I think I'm about to die

[corndog67]

Slow the fuck down.

Yeah, right.

 

[EastBayDave]

I'm always on my side of the road regardless of what color the line is; I only cross it to pass where it's clear & engineers designed it to be single broken yellow line decades ago = passing zone.

Gov't mandated dy's by some long dead congressman trying to make a splash by screaming highway safety in Wash. DC are not designed by road design engineers trying to make roads safe. If you gather my drift...

I'm biased historically speaking; but I'm always on my side of the road; rarely ever on the wrong side. IF there's gravel, the better to roost my follower! :rofl

 

[Z3n]

The first observation I'd have is that you state that crossing the DY is something that happens from time to time. Do you run off the road in left-handers from time to time also? If not, what's different?

:laughing :thumbup

 

[bcv_west]

The first observation I'd have is that you state that crossing the DY is something that happens from time to time. Do you run off the road in left-handers from time to time also? If not, what's different?

IMO, there isn't any unique skill involved in gaining control on the left side of the DY that you couldn't practice on the right side. It comes down to getting your speed under control in a corner and getting the bike turned more.

^^^This. I wouldn't practice emergency braking by aiming for a wall either. I've crossed the DY a time or three. Not by choice, as a less experienced rider coming too hot into decreasing radius turns. More recently by choice, when I came around a blind turn to find gravel in my lane and nobody was coming. Either way, I regard it as a fail. I can practice slowing down, riding to the vanishing point, and trail braking to avoid or mitigate failure, without actually failing.

And if it helps anyone else to slow down: the idea I hold in mind is, do no harm. I can't seem to reliably get myself to slow down because I might get hurt, my brain doesn't give a shit about me. But the ONLY reason I didn't plaster the cyclist who clipped a blind corner flying downhill on Calaveras last Sunday was, I was backed way off because of all the cyclists. I really don't want to be the reason someone else gets hurt.

 

[Lester Green]

If the yellow line was a cement wall you would not practice trying to not go over it.

 

[Maddevill]

First , I don't want to poop on anybody's party, but my biggest fear is having some wanna be Marquez, dragging his knee, blow the turn and take MY ass out! I ride at a sporty pace, have plenty of fun, but if you are dragging knees on the street , for chrissake go to the track. It's not just YOUR life you're playing with Skippy.

 

[Lester Green]

There is no safe way to practice going through a turn at 100 mph on a public road. Why is this even being discussed?

 

[EastBayDave]

First , I don't want to poop on anybody's party, but my biggest fear is having some wanna be Marquez, dragging his knee, blow the turn and take MY ass out! I ride at a sporty pace, have plenty of fun, but if you are dragging knees on the street , for chrissake go to the track. It's not just YOUR life you're playing with Skippy.

Got news for you; can happen on the track too. W/o making this a long story...

A racer tried to out-brake me 1st lap of practice going into T4 at Sears Point. Crashed & -almost- took me out; missed by inches. After I tried to tell him to realize he has cold tires first few laps (before tire warmers), & he blew me off.

Next race he fell 1st lap in T2 & was run over; he died. Peeps need to listen more...

 

[Honey Badger]

It's probably been said, but how about practicing your skills in a safe environment (aka the track) so that if things go bad on the street you have the skills to properly deal with the situation rather than "practicing" doing things the wrong way.

I've had my stupid moments on the street, but the worst of those were before I had started doing regular trackdays. Track skills can save your bacon from poor traction situations to unexpected motorist stupidity to a variety of other things. And you can practice the skills that will save you in a MUCH safer environment.

I'll admit, before doing many trackdays I had the opinion that I could safely learn these things on the street as well as on the track. I had no idea how wrong I was. Next on my wish list is dirt for another skill set.

 

[Maddevill]

Got news for you; can happen on the track too. W/o making this a long story...

