Share your greatest mistake so others can learn

[Azrael]

I've been riding for 8+ years now, and something that took me a lot of time to get over, was to stop getting fixated on and copying the line a rider in front of me took, specially on a long, sharp turn. This was especially dangerous on fast runs with unfamiliar and less experienced riders who would take terrible lines and in spite of myself would end up mimicking them.

The one major accident I've had in my life was at age 20 when I saw the dude in front of me go too fast into a turn, start leaning too slow, then realise it, and then grab a fistful of brakes and go down. I lost what seemed like an eternity mimicking him, then leaned over again for real this time and shifted down 2 gears hoping the skid would be controllable. It wasn't. Had only a busted rib, surprisingly and some very shredded clothing.

 

[FIZZER6]

#1. Know your equipment thoroughly, and trust it! It can do more than you think it can if you practice. Half way through a corner is no time for doubt and reaction..I know, after railing it round a bend and doubting the traction thereby leading to an off road excursion that could have ended very badly, but thankfully did not.

This is a good one! My riding coach always told me that if you get into a turn too hot, do not panic and assume you will lose traction. You can pull much more G's than you think as long as you don't lift throttle or hit the brakes! Even if you do happen to hit the limit of your tires and go down a low-side is ALWAYS better than a high-side or a face-plant into a ditch, tree or fence!

 

[Ramarius]

My greatest mistake was about 14 years ago, and was actually many mistakes combined. I had ridden dirt bikes for several years and decided I wanted a street bike. One of my friends had a RZ 350 Yamaha 2-stroke. Thinking this would be a great street bike to move into from a 2-stroke dirt bike.... I bought it. First mistake. I got my motorcycle license the same day and rode back to work after lunch. I then was on the way home after work and was driving a little to fast on a bike I didn't have any feel for, and didn't have any street experience. mistakes 2 and 3. It started raining, just a little, and I was on fresh asphalt with no idea how slick it could be. #4. Locked up the rear tire, front brake barely worked, which I would have known if I would have checked it. #5. I ended up hitting a turn median, doing a superman out into traffic. By the time it was over the bike was totaled, road rash on right forearm, left shoulder dislocated which caused nerve damage for a few months where my arm was dead from the elbow down. My thumb was also broke- down by the lowest joint, which the doctors had later found in the middle of the palm of my hand and had to have it pinned back together. I guess my biggest mistake was over confidence in my abilities. If there is anything I can tell a new rider to do it's take time to learn to ride the street and know your equipment.

BTW: All of this happened within 6 hours of buying the bike and getting my license, my wife was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and Progressive insurance was really happy that I had taken out full coverage. I'm all good now, love riding...just a lot more careful. Oh, and every once in a while my shoulder still reminds me of my youth and ignorance. Hope this helps somebody avoid some of the mistakes I made.

Sorry for the full page journal entry.

 

[yaminator]

Great lessons to be learned in this thread, very valuable stuff, and thanks! For what it's worth, I learned the hard way to always know where your toes are and when you can, use some robust footwear. Once, in a parking lot my left foot must have been hanging a little too far over the peg and as I was gliding past a cement parking barrier my foot clipped it and was tweaked and wacked so bad it felt like it had sheared off. Mind you I was doing 7 mph. I was wearing Caterpillar steeltoes that I had found on ebay, but still the leather over the front was totally wiped off. 7 mph! I know it's comfy and convenient to wear casual shoes, tennis shoes, etc., but it does'nt take much speed to make a foot bleed. You want to be able to walk to and from your bike.

 

[FZ09Bandit]

I'd like everyone to share two educational moments so that others can learn from our mistakes. The goal being "real world events" other can learn from.

In three years of riding the FZ I've repeated two mistakes which could have ended badly. Both are identical in nature and you're all gonna question "what was he thinking"... That's why I'm writing!


