Mistakes you have made while riding

[The Oracle]

forget to strap on your helmet... mine flew off my head on the highway a few years ago.  

DAMN! That is f*cked up dude! I forget to strap mine occassionally too. The only thing I can say (advice wise for newbies), pull over to strap it. I have tried to do it no-handed while riding a couple times and had a couple of NEAR misses.

Also, I agree with Mike about riding with others (particularly experienced or crazy others). Ride at YOUR pace. Not anyone elses.

And, find your own line. Once you get good, everyone else's line will be a little different than yours!

Turn signal left on is a huge one too! I make it a habit to do this every 20 seconds or so:

1. Check right mirror and the peripheral vision (right blind spot);
2. View road;
3. View all gauges quickly (get used to where the needles should be (i.e. fuel and temp). This is also where you see if signal is on;
4. View road;
5. Check left mirror and the peripheral vision (left blind spot);

If you can't bring yourself to do all of this (it becomes a habit very quickly), then at least get in the habit of pushing the turn signal cancel button every 10-20 seconds after recent turning (just to make sure).

Remember to CONSTANTLY scan all areas... Intersections are big trouble spots.

* Be wary the lemmings in cages! *

Finally: Keep the rubberside down and the shinyside up!

 

[WWJD]

Mistake #5:  At this club called the Frat House, I saw this hot chick in a tight electric green skirt and low cut top, sexy/ratty hair and a young face to die for.  Found out she is a guy.  Let the wretching begin!!!

Never had that happen, Never will. Sorry it happened to you.

If anyone has any tips to recognizing this issue, I'm all ears. Didn't see much face fhru the hair but EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING else looked perfect... even comparing to other perfect looking real girls standing right next to...um... it.

sign me still wretching

Anyway, this is all great advice from people who been there! Thanks, mikey, I'da never thought of the water in gas station air before. But I do now

 

[Revlis]

My goofiest was letting my legs go numb on my old 750, finally get back to town after a LONG COLD stint...Stopped at light, couldn't feel my legs...down I went.  Amazing how heavy these things can suddenly feel when it goes wrong at a stop or tight parking lot manuever.
Advice...
1. Keep your head in the ride, allways be calculating, working out whats going on.

2. Try not to run through any intersection without company, especially if there are rush hour idiots waiting to turn left.  What I do is I try to find a real nice big car, Suburban etc... and keep them handy at the intersections...IE I will slow down or speed up to avoid being all alone as I go through an intersection.  Once through, I pull ahead of my "Blocker" and just sit a few lengths ahead until the next intersection etc...
Basicaly use the cages to your advantage.

3.  This is hard to explain... Come on Get Zen with me on this...Look as far ahead as is practical, two city blocks, a couple country miles whatever it is, and then "Open and expand your vision"...taking in all the little details between you and where you are looking without moving your eyes, peripheral vision only,  Concentrate on what is going on outside your forward point, try to remember details or pick up flashes of movement.  Practice this "Viewing all" technique and it will help you avoid alot of surprises.  Pretty soon you can scan two three blocks and identify hazards with ease, and not get surprised.  This follows the same Idea as "look where you want to go", if you get used to identifying hazards without actually having to look right over at them you leave yourself prepared to point it towards your out and get there in a hurry.

4 Do not trust your mirrors, I physically whip my head around and take a quick survey of what is back there, works well to get the tailgaters off your ass a little as well.

5. Practice your riding skills while driving, Mostly a mental excercise, but looking ahead, planning escape routes, spacing yourself on the road, avoiding stupidity, etc, can all be practiced on four wheels just as well as two.  Just try not to make the Vroom vroom noises and lean through the corners...the wife gets suspicious.

Oh yeah, last thing, NEVER, EVER check to see how fast you are going while cranked over in a high speed corner...Just look to towards where you want to go, never look down... quickest way to take it off roading I have seen yet...

 

[Revlis]

Wait I sorta went the wrong way with that....Stupid Sh*t I have done...Man, where to start.

1. Passing a long line of cars including the cop at the front...I thought they were just going slow...
2. Riding out of Aspen Colorado across Independance Pass in Late September at night with no Over pants or insulated gloves, and wearing a full perf leather...Nearly froze to death on the 6 hour ride back to Colorado Springs... (dress For the Potential Weather)
3. Passing down hill in a Canyon without taking into account the grades effect on braking performance and speed build up because of same downhill grade...
4. Not keeping up with my Low speed parking lot manuvers, you wind up looking like a geek Wobbler with your little feet flailing away as outriggers.
5. Riding when I didn't have a clear head, thinking about other stuff, got pulled over before I got hurt...Good thing...

On and on...

 

[busaben]

Not picking on anyone, but riding with laced shoes on a busa is insane! Can you imagine what would happen to your leg if those laces get in the chain and you hit the throttle WFO? I don't think it would be pretty.

