Hey dummy, look ahead for brake lights!

[northsidegz]

I don't know what it is, but when I get in the left hand lane (of a 4 lane highway, i.e. 2 lanes going each way with a median between the traffic), I have this nagging problem of thinking I need to "keep up" with traffic more closely than in the right hand lane.

Generally I ride in the right hand lane and don't worry about holding up others (which I don't really hold up others anyway, but I do make sure and leave a safe distance). But when I get in the left hand lane (i.e. I need to take a left at a light up ahead), I feel this sense of responsiblity to not have that same safe distance. :??: Very dumb.

Nearly got me in some big trouble yesterday. A whole bunch of us braked. VERY QUICKLY!!! I started to lose the the back tire twice, but recovered it both times and ended up in the left shoulder about a foot beyond the SUV in front of me (i.e., had I not gone over to the shoulder, there would have been impact). The guy behind me also swerved to the shoulder and was inches from me (thanks man, not sure what you were thinking or why you did that considering I practically gave you the whole lane since I was over to the left, but whatever).

Just glad it was fine in the end. No tipover. No dropped bike. No bumps or anything. But a lesson well learned. Don't follow so close or feel an obligtation to follow closer than you're comfortable with. Even in the lefthand lane. :whistle:

[bonehead]

That's the trouble with the brakes on the GZ, no bueno por caca!

[Water Warrior 2]

Glad to hear you dodged the bullet. Coulda been a painful experience. When traffic bunches up there is a danger factor beyond all reason which I find hard to accept no matter what the cause.
Sounds like you had good control over the rear brake to avoid the back end from sliding out from under you. How is your front brake control? If it is a bit lacking you should practice threshold braking to ensure your best braking results for the fastest stops possible. The front does the most braking and is most effective in a case like yours.

Oh yeah, the wonderful brake lights on modern vehicles. My rant for the day. This is a sore spot with me. With all the nanny tech in vehicles now there should be a bright display(really annoying)on the dash to indicate any front or rear lights not functioning. All too many drivers and riders alike fail to do a light check on a regular basis to ensure a safe trip. It isn't rocket science, ultra time consuming or mind melting.
Call me paranoid or slightly twisted but I do a light check at the begining of the day whether it be the bike or cage. That means everyday if I am out and about. End of rant I think.

[northsidegz]

The hand brake definitely feels "soft" (is that the right word?) It doesn't feel like it reacts right away. Got to give it a good tug before it kicks in. Not sure what I can do about that. Would lubricating the cable help?

My pet peeve is the inability to see "through" or "around" vehicles these days. And it's not even just SUV's. Even some smaller cars, too. So many vehicles are shaping their car bodies and minimizing the rear glass that really makes it hard to see down the road. And I'm not complaining just on my motorcycle. In fact, I feel like I can see through/around SOME vehicles better on the motorcycle than I can in my Dodge Neon. But, in general, it seems like vehicles are being shaped differently lately that makes it harder to see past them and see what's going on down the road.

[alantf]

I think that one of the problems for car drivers is the thickness of the windscreen pillars. Nowadays they're part of the rigidity of the vehicles, and I know from experience that the pillars on my Citroen are so thick that it's very easy to miss someone stepping off the pavement (sidewalk) onto a pedestrian crossing.

While on the subject of brake lights - over here, I reckon that at least 50% of the vehicles have at least one brake light out. That's not including the ones with rear light and licence plates out - and by law we're obliged to carry spare bulbs on the vehicle. Mind you, modern vehicles (mine included) seem to make it so difficult to change a bulb that you need a full tool kit, a mirror, and half an hour of your time. :cry:

[Water Warrior 2]

The hand brake definitely feels "soft" (is that the right word?) It doesn't feel like it reacts right away. Got to give it a good tug before it kicks in. Not sure what I can do about that. Would lubricating the cable help?
No cable to lube. The front brake is hydraulic just like your car brakes. You may want to change the fluid and be sure to bleed the system properly to get better braking. Many older bikes never have a fluid change and that will cause less than optimum braking. If you do not feel confident in doing the job yourself you may as well pay a professional to do it. Brakes are the most important system on any vehicle. As for a good tug, you should concentrate on squeezing the brake progressively to get best braking. Less chance of a lock-up that will put you down.

[JWR]

I started to lose the the back tire twice, but recovered it both times





The front brake will slow you down.
The back can lay you down.

[Rookie Rider]

Maybe you have to change the brake pads too.

[northsidegz]

Good to know. Thanks for the replies! :) I'll have to have it checked out.

[mrlmd1]

You said you started to lose the back tire twice but you recovered it. What did you mean? If the back tire starts to skid you have to keep on the brake so you don't highside when the tire regains traction. If you let off the rear brake when it slides you risk a disaster. When the front skids you let off the brake a bit, but keep standing on the rear if that one lets loose until the bike slows to a crawl or you absolutely straighten out in a perfectly straight line and have total control.

[greatmaul]

Wow glad you are ok! Panic stops on the highway are definitely no fun, and I think that's where a lot of motorcycle fatalities take place. Good job getting off the road and that the idiot behind you didn't hit you.

Oh, and good lesson, too, that no matter what lane you're in for whatever reason, give yourself enough space to stop. I find that in rush hour traffic on the highway, I feel very pressured to keep up with the vehicle ahead of me so that people won't think I'm slowing the pace down. I often ride too close in these situations, so this warning is definitely well taken.

And mrmld1 is correct. Always beware of highsiding!

[Water Warrior 2]

I have sucessfully locked up the rear wheel and released it without mishap. I was practicing emergency braking on a flat straight piece of asphalt with no traffic. Luckily the rear wheel did not move out from a straight line of travel and the wheel was only locked up for a moment or 2. Practice emergency braking with the idea of not locking the rear wheel. Yup, it is kinda hard to do but progressive rear wheel braking will be a bonus when you really need it. The front will always do most of the braking but the rear adds that extra 20% that may save your butt. I have dodged a lot of deer with no dire results and no locked wheels. But I really gotta say a really tall moose adds to the pucker factor 10,000%.

[northsidegz]

You said you started to lose the back tire twice but you recovered it. What did you mean? If the back tire starts to skid you have to keep on the brake so you don't highside when the tire regains traction. If you let off the rear brake when it slides you risk a disaster. When the front skids you let off the brake a bit, but keep standing on the rear if that one lets loose until the bike slows to a crawl or you absolutely straighten out in a perfectly straight line and have total control.

Yeah, after it happened, I did have a moment of thought, "Crap, I wasn't suppose to let off the brake like that when it started, was I?" I feel very fortunate nothing worse happened. I braked quickly and at the very instant I felt the bike start to slide to the right from behind (I'm talking very minimally slide), I let them go and then reapplied.

....much like you do with a car that starts to slide at an icy stop sign. I basically started to let those instincts take over (coming from MN, I suppose that makes sense). :cry:

....so it started to slide in the back, I let off the brakes. Then reapplied them relatively quickly right away. I started to slide AGAIN and let off the brakes AGAIN and then finally when I applied them a third time I was nearing completing the braking and was able to apply them a third time without additional sliding.

I rode my bike for the first time this morning and needless to say I made sure I was cautious despite the tailgater in the SUV behind me. :whistle: