The killing season

[dcarver]

Very close call today. No harm no foul?

Yeah right, I want to bust this guyz face.

It maybe one thing to be taken out by a car, or truck, but by a sport bike rider?

Early out of work, normal back roads (hi way 58 east of Santa Margarita), CrZy8 running light sans bags and top trunk.

Running at .7 of 1, holding the inside track, what I call 'gutter riding' or ToeCutter calls 'Ride Right'.

Arcing the corner, riding the pace, no brakes, suspension settled, nice warm day. 52 in a 45 marked right hand, decreasing radius corner.

My first glimpse was a quick glint from the backside of a mirror, and I realized the SuperSport guy's trajectory was intersecting my path.

To clarify, the ****** was headed right at me.

Completely out of his lane, across the center line, my quick calculation was I would hit him just aft of his legs. Duck boy's suspension was fully compressed, he was sitting erect, and looking at the wall. My wall, mind you.

He was wearing full one piece leathers, top of line red matching helmet, AlpineStar boots, knee pads, and riding a Ducati something-or-other.

And I had no where to go, already heeled over and in the right track. No choice but to straighten up, go into the opposing lane (no traffic, thank You Jesus) and then, for the first time since getting GP Suspension work done, drug the right peg and something else to get back into 'my' lane. I haven't yet looked to see what else touched down.

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!

Now, I want to find the guy and beat him bad. I'm sure I could find him at Laguna Seca, many riders are heading through my area for the race; I vividly recall his leathers, bike, boots and helmet.

Just happy to be here - safe and warm and typing away - but this got me to thinking.

Summer time is the motorcycling killing season.

All the 'seasonal' riders have 'freshened' up the winter rust and are now pushing it harder.

The all-year riders grow complacement with the warm weather.

Noobies and re-entrant riders wobble down the roadway.

You get my drift?

Don't let it happen to you.

 

[johnny80s]

Glad you're ok Don.

 

[YukonG]

Interesting that you bring this up. In the last week I've had 2 bikes (cruisers of some sort) cross the yellow into my lane while trying to hold their lines through a corner (head-on situation); the bad thing is that I was driving my car both times. I had to take drastic measures to "miss" them. Both of them were waaaay over the line, into incoming traffic (me). They didn't appear to be speeding excessively, so I'm guessing it's just inexperience; but maybe they were drunk...hell I don't know. :dntknw:

 

[C&C]

Glad you're okay; must have been pretty close (you remembering all that detail; seems the mind gets real sharp and everything slows down when things get touchy as they did in your instance). Again, glad that you reacted as you did and things turned out okay.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Glad your O.K.,

Years of experience helped make the right decision. Amazingly this could have ended real bad but it didn't. If i follow your post correctly.

You had to go to the opposite side of the road while he held his line in your lane?

If that's the case he deserves a real beat down! :assassin:

 

[mcatrophy]

You deserve a score of 11 out of 10 for your reaction.

I'm sure many would simply freeze. To have the cool to evaluate the situation, make the decision to go to the "wrong" side of the road because you are sure squid won't be able to cross back, and then have the guts to not brake, but to scrape hard parts really hard without giving up your line to (comparative) safety, that's really good riding.

I've never been in quite your situation; I have had to tell myself "look where you want to go, trust the bike" a couple of times, but never to the extent you describe.

Congratulations, and if you find the squid, stop short of lethal force, it's not worth it, however satisfying.

 

[airboss]

Two things I've noticed this year, lot of yellow tags(tempory plates)and a lot of older bikes, probabily been setting in the corner of the garage for years. Some of these guys are looking pretty shaky.

 

[lonerider]

Glad you weren't another statistic and I agree that clown deserves a proper *** kicking. That kind of ***** is the reason I avoid the Dragon anytime between Memorial Day and Labor Day and weekends the rest of the time. I've seen them pull into Deal's Gap in trucks pulling trailers with multiple sport bikes, there for one reason, to try to get through faster than anyone else. Never mind the fact that 129 is clogged with all manner of slower bikes and riders. My apologies if I sermonized or got off the subject of this thread, but it's the irresponsible riders that will bring restrictive legislation down on all of us.

