Highway 128 in California

If you've never been here and wondered what it's like riding here, this
should give you an idea. Remember, it's naughty cross over the 2 yellow
lines.

http://www.motorcyclevids.com/movies/20050515-route_128.wmv

Shot by one of my mates.
--
Mike

SV650
UKRMMA#22
Skype: muddycat

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, muddycat

Interesting road, whereabouts in CA is it?

Oh, and tell you mate his road positioning and overtake planning are
fucking shite.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Wicked Uncle Nigel amazed us all with this pearl
of wisdom:

It looks a lot like that bit of road where the CBR pilot binned it in
that video a few weeks ago. Don't laugh but I recognise one of the
barriers.[1]


[1] 34 seconds in.

 

What's wrong with it, looks good to me (as a learner) so would like
to know what the reasoning is.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, rob2

Positioning is summed up by that lovely Dave Corden phrase "Hunger for
the view". Put yourself in a position where you can see as far as
possible ahead. *Usually* way to the left on right handers and way to
the right on left handers.

Modify this if that would put you in a silly position (close to a
junction on to the road you're on, embedded in the front of an oncoming
Scania, on a patch of diesel, that kind of thing).

Doing that would allow him to see traffic he's going to overtake
earlier. Then he can plan the overtake so that he doesn't scurry up to
the back of the vehicle, brake, *then* accelerate around it. Arrive at
the guy in front already going fast enough to pass, but not so fast that
you can't get out of it if something smells wrong.

And use the fucking gearbox and throttle. Some of those overtakes were
*way* too slow[1]. Being close to the vehicle in front, or alongside it
on the "wrong" side of the road is dangerous. So get the **** out of
there ASAP.

[1] I'll accept "the camera makes it look slower" as a partial defence
here.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

I read this and Bears advice and I ride just like that guy, so maybe
some practice is required, this is meant to be knocked down but
that police IAM handbook thing says you follow for an overtake then
close in to the vehicle with flashing or whatever to make sure they've
seen you (not every time obviously), so simply you close up just
before the overtake ?.

Got told off lots for maintaining momentum on my training; instructor
said I went into the last few miles of corners faster than he would like to
,so I'm caught between tempering going faster than the vanishing point?,
apex? allows like a suicidal maniac, and going the proper speed.

Once I followed the Police riders thing and looked for the point where
the edges of the road meet visually on a corner I get those sweeping joined
curves without any panic, it kinda forces me to slow down as they meet
IYSWIM, but the positioning and overtakes are still a worry.

 

Northern California.

http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Highway128.htm

Will do.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, muddycat

Lovely. Might as well tell him he's crap in bed whilst you're about it.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Sometimes it cannot be helped though. But for the most part I agree with
you. I like to pass them before they know I'm there.

Eh? Coming clean may help someone else to not make the same mistakes.
Besides, I want to hear how you screwed the pooch.

We call it HVR, high visual horizon. Or look down the road, not at your
front wheel.

Positioning is a good thing too, especially on narrow two lane twisty
roads. Some twonk here lost his head (literally). His bike was in the
lane, but his head was over the double-yellow and impacted the bumper of
a largish truck going the other direction.

You're right about the DWS. It's great fun spotting them.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, muddycat

<sigh>

It was on the last FrogTrip. It wasn't really a Mistake-To-Learn-From so
much as a Red-Mist-With-Added-Shit-Judgement moment.

I was following a Belgian truck (and had been for some time). I decided
the overtake was there. It wasn't. There was an oncoming car who went
left when I needed him to go right. There were cones. There was a
rapidly narrowing gap. And I was on the BlingMobile (which is not the
slimmest of devastatingly quick cross country filtering tools).

Not my finest hour.

I'm still alive, but can claim no credit for this fact.

Boots (who was following) reckoned I had as much as half an inch to
spare. I reckon there was at least three-quarters. Which reminds me, I
need to smooth the pucker marks out of the saddle during the current
service.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Really, really, really really, really, really, really fucking slow,
apparently.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, ogden

So you're already booked on a trip out there, then?

Oh no. I see they have hairpins. Best not, eh?

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Ugh. ICWUM I haven't done that, but I have one or two things on my list
of stuff not to do again.

 

" "

 

Hairpins aren't a problem at the moment.

It's being stationary that leads to damage.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, muddycat

<Fuckwits Anonymous Meeting>

Welcome Brother Muddycat! Share your story with us...

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Would a quick tale of running into the back of a flatbed recovery truck
allow access to a FAM?

 

<steps up to lectern>
<coffs>

Well, I was filtering up this line of stopped traffic at a rather rapid
pace, see. I went between two medium sized vans and was paying attention
to the mirrors, when I saw I was okay I screwed the throttle open again.
Only I should have been looking at the huge artic taking up all the room
in front of me. The bike started under the trailer and I grabbed a hand
full of brakes. I did stop, but put a ding in my visor when I planted my
face in the rear bumper.

Thank you, thankyouverymuch.

 

*snort*

 

It was pretty simple really.

Roundabout.

He was going and so was I.

He stalled as I didn't.

I took out his tail light and scratched my front mudguard.

Phoned his company and explained to his boss that he has employed a
fuckwit.

Heard nothing else