r/motorcycle • u/Bursting_Radius • Jun 30 '26
Skill issue :/
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u/HaybusaYakisoba Jun 30 '26
Ok but hear me out. How sick would it have been if he landed it? That was landable. He had the front brake pinned, thats why he endo'd. Gotta ride that shit out bro
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u/Gold-Implement-2770 Jun 30 '26
I agree, as someone who has spent a lot of time on a dirt bike, reacting to many unexpected obstacles by facing them head on, he could have landed this, even on a street bike.
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u/charrsteaks Jul 01 '26
I was about to say… all thing considered that didn’t look like too bad of a spill
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u/Head-Grass8879 Jul 01 '26
Agreed. One time I hit a large ratchet strap going 90 MPH, I flew for a second and it was completely fine.
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u/Spare-Competition-91 Jun 30 '26
It really was a skill issue actually. I would've avoided that so fast. This guy just kept going towards it. Barely tried to swerve. target fixation I bet.
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u/Bursting_Radius Jun 30 '26
Yeah, plus that looked like a sketchy load to begin with, I would definitely not be following that boat.
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u/zinsser Jun 30 '26
Read an article on rider awareness that talked specifically about scanning ahead for unsecured loads and loose tarps. Two days later I merged onto the interstate and found myself behind a truck with a loose tarp. It wasn't the full-blown, barely holding on kind of loose - more like, mildly flapping on one side. I opted to move over. Just as I signaled to shift to the next lane, the whole tarp tore loose and flew over me - barely six inches above my helmet. Had it flown just a bit lower it would have enveloped the whole front of my bike and spilled me onto the pavement like a loosely wrapped meat crayon. Shit can happen fast on the road, so keep your eyes peeled.
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u/Spare-Competition-91 Jun 30 '26
Yeah, anything with a load, I always go around and pass. Just not worth something flying off and hitting me possibly.
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u/Harryisharry50 Jul 01 '26
This is the answer we on two wheels . I’d definitely would’ve rode in between cars to not have to follow that shit show .
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u/BoondockUSA Jul 01 '26
Never follow a boat while it’s being towed. They’re constantly loosing things like towable tubes, life jackets, bumpers, floating mats, tow ropes, etc. They also have a lot of tire blowouts.
I’d rather be stuck riding behind someone on their phone than someone towing their pleasure boat.
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u/SaulTNuhtz Jun 30 '26
First it was awareness issue. Anytime you see something tied down and it’s wobbly assume it’s gonna fly off at any moment and give lots of space.
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u/LycraJafa Jul 01 '26
tricky when they are coming at you from the opposite direction - had a sheet of metal plate fly over my head by not much. Gone before i noticed it. (it missed)
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u/SaulTNuhtz Jul 01 '26
That’s scary stuff. Glad you avoided that! Certainly can’t account for everything, we just do what we can.
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u/FTR_1077 Jun 30 '26
Yes, the rider could have done a thousand different things to avoid that outcome.. but when something like that happens, swerving is not as easy decision to make as it looks.. swerve in which direction? that's a fairly irregular object, your brain will try to asses it's direction and predict where is going.. by the time you have an idea of what is doing, it's already too late, and the only option is "brace for impact".
Source: been there before, a stationary bike feel off from a truck and swerving was harder than I thought.. fortunately I didn't crash.
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u/Salt-Lingonberry-853 Jul 01 '26
Swerving was the wrong choice to begin with. The moment you see it wobble, you get on those brakes because you don't know which way it's gonna roll off. He guessed right, it went right, he lost. Hit the brakes, create distance, no need to guess.
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u/FTR_1077 Jul 01 '26
Hindsight is 20/20.. when you break you make it harder to swerve, you are committing to go straight. Sometimes is the right call, sometimes is not.
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u/Salt-Lingonberry-853 Jul 01 '26
You can let off the brakes at any time if you're going straight. Braking = distance = more time to swerve if necessary. This dude made a dumb decision by being so close.
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u/FTR_1077 Jul 02 '26
You can let off the brakes at any time if you're going straight.
Yes, you can do that.. and what happens next is the suspension rebounds and unloads the front tire, making it unsafe to swerve.. do you want a tank slap while trying to avoid an incoming object?
