Stoppies svck
Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 3:34 am
Coming home from work yesterday, four-lane road coming to a T-intersection. Long line of cars waiting to turn left, right lane open all the way to the light. I was going fairly slowly, maybe 25 mph, aware that one of the cars in the left lane might suddenly decide to pull into my lane.
Suddenly there was a large red object in front of me as a car squirted through the line of stopped cars in the left lane to make a left turn into a side street. I yanked on the front brake about a millisecond before my foot hit the back brake -- the back end of the bike came up off the ground, I would estimate maybe a foot or so. Front tire barked as it started to skid, so I just let go of the hand lever (duh) and the back tire hit the ground locked up.
I wobbled around on the edge of dumping the bike for what seemed like a year but regained control. Missed the idiot in the red car by about 5-6 feet. If I hadn’t seen him (or maybe her, I didn’t get a look at the driver) it would have been a T-bone. Given the circumstances, I stayed relatively calm afterward, although I did turn off into a parking lot for a minute or two to pull myself together.
Lessons learned:
1. Big picture. I was so fixated on the cars stopped in the left lane I wasn’t looking for other threats.
2. There’s a reason the MSF instructors tell you to always apply both brakes firmly but smoothly. If I’d been going just a little faster, or jerked the lever just a little bit harder, I probably would have gone down. (Yes, full helmet & armor, but still.)
3. When it happens, there isn't even time for an “Oh schnit.” This all occurred in about half a second. Reflex is all you’ve got to work with.
4. Reflexes can be improved. I’m going to the school parking lot Saturday and practice emergency stops again.
Suddenly there was a large red object in front of me as a car squirted through the line of stopped cars in the left lane to make a left turn into a side street. I yanked on the front brake about a millisecond before my foot hit the back brake -- the back end of the bike came up off the ground, I would estimate maybe a foot or so. Front tire barked as it started to skid, so I just let go of the hand lever (duh) and the back tire hit the ground locked up.
I wobbled around on the edge of dumping the bike for what seemed like a year but regained control. Missed the idiot in the red car by about 5-6 feet. If I hadn’t seen him (or maybe her, I didn’t get a look at the driver) it would have been a T-bone. Given the circumstances, I stayed relatively calm afterward, although I did turn off into a parking lot for a minute or two to pull myself together.
Lessons learned:
1. Big picture. I was so fixated on the cars stopped in the left lane I wasn’t looking for other threats.
2. There’s a reason the MSF instructors tell you to always apply both brakes firmly but smoothly. If I’d been going just a little faster, or jerked the lever just a little bit harder, I probably would have gone down. (Yes, full helmet & armor, but still.)
3. When it happens, there isn't even time for an “Oh schnit.” This all occurred in about half a second. Reflex is all you’ve got to work with.
4. Reflexes can be improved. I’m going to the school parking lot Saturday and practice emergency stops again.
Stoppie with your S50?? Wow. Glad you got through that episode unscathed. Good on ya for remembering to let off that front brake if it locks and sounds like good lessons learned in the review of the event.