Topic Approved

i agree. i have been messed up all day reading about the same. Made me re-think the whole funda of biking, and why am i into it, and is there anything that i am doing wrong. and i did come up with a lot of answers... thanks for starting this thread, im sure a lot of others will also agree.

I think most of us are still shaken with yesterdays incident. We all have been thinking , and perhaps the only solution could be throttle control. Giving up biking is something which I can't even think about but I certainly would want to stay away from the fast bikes.

India is not ready for the big bikes. Indians are not ready for the big bikes.

I request all of you to ride safe and not to ride faster than your guardian angel can fly.

Most of the time, you might be riding safe, but the people around you don't. Buses and cars turn abruptly without flashing indicators, and many motorists just approach you on the left side of the road even on a two lane road without a median. I remember riding from Bangalore to Coimbatore via Salem a couple of years ago and as soon as I hit Salem, all I could think of was how to avoid being hit by an oncoming bus as most of the buses on that stretch do long overtakes (read 3-4 vehicles) and do this on your side of the road. I usually love riding long distance and on highways, but that is a day I would gladly like to forget. On the way back, I took a different route which had narrower roads but sparse traffic.

When riding, always try to think a few hundred meters ahead - if you see a group of kids standing on the kerb, slow down; they might just dart across the road. If you see a seemingly deserted street merging into your road, slow down; there might some be some helmet-less hooligan who is going to zip across on his bike. Overtake only if there is no oncoming traffic and you have enough reserve in your powerband to do so. And keep a healthy distance, you never know when the guy in the front of your might jam his brakes. This will leave you enough margin for safe deceleration.

And lastly, always, always wear a good quality helmet, the best you can afford. Don't be bothered about what 'other' people will say about the cost; it is your head, not theirs. If one is spending Rs.60,000-100,000 on a bike, spending a few more thousands on a good quality lid should not be a problem. Put your helmet on as soon as you get ready to swing your leg over your bike, and take it off only when you have parked your bike at your destination. I have seen kids who take off their helmet as soon as they enter the 'neighborhood', not knowing that even a drop from a stationary bike can cause serious injuries. And yes, don't forget to strap your helmet securely. From what I see everyday, 95% of riders do not strap on their helmets the way they should.

Riding is one of the greatest pleasures of life; just remember to ride responsibly, love your machine and have fun. If you are already a safe rider, just know that there is difference between your riding skills and most of the people around you. Just respect that difference, and you should be fine!

Cheers,

When i learned of the unfortunate accident yesterday i really went into a shock. I know many in this forum will disagree but i am not sure India is ready for the kind of speeds most of us ride on.
We can go on blaming others (pedestrians/cyclists/crazy truckers/killer indicas) for our accidents but in the end who loses?
Bike is inherently an unsafe mode of transport as we are completely exposed to the elements. Even a small stone on the road is enough sometimes.
On tours many of us ride at three digit speeds on highways. What if a dog runs across or a trucker suddenly brakes to a standstill in the middle of the road. There are umpteen things that can happen on our highways.
A chronicle of a few accidents i know of:
1. An xbhpian crashed on the jaipur ajmer highway. Those who know will vouch that its an amazing piece of road. The reason: A doodhwala on his bike simply cut across in front of my friend. Riding gears ensured that nothing happened. The fact is that he was incredibly lucky.

2. Me on the Bazpur road towards jim corbett. Me and Manan were both doing 100 on a two lane highway at 7 in the morning and the road was practically empty. A tractor in front of me suddenly veered right. I somehow adjusted by braking and leaning a bit to take the extreme left side of the road. To my horror, the tractor then reversed blocking my way. I did hard braking but finally banged into the tractor at about 30 kmph.

In both cases we can argue that the other party was at fault and they were. But, if something had happened, we would have been the ones at a loss.
The only way out is taking extreme precautions while driving.
Situational awareness, pre empting rash moves by others, never assuming that the road is clear, always believing that the other guy is an idiot will help us all in becoming better riders.

