Back to biking

Something over 30 years ago, while I was taking a curve to the left, I unthinkingly swerved right to avoid hitting a small animal that darted out in front of me. That action took my Yamaha 350 two-banger off the road, the front wheel hit a ditch, and I went over the handlebars. I had on a 3/4 helmet with a wind bubble. I hit the dirt face first and the bubble shattered, possibly preventing a broken jaw, but in shattering it all but sliced off my upper lip. With my lip flapping, I remounted and drove to the local hospital. Fortunately a plastic surgeon was available, and I got my lip sewed back on.

A month later I sold the bike. Now, some 30 years later, I got the old itch, bought a 1983 Honda Magna VF750C, took a Rider Safety Course--which was superb! Thanks, Gerry Granduke and Tony Carerra!--and I'm back on the road again. I love it. And I love it even more now that I've had some good instruction and practice. It's nice to know what you're doing! Back in the day, in Illinois and earlier in Massachusetts, an automobile license was all you needed to ride. Thank God those days are behind us.

I understand that in PA a helmet is not required. I can appreciate the argument that an adult should be free to wear or not wear protective headgear: after all, it's his or her head, and no one but oneself is at risk of injury. We should be at liberty to take risks when the only possible harm of our risk-taking is to ourselves. I get that. But here's a thought. In the National Hockey League, before helmets were mandated, most professional ice hockey players WANTED to wear a helmet but did not do so because they would be at a disadvantage against players without helmets; that is, their peripheral vision would be limited just enough to lose a split second in getting to the puck. So, only a few players chose to wear helmets. When the NHL finally required ALL players to wear a helmet, all the players were relieved: now everyone would have the same "handicap," and no one would have an advantage.

One of the reasons we ride is to enjoy feeling the elemental forces of Nature---acceleration, deceleration, centrifugal turns, gyroscopic balance, the sun at our back, the wind in our faces--as we put our mechanical horses through their paces. A helmet interferes with that deep pleasure, just as a helmet would interfere with a hockey player's ability to see the puck. BUT, just as the professional hockey player--it's his bread and butter, after all--is willing to give up a bit of his field of vision for the security of knowing that when a burly defenseman checks his head into the boards, he'll bouce off with his skull intact, so, I think, it makes sense for a motorcyclist to give up a bit of the thrill of experiencing the elemental forces of Nature for the security of knowing that if and when you take a header over your handlebars, you have a good chance of walking away with a face.

I think it's really in the best interests of eveyone to support a law in Pennsylvania mandating helmets for all motorcyclists. If you HAVE TO wear one, you will!

Ride safe!

glad you learned from the class- I remember you- you listened well and had great questions. Ride safe- and with your head, not over it.

rubber side down always

So, three weeks after getting back in the saddle and loving it, guess what happened? A confirmation of the stereotype. The old boy has another accident and breaks his wrist. Yep. I was in a bit of a hurry (mistake!). I was in heavy traffic and needed to do a U-turn. I saw up ahead an intersection where I could safely make a right onto a quiet road, turn around, then turn left at the light so i could go in the direction I wanted. But then I saw coming up a parking lot off to the right, so I decided to turn into it, then re-enter the traffic going the way i wanted (mistake #2). So i slowed down and turned sharply (mistake #3) into the parking lot. i didn't see until too late that a little lip of concrete divided the lot from the road, and just before that lip lay a patch of sand and loose gravel (mistake #4). As the leading edge of my right-turning front tire touched that concrete lip, the tire's contact surface hit the sand and loose gravel. My bike lost all traction on the front wheel, it skidded and went down, and somehow (I don't know how) I broke my LEFT wrist. I put my right hand down to break my fall, along with my right knee, but because of my glove and sturdy jeans, my right side escaped injury. I should also mention that my head bounced off the pavement, but because I was wearing a full-face helmet, no injury there!

So, an accident, and bad luck. BUT, (1) don't ride if you're in a hurry; (2) always take the safest option; (3) knowing and respecting road conditions is #1 priority; (4) abrupt turns are invitations to problems. So, an avoidable accident.

I feel kind of foolish, but I liitle wiser than I was before the accident. I can't wait to get back on the road. And I really do want to live a long and healthy life. Hey, you get thrown by your horse, you break a wrist, it heals, you get back on the horse and ride again. You do it because you love it, and you're willing to take the risk.

holtj

I suppose you should have known your '12 second anticipated path of travel.'

nice to know afterwords where/how your traction was lost.


hope you heal well.