A racer tried to out-brake me 1st lap of practice going into T4 at Sears Point. Crashed & -almost- took me out; missed by inches. After I tried to tell him to realize he has cold tires first few laps (before tire warmers), & he blew me off.

Next race he fell 1st lap in T2 & was run over; he died. Peeps need to listen more...

Sure but I doubt it will be a rider sliding across the lanes coming my way from the opposite direction. Add ,no trees, cars, oil, gravel, cops and the track is the place for aggressive riding. Period.:x

 

[Z3n]

It's probably been said, but how about practicing your skills in a safe environment (aka the track) so that if things go bad on the street you have the skills to properly deal with the situation rather than "practicing" doing things the wrong way.

I've had my stupid moments on the street, but the worst of those were before I had started doing regular trackdays. Track skills can save your bacon from poor traction situations to unexpected motorist stupidity to a variety of other things. And you can practice the skills that will save you in a MUCH safer environment.

I'll admit, before doing many trackdays I had the opinion that I could safely learn these things on the street as well as on the track. I had no idea how wrong I was. Next on my wish list is dirt for another skill set.

"Fast street riders" are inevitably convinced of their speed by the small size of the pond they play in, not realizing that they haven't made it out of the kiddie pool yet.

Going fast on the street in just about any form is just varying degrees of a death wish. Conditions change too quickly from corner to corner, sight lines are limited, nothing to telegraph to you if things are going poorly around the next corner, EMS is probably 30 minutes to an hour away.

Any rider who's been on here more than a few years can name excellent riders who are dead as a result of under-estimating the dangers and risks of street riding and riding too quickly on the street.

Street riding isn't a skill game, it's a survival one.

 

[clutchslip]

If the yellow line was a cement wall you would not practice trying to not go over it.

I was taught to pretend the yellow line is a wall, with any vehicle. Unfortunately, many people don't practice this safety thought.

Contrary to some barfers' beliefs, there are experienced riders who "rail" across the double yellow. I was almost collected by two different street-stars on highway nine, over the years. There is a well-known barfer that posted about leading a group ride and crossing the dy. I am still pissed that he thinks that is okay, even though I could be coming at near triple digits from the opposite direction and life could end for both of us. (I had a head-on with a suv on my side of the road, btw.)

 

[ST Guy]

You think running up to 100 mph and then practicing emergency braking on public streets is a good idea??

 

[Onebadscot]

the track is the place for aggressive riding. Period.:x

Yeah you ever hear of the black flag?
Try riding like a simp at the track :thumbdown
When you say aggressive I think squid on a liter bike :2cents

FYI I see riders dragging knee at the track when I'm doing fine right behind them with my knee a foot off the ground.
Just sayin it's turned into right of passage with some riders? :rolleyes

 

[enki]

I believe it's considered OK in Cali to cross it if you drive a large, lifted 4x4 pickup.

 

[kongjie]

If the yellow line was a cement wall you would not practice trying to not go over it.

Much of the time, it's worse than a cement wall; it's a cement wall coming towards you at speed.

I suggest the vast number of DY crossings can be attributed to:

1. Exceeding the speed limit
2. Exceeding your ability (for newer riders)
3. Exceeding your knowledge of the route

The solution to all three causes of DY crossing is, like others have said, to slow the hell down. It would be great to remove these kinds of accidents from motorcycle statistics.

 

[Whammy]

I think it would make more sense to practice NOT crossing the DY.

Plus one

 

[kangaroo]

Street riding isn't a skill game, it's a survival one.

The track is only better at lowering a catastrophic consequence. But I would also say, I've seen just as much "bad" riding decisions made by track riders.

 

[Brown81]

I practice..for the DY, on my back wheel, for when...there is no traction, you can steer with the snappity snap (as the did desert racers), for those in the know. Or...often...go a mile, with only the knee dragging, over the whoops.....with LSL bars...and a damper, for when the real riders wheelie.

 

[Whammy]

One thing you can depend on while on the street is that you will have a vehicle coming the other way if you cross the DY.