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Firetruck passed me getting to accident, as I came upon traffic slowing ahead I found roadway wet from firetrucks foaming tank...SLIPPERY SOAP. Your voice in my head kept me calm and no crash! Blessings brother 🙏❤😎
This year I started teaching my wife how to ride and keep herself safe, she always complained about all of the safety gear she had to wear and how hot it got under layers of leathers. 2 weeks ago we were riding a road that we ride every week without an issue but this time there was an issue. In a left hand turn the rear tire decided to blow out, the road is on a small mountain and has no guard rail, she slid off the road and she ended up about 20 feet down the hill and the bike was about 30 feet below her. 7 injured ribs, concussion, separated shoulder, and a small hair line crack in her hip later she is now happy that the gear was required by me. She will be back up and riding soon enough and wants more training.
@@scottamolinari A small sharp rock that she saw just as she ran it over, she noticed it as she passed it and could not miss it. Now she pays close attention to the road ahead.
When I was first learning to drive a car, my father said “Everybody on the road is trying to crash into you. They will come at you from the front, the back and both sides. It’s up to YOU to avoid them because they will not avoid you.” That made my situational awareness very keen from day one and has helped countless times throughout the years. I brought that same mindset with me when I started riding motorcycles. Close calls are almost a daily occurrence, traffic, road conditions, weather, even the wildlife is out to get ya. The proper gear is everything. Situational awareness is everything. Slow down. No need for panic stops. If you miss your turn or exit, go to the next one and try again. There are no winners in a motorcycle crash, just survivors. 👏🏻 Good video MC.
Ive always been aware of my surroundings but i got rear ended by a lady on her phone on the interstate luckly it was slow speeds and i was ok but my truck suffered slight damage to the bumper and tail gate i wish i had looked at my rear view closer
Whenever I go out on my bike I always expect every vehicle is an accident waiting to happen. Get training with the Institute of Advanced Motoring. You will enjoy motorcycling a lot more.
@@DA-pn4rz Road strategy is good. If the cars cant get near you, they cannot hurt you. But, I was hoping that you'd also say that you practice emergency braking, and regularly practice in a parking lot so that your body will do the right thing when that accident in waiting tries to ruin your day. Kevin practices regularly, even with all of his knowledge and experience.
@@DFWKen Emergency braking is a by product of good training, regular practises and procedures. It's better to prevent incidents happening by good planning and the IPSGA rules etc rather than resort to luck in order to avoid them at the last second. Anyone getting into such an emergency braking situation on a motorcycle has to some degree contributed in the lead up of the circumstances that led them into that predicament in the first place. Looking at these videos and others on You Tube will testify to that fact.
One July 1 many years ago in the last century, I started my first rotation as intern in the ICU. Back in a corner room was a former motorcyclist. His heart, lungs, liver, kidneys were working but not his brain. We interns used the term "gorked out" (but not on drugs). When I finished there 6 weeks later he was still there. Now maybe his family was really rich or he had really great insurance but most such patients sooner or later become wards of the state. The worst situation is being permanent disabled in a major way but still having self awareness. The bill in such situations eventually for many ends up with the taxpayer. Broken upper or lower jaws, nose fractures, orbital blow outs (you know about that) are far from pleasant. Even road rash with embedded gravel is a problem. If one going to ride at all, always wear the best protective equipment.
Drivers in Michigan don't know what a blinker is, let alone use em! I'll have my blinker on trying to change lanes and cages act like they can't see me. I've now got a light system that connects to my brakes, so my bike has 24 brake lights and I glow red when stopping. "XKchrome" even police officers have commented in the fact they could see me very well from afar at night. I work 3rd shift so most of my riding is at night!
Vince (uk rider) Hi, I was the rider who was rear ended in the first video, I had slowed to a stop to turn onto my drive way, there was a car on my drive way which stopped me turning onto it, this distracted me and I took my eye off the car behind, never again ! I now slow much sooner if I am stopping and keep an eye on what is behind me until I know they are stopping, I keep watching encase another vehicle behind them is not stopping, by the time I have reached the point of when I am going to turn I know the vehicle behind have seen me and know my intentions. I was riding a 1993 mint condition VMAX, unfortunately the bike was a right off, luckily for me I was not, riding with full gear probably saved my life. I now ride a 2011 c1800r intruder and will keep on riding.
Thanks Vince. The video gave the impression you slowed down quickly to look at a car-no mention was made that you were turning into your house. Shame about the bike, but you could have found another immaculate one somewhere. Finding new skin and unbroken bones would not have been.
Great to see you are able to comment mate and are still riding. Well done mate it takes balls to get back on especially when half of the internet has an opinion on your driving style. Rehab wise, keep swimming, physio and get a decent Chinese acupuncture practitioner to help with your tinnitus and nerve issues.
Good to see that you survived relatively intact Vincent, that could certainly have been a lot worse - I'd love to have heard the drivers explanation for that one although in fairness to her, it was those tricky conditions of dead straight road in broad daylight - whatever she was doing in there, it certainly wasn't driving the car and paying attention to the road - fair play to you for continuing to ride and not letting a bad experience put you off - stay safe out there - regards - Dale
Nothing you could have done mate, the person was obviously on their phone, you can't arm yourself against that kind of stupidity. Good that you're riding on bro, rock it!!!
I remember when I was about 20, long time ago. was riding my dirt bike beside the railroad tracks in fla. The loose gravel caught my front tire and my head became a shovel plowing through the gravel. It happened so fast I had no reaction time. Thank god for the full helmet with face shield. I had to take off the shield so that I could see to ride home. ran out and bought a new shield. Protect that head! Keep up the good work, you help save lives.
One thing that might have been a contributing element in the incident shared by Vince... Vince may have slowed down using engine braking exclusively. One of the things I had hammered into me when I was learning to drive a stick..."Always use the brake when slowing down". When slowing down by letting off the gas (rolling off the throttle) or downshifting, your brake lights are NOT on. As a result, the fact that you are slowing down is not immediately and boldly communicated to the driver(s) behind you. Communication is key, and rate of deceleration that a manual transmission vehicle is capable of achieving without the use of the brake is something the majority of drivers are not going to be prepared for reacting to without being prompted to take notice. This is exactly why I try to be in the habit of always squeezing the brake lever enough to light up the brake light ANY time I am decelerating. About the only exception to this would be times that I am actually coasting (clutch pulled in), since the deceleration that happens when coasting is so very gradual that it highly unlikely to catch a driver by surprise.
Hang'n with Dosei I’ve heard about fitting a brake light modulator. It lights up the brake light when the bike slows i.e. when using engine breaking. Perhaps I will get one sometime.
Hi I was in fact braking and signalling to turn right onto my driveway, the distraction was the car on my drive way, the sting in the tail is, it was my daughters car ??
Hi What you say is true, always make sure the driver behind you knows your intentions, I was braking several time and indicating to turn right onto my drive, unfortunately she was not looking at me at all, texting some important crap I expect. Regards Vince
Thank you for that braking tip! I have been riding a long time, and I often use engine braking to save wear and tear on brake pads but I never realized that without a brke light, I am stopping much faster than what a car driver might perceive! Great idea, now I need to get it into my routine...
I've been riding since 1972. I've had two drunken motorcycle mishaps, I say mishaps as they weren't accidents, I was just drunk. I learned my lesson and since I don't drink anymore I won't have that happen again. I'm glad Ohio is not a mandatory helmet state. I had a neck injury in one of those mishaps and after 41 years I still can't near the weight of a helmet on my head. I know I should wear a helmet but I'm willing to take my chances. I did learn another lesson I call 'anticipation' and keep very aware of my surroundings and try to anticipate what some cager might do and that lesson has paid off a few times.
These are my favorite types of videos that you do. I learn the most from other peoples mistakes or incidents and your commentary about them. Keep up the great work.
I've been riding for 27 years and this last Wednesday I had the closest call ever. I was on a surface street 4 lanes wide approaching an intersection. At the intersection lane #4 becomes a freeway on-ramp. I was in lane #3 as I entered the intersection and a car came out of the on-ramp straight into the intersection nearly brushing me from the side and then cutting in front of me. I did have the presence of mind to find the horn and initiate emergency braking without sliding. But I did have to pull into a McDonald's to thank God for protecting me and sit and calm myself with a cup of coffee. It took me 30 minutes to stop shaking. Since watching your videos I have become much better at finding potential threats. Thank you Kevin
@@sail4life even after sitting for 45 min I was unbelievably paranoid the rest of the way home. My head was on a swivel, especially at intersections. A couple of days later I went for a ride in the country just to get confidence back.
A few weeks back I was ambushed by FOUR deer at 2:45 am while on my ride into work , unfortunately I still crashed. But because I strongly preach full face to my friends and wear one all the time , I still have my face intact. Proper gear is the name of the game.
To be fair, people and cars are predictable, animals are not. Deer can be a pain - literally. Good work mate. No amount of defensive riding skill can account for animals straying in to your path from a blind position.
6/1/17. My wife was on the back when a cager ran a stop sign. We were going 45mph and I had to lay it down or go flying! Our gear saved our hides, not a scratch on our bodies, but internally was a different story. I've now got an implant replacement disc and my wife's neck has been fused, but we walked away from the accident at the time! DRESS FOR THE SLIDE NOT THE RIDE! That phrase has stuck with me!
After a couple surgeries and months of rehab for both of us, we got back out there. 2 yrs later and another bike, this one with all the crash bars, front and rears.
You're never too old to learn more about bike safety and riding techniques and McRider is one of the best channels on CZcams for riders of all skill levels to learn, especially beginning riders. I'm 71 and have had 2 motorcycle accidents since I was 17 when I first started riding. The first one occurred on a Honda 125 when I was 17. A car pulled out of a side street making a left turn in front of me. I tried swerving around the car but couldn't avoid the crash and hit the passenger side front bumper, catapulting me over the bike into some grass on the side of the road. I was wearing neither helmet or protective gear. Luckily I wasn't going fast (20-30 mph?) when I hit and the only injury I suffered was a broken tooth and some scrapes. My second accident happened a few years ago while riding home from work on a KAW ZG1000. I was on a 2 way city street riding about 5-7 meters (15-21 feet) behind a car going about 25 km/h. Perfect sunny day. There were cars parked on the right side of the road. At some point a bright orange URAL parked in a driveway on my right caught my eye. I glanced at the URAL taking my eyes off the road for not more than a second. During that same one second a pedestrian stepped out from between the parked cars onto the road in front of the car in front of me. The car braked hard. At 25 km/h you cover almost 7 meters (22 feet) in a second. I hit the brakes hard and had to swerve left to avoid hitting the car that had already come to a stop. My bike went over as it came to a stop in the middle of the road. I was lucky and didn't get injured. Bike had a broken mirror and some scrapes on the fairing and clutch handle. I was able to ride home - a little shaken and kicking myself for not keeping my eyes on the road 100% of the time.
great video, as usual.... two things i learned when i bought my first bike.... 1- drive like you are invisible and nobody can see you, makes you very aware of whats going on around you! 2- when passing any vehicle glance at their front tire as you go by, if it moves toward the line you might have an issue. this is true in Darrel's video. thanks for the great work!