1) Trusting the cage. Don't do it. I was separated from my riding partner but in no hurry to make a pass. I waited and waited for a long straight stretch with no apparent options for a cage to turn left on and take me out as collateral damage. I didn't wait long enough.
I'd been behind this little truck for 6+ miles and it seemed like a good place at the time but I was wrong as there WAS A WIDE SPOT and he wanted to turn around. I was at his door when I see him begin to slow AND THEN HE's coming left into me!! I was steering left toward the shoulder, locked the back as I didn't skoot back enough on the seat and/or apply enough front brake but I did steer left and braked hard enough to prevent being ran over. He made his turn and all was well as I fell back in line on the right side of the road. !

Hat something similar one morning, there was a truck towing a 16ft trailer just taking its time. When I finally decide to pass him, he (without blinker) started to turn left when I got to about his tailgate, I zipped to the left just enough to clear him. I could have took my hand off the bars and slapped his fender, it's almost like he did it on purpose.

The other mistake, pulling around in my yard I was being dumb and goosing it just to get it a little sideways, untill it slid out from underneath me.

 

[SweaterDude]

Ive got another:

TRUST YOUR LINE

when you enter the turn pick your line, know where you want to go. then commit. once youve committed, trust it. the bike can handle more than you can. if you stay relaxed and ride smooth, youll be able to hold your line no problem, you just gotta trust it.

 

[made_in_izmir]

I have 2 advice for bikers , though everyone knows them .


One ; Dont risk yourself ! but if you dont escape , try to minimize .

Second ; Watch your legs while exhaust still hot

 

[raj_27]

I have a very silly one.

Dont leave bike in park when locking. I have done that 3 times since last december. Coming from riding in India (Most Indian bike have the full lock position unlike Fz6 which has park light) this habit is getting hard to loose.

 

[Ssky0078]

If you think there is no way that driver would be stupid enough to do that..........

I was just on my way home traveling in the 3rd lane and a water truck was taking a left turn from the suicide lane in front of me into the Drive-Thru Liquor store. No problem for the usual daily commute. I was covering clutch and brake, not really slowing down, but just ready in case the truck stalls or something. Well this female moron in a Black Yukon decides it is a good time pulling out from the Drive-Thru Liquor store. Anyway by the time I'm about 100-200 feet from the truck which has now vacated my lane. I see under the truck the black Yukon is now about to enter my lane. I'm in full panic stop and thankfully I have been practicing power slides/hard braking and such while coming up to corners or stoplights. The black Yukon decides to stop in the lane in front of me as I come sliding to a complete stop as if they are suddenly realizing they Fu#ked up will magically get them out of the way. Immediately my now free throttle hand is waving at them to get the hell out of the way and they figure it's ok now to fully get into the suicide lane.

On what planet is it ever good to take a left out of a driveway when there is a large truck blocking your ability to see the oncoming traffic. I personally would never do that because I'm not a Fuc#ing idiot.

 

[Ssky0078]

I have 2 advice for bikers , though everyone knows them .


One ; Dont risk yourself ! but if you dont escape , try to minimize .

Second ; Watch your legs while exhaust still hot

I will attest to number 2.

View attachment 50330View attachment 50332

 

[rye]

My greatest mistake was waiting until I was 31 to get my first motorcycle. I should have done it a lot sooner.

 

[Solarservant]

Halleluja to that Rye. :thumbup:

 

[PurpleZJ]

Wait until a smart/safe/legal area to pass a car. Where I live it's a lot of crowded freeways. I was running late to class and was impatient with the slow cagers I was stuck behind. We three exited onto a 1 lane overpass to get on another freeway. You can easily take this at speed, yet they decided to slow to 45ish. The overpass was wide enough, so I went down to 2nd and ripped the throttle. Not sure why this happened next, but for some reason I tossed it down into 1st on accident at around 60(thank goodness for rev matching) but the bike redlined and I lost traction at the rear giving me a nice wiggle while leaned in a curve. Quick shifted back into 2nd, left the clutch in and gave the bike a quick rev to feel out the engine, felt fine so I went on my way. That is easily my biggest mistake that could've put me in the hospital, or worse, the ground. As I had two feet space free on the left until a 4 foot k rail, and on the right a midsize SUV. Over that k rail was a 40 something foot drop. So yeah, don't do that. What's the saying? At the time it was- old enough to know better, still too young to care.

