mijustin
Member
So I'm posting in the Introduce yourself thread because it's been a while.
I'm an extremely active member of the ZX6R.com forum and have been for the last two years.
I have been in 2 motorcycle accidents in my life. The first, was a lowspeed off due to my own inexperience, during my first year of riding, that cost me my collar bone. Three days after having 2 plates and 9 screws implanted in me, I was back on "the horse".
I consider myself to be an intelligent person...logical and reasonable. I take that logic with me on my motorcycle. I do my very best to understand that driving a car is different from riding a motorcycle....circumstantially and mentally. There are road signs, billboards, radios, coffee, phone calls, texts, kids yelling, throwing and fighting in the back seat. This, in a big comfy, climate controlled environment that is hardly conducive to paying attention.
I choose to put my unprotected body in the middle of that chaos every single day for the love of riding. I do this understanding everything I posted above, and I do this because I believe that I, as a rider, can take steps to mitigate those risks (to a point) by taking responsibility for my own safety.
Taking responsibility for one's safety implies a commitment to certain practices that are the only means of providing yourself even the slightest bit of protection among an asphalt landing pad buzzing with 2 million 2 tonne distracted missiles.
1. Never ride impaired
2. Never ride emotional
3. Literally # 1 but the first 2 need saying but here goes.....ALWAYS BE ON!!!!!! I make a habit of making a running SitRep (Situation report) in my head for the entirety of my ride.. you know, blue civic, left lane 3 oclock 200 meters ahead, white for F-150 just passed him on the left, he's clear behind me, green explorer, driver talking on phone creeping into lane 90 meters straight ahead and closing, shift over to the right with slight accel and out........This is what will keep you alive.
As I had the misfortune of finding out on Thursday May 5/2016 at 0744 hrs EST, not being "ON" increases your probability of near-death by untold amounts.
I travel the same route of the 401 from Yonge to HWY 25 in Milton every single morning for work, and than back....that's a 144 KM round trip 5/6 days a week for 3 years in a row. This morning... I got complacent. I was traveling in my lane, and I didn't even see him until he came over. Had I been "ON", I would have counted him in 300 meters up the HWY....Green panel van, 1 lane right. Lane slowing, driver looking to jump out at low speed.......But I didn't. I didn't see him. I didn't see him, because I just zoned into my ride like I was in my car going to work. I'd rode this road so many times before....I went into auto-pilot, and it cost me.... a lot less than it likely should have.
I got up from this with a broken hand, broken rib, some rash, and a totaled bike....All things considered, I consider myself the luckiest man on earth to have gotten to go home that night to my family, and put my kids to bed, because this could have ended a whole lot worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivza1q6S12U&feature=youtu.be
The driver stopped, and insurance found the other party at fault. My gear did not survive, but it certainly did it's job! I take this as an incredibly valuable learning experience. As I eluded to in the beginning of this post, I consider myself to be a very good rider. I take what I have learned through my experiences, and those of others, and employ them in a practical effort to improve my skill. I'm constantly constantly pushing myself to progress and get better, and I take this no differently.
Here's what I've learned.
1)A million times before, this has happened, but usually, I've already seen the vehicle, counted them in in my head,I throttle through and the car/van/ truck is a memory... but this time...I grabbed a fistful of front brake and the bike stood up, locked into it's line and that was that. Panicked cause I didn't see him quick enough.
2)Early may in Canada, drivers have not seen a bike in nearly 7 months and are clueless that we're on the road
3)Early in the morning. Driver was tired and not paying enough attention.
I will take this experience forward with me and improve. I share this incredibly long post in the hopes that it literally saves someones life....as mine was quite close to being almost cut short.
Ride safe, wear your gear, take your time, PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS!
I get my cast off June 4th. I already bought, and am in the process of freshening up, my new baby, Falcon-Delta. a 2006 ZX636 with 11,000, km and not so much as a scratch!!!
Peach
I'm an extremely active member of the ZX6R.com forum and have been for the last two years.
I have been in 2 motorcycle accidents in my life. The first, was a lowspeed off due to my own inexperience, during my first year of riding, that cost me my collar bone. Three days after having 2 plates and 9 screws implanted in me, I was back on "the horse".
I consider myself to be an intelligent person...logical and reasonable. I take that logic with me on my motorcycle. I do my very best to understand that driving a car is different from riding a motorcycle....circumstantially and mentally. There are road signs, billboards, radios, coffee, phone calls, texts, kids yelling, throwing and fighting in the back seat. This, in a big comfy, climate controlled environment that is hardly conducive to paying attention.
I choose to put my unprotected body in the middle of that chaos every single day for the love of riding. I do this understanding everything I posted above, and I do this because I believe that I, as a rider, can take steps to mitigate those risks (to a point) by taking responsibility for my own safety.
Taking responsibility for one's safety implies a commitment to certain practices that are the only means of providing yourself even the slightest bit of protection among an asphalt landing pad buzzing with 2 million 2 tonne distracted missiles.
1. Never ride impaired
2. Never ride emotional
3. Literally # 1 but the first 2 need saying but here goes.....ALWAYS BE ON!!!!!! I make a habit of making a running SitRep (Situation report) in my head for the entirety of my ride.. you know, blue civic, left lane 3 oclock 200 meters ahead, white for F-150 just passed him on the left, he's clear behind me, green explorer, driver talking on phone creeping into lane 90 meters straight ahead and closing, shift over to the right with slight accel and out........This is what will keep you alive.
As I had the misfortune of finding out on Thursday May 5/2016 at 0744 hrs EST, not being "ON" increases your probability of near-death by untold amounts.
I travel the same route of the 401 from Yonge to HWY 25 in Milton every single morning for work, and than back....that's a 144 KM round trip 5/6 days a week for 3 years in a row. This morning... I got complacent. I was traveling in my lane, and I didn't even see him until he came over. Had I been "ON", I would have counted him in 300 meters up the HWY....Green panel van, 1 lane right. Lane slowing, driver looking to jump out at low speed.......But I didn't. I didn't see him. I didn't see him, because I just zoned into my ride like I was in my car going to work. I'd rode this road so many times before....I went into auto-pilot, and it cost me.... a lot less than it likely should have.
I got up from this with a broken hand, broken rib, some rash, and a totaled bike....All things considered, I consider myself the luckiest man on earth to have gotten to go home that night to my family, and put my kids to bed, because this could have ended a whole lot worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivza1q6S12U&feature=youtu.be
The driver stopped, and insurance found the other party at fault. My gear did not survive, but it certainly did it's job! I take this as an incredibly valuable learning experience. As I eluded to in the beginning of this post, I consider myself to be a very good rider. I take what I have learned through my experiences, and those of others, and employ them in a practical effort to improve my skill. I'm constantly constantly pushing myself to progress and get better, and I take this no differently.
Here's what I've learned.
1)A million times before, this has happened, but usually, I've already seen the vehicle, counted them in in my head,I throttle through and the car/van/ truck is a memory... but this time...I grabbed a fistful of front brake and the bike stood up, locked into it's line and that was that. Panicked cause I didn't see him quick enough.
2)Early may in Canada, drivers have not seen a bike in nearly 7 months and are clueless that we're on the road
3)Early in the morning. Driver was tired and not paying enough attention.
I will take this experience forward with me and improve. I share this incredibly long post in the hopes that it literally saves someones life....as mine was quite close to being almost cut short.
Ride safe, wear your gear, take your time, PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION ALWAYS!
I get my cast off June 4th. I already bought, and am in the process of freshening up, my new baby, Falcon-Delta. a 2006 ZX636 with 11,000, km and not so much as a scratch!!!
Peach