Emotional Roller Coaster

[duckie]

Another thought.......with a motorcycle it is far easier to control the situation than in a car. 

The size, maneuverability, and acceleration all can be used to improve the situation you find yourself in......dont ride like you are driving a car in other words. 

When I start to get that uncomfortable feeling, mostly in traffic, I will do whatever it takes to get comfortable.....I dont care how it looks to others. 

 

[Heli ATP]

42 minutes ago, duckie said:

FWIW........I still get nervous when Im about to go on a ride.....helps keep me alive......

That's a sign of maturity I'm sure. 👍

[duckie]

41 minutes ago, Heli ATP said:

That's a sign of maturity I'm sure. 👍

You might not think that if you went on a ride with me........😎......but thanks.

[betoney]

6 hours ago, duckie said:

 

According to him, in England, it was required that before a motorcyclist changed lane, they were to actually turn their head in the direction of lane change before making the change.

This was not for rider to make sure the lane was empty, but for the driver of the car. The theory was that turning the head would be very noticable by the driver and a better indication of a upcoming lane change.

That is the only way that I have ever changed lanes or merged into traffic.  I wasn’t aware that it wasn’t common practice. 

[PeterL]

One reason I loathe the current trend of "limousine tint" on car windows. When I'm riding, I have always tried to watch cage drivers head movements for a clue as to what dumbass thing they're gonna do next to threaten other drivers (ie: me!). Now you can't see these cues, which makes it all that much sketchier for us all out there. 

"No, Officer, I wasn't really speeding. I was just demonstrably safer with him two counties behind me!" Eh, might work...

[NYTracer]

4 hours ago, PeterL said:

One reason I loathe the current trend of "limousine tint" on car windows. When I'm riding, I have always tried to watch cage drivers head movements for a clue as to what dumbass thing they're gonna do next to threaten other drivers (ie: me!). Now you can't see these cues, which makes it all that much sketchier for us all out there. 

"No, Officer, I wasn't really speeding. I was just demonstrably safer with him two counties behind me!" Eh, might work...

Add to that tint issue is that here in NY, NYC and the surrounding suburbs at least, the new trend is to tint the whole front windshield of your car. I truly do not get how these people get away with it, and when you do catch of glimpse of the driver, they’re also wearing sunglasses!!! Wtf 😎

[roadrash83]

18 minutes ago, NYTracer said:

Add to that tint issue is that here in NY, NYC and the surrounding suburbs at least, the new trend is to tint the whole front windshield of your car. I truly do not get how these people get away with it, and when you do catch of glimpse of the driver, they’re also wearing sunglasses!!! Wtf 😎

 That dark tint really sucks you can't even see the cell phone they are holding and texting on!

[angrygirafe]

3 hours ago, roadrash83 said:

 That dark tint really sucks you can't even see the cell phone they are holding and texting on!

Fortunately they’re still kind enough to offer clues by making erratic speed changes and drifting across their lane 😂

[duckie]

So was out for a ride yesterday up in the hills where it is not uncommon for slower vehicles. 

So I was doing a pretty pace coming up on a logging truck followed by a white truck.

I was planning my pass as I approached, at rather a pretty good pace, hell I was hauling ass, got to the point I was about to twist the throttle more, when I became thankful for this little fact.......

The word Sheriff on the tailgate......

Situational awareness...... 

 

 

[fjray]

On 6/19/2021 at 10:45 AM, duckie said:

Thought v no thought...mushin ........

 

I have no idea what this reply means.  Can anyone explain it to me please?

[duckie]

Charlie:  “What were you thinking?”

Maverick:  “If ya think, you’re dead.”

Its a zen thing.......

[Wintersdark]

On 6/21/2021 at 1:39 PM, betoney said:

That is the only way that I have ever changed lanes or merged into traffic.  I wasn’t aware that it wasn’t common practice. 

Here you don't pass your road test if you fail to shoulder check.  You need to physically turn your head and look before every lane change, or turn in an intersection.  Including (and this got me) a right hand turn, from the rightmost lane.  Just in case there's someone on a bicycle coming up there, or a pedestrian, or whatever else.

So I've done that my whole life - every single lane change and turn I've ever made has had an accompanying look over my shoulder, and it's saved me in cars a LOT of times, what with blind spots and all.  It's fully automatic now; I don't think I could not do it.

 

But yeah, as to @Heli ATP's original post - 

I find you get to this place where the alertness is automatic and takes less "active brain power" and causes no anxiety.  I know I'm constantly watching front tires and driver heads, and when I approach slow/stopped traffic I'm extra careful about slow/stopped cars in the lanes to either side of me (people love to very abruptly change into an open lane when theirs is slow or stopped), and I constantly alter my lane position to ensure I have escape routes available and maximum visibility - particularly to potential oncoming cars that may want to make a left turn.  

For many years, that was kind of a game I played while riding.  If they do <that>, I'll do <this> to avoid them.  I'd run through that in my head constantly, and it became a habit.  Then I realized one day that I wasn't conscious of doing it anymore, but that I reacted as planned immediately whenever so much as a tire twitched in my lane's direction.  

A key point, though, when you're new/returning, is to not let the scary bits (someone gets really close, cuts you off, whatever) actually scare you.  Don't get upset, don't think "They nearly killed me!" (which, most of the time, is a decided overreaction).  Just pay attention to what they did, and expect people to do that.  When you expect it, it's not a surprise, you already have a plan to deal with it, so you're not in any danger.  

Getting excited/worked up/angry just impedes your ability to react well and learn from it.

 

That's my two bits, anyways.

[duckie]

There will be situations come up where you cant think about what to do but just react to what you are seeing........

[knyte]

35 minutes ago, duckie said:

There will be situations come up where you cant think about what to do but just react to what you are seeing........

Exactly this.  And practicing your swerves, circles, figure 8's, and emergency stops as often as possible - say once a week - REALLY helps.  These are perishable skills, they fade and erode over time.  With practice it becomes automatic - you don't think about it, you just do it because it actually is second nature.

Recently I just completed my longest ride so far, on my FJ, or any bike.  ~1270 km's.  Two things happened that really torqued me up.

The first was when a carload of folks passed us on a hill / corner with a double yellow.  We were doing maybe +5 over the speed limit, but they were really on Dad's ass until they made this most un-excellent maneuver.  Dad and I both needed fuel so we stopped at the next gas station, and guess who was also there.  I really wanted to somehow politely say to her, please don't endanger us all like that, my family and yours - but I knew I was hungry and slightly hypoglycemic - had I opened my mouth a**hole would have fallen out.  Plus, it wouldn't have helped one bit, she clearly didn't care.  I shot her the stinkeye at every opportunity anyway, for whatever good that did.

The second was when one of dad's pannier lids blew off and a car flagged him over to alert him.  So I told him to stay put and I'd go back for it.  Having found it and strapped it to my bike, I was just moving slowly on the shoulder getting ready to time my merge into a large break in traffic when out of nowhere - and I was looking - this car shot over from the far lane and stopped on the shoulder directly in front of me.  This guy jumped out and asked if I was OK.  Um, yeah, I'm fine.  Oh ok he says, and proceeds to whip out his willy and drain the main vein right there.  Again - really wanted to say something - wouldn't have helped.  Gotta just find a way to shrug it off and enjoy the ride.

And we did.

The best part about this ride was:  everything else!

[Wintersdark]

That's bizarre.  It's like he wanted an audience to pee.  I'm not in any way modest, but even if I'd stopped to see if someone was ok, I'll head on down the road some first or just wait for them to leave.  That's just... weird.  Really weird.