Kawasaki VN750 Forum banner
21 - 32 of 32 Posts
i agree with vulcan2000.if you don't feel the joy that day don't ride.we all get scared sometimes so don't fret it.you'll get on with it,just let it help you in the long run.:smiley_th
 
Wowzers! I've had my bike for just a few days and am very much a student rider. I've already decided to assume I am both invisible and silent to others on the road. Luckily I live in a very small town that has no traffic to speak of, and I don't plan to go anywhere else until I can operate the bike like an extension of my mind. That was some slick bike handling for sure.
 
"situational awareness" is your best bet, but headlight and brakelight modulators (I have them on my Vulcan) and wearing high visibility clothes and helmet will also help. But there is no substitute to being aware of what is going on around you at all times, and expecting anyone driving a 4 wheel vehicle to do the worst thing possible. I have always expected them to try and run over me, and seldom have they let me down. The simple fact is, most car drivers are not qualified to be driving a car on the road.
 
The simple fact is, most car drivers are not qualified to be driving a car on the road.[/QUOTE]

Amen to that brother!!
 
Discussion starter · #25 · (Edited)
Ok, so here's where I'm at wth this thing: I analyzed it 16 ways from Sunday and I keep coming back to the same thing. The reason I didn't go down, even when I was strongly compelled to do so intentionally believing that would stop me shorter, was because I fought through the panic. The reason the rear tire didn't slide too far (barely) to the right is because I let go of the rear break when I saw his rear bumper start to get further from my front tire - rather than closer. Releasing the rear brake is what set her back upright. I believe I could see the bumper moving further away was because, while I was panicked, I didn't give in to it.

I'm sorry I know this is really descriptive and prolly a little boring but I even know now why I didn't give in to panic - it's because I'm trained not too. Bare with me fellas, this ain't all about me, I promise. I've been in situations I believed were life-threatening. The only person that knew they weren't was my flight instructor. This is intentional so if the real thing happens, you don't waste time panicking and spend it trying to right the problem or get the ship over an open field rather than over the shopping mall. Dig? Good.

So how does one create a situation where an extremely experienced person (hereafter "dude 1") and an extremely under-experienced person (hereafter "dude 2") are in the same environment but only dude 1 knows that everyone's going to be safe? Dude 2 should believe there is very real danger and experience panic. But ONLY so dude 2 can learn to operate successfully while feeling that overwhelming panic. Basically, how do we winnow away the inability to function during panic on the ground?

I feel like that would be applicable to so many things. I feel like the uptight office worker that has 3 documents to work on, after this training, would be like "3's nothing, why was I freekin' out before?" Maybe it already exists? Military training maybe? Sorry, I'm really just thinking out loud now and looking for perspective I guess. :blah:
 
Ok, so here's where I'm at wth this thing: I analyzed it 16 ways from Sunday and I keep coming back to the same thing. The reason I didn't go down, even when I was strongly compelled to do so intentionally believing that would stop me shorter, was because I fought through the panic. The reason the rear tire didn't slide too far (barely) to the right is because I let go of the rear break when I saw his rear bumper start to get further from my front tire - rather than closer. Releasing the rear brake is what set her back upright. I believe I could see the bumper moving further away was because, while I was panicked, I didn't give in to it.

I'm sorry I know this is really descriptive and prolly a little boring but I even know now why I didn't give in to panic - it's because I'm trained not too. Bare with me fellas, this ain't all about me, I promise. I've been in situations I believed were life-threatening. The only person that knew they weren't was my flight instructor. This is intentional so if the real thing happens, you don't waste time panicking and spend it trying to right the problem or get the ship over an open field rather than over the shopping mall. Dig? Good.

So how does one create a situation where an extremely experienced person (hereafter "dude 1") and an extremely under-experienced person (hereafter "dude 2") are in the same environment but only dude 1 knows that everyone's going to be safe? Dude 2 should believe there is very real danger and experience panic. But ONLY so dude 2 can learn to operate successfully while feeling that overwhelming panic. Basically, how do we winnow away the inability to function during panic on the ground?