 

[Texan]

Excellent save - you must have a good deal of track training.

You were in a right hand turn, the oncoming squid was turning in a left hand arc and cut the turn by coming into your lane?

I'm amazed that the other rider did not also correct to avoid the collision. He didn't brake or change his line? Or was he oblivious to the impending catastrophe?

 

[Toecutter]

Damn, dude! That was the devil on that Duc, and you just cheated him out of your soul.

You would have been ended, and not gotten to see Shanna or Harley ever again. I think a couple of weeks off to go "hunting" would be rather appropriate for therapeutic purposes. If nothing else, you should go run that road bacward on Sunday and Monday in the Dodges to see if you can collect any hood ornaments and help Dr. Darwin for a good cause.

Stories like this make me seriously consider getting off the bike. How will you be able to ride with any comfort after a brush like that?

 

[Patriot]

Good on ya good sef, Don

Yea, these stories make me think too.

Funny thing (funny???)

My second thoughts seem to always think of the legal and insurance consequences of such things and the dodge outta the way to save my life, miss the offender, and crash in a one bike get off, and the offender meanders away and I'm stuck with the carnage all by myself. Screwed the second time.

Yikes.

So if I got this straight, you are turning right to the right, jog left, and he passes you on your RIGHT with ya'll's together closing speed approx 90 mph. Then you hit hard right rudder to jog right, back into your lane. Guess the good lawd also provided you with line of sight of the curve to convince you it was clear in that other lane. Glad Duck *** wasn't in a group ride at the time.

God Bless Us All,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[Docholiday]

Whoa, sounds like you got balls of steel. Glad you had the experience and skill to pull off that extreme maneuver. It is hard to anticipate where the risk will be coming from. I'm glad that you are safe, but it sounds like the Duc rider needs a serious talk. It doesn't sound like he is destined for a long swim in the genetic pool. I just hope he doesn't take some other poor soul with him. Thanks for the heads up. I hope the rest of your season is safe.

 

[wheatonFJR]

This boy deserves a beating....several times...with his own helmet.

Glad you made it out alive there Don...you showed some instinsts that saved you...I doubt if I could have saved myself like you did. Glad you made it through alive. :clapping:

I have rarely been in a fight, but I would sign up to be in this one.

Mark

You deserve a score of 11 out of 10 for your reaction.
I'm sure many would simply freeze. To have the cool to evaluate the situation, make the decision to go to the "wrong" side of the road because you are sure squid won't be able to cross back, and then have the guts to not brake, but to scrape hard parts really hard without giving up your line to (comparative) safety, that's really good riding.

I've never been in quite your situation; I have had to tell myself "look where you want to go, trust the bike" a couple of times, but never to the extent you describe.

Congratulations, and if you find the squid, stop short of lethal force, it's not worth it, however satisfying.

 

[Draggon Rider]

"He was wearing full one piece leathers, top of line red matching helmet, AlpineStar boots, knee pads, and riding a Ducati something-or-other."

Now that's funny in a split second you can remember AlpineStar boots but it was a Ducati something or other... Did you get the VIN?

I'm sure this Ducatisen had to stop and clean out his one piece leathers after this.

Kidding asside I'm glad you're Ok, people are ******** weather on two wheels or four.

I was riding the gutter on a left had sweeper on Angeles Crest Hwy and riding two up, when this jurk coming from behind on a sportbike almost drove me into the gravel, I was yelling at the bike "LEAN! BABY! LEAN!". I was looking for the MF when I got to Newcombs Ranch.

I saw all these MCs heading north yesterday leaving LA I was wondering where they were headed now it all makes sense.

 

[Leskid]

Again, good thing you have the alertness / skills to ride-away from that one

In a post earlier this week, I said I was anxious to get in some track time this weekend (after riding an Aspenbarge for the past 3 years), not so I can ride around dragging my pegs... but to be ABLE to do so to get myself out of a pickle, if needed. In that same post, I mentioned the kids who ride my favorite roads up north like they're on a racetrack.

