Boog
Traveling Story Teller
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2013
- Messages
- 8,501
- Location
- Dumfries, Virginia
- Ride
- 2014 R3T, RAMAIR, Full Viking Dual exhaust
“Visualize the curve”. That is what Keith Code wrote in one of his articles a few years back on riding safely. He said that many bikers simply look at a curve and do not visualize their best line in it. Well, on today’s ride to work, I discovered the value of looking at the curve and not just visualizing my line.
I ride this curve five times a week going to work; it is on an elevated off ramp and extremely fun to take at 40 MPH over the posted limit of 45 MPH (Don’t hate me, I have few pleasures in life these days it seems). One cannot see what is on the other side of the hill nor around the curve until you are there. It is quite wide though giving the rider ample area to maneuver in the event a car is broken down on either side.
Today, as I was visualizing the curves to and on top of the hump and associated downhill curve on the other side, I chose my normal line as I held a steady speed. As I rolled from one curve into the next and approached the top, something caught my eye ahead; a wounded dog. My first thought was this German Sheppard had wondered up the ramp from who knows where and had been hit by a previous driver. Knowing what it is like to hit an animal this size at roughly 45 MPH (reference hitting a fawn on my FZ1 on another off ramp in Virginia), I knew I might be screwed in a split second.
I rolled the throttle back to idle and veered to the left of the dog on my inside line of the right hand curve. Flashbacks of the deer strike came to mind immediately but left when I noticed construction debris to the left (outside area) of the curve; 2X4s, twisted metal frames etc…; and a lot of it. The dog was limping and moving slowly so I determined not a threat, but to avoid the debris, I had to veer close by him. As I passed the scene, I saw two men walking up the hill towards the dog and debris with a work truck in reverse on the shoulder. My guess is they too were driving too fast for the ramp and lost their load; maybe even the dog.
I believe I was down to 50ish MPH as I passed them, all in about 150 meters of time.
So, back to riding safely and mitigating risk when being a speed demon; visualize the line of the next curve, but never forget to look at it…
I ride this curve five times a week going to work; it is on an elevated off ramp and extremely fun to take at 40 MPH over the posted limit of 45 MPH (Don’t hate me, I have few pleasures in life these days it seems). One cannot see what is on the other side of the hill nor around the curve until you are there. It is quite wide though giving the rider ample area to maneuver in the event a car is broken down on either side.
Today, as I was visualizing the curves to and on top of the hump and associated downhill curve on the other side, I chose my normal line as I held a steady speed. As I rolled from one curve into the next and approached the top, something caught my eye ahead; a wounded dog. My first thought was this German Sheppard had wondered up the ramp from who knows where and had been hit by a previous driver. Knowing what it is like to hit an animal this size at roughly 45 MPH (reference hitting a fawn on my FZ1 on another off ramp in Virginia), I knew I might be screwed in a split second.
I rolled the throttle back to idle and veered to the left of the dog on my inside line of the right hand curve. Flashbacks of the deer strike came to mind immediately but left when I noticed construction debris to the left (outside area) of the curve; 2X4s, twisted metal frames etc…; and a lot of it. The dog was limping and moving slowly so I determined not a threat, but to avoid the debris, I had to veer close by him. As I passed the scene, I saw two men walking up the hill towards the dog and debris with a work truck in reverse on the shoulder. My guess is they too were driving too fast for the ramp and lost their load; maybe even the dog.
I believe I was down to 50ish MPH as I passed them, all in about 150 meters of time.
So, back to riding safely and mitigating risk when being a speed demon; visualize the line of the next curve, but never forget to look at it…