I feel like that would be applicable to so many things. I feel like the uptight office worker that has 3 documents to work on, after this training, would be like "3's nothing, why was I freekin' out before?" Maybe it already exists? Military training maybe? Sorry, I'm really just thinking out loud now and looking for perspective I guess. :blah:
I so wish I had not Seen this post. I just had my almost dumped it in rushour traffic a few minutes ago . Indecision is your worst enemy. I usually have where. I am going to turn planned well in advance,but at the last moment I decided to turn earlier to avoid a bunch of traffic and realized it was past the last moment ,and like you I think instinct kept new from going down.I got on both brakes hard and the back started to swing out ,luckily it was turning the way I needed to go so against what seemed to be the right thing to do I let up on the rear completely and released the front and throttled up alittle an it went on through without falling down . I know I did not think this through but by not giving up on it I dodged a bullet.I chalk it up to years of riding and pushing things a little from time to time.Otherwise I would not have been confident enough to stay with it. And then again it could have been pure dumb luck!
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
^ I don't know why you wish you hadn't seen this post. You think it jinxed you? I apologize if that's the case my friend.

I seriously doubt it was dumb luck in fact, I know it wasn't. What happened to you was exactly what happened to me! The important thing to take away is, you stuck with it and it worked! That's EXACTLY what I believe saved my ass - experience! You didn't want to let that rear break go because the need to continue slowing is SO overpowering. Pitting experience against instinct, you let go anyway - that is the definition of experience! Yes, even you admit you shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place and fair enough. BUT, the fact that you were in it, for whatever reason, and were able to come out unscathed is what's important. DAMN good recovery brother!

Well anyway, it's a jarring reminder but a reminder nonetheless. As riders we learn and improve. I'm glad to hear you're ok man!!! Shiny side up, eh? ;)
 
There's a quote I think I remember from the "Dune" trilogy:

" Fear is the mind killer..."

I look back at my more recent brushes with possible doom and I see that the one clear factor is that I did not panic, but took in all the data and picked the beat course of action.

Moments after the fact I freak out about it, ...lol ...but in actual time frame of the imminent danger, I made a decision on what to do and do it without trying to debate it in my head.

The biggest coin flip always seems to be Brake or Ride.... Many times I got through a situation by canceling my urge to grab the brakes and swerving instead.

Not sure why panic doesn't over ride me, my only possible theory is the years of martial arts training....but was never in a "near death" situation durring that......
 
^ I don't know why you wish you hadn't seen this post. You think it jinxed you? I apologize if that's the case my friend.

I seriously doubt it was dumb luck in fact, I know it wasn't. What happened to you was exactly what happened to me! The important thing to take away is, you stuck with it and it worked! That's EXACTLY what I believe saved my ass - experience! You didn't want to let that rear break go because the need to continue slowing is SO overpowering. Pitting experience against instinct, you let go anyway - that is the definition of experience! Yes, even you admit you shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place and fair enough. BUT, the fact that you were in it, for whatever reason, and were able to come out unscathed is what's important. DAMN good recovery brother!

Well anyway, it's a jarring reminder but a reminder nonetheless. As riders we learn and improve. I'm glad to hear you're ok man!!! Shiny side up, eh? ;)
I really don't believe in jinxes and such but coincidences do bother me and yeah,it was shiny ...until halfway through the two and a half hour ride back from, my daughter's house.Temps dropped own into the mid fifties and rained on my sorry butt the rest of the way home,Now it is muddy as a hog and I have leathers to clean also.

Not really a rain storm or anything like that just a cold drizzle and dirty road spray from all the eighteen wheelers.Just nasty ,but I am home and getting warmed back up and I am still in one piece and not scuffed.Fair enough outcome for me.
 
The simple fact is, most car drivers are not qualified to be driving a car on the road.
Amen to that brother!![/QUOTE]

hell i know some car drivers that souldn't be qualified to walk,let alone drive around a 3000 lb piece of machinery.:doh:
 
Glad to hear you came out in one piece LP! Having to yank the seat out of your back side is better than the alternative. Knock on wood, I haven't had any really close calls in a while, but that's because I'm so paranoid about the morons driving around me. I had a guy almost hit me head on in my TRUCK the other day cause he didn't see me. I can understand (maybe) not seeing a bike, but a bright red F150? Really?

Rubber side down!
 
Glad to see that you made it through Liberty.

Situational awareness is great, and we should all practice it and employ in every facet of our lives. But experience will save your ass when awareness just doesn't cut it. The fact is we live in a world where most people are self absorbed and distracted by less important things than safety. I'd be willing to bet that you had a lot of less close calls. And all those trained your body to react when your mind wants to do other things. You are military trained and as such, you know that when the **** hits the fan, that your training and instinct will save you as long as you don't think to hard.

Safe riding and God speed to all.
 
21 - 32 of 32 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top