When I was a kid, my dad was riding to work. Around 4 in the morning, on an empty freeway. At the time, there want much in that area. A random car decided to cut him off, and clipped the front of his bike causing him to go down. My dad was dressed for work. Slacks, buttoned down shirt, dress shoes, and a wind breaker. The only protective gear was good helmet. His clothes were shredded, and the skin on his legs and stomach was ground off from the pavement. He was lucky to be alive, and was severely scarred. When he finally got back into riding, he always had full protective gear. Full face helmet, jacket, pants, gloves. Even on an empty highway, where you should be perfectly safe, anything can happen...
If noise level doesn't have any effect on roadgoers so why are there claims to have some sounds with electric vehicles? They could be almost completely silent... I have experienced that somewhat louder pipes cause beneficial effect approaching on pedestrians, bicycle riders and some animals, too... And what about visually impaired?
I agree noise is another positive when done properly, just like hi vis reflective material, LED lighting and many other aspects. The helmet is a choice s good choice, be smart but it is no fun riding in bubble!
I went back to riding last year on a 1400 cc size bike, after a 10 year lay off. I relearned a lot from all your videos, and really try to ride safely, as I live in a denser Metro area. There doesn't seem to be enough lights, horns, or loud mufflers to keep highway traffic aware of us cycle riders in general and specific. I really wanted to return to the joy of riding I used to have, but I am feeling it may be time to get off the road. It's been more like planning a combat mission with moderate chances of returning. Thanks for all your help and knowledge you are passing out to all the fans of two wheel travel.
I have pretty loud Screaming Eagle Harley Sportster. Few months ago, I was riding in the left lane of two lane street. Car came from right side at the crossroad into the empty right lane, and immediatelly continued into left lane just in front of me. Since I was paying attention to him, I reduced the throttle, had to brake a little, and horned him loudly!!! All thanx to You!!! Again!!!
Anyone watching this needs to tell anyone else they know who rides a bike to watch this channel. Without a doubt it's saving lives. Very good well presented life saving stuff thank you so much MCrider. My 2022 Goldwing has a very unimpressive horn button and I have had to spend ages building the muscle memory to go straight to it in an emergency. Playing guitar a lot has taught me that muscle memory once developed properly can save your life on a motorcycle..
Thanks for a great video. It reminds of my teacher when i got my bike license many years ago who said: "Remember that everyone else on the road are blind, they are deaf, they are probably drunk and they are all out to kill you. If you remember those four rules you may survive."
the rule I use and abide to is that every participant in traffic, every road user has a potato sack instead of brain cells. Always scout ahead, always be on the lookout, some potato sack for brains is trying to kill you.. always!
All good advice, thanks. One thing though, the term muscle memory is frequently and widely misused and does not relate to our ability to perform previously practised activity quickly in an emergency situation, nor does it directly relate to any form of rapid activity such as playing Vivaldi on a violin or Rachmaninov on the piano, that is all 'nerve' memory, habit if you will (see Diadochokinesia). The muscle simply needs to return to it's original length after being instructed to contract by the motor nerve. Muscle memory relates to a muscle's resting length and it's propensity to return to that length after an activity. It's obvious effect is when a spasmed muscle is either stretched or massaged to a more relaxed state, but then spontaneously returns to spasm in a short period without outside input. Muscle memory is important and useful when it is optimal but is a real nuisance and a pain (literally) when the muscle is too tight or short. We develop good habits when we consciously practise them, we develop good muscle memory when we regularly stretch, get massaged and practise good nutrition/hydration and we motorcyclists survive when we make a practice of wearing the right gear and practising emergency braking. Sorry about all that, I just haven't found a local branch of Pedantics Anonymous yet!
Great, thought provoking video Kevin, thank you! It’s not for me to tell anybody what to wear when riding a motorcycle, but I think, that unless there is some medical reason, it is crazy not to wear a full face helmet.
As someone who grew up riding in a country where it’s compulsory ( despite the fact 99% of people were voluntarily doing it) to wear a helmet, I’ve always wondered what it’s like in states not requiring them. I have had occasional no helmet rides in the countryside but that’s not the same. I’d say there’s freedom of choice issues here and the change of attitude l had when helmetless as against all leathered up and feeling much safer might mitigate some of the safety reasons. Just offering my opinion . 😊🇬🇧
Another GREAT video and avices by Kevin. I wish more Brazilian riders would be English proficient so to take advantage of such a good treasure, the MC Rider channel. Many thanks, Kevin. And The Lord bless you and your family. One of my key safe motorcycle riding rules is always been Mentally Ready to Ride, which, amongst others, implies in NEVER riding tired (needing sleep), intoxicated (alcohol, drugs, medicine) or in any other way mentally impaired. One of the particulars of this rule is what I call The Attention String: Safe Riding demands Prevention, which demands Anticipation, which demands Calculation/Assessment, which demands Observation, which demands Attention/Focus, which demands Concentration, which demands Mental Energy, which demands Rest/Sleep. My only (thank God, light, not harmful) riding incident so far happened precisely by breaking this rule. Lesson learned (!) the hard way. Cheers from Campinas, SP, Brasil.
My advice: Don't go for the horn until you're completely out of danger. Use the time and thought to avoid the crash. If you go for the horn but hit the turn signal instead when a lefty-turner starts to pull out, they'll think that it's ok, you're turning left anyway. The only time I'll use my horn is to warn a pedestrian not to step out in front of me. Otherwise, the horn on my motorcycle doesn't exist.
It's the same everywhere I think. 3 times yesterday someone cut me off entering my lane with no turn signals. Either the motorcycle is indeed invisible or a lot of cage drivers don't care so much because they are not in danger to get hurt so they are not paying attention. MCrider videos did help me respond accordingly. And I also restrained myself from giving them the finger! Nicely done MCrider! Keep up the good work! Greetings from Greece..
Awesome video Kevin. Your 3rd instance underscores the main reason why I never ride without a Full Face helmet. Many years ago, when I was an impressionable young rider, a seasoned veteran shared his story of a crash on the street, An old Kawasaki Triple,. Anyway the only part he remembered was opening his eyes and seeing the pavement pass underneath him as he slid facedown. Needless to say, he would have had horrific injuries and perhaps even a painful death, had he not had a full faced helmet. There are differences in helmets, so choose wisely
This was really good. Thank you, Kevin. Excellent protective gear is a seemingly big investment until you weigh it in terms of the life changing cost of trauma, financially, physically, emotionally, etc etc etc.
Years ago the government had to break into someone's residence install microphones to illegally wiretap them. Now Americans freelee purchase the device with their own money and bring it into their own residence. You do know that device is recording everything you and your family says.
I remember looking at a huge study some years ago showing that motorcyclists getting hit from behind was one of the least common bike accidents. The most common is failing to negotiate a turn, which doesn't involve any other vehicle, or cars turning left in front of the bike at an intersection. What I took away from that study was when you're on a bike most of the trouble you encounter will be right out there in front of you.
there is afew really good riding tip video channels out there but I feel the way you explain and talk you are number 1 for me. You also have a chat on any topic a new or experienced rider might be looking for an answer to...great stuff.Just a thank you
This video reminds me of a crash that happened in 2016, the helmet protected the riders head and face, though his internal injuries were severe. Thank you for always providing us with valuable advise.
I have noticed everytime I put myself and bike in a near incident or a vehicle has put myself and bike in a near incident I always have the reflex of my MSF training classes and hours spent watching MCrider . Very great reflex tools to have at my disposal. Great Video Kevin. Keep up the great work Sir .
In the second story, you comment the horn is a loud Airhorn, and it was heard by the car driver. Yet you then contradict yourself and say "Loud Pipes" do not save lives! Had that been a "Stock" horn, the driver may NOT have heard it and completely gone into the lane occupied by the motorcycle! They're on a Interstate and traveling at a high rate of speed... so the "Sound" from the pipes isn't heard very well by those in front of the motorcycle. Since most pipes are on the right side, the motorcycle blocks most of the noise from the car in front and to the left of the motorcycle! Loud Pipe save LIVES
I wish you had done this last week. I came off a long river bridge and was making a left hand turn from a two lane road but failed to look back. I heard a long screeching of brakes. I was lucky. No, I didn’t get hit. However, I’ve watched enough of your videos to know better. Even though technically the driver would have been at fault, I should have seen it coming long before the brakes were screeching. I was in full gear and to the left of the road, but not aware of what was going on behind or prepared to evade ... I don’t think I will forget this any time soon but it might help others if you talked about left hand tuns from two lane roads even out in the country away from city traffic. Thanks for all you do.
Here here. Good defensive riding saves lives. Check out The Rider Guider also. I've also learned a few things from there - an up and coming channel!!!!
@@fasteddy if loud pipes are what saves your life when riding shouldn't you point them forward do as to announce your presence before your arrival. Loud pipes feed egos.
@@SteveG-pf9mq so you have never been pushed out of a lane into a guardrail on your stock exhaust harley cause some idiot in a pickup doesn't see or hear you. It's for your ego. What bike do you ride?
@@fasteddy 4 bikes 4 brands including HD. Been riding over 25 years and have seen plenty of loud pipe bikes pulled out in front of by drivers not thinking about us. Survival is self defense in my opinion and don't expect anything besides my wits and experience to save me. You can think what you like but I don't believe.
As a former trainer i used to push observation as the most important skill , know what is happening around you 360 degrees all the time know what your speed is with regular checks etc... , safe, fun ridding is all about knowing what is going on around you because the car drivers do not care so you have to , proper gear is a must and i would suggest a training coarse for your licence as they teach important accident avoidance skills you do not learn on the street .
