Something I figured out after riding a 650 through town for a few years is "assume you're invisible, and nothing else". That driver hasn't seen you, the road won't be clear after cresting that hill / taking that turn, there may still be cars going through the red, etc.
Crashing on a private track is one thing, crashing in the city where you can collide with walls, posts, sidewalks, cars (even parked ones), trees ... it's unforgiving even at low speeds.
Pieces of debris lying around can make you go down hard. Brake with a wheel on a piece of cardboard and chances are you'll just slide. Same for an oil slick.
The number of times I've seen shit flying out of or off of cars & trucks (a ladder, a large piece of wood, a rolling tire, a mattress) ... all that will put you in serious harm's way.
Cars always brake faster, except when the car is behind you, in which case it will brake slower than you in a straight line (and you'll get rear-ended if you stop too quickly).
If I ever need to stop very quickly, I try to end up in the "lane split" position, stopped in between two stopped vehicles. This has saved me from some nasty rear-end collisions a few times.
I was riding a rented bike through the Coromandel outside Auckland one day on holidays many years ago, with my girlfriend on the back. Loads of nice wide curves and mountain climbs. I’m not a particularly aggressive driver but the road was clear and I was certainly fanging it from time to time.
Towards the end of the trip, the roads were mostly downhill. It’s easy to go too fast for the corners, so I back off a bit, but am still having fun.
We passed a sign saying “caution, winding road”. Great!
Then a minute or so later, we passed a sign saying “warning: falling rocks”. Ok.
Another minute and we passed a sign saying “slippery when wet”. Well it’s not raining so I’m good.
Then less than a minute later it started raining, seemingly out of nowhere.
I sat up straight in my seat, dialled the throttle back and decided the rest of the ride would be entirely defensive.
My Grandfather lost a leg to a motorcycle accident in 1944/1945. He was riding the while line past a military convoy in the UK as a dispatch rider when unfortunately he met someone doing the same in the opposite direction.
He had a succession of prosthetic legs, the technology was always improving but one thing he said never changed: The clinics were always full of lads in their late teens. Year after year.
I would extend that to anything with two wheels at a speed of 30km/h+.
A while ago I restored my bicycle after years of it gathering dust in the cellar and now that I'm older and more aware of risks I see how much I have to think ahead to not run over anyone.
At certain, low from a car driver's standpoint, speeds a bicycle will just go straight unless of course you decide to slide.
The friction coefficients in rain aren’t bad if you’re riding at posted speeds, outside of solid metal and painted lines. It’s riding right after it starts raining that you want to avoid - all of the oils which drip from vehicles get displaced by the initial deluge, and that is slippery stuff.
I use my moto for Moto camping upstate New York. I plan my trips to avoid storms, but they happen never the less. And I love my super banana suit. It keeps me comfortable while I’m trying to hold my $#!t together out on the highway.
I grew up in CA and every year people go nuts with the first rains. Lots of accidents. Same happens here—especially the spring and early summer rains. People lose their minds and forget how to drive.
Slow down. Increase following distance. And if you’re on a moto, watch for manhole covers, leaves, road markings which can be slick.
Wind can also be a nightmare. When riding on a highway in Spain, south of Barcelona I was sure I was going to die cause the wind just blew me all over the place.
I remember following a small towed trailer with some old bins on a motorbike. A pretty normal round bin lid blew off and veered to the side - nowhere near me.
I had time to register it happening but not sure I had time to move much - and I'm pretty sure it could've wiped me out. I paid a bit more attention to loads after that - but I suspect the lesson slowly faded.
Hmm ... there's this famous study that examined a whole lot of motorcycle crashes and if I recall correctly, the vast majority of injuries & death were due to: lack of experience, being close to home (when you just set off or about to arrive at your destination your guard just isn't up yet / anymore), being under the influence, excessive speed etc.
