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Murdercycles and Risk Management

6K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  misti 
#1 ·
A tragic story was posted here recently about a fatal accident where a father of three boys hit someone from behind at a high rate of speed. On the heels of that story, I picked up the paper a few days ago and read this story in my hometown:

Woman killed in motorcycle accident near Millersville - capitalgazette.com

As the father of 5 and a person with many other responsibilities, I'm often asked by friends how I am comfortable with the risks of riding. Even friends who are long time, skilled riders have asked themselves, in the wake of these stories, if they should give this up. The truthful answer is maybe and how you determine the right answer is to ask yourself are you good at risk management?

If you're the kind of person that likes to romp through traffic at 150 mph then I'm going to say you suck at risk management. Some 19 year old driving their mom's minivan is going to change lanes right in front of you someday and leave you dead if you're lucky and in a diaper and feeding tube and a burden to your family if you're not.

I've had my S1000RR north of 160 mph on a public road. It was in a remote place where there was not a car around for 10 miles on a well maintained interstate highway. A group of us were headed off into the mountain twisties and this was a deserted road to get there. We had a blast with very little risk above tootling along at 70 mph. When we came home the following day on the same road it was very gusty and windy. I knew we probably shouldn't push it but one guy took off and my ego got the better of me and off I went to show him that my BMW could run him down and pass him - I did at about 165 just about the time I caught a gust of wind and the front of the bike lifted off the road. I let my ego override my judgement and saw in a flash my future wearing a diaper.

I've spent my whole life turning gas into an adrenalin rush and I've made it to 56 years old by being really good at risk management. But I still screw up like the story above. I fly a Pitts (hence the moniker) flying high performance aerobatic maneuvers low to the ground. This is sport where judgement errors claim the life of a friend just about every year or two. So maybe I'm just highly sensitized to managing the risks. Every time I strap on the plane I make sure I pinch myself and ask if my head is in this; do I have a plan for what I'm about to do; and what are the parameters that tell me I'm off the plan. That's why I've been doing this for as long as I have when some dear friends are gone. It makes diving a plane at the trees at 240 mph "safely managed."

When you jump on your bike, do you pinch yourself and ask if you're mentally frosty? Do you have a personal set of rules about what you will and won't do - regardless of what your riding buddy is doing? If you're doing chit where you can say, if that minivan changes lanes, I'm dead then I'm going to say you need to look really hard at your risk management skills. It doesn't take courage or crazy good skills when you're just rolling the dice to see if you live or die.

If you've got enough discipline to do good risk management then there's no reason you can't be all the hooligan you want to be. Wheelies at 120 mph - chit yeah, bust 'em out for your friends. Just don't do it in traffic or better yet, take it to the track if you've got the courage to compare your skill to people that really know how to ride the thing. Because here's the thing - a rider who has no skills or perspective is going to be impressed with your high speed romp in traffic but who cares what that guy thinks? And the riders with great skill and experience are going to think you're a squid and organ donor so you're not impressing them either. So why do it?
 
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#2 ·
Great post, and all too true.
 
#4 ·
Excellent

I am in my late 60's, and seem to push harder as I get older. I delude myself with the rationalization that my skill level has and will continue to get me home safely. Pushing the envelope ever time you ride will eventually catch you out. My fear is the the diaper scenario. I just added your post to my desktop and will read it every morning,as I ride every day,since I am retired. Thanks for the wisdom!
 
#5 ·
If you're riding to impress anyone, you're already starting on the wrong foot. You should be riding for the enjoyment, experience, and thrill of it. Risk vs reward is how I decide how to ride. Is this risk worth the reward? If not then I don't do it, if I feel it is then I do it. In regards to traffic the reward never out weigh the risk, so I rarely do risky stuff unless I feel my life could be in danger. Hopefully everyone starts thinking about this stuff and reduce the motorcycle deaths.
 
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#8 ·
Nick Ienatsch wrote about riding on public roads (canyons) in his book...and dealt with it well in a piece called "The Pace".
Here's the link to The Pace 2.0 by Nick:

The Pace 2.0- Motorcycle Safety and Riding Skills Explained

I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found some riding buddies who know how to ride their own ride at "The Pace." We roll off into the hillbilly twisties in West Virginia and ride like this for days at a time. Could we ride faster if we wanted to? You bet but with less margin to handle that patch of pea gravel that got kicked out in the turn or the leaf peeper that's turning left without signaling. We cut up like a bunch of teenagers when we get out there but always in our lane and like it mentioned in the article - you almost never see a brake light in our group. I love the back to back switchbacks on some of the roads out there where you can jump on it getting a little lofty before diving back into the next turn the other direction. We're all having a blast but always riding The Pace. Hell, the long straights are where the po po likes to lurk anyway so why bust triple digits to connect the turns when all the fun happens in the turns anyway. Fast in the corners and slow in the straights is our mantra. It's good risk management.
 
