Mr AusAdventure said:
Romans5.8 said:
What I usually do to avoid issues is ride 'backwards' from what most folks do. I will START my turn (left or right!) close to the yellow (middle) line, and make my apex close to the white line (outside). That means if I'm going around a corner I've decided to take a little more aggressively, and suddenly there's some big truck waaayyyy in my lane? Well, I'm ALREADY to the outside of the lane and I can complete my corner without changing a thing even though that vehicle is violating my right of way! If it's a commercial vehicle, I'll also make a note of the company and any identifying marking on the vehicle, the time and location, etc., and call it in. Only way to stop these guys from doing it is to call their safety departments! The big rigs go over the line because they don't wanna shut off cruise control and slow before the curve. If their job is on the line, they'll slow down. (Unfortunate that their job is more important to them than the potential to end someone elses life to save a half a second!)
Yeah, that whole riding "Backwards" thing sounds difficult to me and could also cause you to run wide if I am interpreting it correctly in my head. Still a bit confused by it. :lol: I know what you mean though. We have lots of winding mountain roads here loaded with tourists who are always short cutting corners. Locals who live on the mountain and are commuting down to work are just as bad at times.
What I was taught in an advanced riding course that I did was to start the corner wide and stay wide until you have a clear view of the exit. Then when you see that it is clear, tip it in and wind on the throttle some more to accelerate out of the corner. And taking this approach at around 80% does allow you to alter your line if need be without panicking like Stenno is saying.
Well here's what I'm talking about;
A lot of riders will start on the outside of the lane, then go inside the lane, then back outside. That can get you killed on some of these old country roads. Many riders will go OVER the line misjudging the curve, but you don't even need to go over when some lady in a minivan or some big truck is way over the line anyway. Lots of guys get killed out here on their bikes in just those situations. Usually sportbikes, kissing the middle line in the apex, and finding someone over the line!
This assumes, of course, it's a blind corner. If you can see around the entire corner it's different!
So the alternative method is to START at the inside, go outside, and come back inside. It gives you a lot more room to correct and it keeps you away from the middle line, where cars can often be!
This is an extreme example of the issue I'm talking about. If you're at speed, setting up your corner to make the yellow line in the middle your apex; you might as well close your eyes and let it happen. Once the momentum is going, unless you can straighten it up and stop in time, you're gonna hit the truck. If you make the apex closer to the white line, you can straighten up, hit the brakes, and swing wide onto the shoulder to miss the truck. (Then call the trucking company and report him!)
Happens a LOT the farther you get away from the city, where there are less cars. And it's not just big rigs, it's passenger cars too.
