got into a panic situation, would I have reverted to car driving skills by trying to turn the bars the way I wanted to go? Thankfully, I have since met wiser folk than I, and have listened to/read their advice.

I do believe that there are a lot of riders out there who don't know and certainly don't practice, what to do in a panic situation. Is it instinctual to set up a turn i.e. braking, shifting, line-choice BEFORE getting into the turn? or is that a learned behavior?

Finally, check out Craig's list for a dirt cheap Ducati and a set of leathers that are in need of a good cleaning.

Glad you're OK, Don.

 

[Cdogman]

You find this guy lemme know..

I got yer back.. Sides... I have anger issues and this might help

Glad YOU!! were paying attention and saved THAT fuckards ass for him

Money dont make you fast.. Guy spent money on his shit without knowing shit..

POSER!!!!!!

 

[BobbyBlue]

Good on ya DC....I mean not chasing him down to ring his neck !!! Its kinda like the mob thing...its your friend ( or fellow rider ) that might take ya out. I'm absolutely sure it was/is your MX background that saved the day and I always tell noobians to start with a little enduro type bike and hit the dirt and get used to feeling the bike move around underneath ya and this is a good thing. I'm really glad you had a little luck on yer side too ! I know it musta been scary, but dont you feel really REALLY alive about now ! Great save buddy !!!

Blessed,

Bobby

 

[flyball]

The fact that you were not riding 10/10 is what saved both of you and that idiot was obviously running beyond his own skill level. Nobody should be pushing it when on a public road, I don't care how good you are or how fast your bike is. A great lesson for us all, thanks for sharing.

 

[mattster31]

Funny thing? At the time, it seemed like no big deal. Countersteer, up, countersteer down, more down more down, dragging, more down, lowside first, don't hit the trees on the opposite side, and ok, got it!

Gives new meaning to your handle..............."D'Carver"

Good save, glad your OK, and I hope you find the Fkecur

 

[Silver Penguin]

Funny thing? At the time, it seemed like no big deal. Countersteer, up, countersteer down, more down more down, dragging, more down, lowside first, don't hit the trees on the opposite side, and ok, got it!

You're right - no big deal, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! One of the two riders in this picture knew what was what, and the other didn't.

Imagine the MSF class if you will; a dozen rookie riders, some of who know nothing and others who also know nothing but believe that they know everything. The rider coach tells them that there are two ways to make a motorcycle turn. You can steer it like any other vehicle, at low speeds but when you go faster, you just press on the bars and blah blah blah. Does everyone understand countersteering? Now let's talk about counterweighting. For slow turns you hang off this side of the bike but when you go faster blah blah blah.

Not easy huh? And then you add a pretty, shiny bike and a cool looking Power Ranger suit......

 

[rogdeb]

Good save Don :clapping: -- sounds like it was a close thing.

The ARSEHOLE will eventually get what he's asking for, I'm hoping he's on his own when it happens.

 

[madmike2]

Funny thing? At the time, it seemed like no big deal. Countersteer, up, countersteer down, more down more down, dragging, more down, lowside first, don't hit the trees on the opposite side, and ok, got it!

You're right - no big deal, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! One of the two riders in this picture knew what was what, and the other didn't.

Imagine the MSF class if you will; a dozen rookie riders, some of who know nothing and others who also know nothing but believe that they know everything. The rider coach tells them that there are two ways to make a motorcycle turn. You can steer it like any other vehicle, at low speeds but when you go faster, you just press on the bars and blah blah blah. Does everyone understand countersteering? Now let's talk about counterweighting. For slow turns you hang off this side of the bike but when you go faster blah blah blah.

Not easy huh? And then you add a pretty, shiny bike and a cool looking Power Ranger suit......

Jill, it's too bad you can't pring this entire post and make it required reading.

Nah, nevermind! It'd be against the written policy If the new riders are predisposed to this type of riding, they won't listen or believe.

 

[fjrboomer]

I love stories with happy endings and yours is certainly one. I wonder what percentage of us reading this could have saved it like you did. It speaks well of your concentration and skills. Glad you were able to save it and I hope when you check for the other parts that were dragging that it is not anything too serious. Keep safe and congrats again on superb riding skills.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Jill, it's too bad you can't pring this entire post and make it required reading.
Nah, nevermind! It'd be against the written policy If the new riders are predisposed to this type of riding, they won't listen or believe.

You can always tell which students are there because they want to learn and which are there because a nice person in a uniform said they had to be there, or else.

 

[beacher]

Bet you didn't need any coffee for a couple of days, did you?

 

[CAJW]

Funny thing? At the time, it seemed like no big deal. Countersteer, up, countersteer down, more down more down, dragging, more down, lowside first, don't hit the trees on the opposite side, and ok, got it!

