Real Life article on Target Fixation.

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wrightme43

Would you happen to have any proof that his opinions are wrong or have caused people harm? He is very helpful to many people. I am pretty opionated myself. LOL
 

reiobard

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I am opinionated, but target fixation sucks and when i was new it almost bit me a couple of times, I wish there were more reads like this when i was a newb, it would have helped me prevent some close calls.
 

shaggystyle

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Good read. I've been working really hard on this lately. Since I didn't do much riding over the winter it's become an issue again and I'm not too happy about it. I don't like relapsing on bad habits. If it stops raining this weekend I'm going to spend it reworking all of my "old" skills, sort of like spring cleaning for the brain.
 

madmanmaigret

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Good read. I've been working really hard on this lately. Since I didn't do much riding over the winter it's become an issue again and I'm not too happy about it. I don't like relapsing on bad habits. If it stops raining this weekend I'm going to spend it reworking all of my "old" skills, sort of like spring cleaning for the brain.

spring cleaning for the brain? makes sense to me. sometimes when i get on the bike after a while of no riding I will take it slow around the block to clear the cobwebs and I guess thats what you are doing. Good advice also to give a beginner as to make sure all of your wits are about you. :thumbup:
 

jamesfz6

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I watched a guy a few months ago bump into the back of a truck when stopping at a light......could have been from his fixation with the guys bumper?:confused:
 

Bryan

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Good info, thanks. Scary stuff. One minute youre cruzin down the road and then before you know it, you are spending the next 8 years of youre life recovering.
 

hunterfz6

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hey, shagg, you might know what im talking about here, you know Fern valley road when you get on 65 south exit ramp? I was riding my bike leaning around that turn, when mid way i actually fixated on the side rails and seemed to be going right towards it. at the last minute I fixed my eyes back on the road and had no problem, but my heart was racing really fast. when i realized i was fixating, it was a heart beats moment only. I had a huge voice in my head saying EYES FRONT!!! was it god or my old CC from navy boot camp in my mind at the last minute, who knows. but damn its easy to see how folks can get in huge trouble that way. eyes front everybody!!!.
 

Nelly

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Steve That is a powerful article. I hope Karen puls through. One thing that confuses me is that it states She was in the safest point of the group. Maybe this is because of the different sides of the rosd that we ride on but who was Karens eyes and break marker for the bend?
None the less we have all had those few moments where our eyes have been fixed at a single point.

Neil
 
W

wrightme43

That is one thing I noticed to. I dont like to ride the inside line. I dont really like to ride group in the turns. The inside line is bad for sight lines to the right, and it makes for a harder turn.
 

Nelly

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That is one thing I noticed to. I dont like to ride the inside line. I dont really like to ride group in the turns. The inside line is bad for sight lines to the right, and it makes for a harder turn.
I am not trying to appoint blame to the group, but with a novice, you need to have a wing man. Its sounds like \karen has overcooked it into the bend and lost all confidence in the grip and lean of her tyres. I post this as a subjective hindsite impression.

Nelly
 

Whitey Dodge

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Would you happen to have any proof that his opinions are wrong or have caused people harm? He is very helpful to many people. I am pretty opionated myself. LOL

From his Safety Tips:

His opinion on endurance riding:

"Note that most of those things require that you actually get off your motorcycle from time to time. But there are people that REALLY put mileage on their motorcycles, in as little time as possible - and honestly feel as if that is what constitutes 'quality of life' for them. Some do both kinds of distance riding described above.

This article may well read like a slam at one of those kinds of people. Instead, it is merely a reflection of my biases and an attempt to put into perspective some sobering realities about traveling long distances with the hope that the reader will at least know what he is facing if he decides to participate."



From his Some People should not ride a motorcycle:


Higher on the list though are parents of relatively young children. These people, it seems to me, are risking far more than their own lives on a motorcycle.

There are others...
 
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wrightme43

They are as he said his opinions. They are not dangerous or damaging opinions. I thought you were talking about some kind of opinion on riding technique that you disagree with. If he feels that way its his site, and his right. I dont have any children. I do have custody of my niece. I have life insurance. I ride smart and wear gear. I disagree with him on the not riding because of responsibilties, but thats no big deal to me.
 

Whitey Dodge

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They are as he said his opinions. They are not dangerous or damaging opinions. I thought you were talking about some kind of opinion on riding technique that you disagree with. If he feels that way its his site, and his right. I dont have any children. I do have custody of my niece. I have life insurance. I ride smart and wear gear. I disagree with him on the not riding because of responsibilties, but thats no big deal to me.

The thing is, if he going to run a site on motorcycle safety, stick to the facts, and leave his opinion out of it. Why pass on your biases to a new rider?

This site has been around with his curmudgeon viewpoint since the mid 90s. The only real difference now is he is asking for donations and I have a real problem with his numbers. $10,000??? Having worked in the web hosting industry, I know you can host a website for $15/month. It sounds like he has a dedicated server and a T1? line. He needs to rethink his business model and stop hitting people up for money.

I don't have a problem with donating to a site, I just think his numbers are a little suspect...
 
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HavBlue

Steve That is a powerful article. I hope Karen puls through. One thing that confuses me is that it states She was in the safest point of the group. Maybe this is because of the different sides of the rosd that we ride on but who was Karens eyes and break marker for the bend?
None the less we have all had those few moments where our eyes have been fixed at a single point.

Neil

I agree this is a very good article but far from a case study. Target fixation is a real problem for many inexperienced riders hence the reason it is covered in the MSF classes. I have attached a link to a site that you may find very interesting in that it explains many of the issues of Target Fixation as they relate to both bicycles and motorcycles.

3. Recommendation
 

steveindenmark

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I have just been watching "The Long Way Down" at one point Charley Boorman is saying" Don`t look at the tree stump Charlie, Don`t look at the tree stump. Oh **** Charlie you have hit a tree stump".

If people with as much experience as him can get caught out then so can the rest of us. Always remember that the bike goes where you look, it has to be rule number 1 from day 1.

Steve
 
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