Comments on: Motorcycle Riding on the Razor Edge of Life and Death

By: Ted Donaldson

Ted Donaldson — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:21:33 +0000

100RT BMW in Tellluride, Colorado in October and caught in late snow. I had been riding for about 12 years at the time and about 50 yrs. old.
Ice and motorcycles dont’ mix no matter how slow and up and straight you are. Down I went – no injury. Left bike on mountain pass out of Ridgeway, Co. Snowing stopped and plows cleared the roads. Once out of the snow, I RELAXED MY GUARD and I WAS TIRED. I was making a normal curve in the road (beautiful twisties – Wiley Coyote country) and I found my bike and myself going off the curve onto the gravel shoulder and a huge red rock face to slam into going about 60 mph! Instinct took over not to front brake and I gradually made it back onto the road after my bike was swerving from the gravel on a turn! I finally got back on the road and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I think I overdosed on my lifetime allowance of adrenaline in that 5 seconds! I thanked God for not being seriously hurt slamming into that big red rock going about 55 mph and being alone. It was in a rather desolate part of the country heading west out of Dove Creek, Co.
LESSON: Don’t ride super tired. Pull of the road and sleep anywhere. Don’t get overly relaxed just because you are out of “danger” (snow, in my case). Listen to the fellow on a Honda Silverwing 500 from Las Vegas who advised I get out of the mountain passes because snow was predicted in the new few days. Hind sight is 20/20.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:16:46 +0000

The road I was riding on came to a T intersection, where I was fully stopped, signalling to turn left. As I waited for an opening in traffic, a car coming from my right started to make a left turn, but he was coming fast and cutting the turn short. He was coming straight at me at about 35 mph and I was sitting there watching him. There was no time to move and nowhere I could go anyway. He saw me at the last possible microsecond, swerved and almost lost control. But he missed me (barely) and managed to make the turn. I just sat there pissed off and regaining my composure when I noticed he had turned around and was pulling up behind me. I was pretty steamed, but I have to give him credit for apologizing. It really sucks to be on a Hayabusa and still be in a situation where you can’t move fast enough to get out of harm’s way!!

By: Thomas Fleming

Thomas Fleming — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:17:48 +0000

Talking about crashing and dying and being hurt on this site is a bad idea and no fun. It’s bad Karma and you all should stop. Car drivers don’t do that.

By: Johnny Bonds

Johnny Bonds — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:38:54 +0000

I have had a couple of close calls in the past couple of years involving “distracted” drivers., on cell phones. One was a classic. Three women in the front seat of a pick-up and all three were talking on cell phones.

I was riding on a 2 lane paved road doing the posted speed limit of 55 mph and it had just started raining making for a very slick surface. It was daylight and my lights were on, high beam. There was a restaunt on my left and as I approached I saw the truck pulling toward the driveway. The truck didn’t slow or stop when it got to the road, they just pulled right out in front of me. When I hit the brakes the bike started sliding and I knew I was going to go down under the truck. I let off the brakes and recovered enough to go by them on the right shoulder. I let them pass and they looked at me like I was an idiot, all three had a phone up to their ear. I followed them for about a mile till they stopped at a light and pulled up beside them and forgot I was a gentleman, I think I got their attention.

I am so glad the fereral government has finally started the wheels turning to ban cell phones while driving. I truly beleive they are as dangerous as drunk drivers.

By: transalper

transalper — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:23:59 +0000

This was my own negligence, I was on my way through Germany, and it had been raining most of the way from Calais . I was soaked and tired I know now it was the start of hyperthermia, I was on a twisty road riding through the mountains and rain clouds , visibility was really bad, I was shivering but must push on. At a curve I went straight on , the quick thinking mercedes driver stopped thank god, and I squeezed between him and the embankment on the wrong side of the road . It realy shook me up, when I found a hotel for the night in the middle of nowhere, it took me a long time to warm up in the shower , I slept in my sleeping bag in the hotel bed . I don’t want that again.