However, I've done my share of stupid stuff too. Like driving off with a disk lock on. I've also down shifted in a turn at Deal's gap with a shaft-driven bike and the rear end hopped two-feet to the left. Thank god it was a right hand turn. Set me up real pretty but major pucker factor!

 

[PaceMaster]

This about mistakes we have made right?
Rural intersections......beware or gravel that is exactly the same color as the asfalt..gone down twice due to this..ugly ugly.
Last summer...two lane highway..coming to a T intersection.
road has a right lane turn off..blocking the view of traffic going
though...me...Ford explorer..ready to pull out..i would have t-boned him if i had not been ready.....since i figured he may not have seen me i braked hard and was ready....just when he saw me he was on the gas to pull out..since i was slowed down
and if he had pulled out i still had enough room to "stop"...
a very leaning experiance...The driver of the car looked shocked...Pickup was blocking his view of me...scary..sudden death maybe.
Way back in 76 or so..cruising at 35 mph hand on hip looking cool..going though a green light..a car tries turning left in front of me...all i could do was lock the rear brake a skid right past his grill since he saw me just i time..somethings you never forget and "please learn from this" PaceMaster" @ 52 years Old..and Love my Busa...I just wanna ride i wanna ride.

 

[Odyssey]

Rural intersections......beware or gravel that is exactly the same color as the asfalt..gone down twice due to this..ugly ugly.

My uncle went down on gravel on a 250cc honda rebel back in teh 80's. Was in the hospital for many many many hours getting glass and rocks pulled from his skin. He wasnt wearing protection tho, i think he was wearing a helmet tho.

 

[Revlis]

OK Time for my confession...This morning...commuting to work 0630, Got to work just fine, a nice 130MPH blast past the Airport a couple little wheelie's carving into what curves there are having a great time...Got to work, all pumped full of adrenaline...Made my low speed turn 4-5 MPH (to BAck into a spot) got distracted...grabbed a fistfull of front brake...Nearly went down...DAMN this things are heavy when the go into that nose dive...Busted a nut or two...Glad I am not any smaller...But was still an allmost...and Crazy embarrasing...I got applause...Shoot...Couldn't do nothing but laugh it off...
The Busa will make any little mistake like this really stand out!!!  

 

 

 

 

[Ou812Many]

Dont take a passenger on a new bike until you have ridden in for a while. I have been riding for a couple of years, just got the silver grey 03 busa and after a couple of days decided to take a chick for a ride.

First Mistake

Second Mistake - pulling out of parking lot, hit grease, went down! - If the bike IS GOING DOWN WHILE MOVING, your leg usually can not stop it. Let it Go!!! you can replace a fairing, not your knee, ankle, etc. etc.

 

[NightStalker]

I'm really surprised this one hasn't come up yet:

Revving the engine, dropping the clutch, pulling up legs, getting into position to blast of ... realising you're in NEUTRAL and falling over while standing still ;-)

Wasn't the busa though, an old NTV 650 instead.

 

[StealthBus]

Okay, I know this is about our stupid mistakes but I've got a couple of suggestions for the mistakes that we have all made:

Disc lock: Get a piece of blaze orang flagging and zip tie it to the lock and drape it over the front fender...you can even stencil the REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT on it to give it that cool fighter jet look

Hitting corners too hot: Tap the front brake to initiate a weight transfer to the front tire to improve turn-in traction, then COUNTER STEER. Just dragging the bike in with your weight works most of the time, but it's a sluggish move, countersteering always works on demand....very important for a big, heavily gyroed bike like a busa!!!!

My biggest mistake: hitting railroad tracks at night, at I think tripple digit speeds...but for some reason i can't remember all that clearly.

Biggest accomplishments: learning to trail brake and counterstear!!!!

 

[race24x]

