|  | Topic : Downside to fastride |  |
| | | MotorMac | | Jupiter |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 29/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 1,790 | | Location | : | Nor Cal, United States |
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| | Posted : 10 Sep 2014 - 14:47 Post title : Downside to fastride | | |
Hwy 20 west is two-lane twisty through hills, between stretches of long straightaway. Some truck traffic, RVs, bikes. Small but significant east-west artery connecting small towns between Nevada and the coast at Fort Bragg (a favored weekend getaway).
Passed a SWAT vehicle - steel hull designed to deflect bullets up or down makes it look amphibious, with too-big wheels tucked under, almost cartoonish, in black with big white "SWAT" on the side. I was following a military type cab-over fuel tanker all done up in camo, when we came on a long curve with a passing lane. So I'm on it, plenty of room, only to find a big honkin' motorhome towing a car up ahead. Low and behold, there's a long straightaway with a dotted line! Already got a pretty good head of steam going, so I give it a little more gas...
There's a semi tractor-trailer coming at the other end of the straightaway, but I'm going so fast, no problemo. I look in the mirrors as the truck goes by to see a huge cloud of dust behind - and the motorhome off the side of the road.
Apparently he saw me, saw the truck, decided I was about to become a Kenworth grille ornament, and veered off the road. No harm done, but he made an emergency stop. Poor guy, guess I scared him pretty bad.
Thought about it for a bit thru some more twisties. Stopped at a large, paved area at the far end of next straightaway and waited 'till the camo truck went by - but didn't see him again.
Still feel bad about it. Never gave much thought to what effect a bike's presence might have on other drivers who are actually paying attention. Just assumed I'd be by him before he even noticed. Very inconsiderate of me. Feel free to agree.
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| | | Rachael7 | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 17/05/2013 | | Posts | : | 511 | | Location | : | Greenfield, MA, United States |
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| | Posted : 10 Sep 2014 - 15:03 Post title : Re: Downside to fastride (Re: MotorMac) | | | Tough call. I feel for you on the empathy - I would have felt bad too. On the other hand, he's 1 in a 100 or less, in my experience. 95 of the hundred would never have noticed you till it was all over, and the other 4 would have flipped you off or tried to speed up. Like I said, that's been my experience, anyway. So what are you gonna do? How could you have known you were passing the one in a hundred nice, attentive, driver? I would have done the same. I would have felt bad too, so not sure what to tell you there. Be glad there were no collisions and ride on, I guess.
| 2012 Thunderbird 1600, Short TORS, Triumph performance filter, TORs tune, Longhaul solo seat, Highway Hawk tubular solo rack, Dart flyscreen, engine bars, highway pegs, Clearwater Darla driving lights, custom flash-to-pass switch, Hagon 2810 rears, Thunderbike fork caps, Custom rear sets
| | Post edited by Rachael7 on 10 Sep 2014 - 15:04 |
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| | | mat1600 | | Thunderbird | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 11 Sep 2014 - 11:47 Post title : Re: Downside to fastride (Re: MotorMac) | | | I think that was awfully decent of the chap to trash his RV rather than see the demise of a Triumph motorcycle. 
Seriously though, like Rachel says, its nice to know some people actually use their mirrors and try and make the road a better place to be. Just a shame he nearly wrecked his van cuase someone wanted a moment of idiotness. Hope it doesn't put him off doing it again - he may just save someones life.
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
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| | | MotorMac | | Jupiter | | | | Reg. Date | : | 29/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 1,790 | | Location | : | Nor Cal, United States |
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| | Posted : 11 Sep 2014 - 14:16 Post title : Re: Downside to fastride (Re: mat1600) | | | Agreed.
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| | | woody | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 10/07/2010 | | Posts | : | 874 | | Location | : | goulburn, nsw, Australia |
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| | Posted : 12 Sep 2014 - 03:26 Post title : Re: Downside to fastride (Re: MotorMac) | | | We are all human moto. Don't beat yourself up over it, learn from your mistakes and move on. No one got hurt and that is the main thing. There wouldn't be a rider out there that at some stage hasn't questioned. " What the fuck did I just do that for?????"
| Woody
Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.
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| | | MotorMac | | Jupiter | | | | Reg. Date | : | 29/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 1,790 | | Location | : | Nor Cal, United States |
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| | Posted : 12 Sep 2014 - 15:22 Post title : Re: Downside to fastride (Re: woody) | | | Thanks Woody. Was a split-second decision, much like the go-fast kamakazes that come up from behind and pass on right or left in tight blind turns.
Just beating myself up enough to make the adjustment.
I remember following a motorhome on PCH for mile after mile after mile with no chance to pass. Can't see anything ahead except the back end of it with its name emblazoned across the top: "Fireball." No hurry, but I'm so focused on making forward progress that the ride becomes a sport of obstacles rather than a sightseeing trip. Find a place to stop overlooking the road for a mile or so, wait until that mile is empty, then get back on the road. How hard is that?
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