Even through I am in my forties and starting to get stuck in my ways. I do try my hardest to keep learning whilst riding my bike about. Having ridden for years and many miles commuting to Slough in the M4 rush our, I have remained upright. I'm not the best rider, not the fastest just a normal biker. However riding with a new biker made me think about near misses and how much you still have to learn after your test. So here are a couple of near misses that I learned from.
Near Miss 1 - I was always told to ride at a speed that you can stop in the distance you see. I remember crossing the brow of a hill on a VFR on the way to Marlborough, a sign showing that there was a right turn over the brow. I throttled off, rode over the brow and a lady who didn't take a second glance pulled across the carriageway rather late turning in front of me from the side turning on the right. No drama already braking (smugness), and in a seamless manoeuvre went to overtake as she joined my carriagway. The lady did the most odd manoeuvre as I went for the over take. The driver, swerved right straddling both lanes sideways on and stopping. Leaving me one foot from her drivers door staring at her bemused, scared face.
Lesson 1 - Car drivers will do the most random manoeuvres when you least expect it. I think she panicked having clocked me whilst entering the lane and decided to turn right across the carriageway to let me pass on her nearside (as if anyone would think of doing that).
Near miss 2 - I was always taught through annual compulsory MAC motorbike training when riding with another rider. Stay out of their blind spot, so they can see you in the mirror, keeping your bike a safe distance behind, always to the side of the bike in front. Riding in Belgium travelling at circa 80 miles an hour, the bike in front who was using sat nav did the most unexpected thing. As his sat nav updated very late for a right turn he emergency stopped his Wing. With linked brakes and ABS from 80 miles an hour to zero to make the turn. I sailed passed his left hand side on an old 1989 CBR 600F missing him.
Lesson 2 Always stay a safe distance, never ride directly behind, don't expect other riders to ride big fat wings with grace !
The new biker born again with me on a ride out.
- I had turned a corner and had to stop for a lorry on the on coming lane. The biker behind rounded the corner unable to stop in the distance he could see and had to stand it up. Riding a Blade he just missed the back of me and very nearly dropped his bike as he snaked about.
- Three high speed overtakes passing turnings on the right and driveways throughout the afternoon ride made my eyes water watching.
- Riding lead I would take an over-take into a space between two cars, to see a blade firing up like a rocket into my space and sandwiching in the same gap.
I have suggested the bike safe course, but it does worry me.
As a final note I lied about remaining upright.
1) Left my disk lock moving off from home. No damage, apart from my pride as I dropped a few inches onto my wife's car bonnet.
2) 4 mph turning on a driveway and my front wheel dropped into a patch without paving blocks, game over ! a very light scratch as I softly had to put it down.
Originally Posted by Trev
