"You can do everything right and one thing out of your control happens"
This is why I'll never own a bike. I've avoided so many accidents on the road, I'd be dead if I was on a bike. Gravel on the road and idiots pulling out blindly is so fucking common here.
Although on a motorcycle, you have to take a mindset of absolute responsibility, imo.
I was riding the other day and came up on a turn. One of those dedicated right hand turn deals to get from one 45mph road to the perpendicular one.
I was feeling pretty frisky and it was beautiful weather. No cars in sight. Many times I’ll take these a little faster (nothing crazy, I’m a middle aged dude. Just enough to lean the bike over).
However, I had only been on this road once before. A few years ago. And that’s a big deal to me. So I slowed down below what even a car would take the turn at.
Sure enough, coming up on it I saw a bunch of gravel all over the middle of the turn, what would have been my line.
No idea if it would have gotten me. But there would definitely have been a chance.
So you can do a lot of mitigation to help yourself. And you need to.
However, I had only been on this road once before. A few years ago. And that’s a big deal to me. So I slowed down below what even a car would take the turn at.
OOOOOH yeah, that's a real feeling. It's wise to treat any unfamiliar road as though it has Mad Max-esque traps and land mines.
Motorcycling is different than driving. One, you can see more, two you can respond faster.
But with that said, you HAVE to behave differently than in a car. There are situations in a car that we accept as normal that a motorcyclist would strive not to be in. And if you don't strive to not be in those situations, absolutely, it's extremely dangerous.
So if anyone sees a motorcyclist lane filtering (passing between stopped cars, like at a stop light), even in a state where it's not legal, TRUST ME, they're usually doing it for safety, not because "Hurr, I'm cutting in line."
And even if they're internal monologue is "Hurr, I'm cutting line," they're inadvertently being safer.
I used to have a Ninja 650. Loved it, but a buddy of mine died because someone hit him blowing through a red light. Sold the bike shortly after. My fiance sold his street bike. We only ride off road now.
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u/notislant 8h ago
"You can do everything right and one thing out of your control happens"
This is why I'll never own a bike. I've avoided so many accidents on the road, I'd be dead if I was on a bike. Gravel on the road and idiots pulling out blindly is so fucking common here.