Ride like a maniac

[Calijackalbob]

I just got a gopro helmet cam after being crashed into by an idiot in a car. Killed my BMW R1100R, broke my foot & collarbone. I figure a helmet cam will be good evidence in case anyone knocks me off my bike again.

One positive of the crash was that I got a Jackal to replace the Beemer. After 100 mainly jap bikes, I finally found a brand of Motorcycles that I have fallen head over heels with. Moto Guzzi. Almost bought an 850 T many years back with the intention of turning it into a chopper, but got this instead, http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk57/drfunk62192003/My%20Bikes/IMGP3512.jpg 
 a Kawasaki Davidson. (Had a nuclear gearbox, kept blowing up. Wish I'd bought the Guzzi ! Would have saved me lots of $ and led me to my new found love sooner.)

..........anyway, I noticed a wierd thing after getting the helmet cam....... I always knew I ride like a maniac..... after all, for 10 years I was a motorcycle courier in London and Melbourne. Rode like a friggin  Kamikaze pilot. Still do.
The thing I saw when looking at the gopro video was that I ride F'N fast, (Used to get my license suspended at least one every couple of years back home in Australia,.... fortunately cops and speed traps are rarer here in Singapore. Haven't been busted yet!) ..........anyway, on video, it looks faster, hairier and scarier. There is a phenomenom that when I get on my bikes and fly like a kamikaze pilot, TIME SLOWS DOWN. I see things faster. My reactions are quicker. I can judge speed of traffic really well, my spacial awareness, and reflexes are heightened and I am completely at ease at breakneck speeds. My eyes are wider and I am in kamikaze racing mode.
When watching it back, at home, relaxed in fornt of the computer, I am startled at how fast and crazy it is. Initially I thought that the video was sped up by the computer, but when i was stopped at lights, the pedestrians crossing the road walk at normal speed. FREAKY! TIME SLOWS DOWN when I'm on my bikes. I ride in a time warp at warp speed.

Does anyone else feel like time slows down when they are on the road? Are your reactions heightened by speed? Does the gopro video look like it has been sped up when you watch it back?
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0OSnoHOxL64" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Triple Jim]

I hope I'm wrong, but I believe that if you keep riding like that, something will eventually go very badly for you.  You can have all the skill in the world, but all it takes is a surprise lane change by a car driver and you suffer the consequences.  Find a track and have your time warp, heightened awareness fun where it's relatively safe to do so.

[Francis]

  yep! I was out last Tuesday afternoon,well I took the long way home,needless to say when I noticed this light flashing at me I realized it was the low fuel ..I looked around me and,darn,I was 165 km from home! The road sign I just passed made me realize that fact, so yes,time just seem to vanish when I'm riding.

But,I don't think my riding style is Kamikaze like tho,be careful with that !

[Matt Story]

Without knowing more about your R1100R accident I may be jumping the gun, but I was thinking that maybe the "idiot" car driver hit you because you were 'riding like a maniac' and were unpredictable to the cager....?

[Calijackalbob]

The accident was 30 feet from my driveway at traffic lights. I was going slow, looking out for jaywalkers. The idiot was stationary at the lights behind turning traffic, decided he didn't want to turn after all and cut into my lane without signalling or looking. I had one car length distance to react. He hit my saddle bags as I passed him. Knocked me down. I hit the deck 10 feet away. Not fast. Not kamikaze......

I guess I'm Lucky. (So far) Usually ride it like I stole it, but every accident I've had was slow speeds, cars at fault every time. Just like the above......

The point of this thread is,...... "Shit! I ride fast! Maybe I should slow down?"

NAH! Ride fast Die young. Whatever!

[Matt Story]

I stand corrected.  Glad your OK now.

[bad Chad]

You had better tone it back a notch or two, or you may find time did't just slow down, but STOPED!  Have fun.  Brother, just don't kill yourself doing it.

[Vasco DG]

Or anyone else.......

[Bill Hagan]

First, regrets on the loss of your RR1100R; a very nice machine. 

And, welcome to Guzzidom.   

I assure you that I am no sanctimonious safety saint, and have any number of Kamikaze "feats" in my own riding history -- tho, I trust, fewer in my future, as I'd like to have one that doesn't include lots of abbreviations such as EMS, ER, ICU, or even DOA.   

That said, I have to say that watching your video reminded me of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq2xStb0R-c 

Best wishes for a long, happy riding life on two wheels.

Bill

[not-fishing]

Thanks for the perspective confirmation that I also should get a Gopro for riding.

Time doesn't slow down for me I just have a Senior Moment and wonder where the time when.

I don't ride like a maniac.

My Doctor told me I must lower my blood pressure so I try to Calm, embrace the Zen and go with the flow.

and I hear a little voice "ride smooth ---smooth is fast"

[charlie b]

NAH! Ride fast Die young. Whatever!

Hence the term SQUID.

[Moto]

I figure a helmet cam will be good evidence in case anyone knocks me off my bike again.

I think your helmet cam is more likely to hurt you rather than help you in any upcoming court case, assuming there are laws about speed limits and reckless driving on the books. It can be better not to leave evidence. That's why I decided against getting an easily-memorized vanity license plate, for example.

If your helmet cam makes it seem like you are going faster than you thought, maybe you should think twice about what you're doing.

Good luck.

[Vasco DG]

Perhaps Phang knows what sort of penalties would apply for that sort of reckless riding in Singapore?

I can't believe that the authorities wouldn't take a very dim view of it.

