There are two types of riders...

[meganiimarie]

Not everything you hear is meant to be taken literally.

Very much in agreement with this. I use the phrase but more so as you stated, as a reminder to mitigate risk and be prepared.

My $.02 as far as the probability of going down. Everyone is equal. Why? To use an example if you drove through an intersection leaving your house everytime you rode, the chances of a crash are what they are. They are the same whether you ride through that intersection four times a day, or once a month. Since I think we could all agree that there is never a situation where the chance of a mishap is zero, as you add events to the sample your probability changes (e.g. increased skill, increased # cars encountered on the road.) Both examples decrease and increase your probability that your sample includes a crash. Of course there will be outliers, but is it a good saying to remind yourself it's possible? I think so.

 

[Deathdiesel]

Got close today, potentially could have easily laid it down or gotten hurt. broke all the rules from my MSF course really... Thinking back I know every thing I did wrong, and then some.

Was riding a nice curvy road around 60mph, was feeling good and gave it a good amount of gas, got up to around 85-90 and forgot about a highway intersection up ahead, that goes uphill, then steeply right and downhill, a very dangerous intersection. Locked the rear tire up and fishtailed for a brief second, while still focusing more on whether or not a car was coming. Regained control quickly, but made me nervous enough to remind me that im a new rider, and need to be more thoughtful of the rules.

Dont break in a turn(where i messed up bigtime), hug the inside line, dont even think about speeding unless you know whats directly in front of your path.

Surprisingly ive gotten a very dependant on the rear brake moreso than the front. Need to fix that quick.

And yes ive gone down over a dozen times in the dirt, mostly from hitting hidden debris in grassfields, occasionally from doing something stupid. Amazingly enough i only have 1 scar, and it was the day I thought it was smart to take a dirtbike to the street, lesson learned. And I have fallen once on a mule vehicle, wasnt even driving but I dont remember any of it, skull fractures do that to you. God i just realized how many times ive fallen...

 

[bullfinchgold]

hi

is it not dangerous to do that

 

[seanos fz6r]

The Good and the Bad

Two things: first the good...I've just upgraded to a FZ8S, and I'm loving it. A little extra torgue and with the same nibble handling of the Z6. So everthing is good there.

I've pick up some great replies from this site so I'm really greatfull for the help along the way.

The Bad... early this year one of the guys I was riding with a didn't make a corner and was killed.... probably four factors involved, high speed, poor road surface, SUV over the centre line and the fact he was tired (he joined us on the second day and had been riding for 8-9 hrs at the time of crash.

Myself and three others tried CPR for 30 mins before the ambos arrived, no luck. It was good that we had training to that.. I highly recommend everyone does a first aid course and practices it. In this case we at least gave some comfort to his family, but sometimes people are brought back.

This guy was a highly skilled rider and just took a few too many chances on the day.. sobered me up for a while. I still take risks, but if a see too many conditions stacking up against me I back off.

Bottom line, ride safe guys :thumbup:

 

[buzzbomb]

I nearly screwed the pooch, today. There's a certain intersection, that when traffic is clear, I take that wonderful left hand turn pretty leaned over and pretty fast. It's one of the bright spots on my commute.

As I was coming into the turn, I was distracted by a currently rare (because of the heat) Harley rider, waiting at the intersection.

I didn't really think, but I pushed pretty hard into the turn, after seeing this guy. I have no desire to show off, but without thinking, I tried to.

I turned too fast, too late. I was all leaned over and working the throttle trying to avoid that little patch of gravel just before sliding into the curb. It was a close thing.

I take that turn half-again as fast as today, nearly every day. I screwed it up so much today that I nearly high-sided off a curb. My heart was racing so fast that I was panting.

Only took a moment's stupidity, and I almost ended up in the hospital. Throttle control, learned from "A Twist of the Wrist II" and lots of practice saved my ass. It was really close, though.

Just a moment's lapse of judgment. That's all it takes.

 

[12fz6rblack]

Ok so is there frame sliders for our bike that don't involve cutting the fairing? Sorry about the noob question


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[Scott_Thomas]

Ok so is there frame sliders for our bike that don't involve cutting the fairing? Sorry about the noob question


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

Yup, I have Shogun No Cut Frame Sliders. There are a bunch out there. They are very easy to install and will save you a ton of money if/when your bike goes down. Hopefully you never have to test them.

 

[RooKie]

Ok so is there frame sliders for our bike that don't involve cutting the fairing?

Search The interwebs for "FZ6R no-cut frame sliders". I'm using OES, but as mentioned above, many people go with the T-Rex. You could also try using the search feature on the left-side since there's been quite a few threads covering this topic and you'll find out more info looking through them. Good luck.

