crash videos for learning

[rschlegel]

Youtube has all kinds of motorcycle crash compilations and I have found that I like to watch them. I do not like to see people get hurt and luckily the videos usually change before it gets too graphic. As I watch the clips I try to think of what the rider did wrong or what they could of done differently. I think it helps me to keep my wits about me when I am out riding. You get real life situations that you can think through and hopefully not make the mistake or at least may have some readiness for situations as they come up. I do cringe and have had to turn off the video when bikes at a stand still get hit. I see the clips of bikes stopping and getting rear ended and those are the ones that get to me.
I try to slow early and swerve a bit slowly back and forth in my lane as I come to a stop. I also come to a stop behind the tail light of the car in front of me to give somewhere to go if it looks like the vehicle behind me is not going to stop soon enough.
What are some other thoughts out there about this?

[Fkat]

I try to slow early and swerve a bit slowly back and forth in my lane as I come to a stop. I also come to a stop behind the tail light of the car in front of me to give somewhere to go if it looks like the vehicle behind me is not going to stop soon enough.
What are some other thoughts out there about this?

there was an old van right infront of me at a red light. 10 seconds into the the redlight and the van launches forward. luckily they slammed the breaks inches away from the car infront of them. it was like they completely forgot that brakes need to be applied constantly at a stop. had i felt the need for speed that day right before that moment, then i would have been infront of the van.

One reason why lane-splitting can be good, ofc alot of us can't do that illegally. honest to god though, if i think im near a drunk driver or someone that could potentially accidentally harm me then i have no problem doing something illegal like lane-splitting(thats not harming others).. if a cop doesn't understand that then just write me the ticket cause its a minor fee to keep my body above the ground.... but to try to answer your question: just being aware as possible, without overloading your brain by looking for too many things, is the key i think though. keep some good fortune on you as well. we don't need to be making any bad karma for ourselves.. i keep a st Christopher necklace in my jacket that was passed down to me.

there's some things as a motorcyclist you just cannot avoid. all you can do is practice safe and controlled riding to the best of your ability. but, with that said, hopefully someone can enlighten us on what they do to practice safety for such an event.

[rschlegel]

One reason why lane-splitting can be good, ofc alot of us can't do that illegally. honest to god though, if i think im near a drunk driver or someone that could potentially accidentally harm me then i have no problem doing something illegal like lane-splitting(thats not harming others).. if a cop doesn't understand that then just write me the ticket

I Agree. I used to live in California where it was legal to share lanes. It is illegal in Colorado and it leaves me feeling more vulnerable at stops. That is why I put myself near the edge of the vehicle in front of me. I am trying to always be ready to go up between the vehicles if it will save me. I actually feel safer in that situation than when I am the first vehicle at the stop (only place to go is into the intersection).

[michael Douglas]

I just feel that a lot of misinformation about lane splitting is out there... I also have been to CA where I've seen it done fairly safely...

The biggest thing about riding is you gotta learn to predict and kinda see whose gonna be the one to act up..

[rschlegel]

I just feel that a lot of misinformation about lane splitting is out there... I also have been to CA where I've seen it done fairly safely...

The biggest thing about riding is you gotta learn to predict and kinda see whose gonna be the one to act up..

I saw people lane split like idiots when I lived out there. I would usually take several seconds to pass by a car when lane splitting so that it was not a surprise to the drivers, if you came up to one that liked to cut off lane splitters it also gave me time to slow down and not get squeezed.
Luckily the mirrors on the Kat are pretty good for keeping an eye behind you while stopped.

[crazycraven420]

this is why, when I have the chance to do it safely, I will practice launching, quick maneuvering at various speeds and different forms of braking. For me personally, based on my experience, being able to make quick and accurate maneuvers has saved my ass easily 10x more than just slamming on the brakes. Also another reason I dont cruise in low rpm is because I wanna be able to snap the throttle an have it respond and not lag or bog when my life can depend on it.

[Fkat]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFaAqS2f18"]Shocking Motorcycle Crash into Bicycles 4/27/2013 - YouTube[/nomedia]

holy cow. i'd say the motorcycle rider was probably more focused on the camera man taking pics of him or the girl with the buttcrack that goes all the way up her back. not paying attention or looking far enough down the road, got suprised and immediately overwhelmed once he saw the bicycles and therefore he froze as his eyes were locked on the bicycles rather than keeping your eyes down the road and far enough into the turn. yikes

[Circuitmage]

I agree.

I watched a 2013 compilation of crashes on Youtube, and had the same thoughts. The one I watched showed 75% of the crashes being stunts that were being attempted. Very few of them were actual "accidents". And, of the few that were traffic accidents very few were "unavoidable", with proper attention.

At first I was watching them just to see what kind of horrible videos there were...and there are some really bad ones. Then, as I was watching, I was thinking how I could learn from them.