 

[FinalImpact]

Changing topics ever so slightly:

Anyone scare themselves into a panic?

I shouldn't publicly admit this but this summer I found myself on a fresh toping of asphalt in a lovely sweeper. Now add in some c0ckiness and excessive spirit in the moment and we have this: speeds just over 9x range and I misjudged the corners arc. It was getting sharper and sharper and sharper. Failure meant a tragic ending as there was oncoming traffic and the only option was to lean more. Well, I just didn't know how much more was left but it was the only sensible option. Yes, there was a pucker factor accompanied by momentary heart rate increase, followed by sigh of relief - I went wider than expected but not so far as to cross the line. All was well but looking back that wasn't the best choice (speed).

Lesson: Know your limits, test them occasionally (in safe manor), don't panic giving the bike some crazy input like making a HARSH input. That would have resulted in failure. Always be smooth! Quick to react is OK, but no harsh inputs as the results will be less than favorable!

 

[JONJONsocal]

Oooo ooo ooo one more!

*** ASSUMING you will make it to the gas station when it's flashing***

hahahahah... I always do. Last time I did go longer than usual and I still made it.. hahahah Good one.. :thumbup:

 

[FinalImpact]

Funny stuff in this thread.... Due for a friendly bump!

Anyone?

 

[motojoe122]

Changing topics ever so slightly:

Anyone scare themselves into a panic?

I shouldn't publicly admit this but this summer I found myself on a fresh toping of asphalt in a lovely sweeper. Now add in some c0ckiness and excessive spirit in the moment and we have this: speeds just over 9x range and I misjudged the corners arc. It was getting sharper and sharper and sharper. Failure meant a tragic ending as there was oncoming traffic and the only option was to lean more. Well, I just didn't know how much more was left but it was the only sensible option. Yes, there was a pucker factor accompanied by momentary heart rate increase, followed by sigh of relief - I went wider than expected but not so far as to cross the line. All was well but looking back that wasn't the best choice (speed).

Lesson: Know your limits, test them occasionally (in safe manor), don't panic giving the bike some crazy input like making a HARSH input. That would have resulted in failure. Always be smooth! Quick to react is OK, but no harsh inputs as the results will be less than favorable!

Something along the same theme....
My most recent track day at NJMP (Lighting track), I think it was turn 5. I was coming in at around 60ish, saw a yellow jersey off to my left and it was a right hand turn....yep, off the track and into the grass. I felt the initial onset of panic, dirtbike reflexes kicked in and I squeezed a little front brake and downshifted a gear. We came to a slow roll and eased back on course. Funny thing about it was I didn't have time to think into it much, although it could have had much worse results.
BTW: Yellow jersey was a photographer. Lesson learned.....FOCUS

 

[QwickFliCk]

Greatest mistake: riding in the bronx lol...seriously tho never again

 

[ChevyFazer]

I've made way too many mistakes to count but if I have to really think about the major one its my lack of fear and self control. If I see another bike I always want to go catch up and see if their feeling froggy, if one catches up to me I get froggy. Any good turn I find I always want to see how fast I can take it, any long straight I want to do the same, stuck behind traffic at a red light before my turn I wanna jump the curb and get on the sidewalk, when I see a cop I want to see if he can catch me. I'm a impulsive mother trucker and never think about what I'm doing until after the fact. I've calmed down a lot over the years but I always find myself wanting and sometimes still doing those things. That is by far my biggest mistake. Its cost me over $150,000 between hospital stays, trashed vehicals, and legal issues and that's not a exaggeration. Here's just some of the tickets, impound fees, bonds and license reinstatement I could find. Just this picture there's over 20 tickets, 3 reinstatements and 3 trips to jail totaling over $35,000 and there is more, these are just the ones I could find. In other words I'm my own worst enemy

Burning tungsten, blowing engines, breaking bones and beating on bikes.... Its my life