My buddy posted this on another board thought I would share it with everyone, its very powerful to me and others I've heard.





First off, this is a link to a video I made. I put it here in the hopes it would get more visibility.

There have ben quite a few riders going down this season that we know personally and who we only know as screen names on this site.

So I put this video together and named it "Read The Signs"

These "signs" are not the only contributing factors to single bike accidents they are surely part.

These are the signs you get when you hop on the bike and you are fealing like you have to force the bike to do what you want. Your head just may not be in the right place to fully execute the bike through the corners at the rate of speed you want. Or you may be thinking of other things than the ride. Maybee you are too tired. Whatever the reason, "read" these signs and adjust your behavior acordingly. The signs will be there and most of us will notice them and will compensate the way we are riding. It is hard to do for some people sometimes if in a group. You may feal you have something to prove, but no one does. You will look really stupid when you are picking up your bike from off the ground or out of the ditch.

We all have to be humble when it comes to our abilities. You will always be faster than someone else, and there will always be someone faster than you.

Personally I think the only ones capable of forcing the bike to do what is needed regardles of ones current physical/mental state is the professionals. Even at that they can't do it 100%.

The following video is of a rider on this site who went down Memorial day. On a ride with our usuall group of guys who also are on this site. The rider in question here is a very acomplished rider. Anyone who will follow him will usually comment on how smooth and precise this individual rides. He also has a habit of falling to the back of the group if he doesn't feal like his head is into the ride. This is one of the signs I speak of. For whatever reason on this day he failed to read the signs being presented to him. As you watch the video you will see them as well and ultimately this is what led to what you will see at the end of the clip. Our group wasn't going at a hair raising speed as you will see. However was still a spirited ride. This rider featured here could have made the turn(easily) however didn't. Mostly because it wasn't his day to ride the pace he chose to ride. While he is capable of the pace it just wasn't today. For whatever reason that was...he will only be the one who will truely know.

I submit this to remind those that are experienced and may forget that we aren't invincible, "I know I think I am at times" and to the new riders here who have the new experience of owning and riding a bike. From beginner to experienced we all will continue to learn from our experiences and mistakes.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...08006818943324

 

I tried to watch but got a 'video not available' message.

 

try this link

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...Read+The+Signs


if that doesnt work just look for READ THE SIGNS by gixxer

 

Same here.


I think this is an awesome post though, even without seeing the video. I have always been the one called the "whimp" and the "p****" cause i tend to have days where i either dont want to ride, or I dont want to ride the way everyone else wants to ride. albeit in my group, these words/names arent meant to hurt, and they dont hurt me. I do know, however, that many people cant take it the way I take it. Im used to having names thrown at me and have grown a thick skin, and have come accustomed to the people I ride with. I know them all well enough, and they know me well enough, that its just something we do.

DO NOT succumb to peer pressure, whether your feeling good or not, you never know how long you can step outside your personal limits and live to tell about it. Especially on the highways/interstates, there is no reason to haul ***. If your out joy riding, so be it. Ill admit its very fun, but stay within your limits. That means having enough left in you to change your line mid-corner to avoid that oil spill. Enough left to come to an abrubt hault because of animals, people, fellow bikers in the road. There is no lap timers on the highways and bi-ways, leave that much to the track. The only one who will be impressed are the ones you shouldnt have to impress in the first place. If they are true riders, they KNOW what it is to ride fast, and what it is to ride safe. They KNOW the difference, and shouldnt impose on you otherwise.


Thank you very much for this thread rol, and I hope your buddy is ok? Im assuming he is, as you didnt state his condition.


again, thanks for the insight and time,


Chris



Very good vid, I saw them... run wide here, a little shaky there... then the split second, where if he was in the game im sure he coulda pulled it out and removed the seat from his butt, no damages whatsoever... but that split second is always where it happens.

I still hope hes alright, looked like he did a nasty flip :S

 

Yikes. Lucky it was that side of the road and not an oncoming car during the many times he crossed the line.

 

I've almost done that on the freeway. I was real tired and just didn't feel good from a long day at work and coming home from doing after work errands and in the far left lane going around a right corner and went over the yellow line. Luckily for me there was no debris or anything over there. =/

Mike

 

Is he o.k.? Gaurdrails can be viscous. I had to pull mine out of a suken median close to the pile ons near an overpass. Good thing people stopped or I think I might have had a cop help me. LOL. Serously though I hope your boy's alright!

 

The day I didn't feel like riding was the day I got cut off by a car. The day my man didn't feel like riding was the day he took a turn wrong and fell.

POINT: Don't push yourself to ride if your not feeling up to par!

Good post!

 

If any of my friends try to video tape me doing something cool on a bike I'm going to punch 'em in the face. It always seems that's when an accident happens, when they are able to catch it on video.

Hope he's alright. He's lucky he didn't go over the rail.

 

I know what you mean about the signs. I've had days where something just idoesn't feel right leaving the house and by the time you get 4 blocks away 3 cagers have already almost killed you. I just turn around and go home and play TT on the ps2.