Riding a motorcycle, forces you to realize how careful you need to be on the road in all situations. Yes , on a bike there are more hazards. That being said there are plenty of hazards in a automobile also. There are bad drivers everywhere, & we have to constantly beware of creepy cages.
I am not a motorcyclist, but I have been involved in a fatal bike accident a few months ago. I was in the passenger seat of a car. It was a very dark moonless night with very heavy fog in the area. A vehicle pulled out of a side road into the path of the cyclist and there was a collision. The vehicle then drove to the side of the road, leaving the cyclist and bike in the middle of a three lane road (Not the best decision but it is what it is and it was a decision made with a busted shoulder from the collision). Being dark and very foggy, all I could see was the vehicle on the side of the road with its hazard lights on. Another car overtook me and ran right over the top of the bike, and threw the rider about 30 meters down the road. When we arrived, I only saw the bike as we passed it on the left. It was only luck we missed it. I was looking for the rider as we were slowing down and only spotted him about a car length in front of us. I had time to say swerve, swerve, but the driver of the car I was in did not see what I saw. We ran over the riders leg. The bike was black, the riders clothing was black, and his helmet was black. I have since noticed that it is very common for riders to wear such dark clothing. I know it was not the bike riders fault for this accident, but I wish he had been wearing reflective clothing and had reflective tape on his helmet and bike. The reflective gear may have helped him avoid the follow up incidents. Please guys, if you must wear dark gear, please consider reflective tape wherever you can. It may save your life.
Loud pipes DO save lives. Not from other drivers, but from the deer that obviously hear my Harley and bolt away at my approach. That never happens on my quiet Honda.
For the second incident you showed us, I’ve come across this same situation at least 2-3 DOZEN TIMES in the 20+ years I’ve been riding. When I’m passing a cager, I do it quickly while watching their passenger side tires and covering my brakes. If the tires come within a few inches of that white line, I’m laying on my horn and braking. I just learned to expect cars to attempt hitting me. If I expect it, it does not surprise me when it happens.
You are so correct in the Loud Pipes don’t save lives, they also don’t grab drivers’ attention. I work in EMS and our DUAL siren speakers are on the front and we have flashy lights and drivers still do NOT see or hear us and our sirens are pointed TOWARD them, unlike exhausts which are points AWAY from cars ahead of you. You can also outrun the sounds of sirens at speeds above 50mph and the same with exhaust.
John Helms that’s just everyone in the city man. I try to stay away from my metro area but I live in a popular beach city and it’s just a given that I’m gonna have a close call or a distracted driver on the road around me.
15 months ago I was riding home at knight. I came out of a corner doing 100km only to find a group of cows across the road. With only a few meters I didn’t have any chance to really react. Needless to say I hit one still travelling at least 90km. The crash left me with a lot of injuries and surgeries still in and out of hospital. It has also cost me my business aswell as physical health. The financial cost has been extremely difficult which is something I never gave thought too before hand. So be safe when riding and have a plan in place should anything happen.
Being a Commercial Truck Driver for many years.. I check my mirrors non stop .. I would try to avoid letting a Moron Tail gate me.. I was driving a Chevy Chevette 5:00 PM on a Friday. It was starting to rain .. I notice a Cement Truck driving like a behind me.. I wanted to turn left into a business had my turn signal on 4 lane road.. I was slowing down .. I see the Cement truck bearing down on me .. I knew he could not stop. I had to floor it and speed up to avoid being creamed from behind by a cement truck . Another time same road but where it was 5 lanes.. . I am in the left lane the light turns Red I am breaking hard to stop for red light .. But I notice a bread Truck going very fast behind me.. I had looked both ways on the side road.. not a very busy street.. I could see I had no oncoming traffic from the side streets.. so from a Complete Stop I dumped the clutch floored it rand the read light floored it and ran the red light avoiding being rear ended.. Actually it was a Clark Food Service Truck .. I called the Company and told them they had a Moron Driver..
In my first slide down the road in 1973 (one of only two), I was wearing a full face helmet that I had borrowed 5 minutes earlier from my ride buddy. The chin piece of his helmet had severe gouging after I stopped sliding. That saved my face that day. Moving forward to 2019, I bought a helmet from my son who works for a Harley dealer. He didn't even show me an open face helmet. I asked why and he said something about seeing the result of an accident with the rider wearing an open face helmet. QED.
Been riding 46 years and have to say that was excellent. Learned a lot of that stuff on the road and sometimes the hard way. Very good presentation and also some really good contributions in the comments. And I think it's time I went back to a full face helmet. Thanks Kevin and to your commenters
what i normaly do on the road while riding * adopting speed of traffic * adequate following distance *maintain seeing the mirror on driver's side *and of course a hawks eye view of on the road
Knowing how to handle your bike is the first barrier against dying or getting hurt. To know this, you need to push the envelope. Going slow because you are afraid of speed will cement your beginner level. This fall there was a first cold saturday morning after nightly rain and some drizzle during the morning. I was somewhat in a hurry on my GSF1200 on the highway, going 87mph in a 43mph-area of the highway with temporary pavement and rerouting, thereby som sharper turns than otherwise. I was going too fast for my skill and the rear broke out in a long slide. What I did manage was to not panic and to think ahead and keep on the gas and use the concrete barrier and the pavement as a 90° groove for my wheel pair and if needed use the concrete barrier as a banking. I've done it before on my Husky 93 610TE at lower speeds, on icy road, using a divider the same way. So it was easy and comfortable to do. I'm not a talented rider, I am at best slightly under average in talent, but I'm over average in willingness to practice and willingness to fail in front of others.
As a rider, these are situations that you must anticipate. Add to these the oncoming car that makes a left turn in front of you, and the car making a left turn out of a side street. It doesn't matter who is at fault if you are dead. This is especially true if you are filtering or riding the center line. Unless you are stopped in a parking lot and someone is backing into you, if you have time to honk your horn, you have time to avoid the accident. Honking your horn could just as easily make the situation worse. If you don't honk your horn, you can respond to what they are doing. Using your horn expresses your displeasure. Before you even think about the horn, you should be grabbing your clutch and brakes, and looking for a way out.
Trust me when i say that in UK you must be more careful what happens behind you than in front of you. Every close call i”ve had in UK were from drivers coming from behind. They dont take motorcyclists seriously. Lots of people on drugs or drunk here. And lots of of people just plain stupid.
When i go out on a long journey on my bike or even down to the local shops, i always wear all my bike safety kit. The most frustrating of all is the amount of bikers i see also nipping down to their local shops in t shirts , flip flops and no gloves. In my eyes if you ride your bike 50 miles in one trip is no different doing 2 miles. Great videos , keep up the great work.
James Penman especially with the amount of street clothes gear you can get. Like the speed and strength or scorpion covert line. You should be able to ride your bike with good safety gear no matter where you go.
Hitting the horn is not uncommon among riders when they get into a stressful situation. This is because we use our turn signals more than our horns so in a stressful event our muscle memory reverts to the horn. I do practice drills 2 times a week to help override this muscle memory thus giving me a better chance of hitting the horn when needed.
Was wearing a 3/4 with a face shield when I hit a deer. My shield was badly scratched but it held my face off the asphalt. I did have a couple stitches in my chin but the point is good face shields do an excellent job.
I don’t have loud pipes but I do believe that they bring attention to your motorcycle. I think being seen is also important. Maybe just as life-saving as having a helmet. A driver that is not distracted completely with his phone or whatever is likely to hear a motorcycle around him. Like I said my pipes are not loud but they do get noticed because I see heads turn.
Goodvibrations1966 I have a Ducati 748 with Termignoni mufflers. It’s very loud and I always have earplugs in with a windjammer fitted to my helmet. The loudest thing I hear is the wind buffeting my helmet. I don’t really hear other bikes in a group ride - sure a Harley on open throttle rattles teeth, but not at cruising speed. Cars are generally travelling with windows up, insulating occupants from the outside world. I certainly don’t hear bikes in my car unless they are blatting past me under hard acceleration. So it’s best to consider loud pipes audible only to pedestrians without earbuds, bike haters, police, cyclists, babies in prams, those in a horse and cart, and animals - none of which/whom we would consider need to hear us for our safety.
Good video and advice thanks. I can't quote the source, but a large amount of head and brain injuries occur from impact to the face. I wear BOHN lower body armour, the built in armour in my HD jacket, gloves of course, a Dainese honeycomb vented back protector and even an Alpinestars vented chest protector - the latter ones chosen after an amount of research - and kevlar lined Draggin' jeans. It's a habit now, don't really notice the stuff while riding (Road Glide). 'Course I wore all this before anyway on my many past repli-racers.
Flick the back break by rapidly tapping the pedal it should be mandatory by manufacturers or put a device to make it flicker when applying the brake only, You become more noticeable from the person behind if the light is flickering and always have a nice strong back light on the break only! And always have your lights on even in the daytime
I bought a used bike with the BACK-OFF module installed that does just that. I agree with your point. Also, at a stoplight at night, when I see in my mirror that a car is coming (even if not in my lane, but might go into it suddenly), I let off my brake and then grab it again to initiate the blinking.
There are after market led brake light bulbs that give a 4 rapid flash, then steady on. I don't have to think about rapid brake on and off, it just happens. I have had to brake urgently, so control and stopping is my focus. I anticipate driver errors, and been excused for some of my own. I learn from mistakes that may not be excused a second time. Practice emergent or rapid braking in a clear area. I have a checklist before I ride, the first being myself. Do I feel right or off that day? If I feel dulled or uncertain of reflexes, then that is a no that day.
@@huyked ALLA lighting, part# STR-2835-1157-39R this replaces the common 1157 bulb. I had to buy a 2 pack for $20 from ebay or Amazon. It has 4 rapid flashes, then steady on. Legal in California and other states.
Over here in Nigeria, we believe in the ‘Loud pipes save lives’ slogan. This is due to our road conditions and the type of drivers we have here. Should you not rev, no one cares if you ride a bike as they don’t tend to ‘share the roads’ with bikers (on the other hand, as you rev, they are aware/ alert of you and kind of respect theirselves and make way for you 😆). I ride a Honda cbr300r with factory exhaust and this is really silent. I blare my horn to be heard/ seen by the distracted drivers. I’ve been advised to change the exhaust. What du guys think?