[fotoguzzi]

Thats why I always shoot and watch my videos in slowmo..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFeuPWgDB9k

note: you can buy an SD card that will record continuously and then when full write over or loop so you never run out.
if mounted to the bike you can run power too so no battery run out.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQe6xK7Iie8

[Stormtruck2]

S= Stupid
Q= Quick
U= Usually
I=  Instantly
D= Dead

[toma nova]

I watched the video and don't really see any issue with your riding.  The Go-Pro on the top of your helmet (and video cameras generally) make everything look faster due to the narrow view - when we're riding, we see a much wider field and can process information as fast as it comes at us.

I rode in Tokyo for three years and this looks very similar.  Drivers almost always signal, speeds are relatively slow even on limited access motorways (100 kph max), and drivers are taught that bikes and scooters will use their size advantage so drivers are not startled when passed on the white lines.

Unlike the US, drivers in Singapore and Japan take it very seriously, partly because it is difficult and expensive to get a license and because drivers (and riders) are held accountable for their mistakes - there is always some fault attributed to each driver, even if it's 5% for getting rear ended.

Like I said, I think your speed and lane changes are fine (probably not more than 80 kph through traffic).  I would ride the same way there and would be laughing all the way to work and back.

Tom

[balvenie]

Or anyone else.......

Correct. He nearly sideswiped another biker merging from his right at 50 seconds.

[balvenie]

And another thing
Riding beside a car in its own lane is a maniacal practice. The car only has to deviate to the side for any inconsequential reason.......

[earemike]

I don't ride like you (often) but my first thought wasn't about your riding, where are your bloody gloves! 

I've got a nice set of lightweight kangaroo leather gloves with plastic knuckle protectors for the summer heat.

As for your riding it might look worse on video, when I do it I know I'm indicating & have a feel for the traffic so no lecture from me! Given you're riding in Asia I've seen far worse riding on far more inadequate machinery. In your context I think you're doing fine.

Two weeks ago I put my '77 LeMans round the outside & up the inside of a 999 in the twisties, an external observer may have thought I had a death wish but it was a planned, considered move within the limits of my bike & myself.

That said a highlights reel of all your close passes in traffic & none of the boring stuff creates the impression that you do ride like a peanut....

[Phang]

Lots of autonomous vehicles here with a passenger sitting in the driver seat browsing facebook/whatsapp/wildguzzi etc

ride safe mate 

[pete mcgee]

Well, it does look quick.
You have a finite amount of luck, an idiot will eventually reinforce this point again.
With a camera you have an excellent chance of starring in a russian crash type video.
Reaquaint yourself with the word "defensive", cant hurt.
Cheers

[Chuck in Indiana]

As far as the original question goes, Does time slow down? It does for me, but only in life and death situations. It's happened a few times..

[steffen]

I don't ride like you (often) but my first thought wasn't about your riding, where are your bloody gloves! 

 :1:

[John A]

It's called time dilation. The brains processing speed is clocked up. Birds can fly between branches because the processing speed of their brains is faster than ours.we can train our brains to run faster. I enjoy it too,but be careful and don't do it under the influence of anything  . Also if we stand in a spot, our possible futures lie all around us,360 degrees. If we take a step, our possible futures are more likely in that direction. As we move, our possible futures lie along the line of our direction. The faster we move the more certain we can be our future is at some point along the line of our direction. Taken to extreme, if we approach the speed of light our future is a point with no possible deviation.

[Dilliw]

U.S. riders see that and think that you are riding like a maniac.  A typical rider from Paris might think, eh... 

I think all would think,  "where are your gloves?"

[Nic in Western NYS]

As far as the original question goes, Does time slow down? It does for me, but only in life and death situations. It's happened a few times..

If at my skill level I rode like that, I would have had about 20 life and death situations in that ride.  Get that rider some red suspenders and a hippy chick and slow that boy down.

[Idontwantapickle]

Bob,
Nice song for the video.
Lay off the caffeine.
Jackal sounds great!
Get some gloves.
Disconnect the Flux Capacitor.
Hunter

[Penderic]

It's called time dilation. The brains processing speed is clocked up. Birds can fly between branches because the processing speed of their brains is faster than ours.we can train our brains to run faster. I enjoy it too,but be careful and don't do it under the influence of anything  . Also if we stand in a spot, our possible futures lie all around us,360 degrees. If we take a step, our possible futures are more likely in that direction. As we move, our possible futures lie along the line of our direction. The faster we move the more certain we can be our future is at some point along the line of our direction. Taken to extreme, if we approach the speed of light our future is a point with no possible deviation.

 

[JoeW]

I rode for years at the limits, sport bikes tend to do that to a rider. I found that, especially on long trips, riding at high speeds kept me more alert. If I were to slow down, I would daydream and become distracted. I blame that on my A.D.D. As I get older I find that I enjoy riding a little slower. I've changed my style of bike to a cruiser, floor boards and windshield, and enjoy the ride and scenery. One thing I've found that has slowed me down, especially at night, is my eyesight. My 60 year old eyes are not as sharp as they were at 40, I guess we just slow down with age! I've been lucky, only one get off in 40 years of riding, and that was all on me, commuting in December, black ice on the road and my thoughts were on the day ahead instead on the car in front of me.

[AJ Huff]

Pretty cool video.

Given that:
1) I don't know the norm for your country,
2) I saw you next to two police cars and they didn't seem to car,
3) I noticed a few other bikes driving the same as you, and
4) Relativity, it's impossible to know from the video how fast you were actually riding.

I say ride on be careful. The most egregious thing I saw was No Gloves!!  :Beating_A_Dead_Hors e_by_liviu

-AJ

PS I now have my daughter pointing out in the car every motorcyclist we pass not wearing gloves, "Daddy there's another stupid one!"