My near death experience today

[Issanman]

"Dont be shy let the comment begin!"

My comment is "bird brain"

[GotR1GHT]

To all those folks who are saying OP is a moron please point at someone who owns a big bike and never did break top speed on the highway.It's not like op is doing 230kmh 24/7.I agree that luck was involved too,if there were couple of cars in the other line it would be hard to avoid it.

Also to anyone who's saying this is only luck not skill - bullcrap. Anyone who manage to go from 100% death situation to only "that was close" takes some skill,especially at that speed.

If that was a car instead of bike there's a high chance that car would oversteer doing that manouver at that speed.

I got a ninja 650 and its supposed to go 220km/h or at least that is what they say. I can tell you the fastest I have been was 160 and that was only to tip that speed and go slower again on an quite empty road. What I like about the bike is the torque not its top speed i would not want to try that out here in Thailand.

I might be a far less competent driver as many but top speed does not do it for me. I usually cruise at the speed of traffic maybe a bit faster but not 50km / h faster as the rest of traffic. I also wont zig zag like you see some people do.

Everyone has their own riding style and skills, some love to test them and pay for it. I just hope they wont take people with them. Speeding is normal here.. but 220 km/h is extreme speeding in my opinion.

Live and let live.. i still think its dangerous to do here.. if it was only his life so be it. But at these speeds a bike can take out a car.

I agree,same as me.I never really like the top speed,on the other hand i enjoy much more in acceleration till 100-120kmh.I'll probably never get a bike that has more than 650cc 70-80hp.Something like 400cc,50hp top speed 180 would be ideal for me,especially in thailand seeing and experiencing so many close calls

[NomadJoe]

Not crazy, suicidal.

[evadgib]

This may be a blessing in disguise . I showed the video to my wife and she said these bikes are not safe. I told her that they have bikes with more safety features like anti-lock brakes and traction control. She said i should go buy a new one with those safety features.

Please mate do not assume ABS and traction control will save your life, these safety features are not there to allow you to continue driving like a lunatic, they are safety aids which should not be abused, they can give you a false sense of security which will lead to the same result as what nearly happened in your video, I also owned the Z1000 and it is a great bike which if driven sensibly is perfectly safe, good luck in your future driving I am thinking you might need it!!

She just looked at the Dainese D-Air One Piece Suit with air bags and said to order. Xmas is here just need some money....

This wouldn't help at that speed!

[indyuk]

You're dead already Yankee,

I nigh shit myself just watching the video.

Slow down and buy a car then maybe you'll recover.

[DLock]

That made my butthole pucker a bit just watching that.

Can't say I haven't ridden that fast, but that road was definitely not the place to be doing that kind of speed. Pretty careless and selfish.

Good community service announcement I guess....Probably make me think twice about excess speed over xmas.

[dogpoo]

This may be a blessing in disguise . I showed the video to my wife and she said these bikes are not safe. I told her that they have bikes with more safety features like anti-lock brakes and traction control. She said i should go buy a new one with those safety features.

Please mate do not assume ABS and traction control will save your life, these safety features are not there to allow you to continue driving like a lunatic, they are safety aids which should not be abused, they can give you a false sense of security which will lead to the same result as what nearly happened in your video, I also owned the Z1000 and it is a great bike which if driven sensibly is perfectly safe, good luck in your future driving I am thinking you might need it!!

She just looked at the Dainese D-Air One Piece Suit with air bags and said to order. Xmas is here just need some money....

This wouldn't help at that speed!

Seriously this has to be a joke, you are thinking of getting a one piece suit which has air bags???? with this you can drive as fast as you like and hit what you like and you will just walk away laughing, god I pity anyone you come into contact with on the road!!

[b19bry]

Oh perleeze............as if countersteer was some kind of black art that mere mortals are not familiar with and only superheroes like the OP know about. There was even a thread here discussing countersteer some six months or so ago.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering and take note :

"often boiled down to "push left to go left". While this appears to be a complex sequence of motions, it is performed by every child who rides a bicycle"

This is a motorbike forum so I imagine most of us and especially those who ride or have ridden big bikes understand this.

The physics and application of this was part of the basic training when I took my big bike license the best part of 20yrs ago in the UK, it becomes second nature. The OP made the right move but it's nothing any moderately experienced and trained rider would not have been aware of and be able to execute instinctively.