When you filter all these elements out (you're a rider with experience who "knows" the traffic and doesn't do stupid) then it's safer then you'd think.
After so many years of riding a bike in the city I feel like I just have a sixth sense about how cars are going to behave. It can be really small things. For example a car with plates from out of town approaching a crossroads driving a little too slow is probably wondering where the hell he should turn and is likely to suddenly change course, so keep your distance. And if you look several cars ahead you can predict what the car in front of you is likely to do.
> If you're on a motorcycle you have to treat everyone and everything as out to get you, because they are.
That's not the best way to put it because it implies that motorists will purposefully try to crash into motorcyclists. In reality, it's due to inattention and the risk of a collision can be reduced by the motorcyclist through defensive driving techniques. For example, when approaching an intersection, is there a motorist approaching or waiting there who could cross my path? What's my plan to avoid that? It comes down to planning rather than reacting.
Those statistics sounded fascinating at first - but when I thought about it more, I wondered whether they actually show anything?
I mean, presumably in 2-vehicle collisions one person is at fault. So "50% of people not at fault" is just the baseline (if all collisions are 2-vehicle)
Whereas presumably collisions between aircraft are very rare.
This video is great. Almost all my potential accidents that ended in a deep sight were in really familiar places.
I have a side job delivering pizzas on a motorcycle. Recently I had an accident by myself, I slipped out of the road but not too fast, around 75kmh (50 mph). The falling was terrifying but I had luck to not have any really severe injury.
This experience made me reflect on all the crazy things I did with the bike where I could easily had died. So I feel lucky. I'll try to go slower and be extra vigilant. What really terrifies me are people who don't know how to drive (I live in a touristic area) and you spot them immediately.
Also phones, keep them down or hold them on a mount but don't hold them with your hands!
I invite you to Indian cities of today. A large fraction of riders is on a conversation on mobile phone -- either held up to ear by one hand or with the mobile pinched between ear and shoulder.
How they manage to get home alive every day - I don't know.
My phone stays in my pocket. No music. Only GPS via my Sena headset when needed. I cut calls short until I can pullover or arrive to talk. I saw a woman driving with her elbows to put face makeup on as I passed. I revved as I passed her open window. She probably had Pelosi eyebrows after ;) People texting in cars or high as a kite on weed. I drive loud and bright and aggressive. Been riding since 1983. I was a moto messenger in NYC back then. Learning to actually ride and control a moto as opposed to just commuting has given me some really neat skills to avoid the inevitable bad situation by pulling off some maneuvers you only learn by pushing it. Drive a car if you don't want to really ride.
I've been riding since I was 18, and I am now almost 60, so I know a bit about reading traffic and being vigilant. It has also made me a better car driver, because the head-on-a-swivel never quits! Complacency is the cause of most accidents. I had over 400 technical dives repairing underwater hydraulics and electronics as well as rope work at height and it is when the 'expert' gets complacent that the accident happens. Now with driving a motorcycle you are the alert one, and there are many passive, complacent drivers.
Complimentary material about the SMIDSY problem (sorry, mate, I didn't see you) from someone else, including a visibility manoeuver f9 doesn't mention.
This maneuver can work, but I think in many scenarios drivers aren't looking up the road long enough to see it; drivers usually pull up to a junction and glance briefly in both directions, so there isn't enough time for the motorcyclist to start the maneuver and be spotted.
The best advice I've seen for maximizing visibility is 1) have two headlights instead of one, 2) be mindful of your lane position, riding a little closer to the center line will maximize visibility at junctions.
And of course, never rely on visibility to ride safe. Defensive riding is always the priority. You should see and prepare for the dangerous junctions long before a driver needs to see you approaching it.
This is a good video, but in reality there isn't much you can do, as a rider, to become visible. You need to assume nobody sees you, and you have to see for everyone else.
You also have to guess where people will be going before they know it themselves. It sounds a little magic and impossible, but after a while it becomes second nature.
