Why are we still alive

I do not remember any one ever teaching me to ride a motor cycle.
Got car license first taught by father (air force D.M.T. trained)
Taught to double declutch don't know why, it was an Austin 10 But when
it came to bike it was trial and error.
In the early years bikes like 250 JAWA 2 stroke, 150 ISO scooter With
gears and clutch,Four cyl honda and various others. Have had the same ex
cop R100 for the last 26 years And I am still here.
To day the hoops that young people have to go through are phenomenal

 

Yeah but nowadays a 250 makes about the power that a Bonneville used to make
and a 600 makes about twice what a widow-maker mach111 or a Honda 4 used to
make!
They also weigh half as much and can stop in a quarter of the distance so
they need to be learnt with care.
It's all second-nature to you and me because we've been doing it so long but
there's nothing "natural" about riding a bike and it all has to be learnt.
(And learnt muuuch faster now than then!)

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:06:15 +1000

The plural of anecdote is not data...

You might be alive, but there isn't much "we" about it.

The biggest drop in novice motorcycle crashes in NSW was when rider
training was introduced. Can't remember the numbers but it was quite
significant.

That you are able to post here just tells us you weren't one of the ones
who died, it tells us nothing about how many did die.


Zebee

 

I can add an anecdote to that:

I first got my motorcycle license in in 1971 in Melbourne. No
training. Just word of mouth advice by those riders who had not died
yet. For some weird reason, no one mentioned anything about a
phenomenon called "counter-steering" (maybe they were secretly trying
to kill me.)

Anyway, to cut a long story short, between 1971 and 1981, I nearly got
killed countless times due to the trouble I used to get into in
corners.

Then a miracle happened, I was riding Rosinante (Honda 750F2) on a
straight section of road out near Yass when I noticed that if I put a
bit of pressure on the left handebar, the bike wanted to go into
oncoming traffic. "This is interesting" I thought, and started
experimenting. Wow! Ten minutes later I fully grokked
counter-steering.

What's mirculous about that? Nothing much, but the next day at work I
picked up a piece of junk photocopy lying around and noticed that it
was an article about how/why countersteering works. Go figure.

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

You are one of the lucky ones.

So am I.

Rubbish!

Two half days for a pre-learners.

A day for the MOST/road ride.

Possibly a year riding a learner approved bike.

I'm sorry, but that isn't "phenomenal" to me.

Mark you, given my cranky attitude to the young folk of today, I dunno
if I wouldn't like to see rampant Darwinism applied to motorbike riders,
just like it was in the old days.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Most bike accidents with new riders is road sense. When I was young at
work all the people who got bike as first license had time off work
accidents with bikes and all who got car license first did not.
Lots of young people have bike skills when they start (trail bikes etc)
but no road sense

 

** if I put a bit of pressure on the left handebar
*** (emphasis added)

Did we used to drive on the right hand side back in those days?
Countersteering convention is to "push" the left handlebar (to go
right) although you may be of the pressure = pull School of
Riding...or you had forgotten about the sidecar

 

You got me. I mean to say "pull" (ducks, waiting for masturbatory
jokes).


=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

Miracles do exist. How I didnt kill myself way back then was a bloody
miracle.
How I didnt suffer an injury was another miracle. How I havent killed myself
on a bike over the years is another miracle.

 

Look out, killjoy was 'ere!

 

Not fair; why does Zebee get all the agile debating opponents?

 

I'm confused.... don't you both mean push left (to go left)!
MikeH
(Off for another mind clearing training session)

 

Not to mention theres a lot more vehicles on the road nowadays to either:-
1. bring on misfortune or
2. impose themselves in your private moment of coming unstuck, or
3. just run over you after you thought your prang has fimished.
Or all 3 in the case of oncoming 4WD's.
MikeH

 

Countersteering hadn't been invented back then.

Nev..
'07 XB12X
'08 DL1000K8

 

....and, considering the OP rides a shaftie, the issue is somewhat moot.

 

If you turn the front forks slightly to the right without leaning, the
bike will want to go left

 

If you're referring to me, fuckface, I sold the shaftie years ago. I
now ride a KL250-H*, which I refer to as the Super Tourer.

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

Nor had you I'd wager...


=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

Yep; push left to go left.

 

When Johno got his license steering hadn't been invented... let along
countersteering! [1]


G-S

[1] The first experiment with the guy and his abacus sitting on the
handle bars wasn't pretty either, but they did eventually move on from a
steering counter to proper counter steering.