What type of accidents? Gear on/off ?

[NinjaDoc]

Been thinking about asking this here or not. Not sure whtr a good idea to post this question, but just curious about other riders. Because every time i ride with faster riders, i am kind of riding at my limit even thou i am trying to "ride my own ride". And it is not un common for me to have at least one "oh shit" moment which thankfully never ended up bad. and i see and hear others also having at least one "scary" moment during their ride.

Is it needed to test our limits to improve our skills? or is it just wise to go out and ride a pace you enjoy and have just good fun? (which i prefer these days) What do you guys do, keep riding harder and improve the baseline? or try to stay status quo?

I know according to majority the best answer is going to be do track days, which believe me if i get an opportunity i will jump into it.

Just wanted to know how many already had a bad or worse exp? my assumption is more than 90%. Now be honest when you answer the poll, no one sees what you vote for, you can chose multiple option. i know its a ridiculous masala mix of a poll

Edited May 11, 2012 by NinjaDoc

[conn-e-rot]

Ride at your own pace the group will wait if need be and if they don't find another group.

[MidgetTodd]

And go to the track

[CleaveTheGreat]

When I first started riding I found myself riding at my limit a lot and while I never pushed myself to the point of crashing, I did have quite a few 'oh shit' moments. Now I tend to ride a pace that I'm comfortable with and if the people that I'm riding with are faster and don't want to wait then fuck 'em, those aren't people I want to ride with anyway. The street isn't a track and there's no reason to ride at a pace where you feel like you're close to crashing all the time. You can incrementally improve your skills on the street without pushing yourself to the point of almost crashing. And yeah the track is by far the best place to improve your skills. Unfortunately I have yet to make it to a track day. Need to get leathers and a truck.

[ninjachk08]

I ride at my own pace, but I do push my limits when i am comfortable to. In my opinion, you won't know what you are capable of or get better unless you push yourself. Is it safe to do it on the streets, not at all.. track days! I don't feel pushed on group rides, but they do give me motivation to see what I can do. And i have rode with people that will help give you better techniques.

[CleaveTheGreat]

Btw can I add one category to your poll? Lets call it "R1Crusher led me straight into a pile of gravel"

[ninjachk08]

I can't quote from my phone, but I agree with Cleve, when he said you can improve your skills incrementally on the streets.

[Tonik]

Just wanted to know how many already had a bad or worse exp? my assumption is more than 90%.

God I hope not. I will be honest, it surprises me how many wrecks I see in these forums. Really, it shocks the hell out of me. You need to add another option, been riding all my life and have never wrecked. I think that will be your 90 percent.

[magley64]

I was 17 on a honda 77cb750k. had a leather coat(not a proper riding jacket) and a helmet on.

left the kickstand down, road went left, i tried to go left, ended up going straight...

split the space between a telephone pole and it's support cable.

bike tumbled through the air, supposedly 8 times, launched me clear

I slid in the mud for 30 feet, and got up very sore.

no permanent damage to me other than a tiny scar from a scratch on my hip...

bike was pretty well buggered, never ran right after that.

[speedytriple]

Piss on the track! You learn to street ride on the street. You learn to be a snob on the track. Cause running the same 13 clean turns with no traffic teach you street skills? Track days teach you the limits of your bike and tires, not how to handle a dirty RT.555 corner when a truck is pushing the yellow line. Both have great potential to teach a set of riding skills but I still don't see how track days prepare you for the unexpected hazards of the dirty, double yellow crossing truck street rides.

[ninjachk08]

Nice point speedy!

[ReconRat]

There will always be "oh shit" moments on a motorcycle, no matter where it might be.

Group riding teaches, but concentration and mental gymnastics is maxed out by the flood of data and information. Not really for beginners or even those that haven't gotten comfortable with basic groups. And that's a lot of people.

Best of all worlds is to ride with a skilled buddy of similar or better skill level. It just takes time and effort to develop skills for all the surprises that can happen.

[CleaveTheGreat]

Best of all worlds is to ride with a skilled buddy of similar or better skill level. It just takes time and effort to develop skills for all the surprises that can happen.

This

[jschaf]

The rider is always at least partially responsible for any crash. Mine were always caused by cornering too fast for conditions (gravel around a blind corner, cold tires on a cold day). Oh shit moments trigger panic reactions which in turn cause crashes. You're better off riding relaxed. Easier said than done though. It takes focused practice. (Track= good, less distractions, safer runoffs).

[RFM]

Which one? Haha!! The first one I had a whoolie go bad, and broke both wrists and collarbone. Chalked that one up to being an idiot.

Next one I was hit by a full sized Ram truck, and I was lucky enough to end up under it with no contact. Smashed my leg a bit, but chicks dig scars. Helmet, jacket, and gloves.