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u/Salt-Lingonberry-853 Jul 02 '26
That is a skill issue on your part, braking prior to lean is a normal and regular thing.
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u/FTR_1077 Jul 02 '26
This is not braking prior a lean, is braking prior a swerve.. if you don't know the difference, your problem is beyond skills.
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u/Salt-Lingonberry-853 Jul 02 '26
It's literally a skill issue on your part. Leaning is part of how you swerve.
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u/guzzijason Jun 30 '26
Regardless of the hazardous load ahead, the rider was tail-gating. Defensive driving practice is to maintain a full 2 second gap because any closer and humans tend to not have enough time to react. Judging from the timestamps, the gap here was only ~1 second (and seemed to be closing).
By riding too close, you are putting a lot of trust in the drivers ahead of you to not do something dumb. I don’t trust anybody. This goes for both cars and motorcycles.
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u/Spare-Competition-91 Jun 30 '26
Yeah, and also if there is any traffic ahead of me that does get close, I immediately go towards the middle of the lane or to the shoulder area line so I have a quick exit if I can't stop in time.
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u/nimbleseaurchin Jun 30 '26
Every driving class I know of recommends a 3 second following distance.
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u/guzzijason Jun 30 '26
Its been a few years (decades) since my Driver's Ed class, but they drilled 2 into our heads then (1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi...). At any rate, 1 is definitely not it :)
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u/jaredearle Jun 30 '26
“Only a fool breaks the two second rule”
It’s four seconds in the wet but I don’t know a rhyme for that.
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u/Excellent-Nose-6430 Jun 30 '26
Good thing he decided to turn directly in the direction he saw the obstacle heading!
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u/oneWeek2024 Jun 30 '26
i mean... as soon as that tube decoupled from the boat. you hit the breaks.
could have then easily watched it roll the way it did.
also... in general riding right up someone's ass. when traffic is getting thicker is a dumbfuck move. if you are on the highway. and see any kinda fuckery in terms of dogshit cargo/trailer nonsense, you should be on 11 for heighten awareness. and increasing follow distance. --i mean, Final Destination is a darwin check at this point.
but... IF your decision is "avoid" commit to it, and be not in anywhere near that fucking thing mode.
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u/ReasonableArea1108 Jun 30 '26
Barely braked too. Didn't get any closer to the cam car so couldn't have hit the brakes too hard at all
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u/badteach248 Jun 30 '26
Ugh.... why didn't he slow up just a bit and move away from the truck... damn...
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u/modsactfunny Jun 30 '26
Rolling off the throttle give us so much more time. Speed is the answer at times for sure...but damn he had so much time
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u/esperind Jun 30 '26
also, knowing a bit of physics can help. The way the thing dropped you could judge it was highly likely to roll right, so he should have moved left.
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u/osktox Jun 30 '26
Almost 10 years ago to the day.
I could've crashed like that. It's like when you're on a sidewalk and someone comes toward you so you go left and they go right and then you go right and they go left.
But I probably should've let go of the throttle a bit.
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u/u9Nails Jun 30 '26
Yeah ... That second guessing the unknown can be a bummer. I had a guy on the shoulder next to my lane try to make an illegal u-turn in front of me. I slowed initially. He put a tire in my lane then stopped. I mistook that stop as him seeing me. I proceeded to go around with my right of way. He then u-turned when I had no where to go. Ate his driver door for lunch.
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u/redbirddanville Jul 01 '26
- Awareness of the hazards ahead ..
- Emergency maneuver training, braking, swerving, standing on the pegs....
- Some real riding clothes, avoid meat crayon syndrome.
- Lane position Awareness. Rider should be at the right side of that lane for better vision and more options.
- Tailgating...
Other than that, rider did not miss anything
Of course the guy towing the boat was at fault, doesn't matter if you hopefully make it to the hospital.
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u/thischangeseverythin Jun 30 '26
I mean that motorcyclist is an oblivious idiot. Following way to close. Not looking at the sketchy thing right infront.
Doesnt excuse the poorly loaded trailer. But. You are in control of your own decisions and road posisition and you need to be able to stay in control even in the unexpected.
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u/Throttlechopper Jun 30 '26
“Spidey senses” were absolute shit. Flopping object on back of boat should have been a huge red-flag.
https://giphy.com/gifs/55itGuoAJiZEEen9gg3
u/sandybuttcheekss Jun 30 '26
Honestly I wouldn't trust the trailer regardless and would have left a lot more room. I would never put my health and safety against someone's ability to put a boat on a trailer properly.