If i knew i was going to have a crash i would not ride that day. Thank you for reminding riders road skills, road awareness, and safety gear combined help to survive a crash
Thanks again Kevin! I need your reminders and often new to me tips, every week! Crowded roads almost 24/7 here in Calif. Some drivers would rather kill you on a motorcycle or bicycle than let you slow them down one mph. I had one road rage woman with her young wide eyed daughter in the passenger seat, while riding on a narrow back roads on my bicycle, through a 15mph Z turn area, honked her horn, then sped up and braked at the last second 5 times, stopping less than a foot from me every time, then came up beside me with the window down yelling past her daughter "NOT ENOUGH ROOM ON THIS ROAD FOR CARS, YET ALONE JERKS LIKE YOU!!!" Then she sped up and turned in front of me and slammed on the brakes. I was traveling 15.5mph, and didn't hit her since I used defensive riding, but got her license number and reported her to the local police. They said they can only, but WILL send her a warning letter.
But the biggest thing to learn as a rider is what some call counter-steering.. Rather than leaning your body push down on the handlebars in the direction you want to go.. I discovered because I had a very winding road on a commute... I had major issues trying to lean, but as soon as I shoved the handlebars down, it let me even split lanes in a turn with exact control (LA lets you split lanes)... It even lets not shift your butt on the seat if you have go left and then right...
Watching this in mid-2021, as anyone who has driven a modern car knows, the vehicles are designed to keep out all normal road noises. The noise isolation is specifically designed to cut out low-frequency sounds, like engine sounds. At the same time, they are also designed to let through higher frequency sounds like horns and sirens. That is why a car driver won't hear your loud "pipes", but will more easily hear even a road-legal horn.
I'm a dirt biker. Recently bought a Harley. The moment I realized I'm dealing with asphalt and sharing space with 6000 pounds of carelessness, time to go FULL GEAR!!!!!
does FULL GEAR include wearing a full-face helmet? I have a black half-helmet with side ear flaps, but I'm wondering if a full face is better but the one problem is I got a claustrophobic feeling trying it on once, and I think I might be claustrophobic but maybe that is only a temporary feeling wearing those?
Wayne Simpson Brother I have the same exact problem. I wear a full face helmet with clear shield. Gotta protect the chin and face. I started with a motor cross helmet and no shield just protective glasses. Got used to it real quick. Go find a triple x large helmet and wear it around the store awhile then work your way down. Another thing when your wearing a helmet indoors it seems More confining. Not as bad when you are outside. If I can get over it I know you can. Gotta have a full face helmet.
Yep rider strategy is by far the best way to go, save your money and ride awake and alert because as a motorcycle rider we don't just ride out motorcycles we have to drive the other motorists cars for them as well for our own safety. I've ridden along seeing people watching TV not only their sat nav but actually watching TV or video what ever it was it was a movie in the front while they were driving along seen this several times. Plus people nodding off to sleep while driving a common one, the odd thing is rather than giving these people a ticket they often are just let off right up until they kill someone. So we really need to watch out for ourselves on the road and help larger vehicles do a better job at their driving.
I don't believe completely "loud pipes save lives" but, I have seen a difference in the city mostly. More than a handful of times where the louder than factory exhaust has at least made other drivers aware that a motorcycle is around. Especially if their windows are down. Problem is sometimes the cops are just as aware.. love your channel thanks for sharing the knowledge.
I think in a parking lot or in town but yes, a love certain speeds, I don’t think one can hear your loud pipes and know from which direction the sound is coming. Might be better to employ better road skills
you do spend a lot of time editing, and it shows. great vids. good balanced audio to. and IMO not so long that you loose my short attention span. Quality.
Once again, motorcycle accident caued by a car driver! I hope he got a good payout from this driver's insurance! I always wear my full gear, but also I have a Hi-Viz 'Bomber Jacket' over the top, which looks from a distance like that used by (UK) police motorcyclists - people always see me ! I consider it is a bike rider's duty to make themself as visible as possible - and I have been thanked by drivers for this too !
Audible indicators are used for safety all the time… horns, back up beeping, and loud pipes. Many times on the highway I hear a bike (or other loud vehicle) coming long before I see it. I do believe loud pipes add to the safety factor.
I was on my way to teach a piano lesson and there was no traffic. Just unexpected sand I broke my femer and tibia and collar bone and have a touch of arthritis as a result. But I was in Seattle in a wealthy neighbourhood and imeadiately 3 or 4 neighbours were covering me with a blanket directing traffic and talking to me and calling 911 and keeping me from trying to get up and move my bike.❤👍
On more than one occasion I've encountered the driver immediately in front of me slowing to make a turn by taking a foot off the gas pedal but neither signaling nor hitting the brakes at any time during the process. These lackadaisical drivers are indifferent to the fact that there might be someone behind them traveling at 60 MPH. Without the expected visual cues a motorcyclist can easily close too fast and collide with the back of a car. Like I've always said, expect the unexpected (like the possibility of deer bolting across the road in wooded areas) when riding a motorcycle and live longer as a result.
Accidentally stumble upon this video of yours Sir . Lots out there has same plot or storyline but i find yours VERY interesting, not boring. Thanks for sharing and yes, very informative.
The first issue I see with Vince's story is that he is riding on the wrong side of the road :) As for Darrell, it seems a loud horn was better than loud pipes. The third story reaffirms the belief my nose does not need to be shortened in that particular manner. Very good video, thanks.
WOW: as a Motorcycle rider with over 38yrs of experience riding, and an owner of a "GEO METRO", I'm "ALWAYS" aware of people in front of/ on the side of/ and behind me coming up, (AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE), what a shame, but yes it could happen to any of us! At any time!
I rode for 50 years and never wore a helmet. I sold my Harley when I retired and got into Jeeping. Occasionally I'll miss the Harley, but Jeeping is just as much fun.
@@AlaskaErik And you control all that is around you? You can know in advance, who might turn in front of you? who might swerve into your lane? You control all the animals that might jump out in front of you, or the oil on the ground in front of you? God Bless you, my son; that is one hell of a trick.
I got hit from behind in a line of stopped cars. Riding a Voyager 1200 too. Was thrown into the back of a dump truck. The guy who hit me had followed me less than 3 blocks, he was just not paying attention. He'd have plastered a car as well. Full face shield, Cortech jacket, gloves, boots. I walked away but the bike was a total loss.
Also: no engine braking without touching the pedal too (just for the brake warning light)! My four cylinder brakes like mad if I don't rev match, or I hamfist the clutch, I can easily lock up the back wheel.
Agree. Been riding a long time, over 40 years and the only time "loud pipes" have helped me while in my 4 wheeler is with windows down, (nice day), going slow in traffic. The Harley rider chooses, unwisely, to ride in the blind spot. Revving the bike engine does help identify his location. This is about the only time loud pipes help, because the sound is behind the bike and 4 wheelers, which will not be heard by the other drivers at any speed above a slow pace. I would suggest lane position as a better safety strategy, as well as gear, vision, and reading the road/traffic.
I don't wear a GoPro but I've gone down twice in 7 years... I've had SERIOUS close calls on the freeway and surface streets... I definitely agree that if you're above 150cc ALWAYS wear at least a jacket... Full face helmets are the best choice but if you're not on the freeway a 3/4 with a visor provides a bit better protection than a shell... My second was the better example of protective gear... It was raining on the 405 in LA and I was riding at the edge of the lane to the right and all of a sudden a guy just jumps into the car pool lane... I've that happen before and can usually recover but it was so wet, I actually hydroplaned.. I tried to correct not realizing I was sliding and slammed to the ground... Had I had a GoPro there would be crazy footage of me sliding about 20 feet on my shoulder.. I was wearing my thick BILT jacket so I had no real injuries... It did twist my frame pretty good though... The interesting thing is that if it hadn't been raining I wouldn't have went down but because it was raining my jacket didn't even get damaged... I had ZERO damage to my pants or shoes but I did hit the bottle holder on my scooter when I flew off as it went down...
thank you Kevin for another great video. Thank you very much to Vince, Daryl and David for sharing so we can learn from those accidents. As fun fact: Our Canadian Alexa told my husband and I that we wont crash or have close calls with our motorcycles in the next 5 months as we live in Montreal Canada and winter season started. No riding until April :) hehe!
My Driver's Ed teacher taught me (not universal, but applicable here): "The most dangerous person on the road is the person behind you. You can influence everyone in front of you with your actions as a driver more easily than the one behind you"
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Firetruck passed me getting to accident, as I came upon traffic slowing ahead I found roadway wet from firetrucks foaming tank...SLIPPERY SOAP. Your voice in my head kept me calm and no crash! Blessings brother 🙏❤😎
This year I started teaching my wife how to ride and keep herself safe, she always complained about all of the safety gear she had to wear and how hot it got under layers of leathers. 2 weeks ago we were riding a road that we ride every week without an issue but this time there was an issue. In a left hand turn the rear tire decided to blow out, the road is on a small mountain and has no guard rail, she slid off the road and she ended up about 20 feet down the hill and the bike was about 30 feet below her. 7 injured ribs, concussion, separated shoulder, and a small hair line crack in her hip later she is now happy that the gear was required by me. She will be back up and riding soon enough and wants more training.
Bro I’m so happy your wife was ok after all that and still willing to ride after. Much luck to you guys from here on out.
What was the cause of the blowout?
@@scottamolinari A small sharp rock that she saw just as she ran it over, she noticed it as she passed it and could not miss it. Now she pays close attention to the road ahead.
When I was first learning to drive a car, my father said “Everybody on the road is trying to crash into you. They will come at you from the front, the back and both sides. It’s up to YOU to avoid them because they will not avoid you.” That made my situational awareness very keen from day one and has helped countless times throughout the years. I brought that same mindset with me when I started riding motorcycles. Close calls are almost a daily occurrence, traffic, road conditions, weather, even the wildlife is out to get ya.
The proper gear is everything. Situational awareness is everything. Slow down. No need for panic stops. If you miss your turn or exit, go to the next one and try again. There are no winners in a motorcycle crash, just survivors. 👏🏻 Good video MC.
Don't think you should be having close calls on EVERY RIDE. just me, but im gonna investigate other routes, or roads. And myself. Stay safe.
Ive always been aware of my surroundings but i got rear ended by a lady on her phone on the interstate luckly it was slow speeds and i was ok but my truck suffered slight damage to the bumper and tail gate i wish i had looked at my rear view closer
True true true words there
Whenever I go out on my bike I always expect every vehicle is an accident waiting to happen. Get training with the Institute of Advanced Motoring. You will enjoy motorcycling a lot more.
What do you do to prepare for riding where you expect every vehicle is an accident waiting to happen?
