To jump....or not?

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Carrots

Grey Hound
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
5,647
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Bike
KTM 990 Adventure
I've been pondering about this for some time now....the jump thing.

On Friday and over the weekend I discussed this with fellow Honne and some close mates. Interesting topic.....which we discussed at length. I got their opinions.....but I would like yours as well please. 

I commute every day on the bike to work on back. Mostly with the SM...and some Fridays I "spoil" myself with RatKas (950 Adventure).

I like to the SM......no...I love it. It is light, agile, nimble, awesome...and plenty other things. It makes me ride like a hooligan sometimes......I know it is wrong...but I still do it. We all do....at some stage...me finks.

So....what do you think about when you ride your bike? Are you in dreamland....or do you actively focus, think.....and concentrate on what you are actually doing. Yes....of course you cannot do it 100% of the time.......although you should. I see some people driving their cars.....for them...it is the same effort and attention span...than taking a crap. Those people you should identify and stay very clear from.

Anyhow......back to the point.

I specifically don't listen to music...I want to hear the bike...the motor....cars....external factors...etc etc.

On my route to work....I have identified certain "danger" zones....where things are bound to get pear shaped. Those areas...I treat with the utmost of care and attention. Other areas...you can relax a bit more.

But I often think about....the inevitable, unpreventable or inescapable.

Scenario:

You approach an intersection.....doing around 80km per hour.....or more......yes yes I know it is too fast but it can happen at slower speeds as well.

You are almost at the intersection...when the light turns to orange. There is a stationary car.....from the front....wanting to turn....and waiting on you to cross. At the moment...when you see that the light turns to orange....you accelerate. At the same time......when you are almost in the middle of the intersection.....the car turns.....right in front of you.

To make it worse....the driver of the car suddenly realise what he/she is doing....and stops in the middle if the intersection.....already 90 degrees turned.

It is too close...to put the bike down and slide...kicking it away before impact (another discussion which is beyond the point of this topic).....so T boning the car...is unavoidable.

What do you do?

My logic tells me......to abort...jump....leave the bike...just before impact....capish? Just elevating yourself on the pegs as high as possible. Over the car that is.

I'm not talking about a van or combi.....but if you are wearing full ATGATT....you should be fine. Look what happens on the track.....guys slide and slide and walks away from the scene. Why? Because they didn't hit anything.

I mean...the severity of your injuries....is not because of how fast you come off....but how fast you come to a standstill....or stop for that matter. Surely you gonna be sore and  bruised as hell....but at least you avoided being smashed into the handlebars...and then into the car....almost simultaneously. 

Don't get bogged down by my scenario....it is just to picture or illustrate an event. Many conditions and factors play a role of course.

I mean even if you pull a meerkat move (standing in traffic) and you hit a car....you will be better of(legs broken etc etc)...IMHO....but imagine you can completely clear the obstacle....and just eat tar?

But I made my decision..... I will jump!  :deal:

You?
 
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