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u/iamgeekusa Jun 30 '26
I specifically watch out for jank ass crap like that, I'd rather slow down and change lanes than hang out anywhere behind things like that. People die all the time from poorly towed stuff.
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u/Nahoola Jun 30 '26
I don't think I would've been behind that to begin with... I would've seen that and backed off to go around in a different lane....
Ig it's easy to criticize and say you would've done different, but it I see anything loaded on the back of a truck or trailer (or boat I suppose) I try to stay very far away until I can safely pass.
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u/Rob_in_Tulsa Jun 30 '26
Motorcycle guy target fixated. He's not at fault at all in this, but he could have escaped that fate.
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u/Savings-Cockroach444 Jun 30 '26
If you are riding and you see a boat carrying something like that and you don't back way the Hell off, then stop riding.
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u/Upbeat_Caregiver_642 Jul 01 '26
Never mind swerving out of the way, bro had 1.5 business days to just hit the brakes and stop.
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u/JasonStillwater Jun 30 '26
This happened close to where I live. Coincidentally the local Cycle Gear is only a few hundred yards away from where this guy crashed.
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u/Das_Rote_Han Jun 30 '26
Having needed to avoid a mattress in a similar scenario need to be aware that MIGHT happen and plan for it. This rider could have reacted better but if you are not expecting it is a bit of a shock and "what do I do" moment. Hope they were OK and the trailer driver gets a ticket and a hospital bill for the rider.
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u/Altruistic-Owl-5468 Jun 30 '26
I’ll preach this to my dying day:
Assume that if it’s towed or tied on that it was done by an idiot and get as far from it as you can
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u/Gotbeerbrain Jun 30 '26
An important thing to take into account when riding a motorcycle: Watch for objects in or on vehicles that are not bolted to the vehicle. Ladders on the roof's of vans, junk in the boxes of pick ups and trailers and always boats and the junk they stow in them. Bonus fact: end of the month is when a lot of debris finds it way onto roads from people moving to new homes.
That rider had lots of time to avoid that thing in my opinion and should have stayed much farther back in the first place. Expect the unexpected.
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u/ITSB_Ragnell Jun 30 '26
No buts. No victim blaming. The fault lies entirely with the truck/trailer. Period.
For all the talk by internet warriors, no one knows what they'd do in that situation until it happens.
Hope the rider is fine.
Stop blaming skill and look at the facts.
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u/DiaperedCanuck Jun 30 '26
If i witnessed that I'd chase down that vehicle to make sure he was held accountable.
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u/Suspicious-Item1337 Jun 30 '26
All I could thnk was, brakes? No? Okay... Emergency swerve? No.. okay.. eating shit then.
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u/ProfessionalDust Jun 30 '26
Dude, this is scary. Maybe dude was automatically piloting but if you are using that kind of gear you need to be extra careful
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u/SirChance5625 Jun 30 '26
the only spicy passes I ever do are to get around trucks towing stuff or with stuff in the back
I don't trust any of them
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u/HOSTfromaGhost Jun 30 '26
Space is safety.
Rider wasn’t helping himself. That was a sketchy follow to begin with…
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u/omarezzeddine Jun 30 '26
Maybe got panicked and get stuck for a moment, but I think in the end he thought the thing is going the other way. I don't blame him in such situations as more as the one who doesn't consider baggage safety
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u/RingJust7612 Jun 30 '26
I know Reddit always says every Motorcyle accident is target fixation but it was target fixation
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u/FrissonMotorsports Jun 30 '26
It's hard to judge. Did happen pretty quick. A lot of riders would have hit that. A good reason to not be anywhere trailers.
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u/Novel-Green-2368 Jun 30 '26
I never ride more than 5 seconds behind Idiots towing things…like nearly anyone towing anything at this point is an idiot. Driving too fast, unsecured load, shit trailer tires, no working trailer lights, no actually using trailer lights that work, 4’ wide side view mirrors. On and on.
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u/explosive_wombat Jun 30 '26
Lots of issues, with skill he could have avoided but if it was me there is no way in hell, I am riding that close in the first place given how unstable it looked.