You're right - no big deal, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! One of the two riders in this picture knew what was what, and the other didn't.

Imagine the MSF class if you will; a dozen rookie riders, some of who know nothing and others who also know nothing but believe that they know everything. The rider coach tells them that there are two ways to make a motorcycle turn. You can steer it like any other vehicle, at low speeds but when you go faster, you just press on the bars and blah blah blah. Does everyone understand countersteering? Now let's talk about counterweighting. For slow turns you hang off this side of the bike but when you go faster blah blah blah.

Not easy huh? And then you add a pretty, shiny bike and a cool looking Power Ranger suit......

I end every MSF class with the admonition "you have just demonstrated you can perform to a minimum standard in a parking lot at less than 25 mph" and then go on to discuss how to work up to rush hour freeway mingling. As it often goes, the ones that don't know everything listen and might ask a question or two. The ones that know it all are already on their bike hitting about 13K rpm in the parking lot in 1st gear trying to impress someone.

Don, glad you made it out with nothing but a riveting story. I'll be at Laguna Seca Sunday, now I'm taking a baseball bat in case I run into the guy. What color eyes did he have?

 

[dcarver]

Funny thing? At the time, it seemed like no big deal. Countersteer, up, countersteer down, more down more down, dragging, more down, lowside first, don't hit the trees on the opposite side, and ok, got it!

You're right - no big deal, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! One of the two riders in this picture knew what was what, and the other didn't.

Imagine the MSF class if you will; a dozen rookie riders, some of who know nothing and others who also know nothing but believe that they know everything. The rider coach tells them that there are two ways to make a motorcycle turn. You can steer it like any other vehicle, at low speeds but when you go faster, you just press on the bars and blah blah blah. Does everyone understand countersteering? Now let's talk about counterweighting. For slow turns you hang off this side of the bike but when you go faster blah blah blah.

Not easy huh? And then you add a pretty, shiny bike and a cool looking Power Ranger suit......

I end every MSF class with the admonition "you have just demonstrated you can perform to a minimum standard in a parking lot at less than 25 mph" and then go on to discuss how to work up to rush hour freeway mingling. As it often goes, the ones that don't know everything listen and might ask a question or two. The ones that know it all are already on their bike hitting about 13K rpm in the parking lot in 1st gear trying to impress someone.

Don, glad you made it out with nothing but a riveting story. I'll be at Laguna Seca Sunday, now I'm taking a baseball bat in case I run into the guy. What color eyes did he have?

I wish I knew.. it's all so much water under the bridge now. Enjoy Laguna, I'll be watching on TV, and be safe? Lot's o squids will be hyped up after the races...

 

[Toecutter]

Enjoy Laguna, I'll be watching on TV, and be safe? Lot's o squids will be hyped up after the races...

And that fuckwad will probably return to SoCal on that same route Sunday afternoon. Were it me, I'd go hunting on that road for his ass, and if you don't see him again, type up a "Wanted" post for submission to the Ducati and other rider's forums.

Those guys hang together just like us, and he's known to somebody that might give him up. Dude needs his ass kicked back into adolescence, seriously, even if only a virtual online beatdown....

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

It's a fool who thinks the public roads are his racetrack!

I'm sure the ambulance and EMT industry will have a bumper crop after this weekend's MotoGP.

 

[Toecutter]

...type up a "Wanted" post...

OK, I started it....

 

[Toecutter]

Paging Mr. Carver to the white courtesy phone...

I need a little clarification help here. I am not saying it didn't happen, but as i read, several things jumped out at me as i was going through it. One step at a time here. I am turning into a decreasing radius turn 52 mph. If the opposing bike is cutting off the entire escape for you in your lane, he MUST BE going just a tad faster, lets say 58 mph and probably faster. Now the combined closing speed of the 2 bikes is 110 mph in A TURN which isn't long. Now i don't know about you, but I WOULD NOT HAVE TIME to quickly calculate that i was going to hit him just aft of his legs, notice his suspension completely compressed and quote "((He was wearing full one piece leathers, top of line red matching helmet, AlpineStar boots, knee pads, and riding a Ducati ))" Not a 2 piece suit but 1 peice, and brands/style of equipment. Give me a break. THen also while closing the distance gap at 100+ i then decide i have enough time to steer in front of him and go to the left or other lane and let him pass where i was tracking in my original lane?????........Crap if i would have had the time to do all of that i could have just stabbed the brakes, pulled to my right got off the bike and waved as he went by..........Something in this telling just doesn't ring true to me......I wasn't there but have ridden for like 52 years and anything this close happens in and instant and i still just don't get the telling here.........As first stated, i need some clarification or help seeing what isn't obvious to me anyway..................................