#6 ·
I don't ride at night. 8 out of 10 rider deaths I see in the news happen at night. Granted it's probably their own fault but cagers just don't see you.

keep the speed delta between me and other vehicles in check.
 
#7 ·
Great job sharing the aviation risk management theory with motorcyclists. Its too bad these principles are not emphasized enough in motorcycle training.

I'm also old (53) and was a crew member on MH60's and MC130's when I was in the Air Force as a Pararescueman for 25 years. We did a lot of amazingly dangerous stuff on a daily basis, yet rarely had incidents of death or serious injury. I have raced just about every kind of dirt racing as well as road racing, and I commute everyday on my street bike at a pretty good clip. Somehow I have managed to stay alive through all of it. I credit the military teaching and continual training on these principles as a major reason I have done so many extremely dangerous activities for so long and I'm still here to talk about it.

If all the same principles of flying were emphasized for riding I'm sure we would all be the better for it.

Dog
 
#9 ·
I'll also add that one of the best things I've done that improved my judgement was the California Superbike School. Just some simple concepts like never add power and lean angle at the same time or adding power in a smooth continuous manner only after setting my line through the turn at the proper speed, the two-step vision - these improved my speed and margin for safety when I'm riding on the street. I hardly ever catch myself charging a corner anymore. The school isn't just for racer wannabes. Some great risk management skills are taught there.

But my main point was to just put being fast on the street into perspective. There's a time and place to enjoy the kick these bikes offer and you'll live longer if you figure that out. Just be honest with yourself about the risks you accept because they affect a lot more than you.
 
#28 ·
Excellent post and good to hear. It's a great reminder about the dangers of riding on the street and of being as prepared as you can be. I just found out last night that an old friend of mine that I started riding with was killed on the street. I don't know details or care to know them, only that another one of my friends is gone. Some things are not preventable but from my own riding experience I'd say that doing WHATEVER you can to improve your riding skills, visual skills, road awareness, and personal risk management are necessary for creating better odds that you will survive on the street. Know your limits, ride within them and get as much practice, schooling, and experience in improving your riding skills as you can. The more your practice and understand good riding technique the more likely you'll be able to use it in case of emergency. Ride safe everyone. xoxox
 
#10 ·
Great posts in this thread. We participate in a dangerous sport and need to fully respect that fact every time we swing a leg over our beautiful machines. Proper mindset and training go a long way as mentioned in others posts. Riding is in the souls of many of us. It is what we do and part of who we are and that will never change. But we need to think of others also and make sure that we have things in order in case something does go wrong. Having enough life insurance and medical insurance to take care of the unexpected, should all be top priorities for any of us that ride.

Ltyson
 
#12 ·
Great post, Pitts, sounds like you are one of those rare "old, bold pilots"!
I come from a flying and motorcycling family, although my flying lessons in my early teens didn't catch as I preferred to spend my weekends doing motocross/enduro back then. A family friend had an aerobatic airplane and took me up a couple of times, that was a hoot!
Anyway, risk is there, and we may think we manage it, and maybe we even do, to an extent, but "risk management" can be a bit misleading. Luck is also there, and it can be great, mostly, and it can be a bitch sometimes. Every Sunday I go riding in the canyons with my friends - most of us have track experience and we go out fully kitted out in racing leathers, etc. Even though we are NOT riding at track speeds, i.e. no heavy braking on turn entry, no committing to turns until you know what's in the turn and out the other side, no passing unless around the outside and with the other rider's approval, and so on, other people, including other bikers, think we are absolutely nuts. And yes, sometimes when hititng triple digits on a little two-lane straight between the corners, or letting the bike loose on a longer straight, or the highway, I tend to agree. We like to think we are "controlling" risk, but it's still there. In spades.
Just last December I went out with the guys on my R1200GS, being temporarily without a sportbike having sold my 2011 S1000RR. Keep in mind that, ridden well, the "cow", as I call my GS bikes, can stick with sport bikes in the twisties, it's such an agile, torquey beast. Well, that day I decided to let the guys run ahead, as it was close to Christmas and I had a family trip coming up. I was managing risk by choosing to ride more slowly, or less fast. So I was running at, let's say, 7/10. An old guy in an old Cadillac came into the street out of a small side road, did not look, and all of a sudden it was heavy braking time for the cow and me. Stupidly, and although I have almost 40 years' riding experience, I fixated on the Caddy instead of the escape alternatives (the "SRs" that Keith Code talks about), and centerpunched it. The ABS let me scrub off most of my speed, but the impact was enough to snap the triple clamp like it was a twig, and crumple the front suspension. Since the repairs were about $9,500, the insurance company totaled my cow. And she was an anniversary edition, done up in special paint, etc., I thought she was a keeper for life.
The point of all this? Guys, risk is there. It's higher, of course, if you are going faster, although ironically if I had been hanging with my buddies up ahead, I would have never met this particular car. But it's there. Mitigation? Training, training, training. I thought I was very well trained, only to make a stupid mistake when push came to shove. Was I managing risk? I thought so!
Perhaps Neal Peart, the Rush drummer and BMW rider, says it best when he says (I am paraphrasing) in one of his great books about riding, that he loves how motorcycling makes him feel alive, doubly so: the joy of FEELING alive when one is riding, and the joy of BEING alive when one comes back home. I dig that.
 