Just don't count on other drivers seeing you, because
1/ they don't
2/ many hate you, and think it's fun to make your life difficult. Don't let them.
> but in reality there isn't much you can do, as a rider, to become visible.
But there's one distinct thing you can do that will help you in one of the most dangerous circumstances motorcyclists are likely to encounter.
Colloquially known as the SMIDSY weave. SMIDSY is "Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You", and the most significantly manifest as someone making a left turn (in the US) in front of a rider. This exact situation killed actor Treat Williams just the other day.
The SMIDSY weave is when you approach an intersection with someone waiting to turn, weave the bike across the lane. A simply swerve. This makes the bike stand out against the background clutter. Combined with the headlight, that swerve makes you look more dangerous than you were before so the drivers brain will highlight you. Going from one side of the lane to the other makes you "suddenly" appear someplace you weren't before.
It honestly takes a lot of concentration to do this, being aware of where you are, that there is a driver waiting to turn, and actually making the maneuver. Seems simple, but riders are in this situation more than you think.
But it is a simple technique that can reduce one of the most dangerous situations modern riders frequently encounter.
> You need to assume nobody sees you, and you have to see for everyone else.
This really is only applicable when going through intersections where paths can cross. A motorcyclist on the road right in front of a motorist will be seen because they're right in the center of their field of vision.
I do drive and can confirm that "invisibilty" is the reason for many (if not the most) accidents. Actually, I have even changed my car driving habits to be more I would say preventive.
And yes, I do recommend Ryan F9 videos, they are really outstanding.
I was lucky to learn how to ride from someone with decades of experience. Was taught early on to always prepare for the worst to happen, and one of the best ways to avoid an accident was to avoid it altogether (i.e. taking the longer/safer route around a congested city, don’t ride after dark (avoid wildlife), etc.). Its important recognize “normalization of risk” bias. Because the natural consequences of failure on a motorcycle can be so severe, its not adequate to use personal failure as a metric for riding behavior. You can always push the limits a bit further…until you cant anymore. I only crashed once…lowsided on a routine evening ride where road construction crew had left a 3” tall 90° angle curb between 2 uneven lanes. Didn’t see it in time while switching lanes. Should have been easily avoidable. A rider is fully responsible for their ride profile, no matter the conditions. Just a few lessons learned from years of riding over thousands of miles across North America. I now live in a city that I consider to be too dangerous to ride in (high speeds and driving culture has a reckless disregard for traffic laws). Thinking of picking up off-road riding again, since it fits better with my current lifestyle and hobbies.
It's handy that HN content is tracking millennials' life progression. We are all just rounding our mid life crises, so motorcycle safety, and perhaps Porsche maintenance, make a lot of sense.
I haven't seen any sailboat related content. Where are my mid-life crisis sailors at? You can get Starlink anywhere now, so you can leave land behind and go work from a big cruising sailboat probably for cheaper than owning a home.
Hello dear friend! I am sailing :) , but last years...not so much : founded a new company and that takes all the time!
But: I love to sail! For now , just the Croatian coast, marvellous. I also worked from a boat, the internet works also between islands, slower, but works. Starlink would be a nice addition.
As for the price, a 100k would bring you a nice 50 feet yacht, but the port costs would eat up a lot on top. But you can also anchor in a small gulf if you do not need supplies.
I think our cohort bought into boats younger than previous generations - they got the house and then the boat; we never got the house, but the boat was comparatively cheap.
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Crashing on a private track is one thing, crashing in the city where you can collide with walls, posts, sidewalks, cars (even parked ones), trees ... it's unforgiving even at low speeds.
Pieces of debris lying around can make you go down hard. Brake with a wheel on a piece of cardboard and chances are you'll just slide. Same for an oil slick.
The number of times I've seen shit flying out of or off of cars & trucks (a ladder, a large piece of wood, a rolling tire, a mattress) ... all that will put you in serious harm's way.
