voldigicam
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SuzukiSavage.com Rocks!
Posts: 327
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Getting too comfortable with any process is clearly a problem. I'd do audits and safety analyses lots in the past. Looked at lots of accident reports. Doesn't matter what field. Getting comfortable with the process is usually part of the problem.
The people without accidents tend to be the nitpickers. Fighter pilots and the like. It's pretty clear after interviewing lots and lots of people. Can't tell on the surface. Sometimes the laid back fellows are tuned into everything and can recite the best way to do any part of their job. I've turned their methods into procedures and training manuals. And sometimes the superficially meticulous folks are off in their heads and fail to react well in the real world.
I must say that bicycling really helps me. The long-term situational awareness training has helped so much. Motorcycling is quite a lot easier in many ways, and remains nicely scary. I remain surprised when folks actually see me!
I've been watching the moto world for a long time. My brother in law was a pro rider. Had a couple of nasty accidents. And a bit of a personality disorder. He doesn't ride any more. Kind of a shame. He's a great rider - acknowledges that he's an average rider, that I'll probably shift better. Also full of real insight. And he knows older bikes very well. I've been watching the various types on the Dragon for 20 plus years, since before it was "The Dragon."
The people I never see in trouble are the guys on dual sports loaded to the gills, dressed in day glo cordura, and taking every corner as if there's a semi around it. There are semis around one every once and while. The people I see in trouble are the squids on sport bikes and the laid back cruiser riders who accidently get in over their heads. I think we might tend to get into that latter category. LS650 seems very easy and light, quite flickable. Possibly relatively easy to accidently hit a corner a bit hot.
Regardless, I suspect motorcyling will be dangerous. I suspect that a light bike on an Interstate at fairly high speed will always present special challenges.
I'm developing a pretty standard ritual including tire check (with a gauge every other day), wheel check, suspension check, lights, oil, grip, and attitude/alertness. If I'm not alert and feeling calm, I won't ride. I talk to myself a lot when riding, too!
And I wouldn't feel comfortable at all on an Interstate. I don't like them in cars. Even though I know my Ranger truck doesn't really offer me much protection and it gets blasted around by truck wash almost as much as a bike would, I still have that illusion of safety.
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