You just proved my point. Makes one wonder.... no matter how skilled / cautious / wise of a rider we aim to be, between squids & soccer moms, control of our own fate is an illusion for the most part.

Good riding. Keep it up

PS: find him and 'share your feelings' with him. Squids are invertebrates so it's not like you can break any bones

 

[weekend rider]

Dam good ridingt D. C. the mind is a wonderful thing it got you out of some real real bad ju ju life ending situation.

Again Dam good riding D. C.

 

[FastJoyRide]

My ride-in appointment at GP Suspension is on July 29th - this is why. :***:

When the years of training and riding experience kick in to save your life you don't want a lack of mechanical capability to spoil your day.

I was riding across rural Minnesota with my brother one fine Sunday AM years ago on our way to Mexico. A lowlife (probably on his way to church) at the last moment swerved his minivan across the solid yellow line on a dead-straight piece of road and came right at me. My brother - 100 yards behind me - thought I was dead for sure. But my survival instincts, general paranoia, and latent riding skills allowed me to execute a 10/10ths double swerve at 70mph around this ****** without losing my bike. Fortunately my brother had lots of time to avoid him more calmly.

Was he homicidal? Did he spill his MickyD's coffee in his crotch? Was he reaching for more Vicodin in his travel bag? - I'll never know and I could care less.

If they really are all out to get you then you're not paranoid! Ride paranoid - it may save your life - it sure as hell saved mine, and it sounds like it saved my buddy Don's too...

 

[dcarver]

Stories like this make me seriously consider getting off the bike. How will you be able to ride with any comfort after a brush like that?

I'm gifted with the knowledge 'It never will happen to me', Toe. It comes after years of riding MX and seeing the meat wagon make multiple runs during race day. "Poor guy, he's all phooked up, good thing it will never happen to me!" I'm going riding today, and will be fine.

So if I got this straight, you are turning right to the right, jog left, and he passes you on your RIGHT with ya'll's together closing speed approx 90 mph. Then you hit hard right rudder to jog right, back into your lane. Guess the good lawd also provided you with line of sight of the curve to convince you it was clear in that other lane. Glad Duck *** wasn't in a group ride at the time.
Mike in Nawlins'

Mike - you have it right, mostly. I knew there wasn't an opposing car within my sight. This road is lightly traveled, it was a roll of the dice thing. Get hit for sure or take a chance at getting hit.
-----

After being up pretty much all night then thinking about it some this AM, I'm pretty sure DucBoy had just taken off from a small dirt turn-out. I think he was riding to Laguna Seca, had stopped to take a breather at this turn-out because it's one of a few that has a shade tree, and it was hot yesterday.

When he took off, rather than 'follow the curve in the road', he straightened it out, accelerating quickly through the blind corner, using my lane in the process. Then he saw me, panicked, was on the binders, and in the way, so to speak, struggling to find clearance between me and the road wall. It's the only scenario I can imagine that would have a left-hand turning bike running 'tight' into a right hand corner?

It all happened pretty fast, and I don't really care how he got there.

If this was the scenario, and it's all speculative, we'll never know for sure, then it's worse than just poor riding or lack of skills, it's just plain stupid.

-----

The lesson learned is this. Be aware, ride with quality tires, supspension and gear.

Oh, and being lucky helps too.

 

[madmike2]

:clapping: Good job, Don! :clapping:

AND a good reminder for all of us who ride the twisty environments, "THEY are out there!" And they don't give a $#!*!

Many of you know that a cruiser ran me off Hwy 49 and totalled my '04. Since then I've faced situations similar to yours while riding Hwy 4 in the Sierras, one time facing a group of 3 riders: 1 passed inside, 2 passed outside while I was in the right hand blind turn, one week after taking the Streetmasters Cornering Workshop. Yes, I was at a more moderate speed, riding per their technique so I had a "deep" view into the curve and hadn't committed to my line yet. IMO, their training was a huge part of my survival: moderate entry speed, late apex, having time to react, riding with "suspicion" on blind curves. Had I been an RV those riders (2 on Buells, 1 sport bike) would have been seriously injured or very dead.

Be careful out there. I see stupid people. :angry: