Quote:
Originally Posted by Laird Scooby
Generous or not Alan it's a fact, you and i and others have survived this long by experience and because we had the benefit of learning on roads nowhere near as crowded and with cars that weren't so fast. Granted 40 years ago give or take as the case may be, yes there were cars around that would do 0-60 in 8 seconds and 140mph top speed but they were the exception rather than the rule as they are today.
Took the 760 out for a spin today to get petrol (interim top up to check on the consumption) and some shopping. I'd been stuck behind two cars doing about 35-40mph in a 60 limit on a road where not only is it safe to do that, it's safer to do that than 30!
It's one of those roads where you need to ease out to have a look, even while maintaining a safe distance behind the car you're about to overtake because there are lots of areas of dead ground and some double bends in the distance. However being a fast road, those double bends actually need to be considered much closer.
As i've eased out to have a look, my left eye catches the rear view mirror in the corner of my eye. Some muppet in a white van that was tailgating me had decided he was going to overtake as well - no signals though.
A bit of split-second thinking on my part, indicator on, moved completely out and floored it about 35-40mph which kicked it down into 2nd so may have been 45-50mph in actual fact.
Meanwhile Numb-Nuts behind still hadn't indicated but had moved out and floored it.
As he was driving a Pugrot van, no prizes for guessing i left him standing but i didn't ease off the loud pedal until after it had gone into 3rd at about 90mph then eased the power back gradually for the bends.
That little half-mile burst probably put a dent in the economy figures i got - 23mpg over the past couple of weeks, if i hadn't done that i would have probably been a lot nearer 26mpg but either way, a vast improvement over 16mpg!
Also i've sorted the ABS problem i had and it rolls easier now. That might also improve my economy.
On this occasion, for me, the right course of action was to do what i did. Another time it might have been wiser to pull back in and bide my time.
It's one of the things only experience can teach you and while being on two wheels does teach experience, the learning curve can be very painful! Much safer in a car!  |
Good example Dave. The problem with experience is that it takes a few near misses to build up that good judgement - sometimes back off, sometimes floor it - which to do when, that only comes with practice. 17 year olds have had little practice, and so lack judgement, that is why 50% of them have an accident in the first year of driving.
The issue is exacerbated on a bike - if one makes a mistake then the outcome is more likely to be catastrophic than in a car. Indeed if someone else makes a mistake over which the rider has no control (cars pulling out etc) then the result can be equally poor. I love riding bikes, and in 42 years of riding have not had an accident on the road - but hundreds if not thousands of near misses, some avoided by judgement and quick thinking - others just be good fortune.
The roads have become so busy, and vehicles so much faster over the last 40 years that the risks are much higher now. Bike brakes and tyres have improved enormously, but at the same time the bikes have become so much faster (0-60 times under 3 seconds are entirely possible on sports bikes).
I suspect Dan will gravitate towards bikes at some point - mainly because I ride them. If I can restrict him to to slow but interesting bikes for a while I'm hoping that will satisfy his curiosity enough. I'm thinking of this 45 year old Suzuki Bloop that he learned to ride around the field in Norfolk when he was about 12:
We still have the bike (and it is still on the road, tax and MoT exempt but a nice reliable bike that looks like someone stepped off it in 1986) - sort of cool in its own way.
It is good news about your fuel consumption - notwithstanding your van incident, and the ABS as well.
Stay alert.