A Strong Reason to Re-Evaluate Group Riding Safety?

[Ray916MN]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cYFfUY9J1k4" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/cYFfUY9J1k4</a>

If you want to skip through, visit the clip on YouTube and read the description and watch around minutes 6 and 19:30.

[Deplorable, thank you!]

 Watch the very end as well, the last 3 minutes?
Blind turn slam into the side of a patrol car, take out another bike then a follower runs into the already on the ground bike....

I didn't go to youtube to see any description. So.........

I think this video yells, FOLLOWING DISTANCE !

[Tumbler]

I think this video yells, FOLLOWING DISTANCE !

Exactly!!

[Jvs]

Out of all of these people, I'd only feel safe riding with the guy on the cruiser.


I do give props to the guy on the triple (?) for knowing his limits and not pushing himself to stay caught up with the rest of the group.

[Ray916MN]

....
I didn't go to youtube to see any description. So.........
.....

The description from YouTube:

"The day started out early, we met up with our group and headed out, it was a very nice day for a ride. We had 4 bikes go down in total today, mine was one of them. Everyone involved is doing ok"

What I saw.

• Large unstructured group.
• Some in lane passing
• Some too close following.
• Seemingly blase attitude towards crashing.  Somehow no one seems particularly bothered by the crashing, as if it just comes with riding.

The first crash is chalked up to a mechanical issue "front tire blew out".... Hmmmm....

While the technical reason for the later crash may have been following too closely, along with what looks like a bunch of target fixation, the thing that is most bothersome is the blase attitude.

Maybe the riders are re-evaluating what caused the crash, but the attitude that stuff happens seems thick.

Stuff of course does happen, but chalking accidents up to stuff happening is being a victim of riding as opposed to be in control and responsible for riding. I'd venture to guess that more "stuff happens" to riders who are inclined to accept the idea that stuff happens.

The cause of the accidents? Maybe the attitude that stuff happens, as opposed to the attitude, since we all know stuff happens, riders who crash are to blame for not being prepared for stuff to happen. A safe following distance is preparation for stuff to happen....

While every rider is responsible for their own riding and ride safety, as a group or individual, I think safety comes from a the attitude that stuff happening is almost invariably not an acceptable reason/excuse for crashing. Having the right attitude is fundamental to learning from accidents, as opposed to being victimized by them.

[Mr. Gadget]

Man o Man the guy is so focused on the downed bike he clips the other guys handle bars at 6:09.
Riders should be focused on riding not gawking and keeping a distance of 2 seconds or more at speed and 3 or more seconds in twisties would of been a good thing.

What about the dude at 17:38 to 18:00 as the riders ignore the slow down zone before the stop sign and then panic brakes and starts to do a Stoppie - Wow! 

And then the ultimate screw up - You get what you focus on - The guy crossed the center line and saw the police car so instead of focusing on were he wants to go he keeps watching the police car and hits it - Wow -  This is just like the video were the guy low sided on that turn after he sees a hwy. patrol car and panics on an earlier post / video Ray put up.

[Deplorable, thank you!]

 I figured the (blase) non chalant attitude kind of went without saying...........but Ray put it to words very well.

That may well be one of the best posts I have read on the forum amongst a few very good posts.

[carlson_mn]

Speeding on roads full of traffic and other vehicles, blind turns, scant following distance, topped off with a lack of skills, skills entirely missing particularly in panic situations.  Hell I think even in the BRC I took back in '97 and the ERC I remember better, they teach you the swerve and stop should you encounter something mid-turn.  It's something you have to prepare for and mentally prepare to do during all rides and all turns IMO.  Thanks for the link to the video Ray.

[tk]

This ride just went to hell fast. Four bikes damaged and a cop car hit, WOW. I wonder how long
this ride was for all that to happen. I like to see longer following distances.

[aschendel]

cruising the youtube and found this one, not too special, but it was interesting to think about what caused the crash:

zx6r crash

a.s.

[tk]

I'm guessing something suddenly appeared in the road as the camera bike rounded a corner.
He crossed the center line and braked hard, causing the Kawi some trouble. The kawi may have
been following too close on a twisty road at an aggresive pace.

[flyinlow]

If you look at the road, its a tight chicane, I think the guy in front blew the turn and he was able to brake through it although going into the oncoming lane. The guy behind, following too close, locked the front brake losing control, tried to recover then lost it.

[aschendel]

i could see what you guys said being the case, but my random guess is that i think the follower was about to lay down a pass on his buddy.  the buddy though, cut the corner and the follower lost control when he got on the brakes super-hard.  i thought it was almost as simple as back luck by two people accustomed to using the whole road.  i didn't see anything in the road as the leader crossed the line, and the leader took a pretty good route around the two corners, if there weren't "lanes".

a.s.

[carlson_mn]

yup, poor riding, goes wide following his buddy cutting through the opposite lane, ruins his entrance angle by being on the inside of the turn, almost rear ends him so he jabs the brakes, gets squirrelly, and then pretty much loses composure on the bike and the rest is history.

 I wonder if ABS would have helped him, I know the MFG's are starting to implement on some of the SS bikes.  Probably not in his case.