More to the point is the fact that the truck driver was oblivious to what was going on around him,. Had he picked up that a bike was approaching at such speed his reaction may have been another factor in the equation, the OP second guessing that could so easily have changed the outcome and any resulting carnage left families traumatised. It could also so easily have been some kid on a small bike. None of this seems warrant consideration to the OP and his buddies.

As someone else pointed out this was not even a 'highway'.It's clearly a rural road with cars, bikes and people going about their normal rural lives. Utter recklessness in such road conditions and in large part sheer luck there wasn't a different outcome.

Normal reflex would be to brake yank the bars left (forcing your bike right) and visually fixate on the truck as you crash.

People will claim bravado but you are 100% right
Inexperienced riders crash all the time due to what you describe.

Right or wrongs about speeds aside.....
An experienced riders has options. They size it & act
An inexperienced rider has no option so stares at what they do not want to hit
while locking the brakes. Not knowing they will never stop in time.
Or worse they turn left & suddenly freak out that the bike is going right
because they do not understand counter steering

Do monkeys fall out of trees of course!
I am not saying experience can overcome every bad situation.
But the armchair preachers would like to claim even a money can yada,yada,yada

[puukao]

1. you can EASILY go 300 on that road. come on OP, throttle control!!!

2. counter-steering is more overused that worthless phrases like "when the rubber hits the road" "hit the ground running"

3. that was NOT near death. near accident, yes, but I would have leaped over the truck unscathed.

now take the training wheels off!!!

[dogpoo]

Personally I don't give a toss about these people who drive extremely fast and do so without consideration for other road users, if they are killed it's one less dick head causing a problem, just stay away from me and the many other bikers that drive sensibly and with consideration!!

[Tchooptip]

See the comments in the light that I used to be a motorcycle courier, thus I used to earn my living riding bikes.

My thoughts aren't with the OP, my thoughts are the 'other road users near death experience today'.

I've ridden my bike flat out, stomach on the tank, boots on the passenger foot pegs ... on the AutoBahn in Germany.

Time and place for everything.

Credit There but for the grace of God

If that tuck had been doing a U-Turn and the timing slightly different and you had ploughed into the drivers door, a Family would now be without one parent, maybe both and both the parents' death and yours would be just a headline in a newspaper.

.

I do not want to talk to OP for he only desserve to have his ass kicked like a little brat, but maybe we can show him also this one

and do nor forget to click on it to see better details!

[Beardog]

I notice what is real interesting is most of the posters are never on the bike forum that seem to have the largest comments leading me to think that most are in the scooter brigade & never owned a real bike. Just an observation. <deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway? if he was turning that would men that he pulled a Barney & exited from the far left into the quick right & potentially creating a wreck scenario. In the U.S. he would be cited for that stupid maneuver. He appeared to think the road was a parking lot instead of a roadway. Anyone that has ever had a big bike has gone over the speed limit, I wouldn't believe it if you told me you had a Haybusa or a Duk Kawi Honda in a liter range & you drove it at 80 kph which would be a scooter not a liter bike. I know the rider & he is very skilled. The road choice to get on it maybe wasn't the best But in the states liter bikes & bigger are cruising as quick or quicker (for short bursts) To put the speed in perspective 100 KPH is only 60 MPH so while it seems like it is huge it is still only 130-135 mph What the bike was made for.I can't really say I ever met a rider with a liter bike that hasn't gone flat out to see what he can do. Granted a freeway in the states or the autobahn would be a better place to go all out Thailand does not afford you any safety with the loser drivers on the road . Before the little boys scooter brigade wants to beat me up verbally I am not saying it was a great idea where he was, but had the driver in the truck been a good driver the incident would never have happened-----So that is the part that is iffy. And on the flipside there are no tracks here where you can safely go 230+ KPH. So in short anyone that is used to bikes 1000 up to 2600cc I would venture to say they all got it on & put the hammer down. The drivers skill is not in question the wrong place to get it maybe but lets not get your panties all up in a bunch Most of you wouldn't even admit it if you fckd up. In Pattaya to Bang Saray if you don't get up on the wheel so to speak you get hit from the car or truck behind you doing 140-150 KPH or sideswiped when they pull the dumb Fck maneuver & almost sideswipe your ass. Any day of the year I would much rather be near a bike rider that does not drink & drive than the bar crowd in a truck 3 sheets to the wind thinking that that is really cool to be wasted & driving. Think about it have you ever driven a little too toasted in Thailand? Than you are even worse for what your doing cause that throws out the argument of the Dog , the Kid in the road the idiot parked in the fast lane. For a minute I thought I was on the Pattaya forum where the snipers that are to wasted to be posting hang out. I am certain the event made Yankee think so ease up this isn't church!

