Ahh the real joy of speed (Bikes)

[Butuz]

Agree with everything you say RVF500.

I myself think that road awareness is a constant thing that you have to do, it is not just the quick glance in the mirror before you overtake. I am always looking in all my mirrors just to keep an eye out on whats behind me, whether there is much coming, whether its coming fast so that when i come up to a slower car i know whether theres anything coming up behind me and what lane its in even before i take the final overtaking mirror glance and over the shoulder peep.

Its stood me on good stead, if somethings coming up behind me i will happilly accelerate to get past a slow car in front as opposed to waiting till i NEED to overtake and then panicking and either cutting someone up, or having to slam the brakes on - i see SO MANY people doing just that as they are simply not aware of whats around them.

When i last went round castle coombe in my 1.0 mini i had superb fun, and even though there were racing 1430 coopers, honda vtec powered nutter minis screaming round the track twice as fast as me, i didnt once get in anyones way simply because i knew what was behind me on each corner and on each straight.

It's all about awareness, and IMHO 90% of people on the roads are not aware enough and are not spending enough time simply using there eyes.

Butuz

[Big RICHARD]

Agree with everything you say RVF500.

I myself think that road awareness is a constant thing that you have to do, it is not just the quick glance in the mirror before you overtake. I am always looking in all my mirrors just to keep an eye out on whats behind me, whether there is much coming, whether its coming fast so that when i come up to a slower car i know whether theres anything coming up behind me and what lane its in even before i take the final overtaking mirror glance and over the shoulder peep.

Its stood me on good stead, if somethings coming up behind me i will happilly accelerate to get past a slow car in front as opposed to waiting till i NEED to overtake and then panicking and either cutting someone up, or having to slam the brakes on - i see SO MANY people doing just that as they are simply not aware of whats around them.

When i last went round castle coombe in my 1.0 mini i had superb fun, and even though there were racing 1430 coopers, honda vtec powered nutter minis screaming round the track twice as fast as me, i didnt once get in anyones way simply because i knew what was behind me on each corner and on each straight.

It's all about awareness, and IMHO 90% of people on the roads are not aware enough and are not spending enough time simply using there eyes.

Butuz

Agreed!

[BioHAZARD]

I hate you.

I sold my venerable '99 RSV Mille earlier this year and though I still have my track bike I am without a road ride for now. Yes. I'd give my left nut for a full blown RSV Factory.

I hate you, I hate you , I hate you........'nothing personal you understand

ROFL,LMFAO HEHE HEHE yeah i understand

[BioHAZARD]

I like the looks of the RSV but damn when I got on one it was big, apparently the new model is lighter and smaller but these were very big bikes to my mind. Take your points on road riding I was talking to my next door neighbour about it and hes quit the road and only does track now. I thik Im living in the land of Nod because Im hoping being sensible will keep me out of trouble but it looks like everyone on a bike gets mullered at some point On a plus note a colleague has been riding for 19yrs and hasnt had 1 incident , keeps me going that one

no difference in height im still on tip toes but hell yes its lighter easier to handle and with the right tyres can do almost anything....well except make the tea

[RVF500]

It is a tall bike. I was on tiptoes at the traffic lights. but it is a very comfortable bike too. I did a lot of long hauls on it and had no trouble. My old GSXR would have crippled me on similar journey's. Always had a feeling of sitting 'in' the bike whereas when I took a Duke around Brands hatch I felt as if I were perched on top of it. I always thought the 'Priller was a better beast on the road than the Duke. Easier to ride. Mind you it could be a handful if it wanted to be. It's also a long way over til the pegs scrape. Just trust me on that one.

I've only been mullered once. By some blind prat who decided to turn across me to go against a no entry sign. I wrote his car off though and was walking again within 3 days. Plus got some wedge for my inconvenience which went to pay for a new bike and a track day. Any other instances of a trip to the weeds have been when the talent:ambition gap has increased to critical levels and the laws of physics intervened.

[RVF500]

While we're talking about awareness, if you read above you'll know how much emphasis put on it. My drive into work has long stretches where I am oblivious to what's going on around me. Why? Because on the way in there are no less than 11 speed cameras. Not counting the variable limit in the M25 that I go through. I'm so busy concentrating on 'ok, it's just up here...where is it?' and staring at my speedo to make sure I don't creep up over the limit that I'm not really concentrating on the road. Worse still are the stretches where ther are signs warning of cameras but no camera. The farther along the stretch I go. The more I'm looking for a camera and the less I'm concentrating on the road. Probably as distracting as driving whilst talking into a mobile phone.

