Merging motorcyclist fail

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Probably going to use the same excuse as cagers, "I didn't see you." Never realized some motorcycles have crazy blindspots, at least our beloved Vmax isn't one of them.
 
Good thing the drivers behind him took evasive action and drove around his azz, looks like he took the merge lane curve too fast, and what about the truck he hit, did it keep going?...........:ummm:...........Tom.
 
Re: Highway merge fail...

It almost (almost) looks as if, for some reason, he felt he couldn't maintain his lane...then drifted across the other lane. From our angle, it doesn't appear as if he should have had any problems maintaining his merge lane.
 
Good thing the drivers behind him took evasive action and drove around his azz, looks like he took the merge lane curve too fast, and what about the truck he hit, did it keep going?...........:ummm:...........Tom.

The video (on youtube) says the truck developed a right rear flat due to the impact and had to stop on down the hwy.
 
Re: Highway merge fail...

When I was a less experienced rider I scared myself a number of times by not being able to hold my intended line for various reasons. It appears that the bike was controlling him, not the other way around. I might have suspected a crosswind or something but his bud did just fine. Can I just do a +1 for inexperience?

He probably was not looking/thinking ahead and it must have been a pucker factor of 9.75.
 
Re: Highway merge fail...

Goin faster than his level of experience would allow is part of it, I would guess. Target fixation is another factor I would consider.

He was lucky. It could have easily have had a much more tragic ending.

In another forum, someone posted a thread on this incident, and another member tried to claim the driver of the truck was a fault. The only fault I can see going to the driver of the truck would be if he had not stopped. The video does not show if the truck eventually stopped, but it could be a case of the truck was unable to pull over to the shoulder before the video ended.
 
Re: Highway merge fail...

Goin faster than his level of experience would allow is part of it, I would guess. Target fixation is another factor I would consider.

He was lucky. It could have easily have had a much more tragic ending.

In another forum, someone posted a thread on this incident, and another member tried to claim the driver of the truck was a fault. The only fault I can see going to the driver of the truck would be if he had not stopped. The video does not show if the truck eventually stopped, but it could be a case of the truck was unable to pull over to the shoulder before the video ended.

Yes, I would say target fixation. He was afraid to lean more for the turn then looked where he didn't want to go, and went there!
 
Looks like he didn't hit the turn right then the bike got on them rumble strips & at that point he was trying to hold on for dear life. :ummm:
 
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You can always lean more than you think. He probably started to brake when he found himself drifting wide, that 'stood the bike up.' It was just a matter of where he was gonna hit the traffic after that. He needs to take a MSF Better Biking course, and then spend some racetrack time learning how to react to dynamics of motorcycle performance in a more-safe, and controlled environment.

AGATT would have saved him some skin and bruising.
 
I agree. Not a case of just being an idiot and not looking before merging. Simple case of too much throttle, not pushing the bike hard enough, and not looking where you want to be. Squid move on a super sport bike in a t-shirt and jeans. Gloves and a helmet are not enough while doing 70 mph over what is essentially a huge meat grinder...

Hopefully he'll be a better rider for it, hell of a way to learn that lesson though...
 
That's exactly what happens if your rear tire goes flat. The bike will no longer turn. He's trying to turn the bike but it's not responding.
Happened to me when my tire blew out. I was on a straight and was still lucky not to crash. A friend had what must have been a slower leak, was riding on a long straight stretch of road.......when he came to a right hand sweeper he crossed over the road and woke up several minutes later in the middle of a field
 
If you go to the slow-mo portion of the tape and watch the seconds slightly before & after the impact, it appears to me as if both his tires were still aired up. At least, neither appears to have been low enough to have caused this fubar.
 
I was just watching it again in full screen, and it almost looks like his head is turned towards the truck up to right before the accident. Seems to add evidence to the target fixation theory.
 
I've cropped, blown up and enhanced the image and it's impossible for me to tell the condition of the rear tire....it's in the shadows and the resolution is poor

I can tell you that a blowout or tiny tear all the way through the tire will cause it to deflate in seconds.

The way the bike is leaned over it should be turning and it's not. I do not see anything that he did really wrong from a riding perspective.

People are quick to call anyone who crashes an idiot.......but unless you've had the misfortune of suffering loss of control due to a mechanical failure you have know idea what you are talking about.

I'll stand by my rear tire theory......
 
Yes it's possible that he had a flat. Likely? How often have you had a flat compared to how many miles you've traveled?

A more-likely issue is as has been expressed, a much-more common occurrence, exuberant throttle use w/a lack of requisite skills for two-wheeled motoring. Throw-in a merging situation, possible dirty, uneven pavement, and you have a Go-Pro 'moment.'
 
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