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#13 · (Edited)
Funny how many pilots are on here. I was until I lost my medical.

I just mentally adjust a bit before I get on any motorcycle. I was always taught look for where the danger is and if you ask for it you are going to get it. I do my best to respect the bike. I am not the fastest rider but I do everything I can to be safe leaving room and paying attention.

I feel like a nice thing about a bike is there is nothing to distract you unlike a car. When you are on a bike you are looking for idiots trying to hit you constantly. If you aren't watching good luck, as you might as well be invisible to other motorists on a bike.

There is always the risk of getting hit by a car not paying attention but I feel like if you ride safe and try and stay clear of the cars and high traffic areas you really only have the danger you cause yourself.

Crap happens but I have seen alot of wrecks and most of them were young kids on way more bike then their skill level with no license or going through traffic at triple the legal limit.

Sure you can follow all the road rules and pay attention and still get killed but I feel like its alot safer if you just pay attention and keep your head on straight. I also feel that people can walk across a crosswalk and get hit by someone running a red light. When its your time its your time so I just do my best to ride safe and smart.
 
#14 ·
Great posts to remind us of our mortality.

I've only had one real "oh ****" moment riding. I've been riding for 4 years (3.5 on a dyna). @70mph on the freeway I leaned a bit far trying to get around some people and almost clipped a car. I got into a high speed front end wobble and everything stabilized after a lucky manipulation of the throttle.

Right after that, I realized what could've very likely happened if one of the many variables was acted out differently. I shouldn't have thought about it while I was still riding but at home parked. I'm already hyper-vigilant while riding but there are always those moments that can catch you off guard.

Wisdom from my pops (pilot): "Never ride/drive faster than you are comfortable with. You control the machine, not the other way around."
 
#15 ·
Having started doing track days this year (5 under my belt already) I feel I have learned so much more than I could have ever learned only riding on the road. Additionally, I've slowed down on the roads and don't even come close to approaching the speed, braking and lean angles I experience on the track. This means that not only do I know the limits of the bike, I have so much of it left in reserve in the event of something happening ahead, be it gravel on the roads (very common in New England), animals, traffic, etc.

I have zero issues with feeling i need to show off my skills on the street, rather I just snicker to myself and think, if these riders think they're that good, come to the track with me and try some fast laps in the Black Group. I always expect the very worst on the road, and ride like that. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it), this means that the bike often stays in the trailer more between track days.
 
#17 · (Edited)
A tragic story was posted here recently about a fatal accident where a father of three boys hit someone from behind at a high rate of speed........And the riders with great skill and experience are going to think you're a squid and organ donor so you're not impressing them either. So why do it?
EXCELLENT post Pitts, glad I stumbled across it! Be safe bro, on the road and in the air! :)

Great posts by everyone else as well!
 
#19 ·
I agree, I think being an expert street rider is more difficult. Changing road temps, conditions, traffic, animals, weather, and an endless succession of brand new corners is extremely challenging, and far less forgiving. Some squids that may be halfway decent on track fail miserably on the road, because while they may be able to memorize a set of 10 corners on a track, I might see 1,000+ in a long day, all new.
 