[Sloopydee]

^^ The last pic reminded me of the poor Lao girl that was cut in half by the Porsche 2 years ago, and her top half ended up in the passanger seat. After which the 19 yr old rich kid drove on for 10km with her top half next to him, then called his rich dad, who then called the police to say that it was stolen and told him to leg it. 300k bht to the mother and no charges.

Anyway, wonder if the lad on the bike in that pic was sliced in half by the roof.

[Showbags]

I notice what is real interesting is most of the posters are never on the bike forum that seem to have the largest comments leading me to think that most are in the scooter brigade & never owned a real bike. Just an observation. <deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway? if he was turning that would men that he pulled a Barney & exited from the far left into the quick right & potentially creating a wreck scenario. In the U.S. he would be cited for that stupid maneuver. He appeared to thing the road was a parking lot instead of a roadway. Anyone that has ever had a big bike has gone over the speed limit, I wouldn't believe it if you told me you had a Haybusa or a Duk Kawi Honda in a liter range & you drove it at 80 kph which would be a scooter not a liter bike. I know the rider & he is very skilled. The road choice to get on it maybe wasn't the best But in the states liter bikes & bigger are cruising as quick or quicker (for short bursts) To put the speed in perspective 100 KPH is only 60 MPH so while it seems like it is huge it is still only 130-135 mph What the bike was made for.I can't really say I ever met a rider with a liter bike that hasn't gone flat out to see what he can do. Granted a freeway in the states or the autobahn would be a better place to go all out Thailand does not afford you any safety with the loser drivers on the road . Before the little boys scooter brigade wants to beat me up verbally I am not saying it was a great idea where he was, but had the driver in the truck been a good driver the incident would never have happened-----So that is the part that is iffy. And on the flipside there are no tracks here where you can safely go 230+ KPH. So in short anyone that is used to bikes 1000 up to 2600cc I would venture to say they all got it on & put the hammer down. The drivers skill is not in question the wrong place to get it maybe but lets not get your panties all up in a bunch Most of you wouldn't even admit it if you fckd up. In Pattaya to Bang Saray if you don't get up on the wheel so to speak you get hit from the car or truck behind you doing 140-150 KPH or sideswiped when they pull the dumb Fck maneuver & almost sideswipe your ass. Any day of the year I would much rather be near a bike rider that does not drink & drive than the bar crowd in a truck 3 sheets to the wind thinking that that is really cool to be wasted & driving. Think about it have you ever driven a little too toasted in Thailand? Than you are even worse for what your doing cause that throws out the argument of the Dog , the Kid in the road the idiot parked in the fast lane. For a minute I thought I was on the Pattaya forum where the snipers that are to wasted to be posting hang out. I am certain the event made Yankee think so ease up this isn't church!

...so little to say with so many words

[Sloopydee]

<deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway?

You haven't been in Thailand long, eh.

[Beardog]

<deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway?

You haven't been in Thailand long, eh.

10 years no wrecks smallest bike a 650 ER6n a 1000-1100 1800 & a 2600 cc in the states what you drive ? I just got what you are saying yea Thailand does breed the worst auto & truck drivers I have ever seen. But seriously would you like some cheese & crackers to go with that whine?

[Showbags]

<deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway?

You haven't been in Thailand long, eh.

10 years no wrecks smallest bike a 650 ER6n a 1000-1100 1800 & a 2600 cc in the states what you drive cowboy ...let me guess a 1994 Yamaha fresh?

Tough guy alert.....

[Sloopydee]

^^ And you're surprised about a pick-up driving like that?

Perhaps the 10 years is really only 10 minutes, in reality.

[thai4me]

I think what other posters are implying is Thai roads are full or surprises and obstacles. They are there whether valid or not.

Most Asian countries are like that.

Plus a naked bike whilst having the engine does not have the aerodynamics of a sports bike. If he had been on an er6, he would have crashed. At 200kmh, it would be 101% throttle wide open. The suspensions would have given up at that speed.

So yeah, skills and bikes aside, the road condition was not ideal that day, even for a 200hp super nimble zx10.

[Beardog]

^^ And you're surprised about a pick-up driving like that?

Perhaps the 10 years is really only 10 minutes, in reality.

Not at all 10 years here no wrecks. I look out for them the dogs & the kids it is part of being a skilled rider & an alive one. How come I never see you posting on the bike forum?