A few months ago a pedestrian was knocked over and killed by a camera. The driver was concentrating so much on the camera that he didn't see the pedestrian. Has anyone else heard of any other such incidents? Are there any stats to the number of accidents like this on or near to cameras?

[BioHAZARD]

13% approx no definate figures as yet.....of all road accidents are caused due to gatsos in some way or another!!!!!!!! quiet a lot when you think about it.......but then again why are people concerntrating on these and not the road ahead!!!

[RVF500]

Because in the mind of a motorist the gatso is seen as a hazard. Human nature. The same human nature that makes people slow down to a near tandstill to ogle an accident on the other carriageway of a motorway. Many concepts are fine and dandy in theory until you add the vagaries of human nature.

Often I've seen a camera and instinctively hit the brakes to find after looking down that I wasn't speeding anyway. I know I'm not the only one. Even though I know I am not speeding I can't help looking back for the flash of the camera anyway or concentrating on the speedo, as opposed to looking ahead. Silly I know. Yes I do know better. But it's like that tune you get in your head and can't get rid of. So people will continue to concentrate on the camera and not the road ahead and the argument that cameras save lives and aren't just a cash cow begins to look thin. 13% is a significant number.

[Devilbod]

I havent posted in a while but I saw this and thought I'd put in my 10ps worth, dont worry , no flame, I've just had a lot of thought about this.

It isn't only the whole awareness of the road, its the fact that us bikers have to be told over and over again that we're "going to die on that thing", "it will kill you" and all the other like comments.
It sticks in you mind, every time you pull back the throttle and gun it, sometimes when coming up to a junction for me because of one accedent I've been in, everytime I see a car indicate to go into my lane I slow down and pay 100% attention to whats going on around me, everytime you go out for a spin and enjoy the open road for a second, someone or something will remind you.
And god help you if for once you open her up and tell someone who isnt a biker! Once is all it takes you hear, but I could die comeing off at 15mph or 150mph, I know that and when I do have a crazy moment I am 100% focused on what I'm doing.

I call it the fear, that constant reminder that every dangerous action I take on the bike might end my life. I hope I never lose it because when I do it will mean that I dont want to live anymore. I do admit I'm no angel I do stupid things but I cant remeber a time when I havent got off the bike after and thought "You stupid c**t" even if I was 100% in control at all times. And the one thing I would never do is put someone else in danger, when I have a pillion I make sure they understand what, when and how, and if they do anything stupid I dont take them on the bike again. It's all part of the fear for me.

The thing that winds me up and probably every other biker out there is that most (all but a few) car drivers have no fear. They have a nice little shell to hide in and when they do something stupid they are more embarrised than wondering whether that little lapse of concentration, will cost their or someone elses life.
The other mystik that doesnt help this is that everyone says Speed Kills, making it sound like as long as you drive under the speed limit or the slower you drive the safer you are. How wrong can you get! How stupid can you get? Mistakes Kill! Distractions Kill! The minute you go over 30mph it increases the likleyhood of a mistake killing someone, theres no getting away from that, but how can you put speed over mistakes and distraction I'll never understand.

I doubt anyone who posts on here has no fear, but a hell of a lot of car drivers out there are like it, the ones who ride bikes arent but most car drivers are. I only know one biker with no fear at all, and last I heard he was keeping it to track days, and was more interested in the speed than the machine.

And if I get too big for my boots because everytime I get on that bike I'm taking bigger and bigger risks with my life and others I would hope, and know, that a fellow biker would tell me and bring me back down to earth, and it wouldnt take much.
I hate to say it but I tend to tar anyone who's only driven cars with the same brush unless they have showen me a reason not to, so it becomes very easy for me when someone gives me a ticking off like some knee jerk reaction or some automated response to get a little hot under the coller about it all. Especailly when they say "You'll..." instead of "Someone like me will...".



Oh and for the statisic nuts :
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/group...ats_032250.pdf
Table 4.9 (Page 30)

[BioHAZARD]

as to the "FEAR" i have a lil plastic figure of death glued just above my clocks to remind me....works everytime