Crash on HW9 this afternoon (3/28/10) - Rider airlifted

[budbandit]

Not really.

Just a corner.

Turn the fucking bike and go around it.

Unless of course you are in over your head the your right cockbeater has written a check with the throttle that your skills and/or ground clearance cannot cash.

If you don't know a road, you should not be railing on it as there are surprises to be found not only in the nature/size of corners but also what you might find on the road surface (oil left by some asshole who wadded, for example, or your fucktard friend who decided the middle of the road after a blind corner would be a good place to stop and scratch balls). The mountains are dynamic and unpredictable, both nature and man contribute to the chaos and a smart rider will leave enough margin to cope with both.

I actually have come to like it. You must remember it's there though, and how to deal with it - I think a big part of its hazardousness is that it is simply so out-of-rhythm with the rest of the road. If you go through it, wait, wait some more, wait a bit longer, and then finally nail the apex correctly, it's a hoot. If you omit ANY of the "wait" steps above, it can be anything from embarrassing to fatal.

 

[ST Guy]

Like I say, I'm working on it....

Please keep working on it. Harder. Shit like that is going to get you killed.

And frankly, after all that, I'd think you'd explore other areas to ride. There are SO much better places to ride in the SC Mountains, let alone the expanded area around the Bay Area. Go explore and remove some stress from your riding.

 

[ST Guy]

Not really.

Just a corner.

Turn the fucking bike and go around it.

Unless of course you are in over your head the your right cockbeater has written a check with the throttle that your skills and/or ground clearance cannot cash.

If you don't know a road, you should not be railing on it as there are surprises to be found not only in the nature/size of corners but also what you might find on the road surface (oil left by some asshole who wadded, for example, or your fucktard friend who decided the middle of the road after a blind corner would be a good place to stop and scratch balls). The mountains are dynamic and unpredictable, both nature and man contribute to the chaos and a smart rider will leave enough margin to cope with both.

A big clue (to those who have not noticed it) that 9 and the other roads in the SC Mountains are not for pushing your limits is the lack of run off room. Just about any corner is lined with rock wall, deep ditches, metal meat-slicer guard rails, or just cliffs. Get a clue and control your right hand.

 

[Hooli]

Not really.

Just a corner.

Turn the fucking bike and go around it.

BB, I would have loved to see your reaction to the GSXR rider who binned it in a straight on Redwood Road last month.

Maybe it was the club vest?

 

[Archimedes]

I scratch my head when I hear people talking about 'tricky' turns or 'scary turns' on 9, as if the turn has anything to do with trickiness or scariness. How you manage your bike through the turn is what makes it tricky or not.

I've probably ridden 9 150-200 times over the years, many times at a very healthy clip, and yet I couldn't tell you one turn from the next. I've never memorized the turns, so I have no idea what turn everyone is talking about, but I've never once been caught out by a turn on that road, because I pay attention to the road and the signs. It's not a tricky road and there are no tricky turns on it. Just riders who either can't or won't remain in control of their motorcycles.

The most challenging turn on 9 can be ridden easily with a minimum of riding skill. Some of them take more than a minimum of good judgement though.

 

[HIglesias]

it's tricky because if you dont read the corner properly you might turn in too early, when you finally realize the severity of the decreasing radius it's probably to late and you've run wide.
everyone learns at different rates, learning to turn in later can be difficult to put into practice.

 

[Archimedes]

it's tricky because if you dont read the corner properly you might turn in too early, when you finally realize the severity of the decreasing radius it's probably to late and you've run wide.
everyone learns at different rates, learning to turn in later can be difficult to put into practice.

Exactly, so we agree that it's not the turn, it's the rider and their lack of ability to make the turn.

 

[budbandit]

It's tricky because if you suck you are not smart enough to realize that the part of the corner that you cannot see around the bend may actually tighten up and it's tricky because you actually have to turn the motorcycle in order to get around it.

That shit ain't hard. You want hard? There are other roads that have hard and tricky. Some of the uphill hairpins on Quimby are hard, same for Page Mill. 9 isn't hard but many riders suck and many of the riders who do suck lack the metacognitive skills to realize that they do in fact suck.

it's tricky because if you dont read the corner properly you might turn in too early, when you finally realize the severity of the decreasing radius it's probably to late and you've run wide.
everyone learns at different rates, learning to turn in later can be difficult to put into practice.