OK I guess I will add my 2 cents but with all of the mistakes I have made it may add up to a buck and a half.
1. Checking out this hot girl leaving a stop light staring back at me I didnt notice the big rig stopping in front of me. Locked up the brakes and slid right in between the frame rails lucky no trailer. Never did get her number.
2. Shoelace Yes I am guilty too
3.Shifting in a hard corner using the clutch a lazy not really paying attention shift the bike dropped foot got squished by the foot peg folding up I nailed the gas and didnt go down but man was it close.
4. Following friends at night he locked up his brakes for a corner we werent really going to fast for but it upset my line enough the bike went sideways I got control just in time to go down into the ditch point it the right way and fly threw the air (they said about 4-5 feet off the ground) back onto the road just like nothing happened. I had to change my shorts but no damage. Dirve at your own pace be aware of what the people around you are doing.
5. Always look in you rear view when stopping or turning yes its there fault but it hurts like hell. I have only been down twice once was because the old guy behind me didnt see my blinker I heard his tires lock and tried to get away but I was in 2nd gear low RPM on my 750 Gixxer
6. Ummmm rain or mist is bad. Only other time I went down going around a rotary or circle like they call them down south. I had just dropped my daughter off and I ride very slow and careful when she is with me. My buddies where there and I thought I was Joe road racer didnt notice it was just starting to mist. Went around the same rotary I do a million times in a year but this time as I was dragging the footpeg the rear came around I slid backwards a while with my foot down (wow that would have been a cool video if I saved it ) then it plopped oevr at about 10 MPH Jumped up grabbed it drove off.
7. yeah yeah passengers that dont know how to lean wil hurt you or atleast go off the road we didnt crash.
8. Check your equipment. borrowed my buddies Ninja 750 when I had my FZ600 and he didnt mention the tire kept going flat because of a nail. Well in the corner at about 70 after a short jaunt at about 130 the tire went flat. The girl on back screamed her ass off. It was a hand full but again didnt go down. Also blew tire off my first bike on the way home a Honda Nighthawk 450 tried to see how fast it would go tire was junk blew at about 80 on a straight which I might add is about as fast as they go. Went into a field but didnt go down. The kid on back wouldnt get back on with me though LOL
9.Many times riding with others I find myself looking at them going through the corners instead of looking through the corner for my line. I only do this when following makes me feel to fast like I didnt plan enough for the corner just feels like the bike is upset and not smooth.

I am sure there are more but this is already getting to long

 

[PaceMaster]

Good "BAD" stuff.....keep them coming...good info here for newbies and veterans alike..today was awful..rode 90 miles with my wife on the back...waaaay to much traffic and it is the 13th...several could have been's, caddy pullin' out and stopped..said sorry.....Head on a swivel..got the brakes coverd eyes glued to the rearview mirrors..my buddy with me does none of this..like he say's go figure...That's what i will say to him..I try to tell him...I will keep trying as he is a best friend...

 

[rubbersidedown]

I rode with a buddy the other day, I call him Fun Bobby.
Funny Bobby rides like crapp . Really . He does .
I finally told him....you leave those fuggin' turn sig's on on more time an' I'm gonna boot the fricken things right off .
Everyone in this town is so impatient , that left turn signal left on is gonna kill ya .
My advice...if yer like fun bobby...take the bulbs outa the front . When yer in the left turn lane , everyone knows what yer doin' . When yer on the hi-way , whats the blinker for then? By the time the little old chinese lady in the mini-van see's you commin' up behind her , you've already changed lanes....twice....and are now home in yer jammies.

Cancel them indicators....B4 they cancel you .

 

[Odyssey]

I can see this thread could be updated on a daily basis by alot of people,

Always learn from others mistakes

 

[Big O]

I went into a left turn in the twisties thinking I was going too fast, hard on the front brakes while leaning it over and the handlebars felt like they wanted to turn left, the bike started to come up like I was going to highside. I got off the brakes and cranked the bars to the right and she leaned right over to the left and I made the turn. I was mad at myself for making a stupid mistake to I did a U turn, went back up and came back down again and did it right that time.
On another twisty road almost scraping my toes in a turn I touched the back brake a little too hard and the rear did a little hop, after that, I don't use the back brake unless I'm stopped and don't want to roll. 73k miles on my old GSXR 750 with the original back brakes.
Lastly, look down at your kickstand EVERY time you put it down to see what it's going to rest on, is the asphalt hot? is it sinking into it? Almost dropped the Gixxer that way. And I did drop the 'Busa thinking it was down, (brand new lower too)

 

[Revlis]

NightStalker
You are not alone there, as a reminder to the oldsters and as an introduction to the rookie's, Be extra careful when Hotties are invloved, all that blood rushing to the wrong head tends to make things go really wrong...Wheelie for the hotties, heh thats the only time you are going to screw it up, burnouts same deal... I figure it's gods way of slapping you off the Power tower we all enjoy so much. Nothing worse than getting it wrong in front of a pack of hot women...Nothing.
I mean your buddies will give you a new nick name for a year or so but they have been there themselves, so tanking it in front of them is usually just an excuse for some ribbing...

 

[Revlis]

I think something that would help everyone is to go to a track school for a weekend or a day. Really find out where that edge is, how it feels when it's creeping up there, and maybe get our brains ready for that too hot corner entrance all on someone elses equipment no worries about trashing your baby...

I know that entrance speed is still one of my problems, <span style='font-size:9pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:orangered'>Especially</span></span> on the Busa it took me a couple of weeks to quit blowing into corners twice as fast as I used too simply because the thing is so decievingly fast. Thank god the thing handles as well as it does, but I could really use some better feedback from the front end...

 

[race24x]

Another one I cant believe anyone has mentioned......
Going into a hard corner with your toe under the shifter I have a size 13 shoe and I have folded my toe and lifted the back of the bike up a bunch of times never gone down because of it but man does that hurt

 

[fatjap]

CRASHED...........OUCH!



but on a good note, i crashed with Howlin Mad there(thats a good thing)