Noob Riding Advice

[Beemer]

Have a video of a moment that illustrates a technique that may save a life? Put it up here.
 
This just happened to me yesterday around dusk. A car was trying to turn left and potentially blocking my view to see whether a car behind him (other side of him) was there and ready to cut in front of me so I started my little swerve to make myself/headlight more noticeable. As it turns out, there WAS someone there and he did pull out in front of me so be wary of the potential danger at spots like this. 
 
[video src=https://youtu.be/p0L0QTfudco]

[cookfreeordie89]

Close call, could of been really bad. I always tend to switch to the furthest right side lane, whenever possible there isn't a dedicated turning lane

[i28]

actually had to watch this over again on my pc (bigger screen) a bunch of times to catch it all... wow. lots to learn and lots going on at the same time.
informative. thanks, beemer!

[Beemer]

Close call, could of been really bad. I always tend to switch to the furthest right side lane, whenever possible there isn't a dedicated turning lane

Good call. I'm glad you said that, it's usually a very good response (and what I usually do myself) to keep cager's at a distance but sometimes a wrench is thrown into the plans. I could've switched lanes and kept my speed up but there is something you couldn't know (the wrench part) because it wasn't recorded. I had passed a class B truck prior to the start of this video clip and I didn't know exactly how close he was to me in the right lane at that time. My instincts told me to stay where I was to avoid an accident with that truck. I knew I had plenty of time to slow down and stop if need be in the left lane anyway. 

[Beemer]

actually had to watch this over again on my pc (bigger screen) a bunch of times to catch it all... wow. lots to learn and lots going on at the same time. informative. thanks, beemer!

You're welcome! I take it you noticed me switching to high beam in the vid. You can't tell it from the video clip but I have my light adjusted so that my high beam is pointed straight out. The brightest part of it doesn't strike any on comers in the eye (no one flashes me) but yet the brighter beam stands out more and I usually ride with it on all the time but for some dumb reason I was riding with my low beam on so for now on I'm keeping my brights on. 

[Beemer]

Noobs, avoid crazy lane switchers, keep a good distance from them and if they give you enough room to go around them, dont! You can see in the video where I started to pass him but backed off, then he came totally back into the lane. It's almost like he couldn't accept his failure so he came back into my lane for a 2nd try. Ha! Stay frosty!
 
 
Keep your eyes on the guy in the left lane at the start of the video. 
[video src=https://youtu.be/i82vXkXqaxA]

[i28]

You're welcome! I take it you noticed me switching to high beam in the vid. 

 
 
Haha. Nope, I was paying more attention to braking, downshifting and lane positioning. May have missed the high beams cause of the alcohol in my system at the time.
I've actually never driven manual so a lot of this is new to me. Plus, I've got the 5 minutes at home to watch a video but I've been too busy with work lately to actually practice riding at the parking lot down my block. I take what I can get.

[hippiebikerchick]

Hey @beemer I was watching your quick throttle blips in the first video as you shift from 5th to 2nd - good job! I really need to work on that. As for the second video some clueless cagers have no idea where they are going. It's a classic move to keep the left signal on while moving right. Gotta love it! 

[Beemer]

Hey @beemer I was watching your quick throttle blips in the first video as you shift from 5th to 2nd - good job! I really need to work on that. As for the second video some clueless cagers have no idea where they are going. It's a classic move to keep the left signal on while moving right. Gotta love it! 

Thanks, I appreciate that and I truly believe that if Drivers Ed. was more militarily inclined less people would move right with their left signal on .... Here's the puddin'.  
***WARNING , STRONG LANGUAGE AND HURT FEELINGS*** 
[video src=https://youtu.be/kTpcgs8jDQw]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[Simbadc650]

I have a rule of thumb what you think may happen will happen. Be safe

[SkH]

Be diligent and look out for your every day road hazards! 
(May have to go fullscreen in youtube to see it)
 
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWP6DQ7bODw]
 

[sorkyah]

Be diligent and look out for your every day road hazards!  (May have to go fullscreen to see it)
 
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWP6DQ7bODw]

Had something similar in front of my tire a couple months back...
had an 8" spike sitting up like a phalynx at the intersection
had I gone forward 3-4 more inches.. it wouldve punctured my tire
 

 

[SkH]

Screen grab from my wife's camera.
 

 

[Beemer]

I have a rule of thumb what you think may happen will happen. Be safe

I think Murphy kinda beat you to it but I like it just the same. 

[Beemer]

You're better off to ride alone than with a group like this.
 
 
[video src=https://youtu.be/lE5ma4jzXlc]  
 
A little trivia ... What causes the loud CRACK sound when a towel snaps? Anyone?

[Beemer]

You're better off to ride alone than with a group like this.

And there's a whole culture of people who comment with approval for this stupidity. crazy

IKR! I like to call them the Tardashians.

[i28]

And there's a whole culture of people who comment with approval for this stupidity. crazy

IKR! I like to call them the Tardashians.

 
I just deleted my post so I don't sound like a curmudgeon. Looks like you commented on it a few seconds before.
I'm just jealous of these kids cause I've done tons of stupid crap too but I'm not famous.

