I strongly believe riding a motorcycle takes more prep and organizing, than a car, simply because the risk is greater, if you forget something, and it leads you to doing things, you know better than to risk.....
I sit now on the ferry, barely, having let time slip away this morning, and realized I was running late.
I had to drive my bike way faster than I normally allow myself.
I was driving too fast, taking blind corners, than what the headlight would allow me to discern.
If a deer had bolted, I was toast....

I know being late is way better than being early to my funeral  

Not trying to big a buzz kill guys, just passing on a reminder to what we already know, for I don't want Dave's new memorial board to get too full  

Peace  

Glad you made it in one piece....safe and sound.

When I watch the Asian Scooter crashes and other motorcycle fails videos on YouTube - it is most often the folks riding too fast for conditions (traffic and riding ability) that get into trouble.  The scooters riding the same speed as the cars and not lane splitting or not running traffic lights are generally OK - but the guys pushing the limits seem to run out of luck eventually.  (It also appears the front brakes on scooters lock up really easily......or the riders have no idea how to apply the brakes smoothly in a panic stop).

You are so right Ray. Thanks for reminding us all.

Lancer, I will say a prayer for your friend. I wish him the best.

If you are familiar with flying (who isn't) you know that routines and checklists are there for the obvious safety factor.

While a student, I once got in a hurry to takeoff from a small airport with a tree line at the end, and I was hurrying because other guys were waiting on my departure to land. In my rush to climb out and get out of their way I mistakenly raised my flaps way too early and started sinking down towards the tree tops at the end of the runway. Thankfully I recovered my flaps quickly and saved my a$$ by a razor thin margin.  Had I followed procedures I never would have pulled my flaps until I was much further up and out from the airport.

Never again will I put myself and my safety second when I know I have the right of way and am not jeopardizing the life of another.

Y'all are bringing back old memories.

I learned to fly and got my license in 1974.  I solo'd and spent most of my time flying a 1947 8A Luscombe. It didn't have a battery or any electric system or radios.

"Clear Prop" was not used in the staring process.  Instead it had to be started by somebody pulling on the prop, and the calls were:  "Off and Closed" while they engine was primed and pulled over a few times.....then "Contact and Brakes" when the prop was pulled to start the engine.  If nobody else was around I would just tie the tail to the ground and start it myself?

But I drifted off the thread topic.  I watch these videos often - so that I can see what not to do in traffic.  The majority of crashes occur to the folks who are in a hurry and going faster than conditions allow - or lane splitting at speed.  A lot of the riders come out of blind spots or are obscured by other cars or bikes....and the person who hits them just couldn't see them coming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4j0Ipoxp_E&t=80s

Isn't amazing how if you're late a few minutes it's magnified at your destination.
Whereas leave early and you're only more early.
And the effect repeats every half hour.

LANCER wrote on 04/27/17 at 07:59:14:


You are exactly right, and this is the link, in the chain of events, they look for in reconstructing an accident.