Also autumn leaves. Like sheets of graphene.
It's worth remembering that a car will always brake faster and turn more sharply than a motorbike.
It's also worth remembering that after every rain, the road is slick for a half hour or so while all the oily crap and rubbery crap washes off.
Zebra pedestrian crossings as well after it has rained:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_crossing
Wet road paint can be slippery AF (also applies to bicyclists).
If I ever need to stop very quickly, I try to end up in the "lane split" position, stopped in between two stopped vehicles. This has saved me from some nasty rear-end collisions a few times.
Advice from my dad (who's an ex rally driver) is "if you can see tires leaving tracks in the rain, it's not safe".
Also, black ice is something.
And children, dogs, birds, metal plaques...
So many things out of your control, so just assume the worst, all the time if you want to survive.
Motorbikes are just dangerous, that's it.
Another thing I'd add: say no to ridding under the rain.
Don't buy a better suit, better tires, adapt your schedule and run slowly.
Just don't use it.
There is nothing in the world you can do that will make it much safer. It's a death trap. Bite the bullet, and use something else.
But who am I kidding, young me would have read that comment, say "mehhh", and just ride the storm anyway :)
Towards the end of the trip, the roads were mostly downhill. It’s easy to go too fast for the corners, so I back off a bit, but am still having fun.
We passed a sign saying “caution, winding road”. Great!
Then a minute or so later, we passed a sign saying “warning: falling rocks”. Ok.
Another minute and we passed a sign saying “slippery when wet”. Well it’s not raining so I’m good.
Then less than a minute later it started raining, seemingly out of nowhere.
I sat up straight in my seat, dialled the throttle back and decided the rest of the ride would be entirely defensive.
$DIETY had given me enough warnings for one day.
He had a succession of prosthetic legs, the technology was always improving but one thing he said never changed: The clinics were always full of lads in their late teens. Year after year.
I would extend that to anything with two wheels at a speed of 30km/h+.
A while ago I restored my bicycle after years of it gathering dust in the cellar and now that I'm older and more aware of risks I see how much I have to think ahead to not run over anyone.
At certain, low from a car driver's standpoint, speeds a bicycle will just go straight unless of course you decide to slide.
I use my moto for Moto camping upstate New York. I plan my trips to avoid storms, but they happen never the less. And I love my super banana suit. It keeps me comfortable while I’m trying to hold my $#!t together out on the highway.
I grew up in CA and every year people go nuts with the first rains. Lots of accidents. Same happens here—especially the spring and early summer rains. People lose their minds and forget how to drive.
Slow down. Increase following distance. And if you’re on a moto, watch for manhole covers, leaves, road markings which can be slick.
And not running your tires to slick helps, too.
I'll take that very seriously in my car too - and back off if I see a badly loaded vehicle. There's not much protection from a windshield.
I had time to register it happening but not sure I had time to move much - and I'm pretty sure it could've wiped me out. I paid a bit more attention to loads after that - but I suspect the lesson slowly faded.
But that only 10% of the pilots were blameless.
If you're on a motorcycle you have to treat everyone and everything as out to get you, because they are.
When you filter all these elements out (you're a rider with experience who "knows" the traffic and doesn't do stupid) then it's safer then you'd think.
After so many years of riding a bike in the city I feel like I just have a sixth sense about how cars are going to behave. It can be really small things. For example a car with plates from out of town approaching a crossroads driving a little too slow is probably wondering where the hell he should turn and is likely to suddenly change course, so keep your distance. And if you look several cars ahead you can predict what the car in front of you is likely to do.
That's not the best way to put it because it implies that motorists will purposefully try to crash into motorcyclists. In reality, it's due to inattention and the risk of a collision can be reduced by the motorcyclist through defensive driving techniques. For example, when approaching an intersection, is there a motorist approaching or waiting there who could cross my path? What's my plan to avoid that? It comes down to planning rather than reacting.