@@DFWKen apply road strategy as taught by I AM and by Kev
@@DA-pn4rz Road strategy is good. If the cars cant get near you, they cannot hurt you. But, I was hoping that you'd also say that you practice emergency braking, and regularly practice in a parking lot so that your body will do the right thing when that accident in waiting tries to ruin your day. Kevin practices regularly, even with all of his knowledge and experience.
@@DFWKen aah yes you are right
@@DFWKen Emergency braking is a by product of good training, regular practises and procedures. It's better to prevent incidents happening by good planning and the IPSGA rules etc rather than resort to luck in order to avoid them at the last second. Anyone getting into such an emergency braking situation on a motorcycle has to some degree contributed in the lead up of the circumstances that led them into that predicament in the first place. Looking at these videos and others on You Tube will testify to that fact.
One July 1 many years ago in the last century, I started my first rotation as intern in the ICU. Back in a corner room was a former motorcyclist. His heart, lungs, liver, kidneys were working but not his brain. We interns used the term "gorked out" (but not on drugs). When I finished there 6 weeks later he was still there. Now maybe his family was really rich or he had really great insurance but most such patients sooner or later become wards of the state. The worst situation is being permanent disabled in a major way but still having self awareness. The bill in such situations eventually for many ends up with the taxpayer. Broken upper or lower jaws, nose fractures, orbital blow outs (you know about that) are far from pleasant. Even road rash with embedded gravel is a problem. If one going to ride at all, always wear the best protective equipment.
Everyone knows that Lexus stopped producing vehicles with turn signals back in 1997. Along with Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
I thought that was only true in DFW???
@@MCrider Try riding in New England. Very few drivers use their turn signals regularly when merging and exiting.
Drivers in Michigan don't know what a blinker is, let alone use em! I'll have my blinker on trying to change lanes and cages act like they can't see me. I've now got a light system that connects to my brakes, so my bike has 24 brake lights and I glow red when stopping. "XKchrome" even police officers have commented in the fact they could see me very well from afar at night.
I work 3rd shift so most of my riding is at night!
gemini232003 , couldn’t have said any better!
You forgot Cadillac and Lincoln.
Vince (uk rider)
Hi, I was the rider who was rear ended in the first video, I had slowed to a stop to turn onto my drive way, there was a car on my drive way which stopped me turning onto it, this distracted me and I took my eye off the car behind, never again ! I now slow much sooner if I am stopping and keep an eye on what is behind me until I know they are stopping, I keep watching encase another vehicle behind them is not stopping, by the time I have reached the point of when I am going to turn I know the vehicle behind have seen me and know my intentions. I was riding a 1993 mint condition VMAX, unfortunately the bike was a right off, luckily for me I was not, riding with full gear probably saved my life. I now ride a 2011 c1800r intruder and will keep on riding.
Ah. Thank you for the clarification.
Thanks Vince. The video gave the impression you slowed down quickly to look at a car-no mention was made that you were turning into your house. Shame about the bike, but you could have found another immaculate one somewhere. Finding new skin and unbroken bones would not have been.
Great to see you are able to comment mate and are still riding.
Well done mate it takes balls to get back on especially when half of the internet has an opinion on your driving style.
Rehab wise, keep swimming, physio and get a decent Chinese acupuncture practitioner to help with your tinnitus and nerve issues.
Good to see that you survived relatively intact Vincent, that could certainly have been a lot worse - I'd love to have heard the drivers explanation for that one although in fairness to her, it was those tricky conditions of dead straight road in broad daylight - whatever she was doing in there, it certainly wasn't driving the car and paying attention to the road - fair play to you for continuing to ride and not letting a bad experience put you off - stay safe out there - regards - Dale
Nothing you could have done mate, the person was obviously on their phone, you can't arm yourself against that kind of stupidity. Good that you're riding on bro, rock it!!!
I remember when I was about 20, long time ago. was riding my dirt bike beside the railroad tracks in fla. The loose gravel caught my front tire and my head became a shovel plowing through the gravel. It happened so fast I had no reaction time. Thank god for the full helmet with face shield. I had to take off the shield so that I could see to ride home. ran out and bought a new shield. Protect that head! Keep up the good work, you help save lives.
One thing that might have been a contributing element in the incident shared by Vince...
Vince may have slowed down using engine braking exclusively. One of the things I had hammered into me when I was learning to drive a stick..."Always use the brake when slowing down". When slowing down by letting off the gas (rolling off the throttle) or downshifting, your brake lights are NOT on. As a result, the fact that you are slowing down is not immediately and boldly communicated to the driver(s) behind you. Communication is key, and rate of deceleration that a manual transmission vehicle is capable of achieving without the use of the brake is something the majority of drivers are not going to be prepared for reacting to without being prompted to take notice. This is exactly why I try to be in the habit of always squeezing the brake lever enough to light up the brake light ANY time I am decelerating. About the only exception to this would be times that I am actually coasting (clutch pulled in), since the deceleration that happens when coasting is so very gradual that it highly unlikely to catch a driver by surprise.
Hang'n with Dosei I’ve heard about fitting a brake light modulator. It lights up the brake light when the bike slows i.e. when using engine breaking. Perhaps I will get one sometime.
Hi
I was in fact braking and signalling to turn right onto my driveway, the distraction was the car on my drive way, the sting in the tail is, it was my daughters car ??
@@vincenttarling5902,
Well, that rules my thought out...in your situation anyway.
Hi
What you say is true, always make sure the driver behind you knows your intentions, I was braking several time and indicating to turn right onto my drive, unfortunately she was not looking at me at all, texting some important crap I expect.
Regards
Vince
Thank you for that braking tip! I have been riding a long time, and I often use engine braking to save wear and tear on brake pads but I never realized that without a brke light, I am stopping much faster than what a car driver might perceive! Great idea, now I need to get it into my routine...
I've been riding since 1972. I've had two drunken motorcycle mishaps, I say mishaps as they weren't accidents, I was just drunk. I learned my lesson and since I don't drink anymore I won't have that happen again. I'm glad Ohio is not a mandatory helmet state. I had a neck injury in one of those mishaps and after 41 years I still can't near the weight of a helmet on my head. I know I should wear a helmet but I'm willing to take my chances. I did learn another lesson I call 'anticipation' and keep very aware of my surroundings and try to anticipate what some cager might do and that lesson has paid off a few times.
These are my favorite types of videos that you do. I learn the most from other peoples mistakes or incidents and your commentary about them. Keep up the great work.
I've been riding for 27 years and this last Wednesday I had the closest call ever. I was on a surface street 4 lanes wide approaching an intersection. At the intersection lane #4 becomes a freeway on-ramp. I was in lane #3 as I entered the intersection and a car came out of the on-ramp straight into the intersection nearly brushing me from the side and then cutting in front of me. I did have the presence of mind to find the horn and initiate emergency braking without sliding. But I did have to pull into a McDonald's to thank God for protecting me and sit and calm myself with a cup of coffee. It took me 30 minutes to stop shaking. Since watching your videos I have become much better at finding potential threats. Thank you Kevin
Good call to stay at the mac for a while. A lot of accidents happen just after a close call...
@@sail4life even after sitting for 45 min I was unbelievably paranoid the rest of the way home. My head was on a swivel, especially at intersections. A couple of days later I went for a ride in the country just to get confidence back.
A few weeks back I was ambushed by FOUR deer at 2:45 am while on my ride into work , unfortunately I still crashed. But because I strongly preach full face to my friends and wear one all the time , I still have my face intact. Proper gear is the name of the game.
To be fair, people and cars are predictable, animals are not. Deer can be a pain - literally. Good work mate. No amount of defensive riding skill can account for animals straying in to your path from a blind position.
Wearing bright cloths helps. Neon yellow & orange stand out to drivers.
6/1/17. My wife was on the back when a cager ran a stop sign. We were going 45mph and I had to lay it down or go flying! Our gear saved our hides, not a scratch on our bodies, but internally was a different story.
I've now got an implant replacement disc and my wife's neck has been fused, but we walked away from the accident at the time!
DRESS FOR THE SLIDE
NOT THE RIDE!
That phrase has stuck with me!
After a couple surgeries and months of rehab for both of us, we got back out there.
2 yrs later and another bike, this one with all the crash bars, front and rears.
You're never too old to learn more about bike safety and riding techniques and McRider is one of the best channels on CZcams for riders of all skill levels to learn, especially beginning riders. I'm 71 and have had 2 motorcycle accidents since I was 17 when I first started riding. The first one occurred on a Honda 125 when I was 17. A car pulled out of a side street making a left turn in front of me. I tried swerving around the car but couldn't avoid the crash and hit the passenger side front bumper, catapulting me over the bike into some grass on the side of the road. I was wearing neither helmet or protective gear. Luckily I wasn't going fast (20-30 mph?) when I hit and the only injury I suffered was a broken tooth and some scrapes. My second accident happened a few years ago while riding home from work on a KAW ZG1000. I was on a 2 way city street riding about 5-7 meters (15-21 feet) behind a car going about 25 km/h. Perfect sunny day. There were cars parked on the right side of the road. At some point a bright orange URAL parked in a driveway on my right caught my eye. I glanced at the URAL taking my eyes off the road for not more than a second. During that same one second a pedestrian stepped out from between the parked cars onto the road in front of the car in front of me. The car braked hard. At 25 km/h you cover almost 7 meters (22 feet) in a second. I hit the brakes hard and had to swerve left to avoid hitting the car that had already come to a stop. My bike went over as it came to a stop in the middle of the road. I was lucky and didn't get injured. Bike had a broken mirror and some scrapes on the fairing and clutch handle. I was able to ride home - a little shaken and kicking myself for not keeping my eyes on the road 100% of the time.
great video, as usual.... two things i learned when i bought my first bike.... 1- drive like you are invisible and nobody can see you, makes you very aware of whats going on around you! 2- when passing any vehicle glance at their front tire as you go by, if it moves toward the line you might have an issue. this is true in Darrel's video. thanks for the great work!
When I was a kid, my dad was riding to work. Around 4 in the morning, on an empty freeway. At the time, there want much in that area. A random car decided to cut him off, and clipped the front of his bike causing him to go down. My dad was dressed for work. Slacks, buttoned down shirt, dress shoes, and a wind breaker. The only protective gear was good helmet. His clothes were shredded, and the skin on his legs and stomach was ground off from the pavement. He was lucky to be alive, and was severely scarred. When he finally got back into riding, he always had full protective gear. Full face helmet, jacket, pants, gloves. Even on an empty highway, where you should be perfectly safe, anything can happen...
