What's Your #1 Fear or Hazard?
What's Your #1 Fear or Hazard?
- Thread starter VEGASRIDER
- Start date
W
wrightme43
Left turning vehicles. They kill, and maim the most motorcyclists of any threat.
That and Hillary Clinton. She keeps me up at night worrying.
That and Hillary Clinton. She keeps me up at night worrying.
I actually fear the wind, just because the wind is unpredictable. You never know when a heavy crosswind will hit you. If you are relaxed at an intersection or just happen to have one hand on the handlebar for some reason, a gust of wind can knock you down or put you into another lane. Even though left turning vehicles, intersections, etc are probably the #1 cause for accidents for motorcyclist, these hazards are somewhat predictable. SEE.....search, evaluate, execute!
Vegasrider
Vegasrider
S
sportrider
left turning cages, oil & sand or gravel in the road on a blind corner.
fz6xlr8r
Senior Member
All of the above.:justkidding: Although most of my close calls tend to be at intersections, I said wet or slick roads. I guess because I almost expect to get run over at intersections so I'm extra vigilant when I'm in one. Wet spots, oil slicks or a combination of both scare the crap out of me.
I voted blind spots though it's hard to decide between them and slick pavement. If I can't see around a twist I tend to slow down almost too much. And I don't think I could handle it if I suddenly hit a drift of sand or an oil patch. So I tend to be annoingly cautious and thus slow. But I'm also still alive.
pedwards89
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Gotta go with Bren on this one. It's the fear of the unkown that the worst. I was ambleing along a pleasant 'twisty' yesterday evening, 60 / 70mph nice sweeping bends, good road surface - then with virtually no warning there was a bend akin to a hairpin. No way was I getting round this bend at the speed I was doing. Fortunately, I was sat close to the white line & could drift out a bit, add to that some furious braking & downshifting & I got round the thing - not very stylishly I might add. It really knocked my confidence & took the shine of what had been a great ride out. I was OK once I got back on to roads I knew, but it really slowed me down.
That's exactly what happens to me. I get to the rythm and driving feels so good. And then something (almost) happens and I loose my confidence on the bike and on my skills (the little there are).
I know I should go to a track a few times and take a course of safe driving. It would help but I haven't managed that much yet.
Ironhide
Member
I only have 200 mile on my bike. Everything is a hazard
Ditto!
pchbreeze
Custom Abuser
On freeways, getting hit by a truck from behind or getting hit by a car who is driving as I used to drive back in the day.
jamesfz6
The faster red one!
Blind spots
I have been riding on the road since i was 15 and the biggest threat i have encountered would have to be the blind spot. Not just the cars or trucks, but mine as well. I cant tell you how many times i have gone to switch lanes with nothing in my mirrors nor is there anything in sight when i glance back. Then i go to switch lanes just to find some idiot has come out of nowhere and is either so close i have to jump back into my lane or he is already next to me and i almost side-swipe him. I know my description doesnt sound too scary, but this incident will happen so fast you cant think, you can just react. So, please be more careful when switching lanes, when turning, when doing anything that requires you to be around cars and trucks. To me, nothing is scary than a 6,000 pound diesel fixing to wear me as a hood orniment.
Be safe and have fun!!
I have been riding on the road since i was 15 and the biggest threat i have encountered would have to be the blind spot. Not just the cars or trucks, but mine as well. I cant tell you how many times i have gone to switch lanes with nothing in my mirrors nor is there anything in sight when i glance back. Then i go to switch lanes just to find some idiot has come out of nowhere and is either so close i have to jump back into my lane or he is already next to me and i almost side-swipe him. I know my description doesnt sound too scary, but this incident will happen so fast you cant think, you can just react. So, please be more careful when switching lanes, when turning, when doing anything that requires you to be around cars and trucks. To me, nothing is scary than a 6,000 pound diesel fixing to wear me as a hood orniment.
Be safe and have fun!!
pedwards89
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I keep promising to do the same thing myself.
Border1
Junior Member
I'd say left turning vehicles - It's hard to tell if they can really see you and who knows if they are paying attention. Next would be intersections, I find that I often take a quick glance in either direction to be sure that the coast is clear.
re-pete
Member
I live in a rural area, very rural, wild animals at night scare the crap out of me.
we have a ton of racoons, and porcupines. In Nova Scotia. I don't drive at night outside of lighted streets. I once hit a 30lb racoon on my Ninja. broke lower fairing but managed to keep the bike upright.
we have a ton of racoons, and porcupines. In Nova Scotia. I don't drive at night outside of lighted streets. I once hit a 30lb racoon on my Ninja. broke lower fairing but managed to keep the bike upright.
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wrightme43
Well after some reading last night Guard rails have become threat number one. I am only 4% likely to die hitting a left turner, but 12% likely to die hitting a guard rail.
So worst would have to be a drunk left turner smashing me into a guardrail. Thats gotta be the worst.
So worst would have to be a drunk left turner smashing me into a guardrail. Thats gotta be the worst.
The guardrails are an amazing statistics, and I have read many accidents that involved fatalities with guardrails as well, but never realized how much of a hazard they were until you had pointed this out. And surprisingly, I don't think this was ever mentioned in any of the riding books that I have read. I will have to double check. However, most of the time these accidents are caused by the cyclist going too fast, not being able to negotiate the turn, so a little common sense goes with this hazard.
Oregon State Police News Releases News and Events: Fatal Motorcycle Crash - Interstate 84 East of Pendleton
Oregon State Police News Releases News and Events: Fatal Motorcycle Crash - Highway 138E east of Roseburg
VEGASRIDER
Oregon State Police News Releases News and Events: Fatal Motorcycle Crash - Interstate 84 East of Pendleton
Oregon State Police News Releases News and Events: Fatal Motorcycle Crash - Highway 138E east of Roseburg
VEGASRIDER
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Well this poll is about to close in a couple of days, and it appears, suprisingly, that wet or slick pavement seems to be the #1 hazard for this forum. 2nd most were left turning vehicles. Still time to post, your opinion counts too!
shaggystyle
Hummingbird slayer.
I want to change my vote to hidden drives. A cager turned left across my lane from a hidden drive yesterday on the drive home....the only problem being that I was in the lane at the time. Scared the piss out of me (not quite literally, but it was close). I'm not satisfied with my reaction to the situation (i braked to hard and the front got a little wobbly) so it looks like I'm going to be practicing quick stops for the next few days.
pchbreeze
Custom Abuser
I've overcome all of my 'noob' fears so far...except for freeways. this sucks.
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