Motorcycle Riding

Yes, it is something I love to do. I  have been for over 48 years. I raced motorcycles for 12 years. I am good at it and I love riding around on backroads so I can stay away from all the distracted drivers on the roads today. It is so dangerous out there. Most motorcyclists (I'll call them riders to reduce the typing I have to do) are a bit distracted as well. You really have to keep yourself focused on everything that is a threat. I took a ride a while back and a guy in a car tried to kill me. Luckily for me I have that racing background and was alone on the bike (picture below).

It has ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) which I exploited to save myself. He was in the oncoming lane at an intersection waiting to turn. Once I got to about 40 feet away he turned left in front of me. I decided to use the technology the BMW has and hammered the brakes and swerved to the left to avoid him. I swerved back around behind him after passing his back bumper and was on my way alive and undamaged. I did scream at him and he gave me the friendly I'm sorry wave. Murderous bastard.

Had it been some less experienced rider on a big cruiser or touring bike I think things would've turned out a bit more sadly. Those types of riders and the bikes don't have the skills or ability to make those kinds of maneuvers. I do and no limping around for months or donating organs (which would be a privilege for me).

But, that is the point, be observant. Keep looking around, move your eyes. Look at the drivers to see what they are doing. Plan ahead. I call that "threading the needle" I did it that day and it saved me. Know where the needle is and where to go to do it. Never focus on the car turning in front of you. You will most likely suffer from what we racers referred to as rock fascination syndrome. If you are racing through a corner or down a straight and see a rock you tend to fixate on it and then you hit the darn thing. Look where you want to go and you'll do it better. It worked for me that day.

The really fun thing for me is on the backroads. Lots of interesting things to see and that is the reason I ride. Sitting on my bike on an Interstate (what we call the 'Slab') is too boring. The pictures in my older posts in the Archive section are great examples of that. I can hardly wait for the weather to change so I can get going again.