If noise level doesn't have any effect on roadgoers so why are there claims to have some sounds with electric vehicles? They could be almost completely silent... I have experienced that somewhat louder pipes cause beneficial effect approaching on pedestrians, bicycle riders and some animals, too... And what about visually impaired?
I agree noise is another positive when done properly, just like hi vis reflective material, LED lighting and many other aspects. The helmet is a choice s good choice, be smart but it is no fun riding in bubble!
I went back to riding last year on a 1400 cc size bike, after a 10 year lay off. I relearned a lot from all your videos, and really try to ride safely, as I live in a denser Metro area. There doesn't seem to be enough lights, horns, or loud mufflers to keep highway traffic aware of us cycle riders in general and specific. I really wanted to return to the joy of riding I used to have, but I am feeling it may be time to get off the road. It's been more like planning a combat mission with moderate chances of returning. Thanks for all your help and knowledge you are passing out to all the fans of two wheel travel.
That first one is the scary one for me- You can't see everything all the time.
Check your mirrors every 5 - 8 seconds, or more if the idiots getting too close.
He should've been more aware of the car behind him.That said,hope he's doing better.
I have pretty loud Screaming Eagle Harley Sportster. Few months ago, I was riding in the left lane of two lane street. Car came from right side at the crossroad into the empty right lane, and immediatelly continued into left lane just in front of me. Since I was paying attention to him, I reduced the throttle, had to brake a little, and horned him loudly!!!
All thanx to You!!! Again!!!
Anyone watching this needs to tell anyone else they know who rides a bike to watch this channel. Without a doubt it's saving lives. Very good well presented life saving stuff thank you so much MCrider. My 2022 Goldwing has a very unimpressive horn button and I have had to spend ages building the muscle memory to go straight to it in an emergency. Playing guitar a lot has taught me that muscle memory once developed properly can save your life on a motorcycle..
Thanks for a great video.
It reminds of my teacher when i got my bike license many years ago who said:
"Remember that everyone else on the road are blind, they are deaf, they are probably drunk and they are all out to kill you. If you remember those four rules you may survive."
the rule I use and abide to is that every participant in traffic, every road user has a potato sack instead of brain cells. Always scout ahead, always be on the lookout, some potato sack for brains is trying to kill you.. always!
All good advice, thanks. One thing though, the term muscle memory is frequently and widely misused and does not relate to our ability to perform previously practised activity quickly in an emergency situation, nor does it directly relate to any form of rapid activity such as playing Vivaldi on a violin or Rachmaninov on the piano, that is all 'nerve' memory, habit if you will (see Diadochokinesia). The muscle simply needs to return to it's original length after being instructed to contract by the motor nerve. Muscle memory relates to a muscle's resting length and it's propensity to return to that length after an activity. It's obvious effect is when a spasmed muscle is either stretched or massaged to a more relaxed state, but then spontaneously returns to spasm in a short period without outside input. Muscle memory is important and useful when it is optimal but is a real nuisance and a pain (literally) when the muscle is too tight or short. We develop good habits when we consciously practise them, we develop good muscle memory when we regularly stretch, get massaged and practise good nutrition/hydration and we motorcyclists survive when we make a practice of wearing the right gear and practising emergency braking. Sorry about all that, I just haven't found a local branch of Pedantics Anonymous yet!
Great, thought provoking video Kevin, thank you!
It’s not for me to tell anybody what to wear when riding a motorcycle, but I think, that unless there is some medical reason, it is crazy not to wear a full face helmet.
As someone who grew up riding in a country where it’s compulsory ( despite the fact 99% of people were voluntarily doing it) to wear a helmet, I’ve always wondered what it’s like in states not requiring them. I have had occasional no helmet rides in the countryside but that’s not the same.
I’d say there’s freedom of choice issues here and the change of attitude l had when helmetless as against all leathered up and feeling much safer might mitigate some of the safety reasons. Just offering my opinion . 😊🇬🇧
@@goldilocks913 I respect your opinion mihal 😊
Another GREAT video and avices by Kevin. I wish more Brazilian riders would be English proficient so to take advantage of such a good treasure, the MC Rider channel. Many thanks, Kevin. And The Lord bless you and your family.
One of my key safe motorcycle riding rules is always been Mentally Ready to Ride, which, amongst others, implies in NEVER riding tired (needing sleep), intoxicated (alcohol, drugs, medicine) or in any other way mentally impaired.
One of the particulars of this rule is what I call The Attention String: Safe Riding demands Prevention, which demands Anticipation, which demands Calculation/Assessment, which demands Observation, which demands Attention/Focus, which demands Concentration, which demands Mental Energy, which demands Rest/Sleep.
My only (thank God, light, not harmful) riding incident so far happened precisely by breaking this rule. Lesson learned (!) the hard way.
Cheers from Campinas, SP, Brasil.
Thank you Ayrton!!!
My advice: Don't go for the horn until you're completely out of danger. Use the time and thought to avoid the crash. If you go for the horn but hit the turn signal instead when a lefty-turner starts to pull out, they'll think that it's ok, you're turning left anyway.
The only time I'll use my horn is to warn a pedestrian not to step out in front of me. Otherwise, the horn on my motorcycle doesn't exist.
It's the same everywhere I think. 3 times yesterday someone cut me off entering my lane with no turn signals. Either the motorcycle is indeed invisible or a lot of cage drivers don't care so much because they are not in danger to get hurt so they are not paying attention. MCrider videos did help me respond accordingly. And I also restrained myself from giving them the finger! Nicely done MCrider! Keep up the good work! Greetings from Greece..
Awesome video Kevin. Your 3rd instance underscores the main reason why I never ride without a Full Face helmet.
Many years ago, when I was an impressionable young rider, a seasoned veteran shared his story of a crash on the street, An old Kawasaki Triple,. Anyway the only part he remembered was opening his eyes and seeing the pavement pass underneath him as he slid facedown. Needless to say, he would have had horrific injuries and perhaps even a painful death, had he not had a full faced helmet. There are differences in helmets, so choose wisely
This was really good. Thank you, Kevin. Excellent protective gear is a seemingly big investment until you weigh it in terms of the life changing cost of trauma, financially, physically, emotionally, etc etc etc.
Good gear is always worth the extra cost, be it fishing waders, biker gear etc, Durable and effective costs.
@@kingfisherphil Ex-zacky!
Years ago the government had to break into someone's residence install microphones to illegally wiretap them. Now Americans freelee purchase the device with their own money and bring it into their own residence. You do know that device is recording everything you and your family says.
I remember looking at a huge study some years ago showing that motorcyclists getting hit from behind was one of the least common bike accidents. The most common is failing to negotiate a turn, which doesn't involve any other vehicle, or cars turning left in front of the bike at an intersection. What I took away from that study was when you're on a bike most of the trouble you encounter will be right out there in front of you.
Good gear is the difference between walking away and a hospital stay
The Alexa joke made me laugh sooooo much. 🤣
It's the future thou...
there is afew really good riding tip video channels out there but I feel the way you explain and talk you are number 1 for me. You also have a chat on any topic a new or experienced rider might be looking for an answer to...great stuff.Just a thank you
This video reminds me of a crash that happened in 2016, the helmet protected the riders head and face, though his internal injuries were severe. Thank you for always providing us with valuable advise.
Three classic examples of why the info you teach, is so important. Knowledgeable and crystal clear narrative too, thanks MC.
I have noticed everytime I put myself and bike in a near incident or a vehicle has put myself and bike in a near incident I always have the reflex of my MSF training classes and hours spent watching MCrider . Very great reflex tools to have at my disposal. Great Video Kevin. Keep up the great work Sir .
In the second story, you comment the horn is a loud Airhorn, and it was heard by the car driver. Yet you then contradict yourself and say "Loud Pipes" do not save lives! Had that been a "Stock" horn, the driver may NOT have heard it and completely gone into the lane occupied by the motorcycle! They're on a Interstate and traveling at a high rate of speed... so the "Sound" from the pipes isn't heard very well by those in front of the motorcycle. Since most pipes are on the right side, the motorcycle blocks most of the noise from the car in front and to the left of the motorcycle! Loud Pipe save LIVES
Me: Alexa, should I go for a ride?
Alexa: Watch MC Rider’s new video first.
I wish you had done this last week. I came off a long river bridge and was making a left hand turn from a two lane road but failed to look back. I heard a long screeching of brakes. I was lucky. No, I didn’t get hit. However, I’ve watched enough of your videos to know better. Even though technically the driver would have been at fault, I should have seen it coming long before the brakes were screeching. I was in full gear and to the left of the road, but not aware of what was going on behind or prepared to evade ... I don’t think I will forget this any time soon but it might help others if you talked about left hand tuns from two lane roads even out in the country away from city traffic. Thanks for all you do.
Good video! Even though you are moving forward - know what's going on behind you too!!!!
Check your six.....
ATGATT - All The Gear All The Time
Loud pipes dont save lives. Thank you for saying this. Self defense in the forms of skills and being alert saves lives. Usually your own.
Here here. Good defensive riding saves lives. Check out The Rider Guider also. I've also learned a few things from there - an up and coming channel!!!!
Hell they don't, you obviously don't know or don't ride
@@fasteddy if loud pipes are what saves your life when riding shouldn't you point them forward do as to announce your presence before your arrival. Loud pipes feed egos.
@@SteveG-pf9mq so you have never been pushed out of a lane into a guardrail on your stock exhaust harley cause some idiot in a pickup doesn't see or hear you. It's for your ego. What bike do you ride?
@@fasteddy 4 bikes 4 brands including HD. Been riding over 25 years and have seen plenty of loud pipe bikes pulled out in front of by drivers not thinking about us. Survival is self defense in my opinion and don't expect anything besides my wits and experience to save me. You can think what you like but I don't believe.
As a former trainer i used to push observation as the most important skill , know what is happening around you 360 degrees all the time know what your speed is with regular checks etc... , safe, fun ridding is all about knowing what is going on around you because the car drivers do not care so you have to , proper gear is a must and i would suggest a training coarse for your licence as they teach important accident avoidance skills you do not learn on the street .
Riding a motorcycle, forces you to realize how careful you need to be on the road in all situations. Yes , on a bike there are more hazards. That being said there are plenty of hazards in a automobile also. There are bad drivers everywhere, & we have to constantly beware of creepy cages.