Right, Bimota. I'm thinking, though, that excellent as the safety class was, you need a lot of practice to master the principles learned. I would suggest that, after the class, the students be given a sheet of recommendations on how to comport themselves in the coming months. First, the basic idea that it takes much practice for the principles to become second nature. Second, that practice should be controlled, so that, for example, you should avoid high-risk situations as much as possible for the first 500 miles. Thus, stay off high-speed roads; don't ride at night or in the rain; ride only for pleasure, not for work (when being late is a problem); etc. Then a set of suggested exercises (e.g. figure 8s) until they are mastered. Then other suggestions for the second 500 miles. The idea is to give beginners systematic guidelines for gradually achieving mastery in a safe manner.

I think the safety education folks should not shy away from statistics such as ratio of # of accidents to # of riders (vs. same ratio for auto drivers); # of accidents in age ranges; locations; weather conditions, etc. How many accidents occur with the first year of riding? These statistics might help motivate beginning riders to follow the suggestions for post-class riding. I wasn't racing or doing Evel Knieval stuff--just making an abrupt turn. A beginner's mistake, really.

What do you think?

I think we actually discussed how even though you passed the evals you shouldnt go out and ride without practicing your skills on your bike in controlled places. It was part of the course wrap up. We also covered the HURT study, and suggested to the class that they google it own thier own if they want to know statistical information.

We can not really go into stats as it would eat up too much time and it may even frighten some others who have never been on a bike.

However, we did indeed cover a situation just as you described. We tell the class to practice practice practice in secluded areas and then add in one element at a time. Different time of day, traffic, road conditions, etc.

I specifically teach- do nothing suddenly- all your inputs must be smooth and precise.

no harm no foul. heal and try again. just take your time with this hobby. and to you, its a hobby- remember that- to me, its a sport.

BIMOTA--

Right, I agree that the course did go into all that you mentioned. I'm suggesting that this material be handed out on a printed sheet, and that the material be briefly reviewed before the students are sent off. it needn't take much time. it could have been done at the end while students were waiting for their individual conferences on how they performed.

This is just a suggestion from a satisfied customer who, like a kid, was a bit overeager. Unlike a kid, I had the illusion of thinking that the experience I had acquired 30 years ago, added to the safety course, would be all I needed. And indeed, I was not reckless. It was a simple manuever: turning into a lot. I didn't think of everything involved in that maneuver. Sometimes, after almost 50 years of driving a car in almost every location and condition imaginable (e.g. crossing the Pyranees in the winter, on a one-lane road with a 2k drop and no side railings), I forget something I should be doing and get away with it because I'm either just lucky or the car takes the bump instead of me. On a bike, you always take the bump.

Anyway, thanks for your concern. Hope to see you on the road sometime!

holtj

Maybe we will run into each other(no pun intended)

Look at it this way-
After 41 years of riding motorcycles I still learn from each class I teach. Someone has a new perspective or response to something I say and it makes me think deeper.

When I was road racing, it was important to memorize every nook and cranny on the track- important to know specific points off the track to use as braking markers. On the track it is important to do exactly the same thing each and every lap, its the only way to become faster. If you try to go fast, you will never be fast. just sloppy.

This year I road around our country. 18 states 8100 miles in 20 days. Without one lick of problems.

Riding through arizona, the mohave desert, up the west coast, through heavy rain, congested cities. I faced all types of conditions.

My point is- to become a good motorcyclist and a safe motorcyclist isnt about knowing what catagory you fit in statiscally, its about not assuming anything, its about knowing your path of travel and whats in it that can upset you.

It saddens me to read that you hurt yourself - it also saddens me that even though you state the class helped you and you learned alot- some how you were in a predicament that was suggested to you, to avoid.

Please take your time with this new found hobby.
Perhaps retaking the course may help you- perhaps not.

Whichever the case- slow down. Not with your actions as much as with your thinking. Think ahead and Know your path of travel and where your traction is going to be best.

Automobiles are not motorcycles. All your years of driving an automobile will not help you riding a motorcycle.

PLEASE be careful.

Thanks, Bimota. I'll try to translate the head information into heart knowledge.

holtj

thats a start!!!

always ride with your head -not over it

glad your okay