Every time I hear such news A part of Rider dies in me, half of enthuism dips down and down!
And this time it was Kriss, a awsome person with fruitful heart, the thing which disturbs me most is, he was just married too young to be called by god.
I nearly cried and was shocked the moment I read the title.
Maybe, this accidents has ended my last inclination towards speed, superbikes and speed!
We dont have control over our luck or better said our unluck.
But we do have control over our senses and our throttle.
Having a full control on ur mind, limbs and most importantly your desire saves the life.

So next tym i'll think and rethink before giving that swift twist to my throttle because my life means to me and it means to my dear ones even more!

Shanz

A very apt topic brought out, but sadly a very unfortunate event has occured, propelling this..

Like some of us have already pointed out, unfortunate incidents are sometimes due to faults of other road-users!
But, here its not about who is to blame, but about how to keep ourselves (& others) safe.. So, its imperative that we keep our right wrists (read throttle) under control, & keep our brake-pads/shoes healthy & ready for surprise braking..

Ride Safe!


PS: @xinfii: Loved your avatar!

This thread reminded of the common complain my fellow riders do while doing a long ride. They always ask, "Why some people goes ahead & some stay behind, when its a group ride?"
My only answer, always n will be, " Every Rider has a different Riding style & he may or may not be comfortable at the speeds you ride on."
His speed may vary to others, dont copy him, as hes comfortable at those speeds & you are not, so let the Rippers Rip & you ride at your own comfort. Mishaps can be avoided by this, if not totally, atleast to an extent.

RIDE SAFE Everyone

I would like to add something - Please do defensive riding. The traffic on Roads tends not to respect two wheelers. Large vehicles turn with no indication. Just get defensive when you see a large vehicle. It could change lanes, make a turn and do unexpected things. My hands reaches for the gear lever and though I might not use it, I become extra cautious.

Kriss was a great rider, who must be doing all those things, if not better but still met with this unfotunate accident. Sometimes things can not be avoided.

Destiny defies all technicals & logics.

Ride safe. Don't push anything (including your senses) near to the limits.

Ride with proactive safety in mind... not reactive. That's the best you can do. Rest is your destiny.

PS: Post by HydBiker from Ravi's PC.

Destiny my friends

Agreed completely. Only thing which we can do is
ride safe,
be aware,
use senses,
control the throttle,
apply the brakes,
be proactive

and rest is truely DESTINY.

Though we can keep on blaming every other vehicle's bad manners, we should also reflect that this is not anything new in India. Most of us grew up here, and know what to expect from the roads. Some escape with injuries, but others do not. This is not any worldly wisdom that is speaking, I had my share of real bad experiences. I constantly used to get to 3 dig speed in my RX135 Chennai outskirts and in ECR. Including once racing with a Porsche (My god, what was I thinking ). Banged once on to an M80 who suddenly jumped on to the road from wrong side. Damn lucky to have narrowly escaped skidding under a petrol tanker.
That was the last time I did mad racing. That accident left me scars all over my right side, a big black one on my triceps as big as a Nokia 3310.
Now when I get the adrenaline rush, I look at my arm. Have slowed down completely.
As a rule, I go in the minimum allowed speed for each gear. Believe me, it is not that difficult. Think of a possible accident as a reality, try to perceive how it would be if you have a crash.
I had this thought in mind when ppl were inquiring about the Ninja and HD's launch in India. Top speeds of 150 kmph, eh, bikers arent we forgetting where we belong ??

As a TwoWheeler Rider --- we are edging our Life balancing on those Two Wheels
Though we have Express ways, Highflyers, We still have many a many Dump heads......
So our Country is not the place to cross Limits
Even Educated will behave as an Uneducated as shown in the CEAT Tyre AD......."There are More Stupids available in the Road"

So your Life is in your Right Hand....Make sure its always in Control.....
Its better to Workship your Right hand.....whenever you Start your Bike......
I do this each and every time when i press my thumb to the starter.....
Because You Rip You commute You Break You Turn -------
Everything is in your Hands.....

Do not Forgot there is one Mischievious Man there always with us "FATE"

Congrats for the pre-made tatoo.(3310 was always BIG to me)

"PORCHE" u sure?
U definetly need a Splendour with Rev Limiter at 3k RPM!!!!
And many more congratulations for joining in the Saner side!!

Shanz