I am not a motorcyclist, but I have been involved in a fatal bike accident a few months ago. I was in the passenger seat of a car. It was a very dark moonless night with very heavy fog in the area. A vehicle pulled out of a side road into the path of the cyclist and there was a collision. The vehicle then drove to the side of the road, leaving the cyclist and bike in the middle of a three lane road (Not the best decision but it is what it is and it was a decision made with a busted shoulder from the collision). Being dark and very foggy, all I could see was the vehicle on the side of the road with its hazard lights on. Another car overtook me and ran right over the top of the bike, and threw the rider about 30 meters down the road. When we arrived, I only saw the bike as we passed it on the left. It was only luck we missed it. I was looking for the rider as we were slowing down and only spotted him about a car length in front of us. I had time to say swerve, swerve, but the driver of the car I was in did not see what I saw. We ran over the riders leg. The bike was black, the riders clothing was black, and his helmet was black. I have since noticed that it is very common for riders to wear such dark clothing. I know it was not the bike riders fault for this accident, but I wish he had been wearing reflective clothing and had reflective tape on his helmet and bike. The reflective gear may have helped him avoid the follow up incidents. Please guys, if you must wear dark gear, please consider reflective tape wherever you can. It may save your life.
Loud pipes DO save lives. Not from other drivers, but from the deer that obviously hear my Harley and bolt away at my approach. That never happens on my quiet Honda.
For the second incident you showed us, I’ve come across this same situation at least 2-3 DOZEN TIMES in the 20+ years I’ve been riding. When I’m passing a cager, I do it quickly while watching their passenger side tires and covering my brakes. If the tires come within a few inches of that white line, I’m laying on my horn and braking. I just learned to expect cars to attempt hitting me. If I expect it, it does not surprise me when it happens.
You are so correct in the Loud Pipes don’t save lives, they also don’t grab drivers’ attention. I work in EMS and our DUAL siren speakers are on the front and we have flashy lights and drivers still do NOT see or hear us and our sirens are pointed TOWARD them, unlike exhausts which are points AWAY from cars ahead of you. You can also outrun the sounds of sirens at speeds above 50mph and the same with exhaust.
I always have one "close call" every time I ride no matter how careful I am...I ride from/in a big city..
John Helms that’s just everyone in the city man. I try to stay away from my metro area but I live in a popular beach city and it’s just a given that I’m gonna have a close call or a distracted driver on the road around me.
Another channel that will help is The Rider Guider, VERY good on defensive riding. Has some good insight on how to avoid collisions, check it out!
@@Coffeeandcream365 Thanks...I subscribed....information is power!
I did a lot of commuting on the bike a few years ago. In my experience at least one person is trying to kill you on every commute.
Good thing the lady that rear ended Vince already had her phone in her hand. So she could call an Ambulance.
Thank you. I'll be sure to keep watching.
15 months ago I was riding home at knight. I came out of a corner doing 100km only to find a group of cows across the road. With only a few meters I didn’t have any chance to really react. Needless to say I hit one still travelling at least 90km. The crash left me with a lot of injuries and surgeries still in and out of hospital. It has also cost me my business aswell as physical health. The financial cost has been extremely difficult which is something I never gave thought too before hand. So be safe when riding and have a plan in place should anything happen.
When a car is close I always look at the wheels rather than the car itself
Being a Commercial Truck Driver for many years.. I check my mirrors non stop .. I would try to avoid letting a Moron Tail gate me..
I was driving a Chevy Chevette 5:00 PM on a Friday. It was starting to rain .. I notice a Cement Truck driving like a behind me.. I wanted to turn left into a business had my turn signal on 4 lane road.. I was slowing down .. I see the Cement truck bearing down on me .. I knew he could not stop. I had to floor it and speed up to avoid being creamed from behind by a cement truck .
Another time same road but where it was 5 lanes.. . I am in the left lane the light turns Red I am breaking hard to stop for red light .. But I notice a bread Truck going very fast behind me.. I had looked both ways on the side road.. not a very busy street.. I could see I had no oncoming traffic from the side streets.. so from a Complete Stop I dumped the clutch floored it rand the read light floored it and ran the red light avoiding being rear ended.. Actually it was a Clark Food Service Truck .. I called the Company and told them they had a Moron Driver..
You'd make a good soldier - thinking on your feet like that.
In my first slide down the road in 1973 (one of only two), I was wearing a full face helmet that I had borrowed 5 minutes earlier from my ride buddy. The chin piece of his helmet had severe gouging after I stopped sliding. That saved my face that day. Moving forward to 2019, I bought a helmet from my son who works for a Harley dealer. He didn't even show me an open face helmet. I asked why and he said something about seeing the result of an accident with the rider wearing an open face helmet. QED.
Been riding 46 years and have to say that was excellent. Learned a lot of that stuff on the road and sometimes the hard way. Very good presentation and also some really good contributions in the comments. And I think it's time I went back to a full face helmet. Thanks Kevin and to your commenters
what i normaly do on the road while riding
* adopting speed of traffic
* adequate following distance
*maintain seeing the mirror on driver's side
*and of course a hawks eye view of on the road
I am so glad you are killing bad rumours. Loud pipes saves lives are amoung the biggest. great video
It's illegal to pass on the right as far as I know in Canada or USA, I always keep that in my mind..
Right on! as is the case in many other countries. Fast moving traffic on the left, slow on the right. What a concept. ;)
Knowing how to handle your bike is the first barrier against dying or getting hurt. To know this, you need to push the envelope. Going slow because you are afraid of speed will cement your beginner level.
This fall there was a first cold saturday morning after nightly rain and some drizzle during the morning. I was somewhat in a hurry on my GSF1200 on the highway, going 87mph in a 43mph-area of the highway with temporary pavement and rerouting, thereby som sharper turns than otherwise.
I was going too fast for my skill and the rear broke out in a long slide.
What I did manage was to not panic and to think ahead and keep on the gas and use the concrete barrier and the pavement as a 90° groove for my wheel pair and if needed use the concrete barrier as a banking. I've done it before on my Husky 93 610TE at lower speeds, on icy road, using a divider the same way. So it was easy and comfortable to do. I'm not a talented rider, I am at best slightly under average in talent, but I'm over average in willingness to practice and willingness to fail in front of others.
Ha, My Alexa answered you too. Different response LOL
My Alexa was driving me nuts trying to edit this...I finally just put my headphones on. ;)
She actually wouldn't shut up
As a rider, these are situations that you must anticipate. Add to these the oncoming car that makes a left turn in front of you, and the car making a left turn out of a side street. It doesn't matter who is at fault if you are dead. This is especially true if you are filtering or riding the center line.
Unless you are stopped in a parking lot and someone is backing into you, if you have time to honk your horn, you have time to avoid the accident. Honking your horn could just as easily make the situation worse. If you don't honk your horn, you can respond to what they are doing. Using your horn expresses your displeasure. Before you even think about the horn, you should be grabbing your clutch and brakes, and looking for a way out.
Trust me when i say that in UK you must be more careful what happens behind you than in front of you. Every close call i”ve had in UK were from drivers coming from behind. They dont take motorcyclists seriously. Lots of people on drugs or drunk here. And lots of of people just plain stupid.
When i go out on a long journey on my bike or even down to the local shops, i always wear all my bike safety kit. The most frustrating of all is the amount of bikers i see also nipping down to their local shops in t shirts , flip flops and no gloves. In my eyes if you ride your bike 50 miles in one trip is no different doing 2 miles. Great videos , keep up the great work.
James Penman especially with the amount of street clothes gear you can get. Like the speed and strength or scorpion covert line. You should be able to ride your bike with good safety gear no matter where you go.
They say more accidents happenon short journeys.
The beginning part with your back and forth with the Alexa was hilarious. My kinda humor
Hitting the horn is not uncommon among riders when they get into a stressful situation. This is because we use our turn signals more than our horns so in a stressful event our muscle memory reverts to the horn. I do practice drills 2 times a week to help override this muscle memory thus giving me a better chance of hitting the horn when needed.
Was wearing a 3/4 with a face shield when I hit a deer. My shield was badly scratched but it held my face off the asphalt. I did have a couple stitches in my chin but the point is good face shields do an excellent job.
I don’t have loud pipes but I do believe that they bring attention to your motorcycle. I think being seen is also important. Maybe just as life-saving as having a helmet. A driver that is not distracted completely with his phone or whatever is likely to hear a motorcycle around him. Like I said my pipes are not loud but they do get noticed because I see heads turn.
Goodvibrations1966 I have a Ducati 748 with Termignoni mufflers. It’s very loud and I always have earplugs in with a windjammer fitted to my helmet. The loudest thing I hear is the wind buffeting my helmet. I don’t really hear other bikes in a group ride - sure a Harley on open throttle rattles teeth, but not at cruising speed. Cars are generally travelling with windows up, insulating occupants from the outside world. I certainly don’t hear bikes in my car unless they are blatting past me under hard acceleration. So it’s best to consider loud pipes audible only to pedestrians without earbuds, bike haters, police, cyclists, babies in prams, those in a horse and cart, and animals - none of which/whom we would consider need to hear us for our safety.
Good video and advice thanks. I can't quote the source, but a large amount of head and brain injuries occur from impact to the face. I wear BOHN lower body armour, the built in armour in my HD jacket, gloves of course, a Dainese honeycomb vented back protector and even an Alpinestars vented chest protector - the latter ones chosen after an amount of research - and kevlar lined Draggin' jeans. It's a habit now, don't really notice the stuff while riding (Road Glide). 'Course I wore all this before anyway on my many past repli-racers.
Flick the back break by rapidly tapping the pedal it should be mandatory by manufacturers or put a device to make it flicker when applying the brake only,
You become more noticeable from the person behind if the light is flickering and always have a nice strong back light on the break only!
And always have your lights on even in the daytime
That can help but I would still rather know for myself who is coming up from behind.
I bought a used bike with the BACK-OFF module installed that does just that. I agree with your point.
Also, at a stoplight at night, when I see in my mirror that a car is coming (even if not in my lane, but might go into it suddenly), I let off my brake and then grab it again to initiate the blinking.
There are after market led brake light bulbs that give a 4 rapid flash, then steady on. I don't have to think about rapid brake on and off, it just happens. I have had to brake urgently, so control and stopping is my focus. I anticipate driver errors, and been excused for some of my own. I learn from mistakes that may not be excused a second time. Practice emergent or rapid braking in a clear area. I have a checklist before I ride, the first being myself. Do I feel right or off that day? If I feel dulled or uncertain of reflexes, then that is a no that day.
