People in the cage were jerks. If the rider needed a hospital, they were the best bet because they could have driven him there.

Unfortunately, it has not been our experience that safe riding type habits prevail for very long on these little group outings.

If you could see us together as a group, you would understand better.

What really happens is that a group with varying mountain riding skills shows up at Toymaker's house, has a fun time the night before then gets on the scoots and start out riding reasonably in straight lines on the interstate for an hour or so.

We hit the skyway and begin to eat curves and the group confidence level rises and so does the speed.  Then a distraction presents itself (girl with long flowing blond hair going a little bit faster than the group speed) and we start chasing her ....  

The speed goes up just a little bit beyond the skill level of the least curve familiar person in the group and that person goes down on a turn.

Same story as the guy in the video -- a mistake is made.  More folks in a group, more difference in riding types and styles and the greater the likelyhood that a "go down" mistake will be made.   The mountain roads are NOT FORGIVING and you are faced with "go down" line choices and braking choices on average of once every 20 seconds or so once you are up in the curves.

The most insidious of these scenarios is to be riding in a line of riders with the front rider going at to him is a safe and sedate pace, the line of riders engine braking and leaning into a curve that suddenly gets a little tighter about half way through the turn and rider #4 in the line lacks the skill to increase his lean angle without panic setting in.

Hitting your rear brake in a lean turn straightens you up, and you go straight.   Bad thing to happen in a lean turn.   NEVER HIT YOUR REAR BRAKE IN A LEAN OVER TURN.

What you should be doing is running enough revs to use engine braking (roll off the throttle) and simply concentrate on leaning on through the turn.  This is a skill that requires practice .....

This is why the larger Harley groups have a chase vehicle running along behind them on mountain trips -- they know they are going to lose a rider.   They plan for it.

Also, the further back you are in the pack the more experience you need to have IMO.  The accordion effect is an amazing phenomena.  When you get a group of bikers riding together, the lead rider will swear he never went over 60mph while the last guy will swear he never went slower than 80mph.  Throw in mountain curves and the level of difficulty progressively increases with the next rider in the pack.

Everyone must be given the opportunity to rise to their level of incompetancy, whether it be renchin, ridin or ryetin.  

Well i'm not going to be there, I have the time but not the cash for a 6 day or better road trip. My only mistake was not riding the curves like I ment it. Instead I got into a higher gear and was just farting along instead of running the engine up in RPMs which is the way I learned to ride the curves. So much for taking it easy on the curves, beside a couple bruises and a little damage to the bike I got off easy.   Take pictures, enjoy

MMRanch wrote on 05/16/09 at 23:36:11:


Yep, I agree totally on that one.

I got a few that have seen a little "lean" as well.

http://www.dealsgap.com/

Here's the "Motorcycle Resort's" web site link in case you would like to keep up with what is going on at Deals Gap/ Tail of the Dragon. Posting is usually done Th-Mon. You can also sign up to have free access to their daily forum board.