I mean, presumably in 2-vehicle collisions one person is at fault. So "50% of people not at fault" is just the baseline (if all collisions are 2-vehicle)
Whereas presumably collisions between aircraft are very rare.
To me it’s more of a "You are the only one with a vested interest in you making it home alive and in one piece".
This video should be shown at driving schools to remind everyone that shit can happen at _any_ time and hit _hard_: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOosn78WsMg
So I will say it:
The way the tire shows up again after the mega damage: just slowly rolling up into the accident; was a pretty good comic beat.
I've had trouble a couple of times, at a full stop, just balancing the bike when there's a bit of oil with fresh rain.
“Road furniture” as they call it in MSF
I have a side job delivering pizzas on a motorcycle. Recently I had an accident by myself, I slipped out of the road but not too fast, around 75kmh (50 mph). The falling was terrifying but I had luck to not have any really severe injury.
This experience made me reflect on all the crazy things I did with the bike where I could easily had died. So I feel lucky. I'll try to go slower and be extra vigilant. What really terrifies me are people who don't know how to drive (I live in a touristic area) and you spot them immediately.
Also phones, keep them down or hold them on a mount but don't hold them with your hands!
I invite you to Indian cities of today. A large fraction of riders is on a conversation on mobile phone -- either held up to ear by one hand or with the mobile pinched between ear and shoulder.
How they manage to get home alive every day - I don't know.
https://www.bikesrepublic.com/featured/10-countries-with-the...
near 100k fatalities per year. Granted it is well populated country but still.
Deleted Comment
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQBubilSXU
The best advice I've seen for maximizing visibility is 1) have two headlights instead of one, 2) be mindful of your lane position, riding a little closer to the center line will maximize visibility at junctions.
And of course, never rely on visibility to ride safe. Defensive riding is always the priority. You should see and prepare for the dangerous junctions long before a driver needs to see you approaching it.
(Been riding for 8 years and no accidents)
You also have to guess where people will be going before they know it themselves. It sounds a little magic and impossible, but after a while it becomes second nature.
Just don't count on other drivers seeing you, because
1/ they don't
2/ many hate you, and think it's fun to make your life difficult. Don't let them.
Colloquially known as the SMIDSY weave. SMIDSY is "Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You", and the most significantly manifest as someone making a left turn (in the US) in front of a rider. This exact situation killed actor Treat Williams just the other day.
The SMIDSY weave is when you approach an intersection with someone waiting to turn, weave the bike across the lane. A simply swerve. This makes the bike stand out against the background clutter. Combined with the headlight, that swerve makes you look more dangerous than you were before so the drivers brain will highlight you. Going from one side of the lane to the other makes you "suddenly" appear someplace you weren't before.
It honestly takes a lot of concentration to do this, being aware of where you are, that there is a driver waiting to turn, and actually making the maneuver. Seems simple, but riders are in this situation more than you think.
But it is a simple technique that can reduce one of the most dangerous situations modern riders frequently encounter.
This really is only applicable when going through intersections where paths can cross. A motorcyclist on the road right in front of a motorist will be seen because they're right in the center of their field of vision.
Deleted Comment
And yes, I do recommend Ryan F9 videos, they are really outstanding.
A great reason to have cycling and motorcycling sessions as part of the driver's test.
But: I love to sail! For now , just the Croatian coast, marvellous. I also worked from a boat, the internet works also between islands, slower, but works. Starlink would be a nice addition.
As for the price, a 100k would bring you a nice 50 feet yacht, but the port costs would eat up a lot on top. But you can also anchor in a small gulf if you do not need supplies.
But really, fortnine is an amazingly well presented show, here are a few of my favorites. And I don't even own a motorcycle.
Our best sidecar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v_S8i4KSfM
Crossing Canada's only desert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2a-sUdaNJ8
The Killer Tricycle Banned by the US Government: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_C8z0rFnjk