@@jimhill6586
Nice. Didn't know there were bulbs that did that automatically without installing a module.
@@huyked ALLA lighting, part# STR-2835-1157-39R this replaces the common 1157 bulb. I had to buy a 2 pack for $20 from ebay or Amazon. It has 4 rapid flashes, then steady on. Legal in California and other states.
Over here in Nigeria, we believe in the ‘Loud pipes save lives’ slogan. This is due to our road conditions and the type of drivers we have here. Should you not rev, no one cares if you ride a bike as they don’t tend to ‘share the roads’ with bikers (on the other hand, as you rev, they are aware/ alert of you and kind of respect theirselves and make way for you 😆). I ride a Honda cbr300r with factory exhaust and this is really silent. I blare my horn to be heard/ seen by the distracted drivers. I’ve been advised to change the exhaust.
What du guys think?
If i knew i was going to have a crash i would not ride that day. Thank you for reminding riders road skills, road awareness, and safety gear combined help to survive a crash
Thanks again Kevin! I need your reminders and often new to me tips, every week! Crowded roads almost 24/7 here in Calif. Some drivers would rather kill you on a motorcycle or bicycle than let you slow them down one mph. I had one road rage woman with her young wide eyed daughter in the passenger seat, while riding on a narrow back roads on my bicycle, through a 15mph Z turn area, honked her horn, then sped up and braked at the last second 5 times, stopping less than a foot from me every time, then came up beside me with the window down yelling past her daughter "NOT ENOUGH ROOM ON THIS ROAD FOR CARS, YET ALONE JERKS LIKE YOU!!!" Then she sped up and turned in front of me and slammed on the brakes. I was traveling 15.5mph, and didn't hit her since I used defensive riding, but got her license number and reported her to the local police. They said they can only, but WILL send her a warning letter.
But the biggest thing to learn as a rider is what some call counter-steering.. Rather than leaning your body push down on the handlebars in the direction you want to go.. I discovered because I had a very winding road on a commute... I had major issues trying to lean, but as soon as I shoved the handlebars down, it let me even split lanes in a turn with exact control (LA lets you split lanes)... It even lets not shift your butt on the seat if you have go left and then right...
Watching this in mid-2021, as anyone who has driven a modern car knows, the vehicles are designed to keep out all normal road noises. The noise isolation is specifically designed to cut out low-frequency sounds, like engine sounds. At the same time, they are also designed to let through higher frequency sounds like horns and sirens. That is why a car driver won't hear your loud "pipes", but will more easily hear even a road-legal horn.
4:38 The guy looks up and he's like.. "Wow Am I in heaven?"
I'm a dirt biker. Recently bought a Harley. The moment I realized I'm dealing with asphalt and sharing space with 6000 pounds of carelessness, time to go FULL GEAR!!!!!
when you say full gear do you mean a textile jacket with shoulder elbow and spline padding?
Wayne Simpson Yep. I cover my knees and I’m looking for a boot as well. The younger guys laugh but they don’t pay my bills.
Wayne Simpson I bought the Klim Induction jacket with the D 30 pads. Love it.
does FULL GEAR include wearing a full-face helmet? I have a black half-helmet with side ear flaps, but I'm wondering if a full face is better but the one problem is I got a claustrophobic feeling trying it on once, and I think I might be claustrophobic but maybe that is only a temporary feeling wearing those?
Wayne Simpson Brother I have the same exact problem. I wear a full face helmet with clear shield. Gotta protect the chin and face. I started with a motor cross helmet and no shield just protective glasses. Got used to it real quick. Go find a triple x large helmet and wear it around the store awhile then work your way down. Another thing when your wearing a helmet indoors it seems More confining. Not as bad when you are outside. If I can get over it I know you can. Gotta have a full face helmet.
Yep rider strategy is by far the best way to go, save your money and ride awake and alert because as a motorcycle rider we don't just ride out motorcycles we have to drive the other motorists cars for them as well for our own safety.
I've ridden along seeing people watching TV not only their sat nav but actually watching TV or video what ever it was it was a movie in the front while they were driving along seen this several times.
Plus people nodding off to sleep while driving a common one, the odd thing is rather than giving these people a ticket they often are just let off right up until they kill someone.
So we really need to watch out for ourselves on the road and help larger vehicles do a better job at their driving.
I don't believe completely "loud pipes save lives" but, I have seen a difference in the city mostly. More than a handful of times where the louder than factory exhaust has at least made other drivers aware that a motorcycle is around. Especially if their windows are down. Problem is sometimes the cops are just as aware.. love your channel thanks for sharing the knowledge.
I think in a parking lot or in town but yes, a love certain speeds, I don’t think one can hear your loud pipes and know from which direction the sound is coming. Might be better to employ better road skills
you do spend a lot of time editing, and it shows. great vids. good balanced audio to. and IMO not so long that you loose my short attention span. Quality.
Once again, motorcycle accident caued by a car driver!
I hope he got a good payout from this driver's insurance!
I always wear my full gear, but also I have a Hi-Viz 'Bomber Jacket' over the top, which looks from a distance like that used by (UK) police motorcyclists - people always see me !
I consider it is a bike rider's duty to make themself as visible as possible - and I have been thanked by drivers for this too !
Audible indicators are used for safety all the time… horns, back up beeping, and loud pipes. Many times on the highway I hear a bike (or other loud vehicle) coming long before I see it. I do believe loud pipes add to the safety factor.
Kevin, I'm a returning rider and did not buy a full face helmut, thanks to this video I think that will change soon, thank you.
I was on my way to teach a piano lesson and there was no traffic. Just unexpected sand I broke my femer and tibia and collar bone and have a touch of arthritis as a result. But I was in Seattle in a wealthy neighbourhood and imeadiately 3 or 4 neighbours were covering me with a blanket directing traffic and talking to me and calling 911 and keeping me from trying to get up and move my bike.❤👍
On more than one occasion I've encountered the driver immediately in front of me slowing to make a turn by taking a foot off the gas pedal but neither signaling nor hitting the brakes at any time during the process. These lackadaisical drivers are indifferent to the fact that there might be someone behind them traveling at 60 MPH. Without the expected visual cues a motorcyclist can easily close too fast and collide with the back of a car. Like I've always said, expect the unexpected (like the possibility of deer bolting across the road in wooded areas) when riding a motorcycle and live longer as a result.
Accidentally stumble upon this video of yours Sir . Lots out there has same plot or storyline but i find yours VERY interesting, not boring. Thanks for sharing and yes, very informative.
The first issue I see with Vince's story is that he is riding on the wrong side of the road :) As for Darrell, it seems a loud horn was better than loud pipes. The third story reaffirms the belief my nose does not need to be shortened in that particular manner. Very good video, thanks.
WOW: as a Motorcycle rider with over 38yrs of experience riding, and an owner of a "GEO METRO", I'm "ALWAYS" aware of people in front of/ on the side of/ and behind me coming up, (AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE), what a shame, but yes it could happen to any of us! At any time!
I rode for 50 years and never wore a helmet. I sold my Harley when I retired and got into Jeeping. Occasionally I'll miss the Harley, but Jeeping is just as much fun.
What is your point? It's only an issue in a crash, not when you don't crash.
@@MrJeffinLodi The point is...don't crash and you don't need a helmet.
@@AlaskaErik And you control all that is around you? You can know in advance, who might turn in front of you? who might swerve into your lane? You control all the animals that might jump out in front of you, or the oil on the ground in front of you? God Bless you, my son; that is one hell of a trick.
I got hit from behind in a line of stopped cars. Riding a Voyager 1200 too. Was thrown into the back of a dump truck. The guy who hit me had followed me less than 3 blocks, he was just not paying attention. He'd have plastered a car as well. Full face shield, Cortech jacket, gloves, boots. I walked away but the bike was a total loss.
For crash 1: even as a car driver, I never trust the cars behind me when I slow or stop, and make sure I always check my rear, several times.
Also: no engine braking without touching the pedal too (just for the brake warning light)! My four cylinder brakes like mad if I don't rev match, or I hamfist the clutch, I can easily lock up the back wheel.
Excellent video, seeing other people's close calls is a great learning aid. I'd love to see more of these.
Thx MCrider for the informative video. FWIW I'm a AGAT type rider with 50+yrs of riding experience, it works.
Re loud pipes vs Skills, Strategy, Gear - the best comment I have ever heard!
Agree. Been riding a long time, over 40 years and the only time "loud pipes" have helped me while in my 4 wheeler is with windows down, (nice day), going slow in traffic. The Harley rider chooses, unwisely, to ride in the blind spot. Revving the bike engine does help identify his location. This is about the only time loud pipes help, because the sound is behind the bike and 4 wheelers, which will not be heard by the other drivers at any speed above a slow pace. I would suggest lane position as a better safety strategy, as well as gear, vision, and reading the road/traffic.
I don't wear a GoPro but I've gone down twice in 7 years... I've had SERIOUS close calls on the freeway and surface streets... I definitely agree that if you're above 150cc ALWAYS wear at least a jacket... Full face helmets are the best choice but if you're not on the freeway a 3/4 with a visor provides a bit better protection than a shell...
My second was the better example of protective gear... It was raining on the 405 in LA and I was riding at the edge of the lane to the right and all of a sudden a guy just jumps into the car pool lane... I've that happen before and can usually recover but it was so wet, I actually hydroplaned.. I tried to correct not realizing I was sliding and slammed to the ground... Had I had a GoPro there would be crazy footage of me sliding about 20 feet on my shoulder..
I was wearing my thick BILT jacket so I had no real injuries... It did twist my frame pretty good though... The interesting thing is that if it hadn't been raining I wouldn't have went down but because it was raining my jacket didn't even get damaged... I had ZERO damage to my pants or shoes but I did hit the bottle holder on my scooter when I flew off as it went down...
thank you Kevin for another great video. Thank you very much to Vince, Daryl and David for sharing so we can learn from those accidents. As fun fact: Our Canadian Alexa told my husband and I that we wont crash or have close calls with our motorcycles in the next 5 months as we live in Montreal Canada and winter season started. No riding until April :) hehe!
My Driver's Ed teacher taught me (not universal, but applicable here): "The most dangerous person on the road is the person behind you. You can influence everyone in front of you with your actions as a driver more easily than the one behind you"
Loud pipes are about as effective as "loud colors" or high vis yellow. It only works when someone is already looking for it.
Not according to the Hurt Report.