 

[12fz6rblack]

Thank you all for the help I was told by the dealer that the only way to install these sliders is to cut the fairing which I of course would like to avoid but then again it is the dealer trying to make some money out of all this


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[Scott_Thomas]

I think the sliders that are dealer cut look a lil better and are slightly better protection wise. Most go with no cut though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

 

[GrapeApe]

Yes I have laid down my first bike. Was a 1988 yz 600 if am correct the last year for air cooled. Was about 18 year ago, had a armored tuck trun left in front of me and stopped right in the middle of the intersection. laid it down and tried to get clear of the truck. As i rolled across the asphalt my foot clipped his back bumper and it pretty much took my foot off. Took 6 surgeries and 2 rods and about 1.5 years to walk normal again. Accidents just happen.

 

[RooKie]

Wow. That's some intense stuff. Glad to know you were able to make a good recovery. You're right, stuff just happens sometimes. Do you think any type of gear could have lessen the damage (ie: riding boots or pants) or was it completely inevitable?

 

[GrapeApe]

My helmet saved me from probably a broken jaw, did have boots on they just werent armored they were redwings. Have a hard time finding boots/shoes cause my feet are big. The breaks were above the boots so dont think it would have mattered. clothes saved me from getting real bad road rash.

 

[RooKie]

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing and safe riding!

 

[GrapeApe]

No problem.. The worst thing about it was they didnt even try to pull my bike out (it was half way under the armored truck) The a hole just ran it over all i could do is lay there and say COME ON MAN u seriously just did that....

 

[Maadi]

This was after my first year of starting to ride. I left work tired, roads were wet and I was distracted because I couldn't turn left where I wanted to. Kept going through an intersection without realizing that the light had turned red. A green Ford Focus pulled out before everybody else, I slammed on my brakes and locked my rear wheel (the bike was our starter '88 Honda Shadow VT600). Target fixation got the best of me and I hit the back bumper of the Focus. Bike got totaled, the front end got squished in just enough for it to be driveable but for the insurance company to deem it gone. I myself hit the ground with my right shoulder and got a glancing blow to my right temple. Right hip got a nice bruise, too. No real gear on at that point except a Shoei RF1000. An old leather jacket, work boots (those I still wear motorcycling, they are great) and jeans. It was a slow speed impact and I got off easy.
Lessons:
1) Do not ride when tired
2) Practice braking (was done extensively after the accident)
3) Pay attention to your surroundings
4) Watch where you are going or want to go
5) If you don't know where to go - pull over to figure it out! (if possible)

After that I have been lucky, expecting the worst and preparing for it helps! I have been able to see what could happen and adjust for the situation before it becomes a problem. People pulling out in front of me or changing lanes without looking are the most common issue. Having a headlight modulator has helped a lot, but I still don't trust people to see me!

 

[DragonBlu]

Just a little reminder to the newer riders that the first rain after a long dry spell makes the roads very slick. This is because of the oils in the asphalt and other crap left in the road from cars and trucks. Ride safe my friends!

 

[Deathdiesel]

Just a little reminder to the newer riders that the first rain after a long dry spell makes the roads very slick. This is because of the oils in the asphalt and other crap left in the road from cars and trucks. Ride safe my friends!

Yep, also if your going to ride in the rain, try not to do it for the first 30min of it, because this is when all these materials are surfacing and getting washed away.

 

[HotSauce]

My close encounter

Last weekend my friend and I went for our usual dinner ride...we try to find an interesting looking place 45 mins to 1 hour away and go for it. On the ride home, we took an early exit in hopes of catching a back-road that would be a little more interesting than the straight highway....well we got more than we bargained for. With just enough time to get the bikes up to 65, we hit a loose gravel road. I ended up locking my rear almost immediately, to which the bike abruptly turned 30 degrees to the left and slid. Somehow I managed to keep my balance and immediately after, my classroom knowledge kicked in, so I let off the brakes and let the bike coast to a stop. Well it felt like an eternity and thankfully the road was straight, otherwise we would have ended up in a ditch. That's pretty much it for my close calls, but looking back on it at least it was a good first-hand test of my skills.

 

[Kayo7]

Emotions

I had just gotten into an argument with my girlfriend at the time and was leaving her house pretty upset. Backed out of the driveway, revved it up, dropped the clutch and pulled a wheelie. As I was bringing the bike back down, the front tire landed right in a pot hole and cut me right to the curb, bike went over the curb, I summer salted over the front of the bike. Was able to drive the bike home but had to replace the gas tank, handle bar, frame slider, and right side fairing. Did all the work myself and didn't file it in to the insurance but costed me about $1,300 in parts, and my own labor. Moral of the story, don't let your emotions take control of your actions, especially when your on a bike.