[nikster]

Everyone makes mistakes; those who have never made one may throw the first stone.

Totally idiotic to drive that fast on that road, but hopefully mr. yankee knows this by now. I mean - you'd think?! What's that truck doing on the road? Who cares? The whole idea of traffic is people making mistakes and the other party compensating for that - this is the only way everyone is not dead already. It's like a double safety system. Unlikely that two people make a mistake at exactly the same time but if they do, that's when we get accidents.

In this case whatever the truck did wasn't even a mistake - no one accounts for a crazy person doing 220 zooming down the road... I am pretty sure the truck driver looked but just couldn't see the OP when they started their maneuver.

From the looks of it looked like a safe 140 kph cruise speed road. Not super unsafe but with tons of stuff left and right of the roadside, very clear warning sign to not go too fast.

[Genericnic]

This may be a blessing in disguise . I showed the video to my wife and she said these bikes are not safe. I told her that they have bikes with more safety features like anti-lock brakes and traction control. She said i should go buy a new one with those safety features.

Please mate do not assume ABS and traction control will save your life, these safety features are not there to allow you to continue driving like a lunatic, they are safety aids which should not be abused, they can give you a false sense of security which will lead to the same result as what nearly happened in your video, I also owned the Z1000 and it is a great bike which if driven sensibly is perfectly safe, good luck in your future driving I am thinking you might need it!!

She just looked at the Dainese D-Air One Piece Suit with air bags and said to order. Xmas is here just need some money....

This wouldn't help at that speed!

Sure it would. Would make the body easier to find ... Unless it was snowing.

David

[PeterSmiles]

^^ And you're surprised about a pick-up driving like that?

Perhaps the 10 years is really only 10 minutes, in reality.

Not at all 10 years here no wrecks. I look out for them the dogs & the kids it is part of being a skilled rider & an alive one. How come I never see you posting on the bike forum?

Because he's just a troll who rejoined yesterday .

[Sloopydee]

How come I never see you posting on the bike forum?

Over half my posts are in the bike forum.

[b19bry]

^^ And you're surprised about a pick-up driving like that?

Perhaps the 10 years is really only 10 minutes, in reality.

Obviously like the OP legends in their own lunchtimes

[kagan]

Im gonna drive slower now, thx for the post. Sometimes i think im invincible riding around in shorts and a t-shirt

[brfsa2]

This has been one of the most fun topics I ever read in TV bikes forum.

[OmegaRacer]

I notice what is real interesting is most of the posters are never on the bike forum that seem to have the largest comments leading me to think that most are in the scooter brigade & never owned a real bike. Just an observation. <deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway? if he was turning that would men that he pulled a Barney & exited from the far left into the quick right & potentially creating a wreck scenario. In the U.S. he would be cited for that stupid maneuver. He appeared to think the road was a parking lot instead of a roadway. Anyone that has ever had a big bike has gone over the speed limit, I wouldn't believe it if you told me you had a Haybusa or a Duk Kawi Honda in a liter range & you drove it at 80 kph which would be a scooter not a liter bike. I know the rider & he is very skilled. The road choice to get on it maybe wasn't the best But in the states liter bikes & bigger are cruising as quick or quicker (for short bursts) To put the speed in perspective 100 KPH is only 60 MPH so while it seems like it is huge it is still only 130-135 mph What the bike was made for.I can't really say I ever met a rider with a liter bike that hasn't gone flat out to see what he can do. Granted a freeway in the states or the autobahn would be a better place to go all out Thailand does not afford you any safety with the loser drivers on the road . Before the little boys scooter brigade wants to beat me up verbally I am not saying it was a great idea where he was, but had the driver in the truck been a good driver the incident would never have happened-----So that is the part that is iffy. And on the flipside there are no tracks here where you can safely go 230+ KPH. So in short anyone that is used to bikes 1000 up to 2600cc I would venture to say they all got it on & put the hammer down. The drivers skill is not in question the wrong place to get it maybe but lets not get your panties all up in a bunch Most of you wouldn't even admit it if you fckd up. In Pattaya to Bang Saray if you don't get up on the wheel so to speak you get hit from the car or truck behind you doing 140-150 KPH or sideswiped when they pull the dumb Fck maneuver & almost sideswipe your ass. Any day of the year I would much rather be near a bike rider that does not drink & drive than the bar crowd in a truck 3 sheets to the wind thinking that that is really cool to be wasted & driving. Think about it have you ever driven a little too toasted in Thailand? Than you are even worse for what your doing cause that throws out the argument of the Dog , the Kid in the road the idiot parked in the fast lane. For a minute I thought I was on the Pattaya forum where the snipers that are to wasted to be posting hang out. I am certain the event made Yankee think so ease up this isn't church!