[dentalprodigy]

Just wanted to add that as a noob rider, I really appreciate you members posting vids like this for us. Beemer, I saw your video about the weave you do to deter oncoming left turners from cutting you off. Just wanted to say that I've been doing that since I saw your vid but please give me some feedback weather or not I am overdoing it?? See vid https://youtu.be/nrqBEw_N7ck?t=4m36s Thoughts?
 
 

[azuryn]

Holy crap, I was cringing at a lot of that. Looks very dangerous, I still don't have a full year under my belt and will continue my brisk pace solo rides will waving wild bikers on the road.
 
 
For the towel I want to say it is the towel hitting itself at least for a damp towel. Really doubt a towel can break the sound barrier like a whip can. Still the end of that towel still has to be going some ridiculous speed if you flick it properly.

[sorkyah]

Holy crap, I was cringing at a lot of that. Looks very dangerous, I still don't have a full year under my belt and will continue my brisk pace solo rides will waving wild bikers on the road. 
 
For the towel I want to say it is the towel hitting itself at least for a damp towel. Really doubt a towel can break the sound barrier like a whip can. Still the end of that towel still has to be going some ridiculous speed if you flick it properly.

the crack you hear is indeed the sound barrier being broken but much slower than a whip would hence the reason its a hiss more than a crack
The tip has very little mass but is still reaching sonic speeds when whipped

[Beemer]

IKR! I like to call them the Tardashians.

I just deleted my post so I don't sound like a curmudgeon. Looks like you commented on it a few seconds before. I'm just jealous of these kids cause I've done tons of stupid crap too but I'm not famous.

I'm with you on that, I've done my share of dumb crap but I had the sense to go out into the country side on the back roads or in the woods so that my stupidity would only get myself hurt. The stupidity in this video is another kind (new breed) of stupid.

[barneyfife]

A lot of information in this one short video. This is an everyday situation.
Spotting potential hazards
Lane position
Downshifting and braking
Avoidance
 
Every new rider should practice emergency braking. Stopping in a hurry without locking up or skidding. You are your own ABS. Under hard braking,if you start to skid,let off and then back on. With practice it will be automatic.
Avoiding is much better than emergency braking. Put as much space between you and the hazard as possible. Scan for a place to go. Anything is better than t-boning a fender.
Coulda,woulda,shoulda. Learn from every situation and maybe do it better next time.
 
Thanks beemer for the video.
 
 

[Zephyr]

Great info in this thread. "bumping" to see if anyone wants to add anything. I am almost certain that I will be getting an FZ07 before the end of the year (Hence joining this forum). As a new rider I am increasingly anxious about that "first ride". I am watching a lot of superbike instruction videos (track based mostly) but they are teaching a lot of good road advice as well, such as get your braking done before you turn, driving through the turn, how to maintain stability on the bike by use of contact points, etc. The one item that I am most anxious about is downhill turns. We have several of those between my place and town, so I am trying to figure out how to reconcile someone slowing and potentially stopping on a moderate to severe downgrade turn? Any suggestions? I am thinking get the bike to perpendicular to the road surface and apply brakes and who cares if I am zig-zag around the turn?

[duenan]

[HASH]1 is never, ever follow any car closely on a downhill or downhill curve.
[HASH]2 is if the speed limit on this downhill curve is something like 45mph, you should be able to see any slowed car coming up on the curve (otherwise the speed wouldn't be set that high) so you have time to gradually slow down.
[HASH]3 if it is a slow downhill curve (15mph) then, as a learner/beginner, you should go even slower than that until your instincts are developed but at those speeds, you can brake on the curve provided its not a wet road.
 
The odds of having a car slow down on the curved hill where it may pose a problem would fall under the slow (15mph) downhill curve. If it is a 45mph range downhill curve, then you were following too closely to the car.
 
Like I said, until you develop skills, instinct, and knowledge on any particular situation, just go down slower than the posted speed especially if its a slow hill.

[Zephyr]

[HASH]1 is never, ever follow any car closely on a downhill or downhill curve. [HASH]2 is if the speed limit on this downhill curve is something like 45mph, you should be able to see any slowed car coming up on the curve (otherwise the speed wouldn't be set that high) so you have time to gradually slow down.
[HASH]3 if it is a slow downhill curve (15mph) then, as a learner/beginner, you should go even slower than that until your instincts are developed but at those speeds, you can brake on the curve provided its not a wet road.
 
The odds of having a car slow down on the curved hill where it may pose a problem would fall under the slow (15mph) downhill curve. If it is a 45mph range downhill curve, then you were following too closely to the car.
 
Like I said, until you develop skills, instinct, and knowledge on any particular situation, just go down slower than the posted speed especially if its a slow hill.

Thanks for the response.  The specific curves are posted at 35 & 45 mph limits.  The 35mph curve that I am thinking of is a long S curve that is "continually" blind due to landscape, etc. with driveways at the top with easily 100ft of elevation change and radius tightens substantially at the bottom thus the potential for heavy car braking.  The 45mph curve is not so blind, but would be traveled frequently and most likely often in the rain with maybe 50ft+ of elevation change with a "turn-off _ scenic point" and driveways at the bottom which often finds cars slowing as well. 
I will be riding cautiously as I learn (and thereafter) and will bear in mind your suggestions as I do so. Thanks.