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#20 ·
@CYCLE_MONKEY finally someone speaks my language. I have to cop so much crap from track riders who can be fast at the same set of corners all day long. The fact is, the road has so much more you need to deal with and that makes it harder. I'm not talking baout going out cruising up the mountains. I'm talking riding as hard as you do on the track but in the mountains. Leaving a little in reserve for the unknowns obviously. Then you get called crazy, or an idiot or you will have no license and be in jail. Not taking anything away from motogp or wsbk riders. But Isle of man TT is what does it for me. That's serious riding.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I'm all about learning as many skills as possible be it riding on the street - on the track or in the dirt - all have very different skill sets.

I'm not going to argue which type of riding requires more skill - they all require as much skill as we possible can obtain.

Fast guys in the dirt - can be fast both on the street and track - as can fast guys on the street be fast on track or dirt and track riders can be fast on the street and dirt.

It is all about your comfort level in regard to risk management.

You can control risk a lot more at the track be it street or dirt and out in the woods compared to riding on the street. On the street there are many variables that we can't manage - most of the time when we have that close call - it is a close call because of our riding skills - those skills kept us out of trouble.

I use to ride fast on the street - I still ride a spirited pace but I'm not going to have anyone thinking - this guy can really ride the wheels off of his bike.

I use to like to be hyped up - wired - heart pumping - while flying through the mountains - all of it - handling the next corner - whatever it is - dealing with the road conditions - dealing with all the other motorists on the road - dealing with trying not to get bagged by the police.

Many of my friends still go out and slay the entire route - heck they go out for a quick 100 mile ride in the hills and under two hours they are back home riding their riding lawn mowers.

If that is what you like/need so be it - I like something between not completely insane and Vespa's need not show up.

I just came back from doing 2 days at a very technical track - did 100's of laps and I can tell you I in no way shape or manner know that track. If I hit a handful of corners correctly these past few days that was it - so like aggressive street riding - track riding is not as simple as once you go around the track a few times you have it all figured out - I could only wish it were that easy.

And lastly IOM riders - they are not even on the same planet. Not to mention even the IOM has many risks engineered out compared to everyday street riders.

Certainly those riders are pushing to limits that I can't comprehend. And when something goes wrong many times it turns out bad - but even those riders know the route - have the best machines and riding gear.

We all have our limit of risk - heck for people who don't ride motorcycles they think each and everyone of us is crazy - again just comes down to what we are willing to accept for risk.

But sometimes unfortunately we as riders (whatever type of riding we do) fall victim to the surrounding conditions - most of the time we come through it relatively unharmed - but on occasion that is not the case.
 
#26 ·
And here's something I don't think has been touched on yet: Quitting riding street to only ride the track "because I ride too fast for the street". Well, those that believe this, definately should do this.

For me, I could never do it. I have ridden so many amazing, beautiful roads, with such amazing scenery, and had such amazing experiences, that I cannot even think about not riding on the street. Granted, I live in an absolutely beautiful area, with many thousands of amazing roads with amazing scenery within a state or 2 out here, so maybe I'm a little biased, but, I'll never stop street riding. I WOULD like to do some real track days for once, and even maybe do a riding school, but I'm a street rider first, everything else is a distant second.
 
#27 ·
I'm a street rider first, everything else is a distant second.
I totally get this. I guess most of us fall into that category - not all but most.

If my body was in better condition I would put serious time in on a dirt bike - I started in the dirt - loved it - and if I could handle the pounding and yes the wipe outs I would be out crossing up the bars as much as I could.

I certainly have more street miles under my belt than I do dirt riding or track day riding - and I don't see myself giving up riding on the street any time soon.

I think the discussion here about riding on the street or the track or wherever comes up a lot because we are riding a true sport bike - a bike that loves the race track - so when riders get it on the track - it opens up a new venue to them.

A venue that lets the rider really find his/her limits both of themselves and the bike without any fear of getting a ticket or having to worry about all the variable conditions on the public roads.

I personally am very fortunate to own more than one motorcycle - so it is very easy for me to say - the RR is track only - and I'm fortunate to get to the track often. Because I have other bikes to ride I'm not losing out by not riding the RR on the street.

The other thing why someone like me is a little more focused on the dangers of street riding - I've been riding on the street since 1973 have ridden many of this countries great roads - seen some really terrible accidents - have seen the automobile population explode compared to when I first started riding - and yes I'm getting up there in age and trust me as we get older we start to recognize our own mortality - put it all together and we find out - as we get older we try to minimize our exposure to risks.
 
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