It doesn't matter what the pick up was doing or not doing ad whose fault it would have been in case of an accident. It wouldn't matter because he would have been dead anyway.

You have to be prepared for these things, especially in Thailand. Sure, nobody follows the speed limits all the time. You have to use your judgment about how fast you can ride and where.

He's still alive to tell the tale, thanks to luck and riding skills. He was lucky it was a pick up truck that followed a predictable line of movement and thus he was able to avoid it. That wouldn't be the case of a dog crossing the road, though.

Personally I think it's just not wise to do what he did on that type of road. If it were only his life, I would say up to him, but there were many other road users at the time and I'm sure his family and friends would be sad to see him gone, too.

[dave_boo]

I notice what is real interesting is most of the posters are never on the bike forum that seem to have the largest comments leading me to think that most are in the scooter brigade & never owned a real bike. Just an observation. <deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway? if he was turning that would men that he pulled a Barney & exited from the far left into the quick right & potentially creating a wreck scenario. In the U.S. he would be cited for that stupid maneuver. He appeared to think the road was a parking lot instead of a roadway. Anyone that has ever had a big bike has gone over the speed limit, I wouldn't believe it if you told me you had a Haybusa or a Duk Kawi Honda in a liter range & you drove it at 80 kph which would be a scooter not a liter bike. I know the rider & he is very skilled. The road choice to get on it maybe wasn't the best But in the states liter bikes & bigger are cruising as quick or quicker (for short bursts) To put the speed in perspective 100 KPH is only 60 MPH so while it seems like it is huge it is still only 130-135 mph What the bike was made for.I can't really say I ever met a rider with a liter bike that hasn't gone flat out to see what he can do. Granted a freeway in the states or the autobahn would be a better place to go all out Thailand does not afford you any safety with the loser drivers on the road . Before the little boys scooter brigade wants to beat me up verbally I am not saying it was a great idea where he was, but had the driver in the truck been a good driver the incident would never have happened-----So that is the part that is iffy. And on the flipside there are no tracks here where you can safely go 230+ KPH. So in short anyone that is used to bikes 1000 up to 2600cc I would venture to say they all got it on & put the hammer down. The drivers skill is not in question the wrong place to get it maybe but lets not get your panties all up in a bunch Most of you wouldn't even admit it if you fckd up. In Pattaya to Bang Saray if you don't get up on the wheel so to speak you get hit from the car or truck behind you doing 140-150 KPH or sideswiped when they pull the dumb Fck maneuver & almost sideswipe your ass. Any day of the year I would much rather be near a bike rider that does not drink & drive than the bar crowd in a truck 3 sheets to the wind thinking that that is really cool to be wasted & driving. Think about it have you ever driven a little too toasted in Thailand? Than you are even worse for what your doing cause that throws out the argument of the Dog , the Kid in the road the idiot parked in the fast lane. For a minute I thought I was on the Pattaya forum where the snipers that are to wasted to be posting hang out. I am certain the event made Yankee think so ease up this isn't church!

Actually, with the OP exceeding the speed limit, reckless operation, failure to maintain a safe distance, etc. there's a good chance that had there been an incident all the blame would have been put on the (most likely dead) motorcyclist in the States.

[David48]

I notice what is real interesting is most of the posters are never on the bike forum that seem to have the largest comments leading me to think that most are in the scooter brigade & never owned a real bike. Just an observation. <deleted> was the truck doing sideways in the road anyway?

So now it's us, the membership, who is at fault ...

I can't speak for the other commentators as I don't know their individual situations in relationship to bike ownership.

But they could also be the fathers of the children who live in those houses, the owner of the truck, the other road users.

What was the farm truck doing? ... he looked like he was doing what trucks do in a rural situation. If you've ridden here for any extended period, you would know that.

As riders, we all love bikes and I personally have a an attitude of live and let ride.

But there times and places ... and that was neither the time, nor the place.

Oh Beardog, as you know, riders around the world are a fairly tightly knit group, apart from your goodself, I haven't noticed any of the other riders on the Forum come out and say what a great ride that was, what good judgement was on display from the OP.

I reckon most of them are sitting quietly on the sideline, quietly disassociating themselves from the OP.

.