 

[ST Guy]

I scratch my head when I hear people talking about 'tricky' turns or 'scary turns' on 9, as if the turn has anything to do with trickiness or scariness. How you manage your bike through the turn is what makes it tricky or not.

I've probably ridden 9 150-200 times over the years, many times at a very healthy clip, and yet I couldn't tell you one turn from the next. I've never memorized the turns, so I have no idea what turn everyone is talking about, but I've never once been caught out by a turn on that road, because I pay attention to the road and the signs. It's not a tricky road and there are no tricky turns on it. Just riders who either can't or won't remain in control of their motorcycles.

The most challenging turn on 9 can be ridden easily with a minimum of riding skill. Some of them take more than a minimum of good judgement though.

Well said. The very fact that some riders consider 9 a "tricky" road or that certain corners are "scary" or "difficult" to negotiate simply shows that they are inexperienced and do not have their skills honed very well. Nothing about 9 or any of the other roads is difficult for those skilled in the art.

Keep practicing and stop blaming it on the road.

 

[Gary J]

Not really. Just a corner. ..... If you don't know a road, you should not be railing on it as there are surprises to be found.

True, and to the point Jason!

In addiition to a basic chilling out on the speed side of things, developing the skills to read the road ahead (at least in terms of the difficulty of a turn based upon its radius type: decreasing, increasing, or constant), greatly helps reduce the chances of any "surprise corners" (like the one on Hwy 9 that was described in this thread) catching a rider out into running wide. Wide on a right turn, over the DY, being a path into possible fatal consequences.

Learning the concept of scanning ahead in viewing the direction of travel of the "Vanishing Point", as a crystal ball for determining the flavor of an upcoming turn, can do wonders for staying safe ..... even on newly traveled roads.

Looking to the inside where you "want to go", rather than in the undesirable direction the bike's beginning to go, when blowing it and starting to run wide in a corner, can also be powerful tool to avoid the worst possible outcome.

Hope any injured parties in these recent crashes heal up, and come away smarter, better riders.

 

[Norbs]

Exactly, so we agree that it's not the turn, it's the rider and their lack of ability to make the turn.

 

[Climber]

Exactly, so we agree that it's not the turn, it's the rider and their lack of ability to make the turn.

Yes, it's only riders trying to ride faster than they should for a variety of reasons.

 

[rritterson]

Or else pay attention to the yellow sign indicating 25mph and a hard right turn.

I find the yellow signs arbitrary. Sometimes you really should pay them heed, other times you can completely ignore them, and sometimes they simply don't have them, usually on the most unexpectedly tight corners. So, I usually ignore them completely and let experience be the guide.

 

[Climber]

I find the yellow signs arbitrary. Sometimes you really should pay them heed, other times you can completely ignore them, and sometimes they simply don't have them, usually on the most unexpectedly tight corners. So, I usually ignore them completely and let experience be the guide.

I add them into the mix as another piece of 'soft' data to be added in for a clue to what I can't see. If it shows some unexpected number like 15 mph (when the rest of the road indicates 25 mph or greater for most turns) then there is usually some basis for it like a decreasing radius curve, hidden driveway or some other reason. I'd rather err on the side of caution than err on the other side until I know the road/turn.

 

[TLC]

Not really.

Unless of course you are in over your head the your right cockbeater has written a check with the throttle that your skills and/or ground clearance cannot cash.

holy shit you just made my day with this line. I'mma steal 'right cockbeater' for sure

 

[Bluenote]

I did a solo run up and down 9 into Boulder Creek - came upon the aftermath of the Busa lying down. The totally diconnected front wheel (not the whole triple clamp/handlebars thingie, just the wheel and fork) was a sobering sight indeed!
Plastic bits seemed to be exploded on both sides of the road (didn't know another bike was involved)...

Knowing that turn to be a DR (Decreasing Radius), I knew it was a head-on. (It's the infamous one in the tight twisties of 9 betwee 236 and the 15mph hairpin).
Glad there were no fatalities!!!


Awesome day to ride otherwise!! arty

(If you saw me, yes - my newer bike is still without a pink kiss on the front.)


Yana

Decreasing radius righthander and the exit flattens out , better take a lllaaattta apex or you'll be in the other lane before you can blink , I've long since lost count of the number of close calls and biffs both car and bike that I've seen there over the years , the left hander immediately following it is almost as bad , a lot of folks have ended up against that bank over the years.

 

[Climber]

Maybe they need the 'tree of shame' model (from the dragon) to be applied there just before turns like that one as a reminder.