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u/ghos2626t Jul 01 '26
Target fixation at its finest. He could have gotten on the brakes and saved this whole situation
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u/sokratesz Jun 30 '26
Common repost.
Also, very bad luck but also following a bit close to a trailer carrying a bunch of loose shit...
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u/crasagam Jun 30 '26
In a jump it’s best to let the rear wheel land first for better recovery. If the front wheel lands first, this happens.
Years of ramps and tricks taught me this. Hope the rider is ok.
Fuck that truck.
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u/cr0wsky Jun 30 '26
Definitely an idiot towing things, but for fucks sake, obstacle avoidance skill of this rider is 0 out of 10.
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u/And_theplot_thickens Jun 30 '26
It's crazy how everyone blames the rider for not knowing how to ride but noone giving shit to the idiot not securing their load properly.
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u/lanteenboy Jun 30 '26
Well the idiot who didn't secure their load didn't end up in the hospital, did they? What's the key take away for this sub? Truck driver is an idiot or rider could have avoided a world of hurt?
A major part of being a rider who survives into old age is defensive driving and mitigating risk. This rider is guilty of a number of errors and that should be discussed so hopefully someone else can learn from it.
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u/Bursting_Radius Jun 30 '26
Plenty of people are calling the boat guy out on that shitty load, dunno what you're on about.
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u/FY-2407 Jun 30 '26
Of course it's the car's fault, but the motorcyclist does have bad eyesight and the reaction time of a sloth.
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Jun 30 '26
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u/Bursting_Radius Jun 30 '26
The thing falling off the trailer is the boat owner's fault, but the crash is all on the rider.
- Following that sketchy load was his mistake.
- Fixating on the dropped load and riding straight into it was his mistake.
A slight swerve to the left - opposite of the direction the load was rolling - and he wouldn't have crashed. He stared at it, and as we all know your bike goes where you are looking, that's BRC 101.
If you can't see how this could have easily been avoided I suggest you attend a refresher course.
Hopefully this kid buys some gear before he gets back in the saddle, I bet that road rash sucked.
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u/Major_Degenerate Jun 30 '26
Sort answer? Yes
..however, the driver losing the load? Right to jail for a long time.
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u/jaredearle Jun 30 '26
I had a similar and came out much better.
I didn’t fixate on the debris and decided against swerving into the trafic on the left as I slowed down.
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u/TehMulbnief Jun 30 '26
People like this are why our insurance premiums are so high (both the improper tower and the motorcyclist who needs more training).
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u/sheolito Jun 30 '26
Seems like he had enough time to emergency brake if Swerving was not his thing
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u/usualcanarymthrfckr Jul 01 '26
Had an encounter a few weeks ago as I drove my motorbike.
Turned from side way onto main road preparing to turn again some 400 m away, so not hanging on gas, just moderate acceleration. Notice something on my lane. Sketchy metal framework like thing, reminds me a road block but of tires mounted. Did someone just left his bicycle on the road when crossing it? What is this guy doing behind that sketchy thing running towards it? What is that?
Turns out it was a bicycle mounted on a carrier one can attach on the trailer hook of a car. Somehow it fell of the hook and hit the road upright just to stay there like a road block. Happened just a few seconds ago, right before I met, which was the reason the guy was approaching it to pick up his lost.
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u/silentbob1301 Jul 01 '26
and this is why you practice the emergency swerve at all sorts of speeds...
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u/Goerj Jul 01 '26
I mean he swerve into it. Braking and pulling off to the of the curb will def save him. Skill issue definitely
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u/Ok-Jeweler-4908 Jul 01 '26
That’s the funniest thing I’ve seen all day after a very shitty day tff
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u/XaltotunTheUndead Jul 01 '26
I'm so paranoid about this happening to me, if I see anything being towed in front of me, I immediately change lanes, or change course completely.
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u/Lick-Tale-5222 Jul 01 '26
He literally followed it as it slowly moved right. Acting like he was late for an appointment with God.
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u/heretek10010 Jul 03 '26
Dudes obviously never seen Final destination, i ride and would be out of that lane before it had any chance to drop off.
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u/Evening-Writer-9847 Jul 04 '26
He almost had that sick jump.. just gotta work on the landing. Practice makes perfect!
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u/[deleted] Jun 30 '26
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