[clex3]

Watching stunts and accidents

I used to like watching the accident videos... then i got a bike.. and didn't want to fill my head with that mess.. you know the whole negative thinking aspect of it. But now i find watching them is very instructional and kinda therapeutic. And with most of the other comments on here, the majority of the accidents are people doing stunts and losing control... and that lets me know to keep both tires down on the road. I don't feel the need to be tricky dicky AT all. I want to be comfortable and skilled! I just keep thinking to myself that most of these guys are daym near professionals and they are still having accidents that they caused. I'm good on all that!

[rschlegel]

I was just thinking about this and realized a couple things that come from a lot of the videos. There are two main scenario's that play out that if these thought pop into your head you should probably stay off the bike.

1) If you think to yourself " I hope someone will see this ", Stay off the bike.
and
2) If you think to yourself " man, I needed to be outa here 5 minutes ago " and you have city streets to negotiate, Stay off the bike.

We tend to think of our bikes as easier to get around town. I would agree BUT, look at the videos and remember how many of them are people riding faster than the flow of traffic through intersections. I tend to ride slightly over the flow of traffic to keep from leaving my destiny to the cages behind me or just stay in an open pocket out of blind spots. If the open pocket I am in starts to close up I find a new one.
At intersections I stay with the flow and make the same traffic I hate being in my friends by using them to help keep someone from turning across in front of me. Things to keep in mind when doing this are,
Make sure to be seen by the cager your using before using them as a block. To do this I will try to get a little ahead of the car I want to go through the intersection with before getting to the intersection and then slowing a little to be with the vehicle as I enter the intersection. Remember that sometimes people miss a turn and go for the turn at the last moment. You have just shown the person you are there but remember to be ready for them to turn in your direction.

Try not to go through an intersection just behind a cage even if you are in a different lane. You have to believe that the cager getting ready to turn is timing the turn by the cage they see coming and NOT you.
What it comes down to is this. People in traffic want to beat the traffic coming ( problematic for you when first vehicle of the traffic coming ) or they want to beat the yellow light or make the gap between oncoming traffic groups ( problematic for you if you are just behind the cage that is the last of a traffic group or you are between traffic groups).
As soon as I am through the intersection I try to place myself in an open pocket.
Of course this is just an opinion that I think helps me. I have 3 plates and 24 screws holding my left forearm together from a time when I did not ride like this. I would rather use hardware for a household project if you know what I mean.
Ride Safe, and Think.

[konigralph]

Do you guys notice in a lot of these videos too, they're lacking proper gear... think that might have to do a huge part of it.

Like those icon vest don't do shit to protect you at all.. you need a jacket and pants at very least. Even I have some low end stuff for when I jus twanna mess around.. it'll hold up nicely in a 30 mph crash or less. Way worth the money... http://www.motorcyclehouse.com/motorcycle-jackets.htm

[Purplehaze]

Do you guys notice in a lot of these videos too, they're lacking proper gear... think that might have to do a huge part of it.

While I agree that not having gear is asking for alot more trouble if/when you do get into a crash it's not the causes of these crashes.

rschlegel has this one. Find open pockets and use them to your advantage, but ride with the cages - a bit faster than them - to ensure that even if you're not seen, they are; that way, when that person considers pulling out -- they don't.

[Xrayron]

Do you guys notice in a lot of these videos too, they're lacking proper gear... think that might have to do a huge part of it.

Like those icon vest don't do shit to protect you at all.. you need a jacket and pants at very least. Even I have some low end stuff for when I jus twanna mess around.. it'll hold up nicely in a 30 mph crash or less. Way worth the money... http://www.motorcyclehouse.com/motorcycle-jackets.htm

Actually the standard icon vests do not offer any arm/shoulder protection and a tad of chest protection...but they have superior spine protection. They are called spine protectors for a reason and I'm still walking after a nasty hit and run at a red light because of one...plus a shoei helmet which was cracked on the side after the guy backed up after smashing me...and took off forward striking me in the head while I was getting up with a steel caprice bumper. People at bus stop said it spun me around 360 degrees.

However I only remember the sound of tires screeching...then the initial impact and the Chicago cop who said "ah yah buddy dere you are" as I was waking up about 5 mins after crash.

Only time in my life I have been knocked unconscious

[donlon101]

I started following this guy a couple weeks ago. He drives too aggressively (lane splitting, wheelies, etc.) but its cool to recognize places in atlanta from his videos. He crashed a borrowed Ducati recently and just posted a video walking through his thought process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lZSC3Vu20E&feature=em-subs_digest

[Sickle]

I started following this guy a couple weeks ago. He drives too aggressively (lane splitting, wheelies, etc.) but its cool to recognize places in atlanta from his videos. He crashed a borrowed Ducati recently and just posted a video walking through his thought process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lZS...em-subs_digest

Awesome stuff very cool to get his narrative on his decision in the accident. This might be my noob showing, but even with not knowing the bike, wouldn't an attempt to stop/slow down still have been a better choice? Preferably sooner than he started to react to the taxi pulling out. It just seems counter-intuitive. He took himself from behind an obstacle and placed himself between it and an area of no escape!