[LJWalter]

When i ride I always think, "EVERY car wants to hit me"

[Bubba]

Piss on the track! You learn to street ride on the street. You learn to be a snob on the track. Cause running the same 13 clean turns with no traffic teach you street skills? Track days teach you the limits of your bike and tires, not how to handle a dirty RT.555 corner when a truck is pushing the yellow line. Both have great potential to teach a set of riding skills but I still don't see how track days prepare you for the unexpected hazards of the dirty, double yellow crossing truck street rides.

Ummm, NOT THIS ^^^

If you're talking about going to the track to learn how to ride 10/10ths on the street, then you're correct. Anyone riding at the absolute limit in the real world is a fool....soon to be a dead fool. Always leave something in the box when you're on the street!

However, pushing your skills to a limit BEYOND what can be safely acheived on the street is what track days are for. If you can learn skills and sharpen your reflexes at a fast pace on the track, it's probably gonna save yer bacon the next time you need to save your ass on the street.

[speedytriple]

Ok so how do you learn to deal with mid corner gravel on the track if you have never felt your rear tire step out on gravel? Don't get me wrong not saying that track days do not teach riding skills. But I have ridden with people who do mostly track days, and they have a hard time adjusting to street riding with the other hazards thrown in.

Edit I also don't run a 10/10th pace on the street. Like stated the street is for spirited riding not racing.

Edited May 11, 2012 by speedytriple

[ninjachk08]

When i ride I always think, "EVERY car wants to hit me"

+1

[MidgetTodd]

Everytime I start the bike its an oh shit moment because I ride like a Hooligan. True story.

[jbot]

Ok so how do you learn to deal with mid corner gravel on the track if you have never felt your rear tire step out on gravel? Don't get me wrong not saying that track days do not teach riding skills. But I have ridden with people who do mostly track days, and they have a hard time adjusting to street riding with the other hazards thrown in.

Edit I also don't run a 10/10th pace on the street. Like stated the street is for spirited riding not racing.

tell me, something.... do you want to learn to be a firefighter by being tossed into a burning building? how about learning to be a police man by being locked in a room with a 300lb rapist?

[Bubba]

Ok so how do you learn to deal with mid corner gravel on the track if you have never felt your rear tire step out on gravel?

Dealing with gravel mid-corner is a street hazard that usually doesn't happen on the track, but reacting to a loss of traction in a turn is no different whether its a result of sand/gravel or a result of a tire at the limit of adhesion. Learning trail braking will give you the confidence to handle a bike while sliding and crossed up. Most of my skills--limited as they are--came from riding dirt. Sliding around on an off-road bike will teach you many skills that translate to the street as well.

Edit I also don't run a 10/10th pace on the street. Like stated the street is for spirited riding not racing.

I wasn't accusing you of being 'squidly', merely disagreeing with your off-hand dismissal of track riding vs street riding. You are 100% correct about having to leave a margin for error, either on the part of the rider or other drivers on the road.

[ninjachk08]

midget, you ARE a hooligan

[Uncle Punk]

Ride at your own pace the group will wait if need be and if they don't find another group.

Truth

And go to the track

Best possible scenario

Piss on the track! You learn to street ride on the street. You learn to be a snob on the track. Cause running the same 13 clean turns with no traffic teach you street skills? Track days teach you the limits of your bike and tires, not how to handle a dirty RT.555 corner when a truck is pushing the yellow line. Both have great potential to teach a set of riding skills but I still don't see how track days prepare you for the unexpected hazards of the dirty, double yellow crossing truck street rides.

Wrong.

I had shitty uh-oh moments very often before I made it to a track. Those are a thing of the past now; I can ride a little faster now because of track riding but well within my skill set. I have only had two uh-oh moments in the last seven years that were my fault.

Learning to control your bike hardly makes you a snob and I can't see the jump you need to make to get to that conclusion. I try to help as many people as I can when on group rides and don’t think I am better than anyone I ride with simply because I have been on a track. Most everyone I know that has been on a track tries to help others when on group rides so my experience with these folks certainly doesn’t mirror yours.

Have you done many track days? If you have we didn't pick up the same skills because I most certainly learned how to handle a dirty corner. I can change my line without upsetting the bike, I can slow down without upsetting the bike, and I can judge my entry speed to leave some in reserve and a multitude of other subtle things all because of track riding. Learning to avoid or recognize hazards that are others fault is something that comes with a mind set and experience but road hazards avoidance skills can certainly be learned on the track.

[speedytriple]

You are correct I have learned more about traction and sliding on my new to me enduro, then the many slides I have had on dirty corners. If I had the means to do so I would like to get into the track scene but that is not going to happen anytime soon. I enjoy beating up my DR-350 and sliding it around as of late. My street bike has got no riding time so far this year.