Downed Motorcyclist Nearly Hit by Oncoming Semi-Truck

Warning: This article has graphic images.

This motorcyclist used up all his favors with the man upstairs after he downs his motorcycle and narrowly avoids becoming a bug on the radiator grille of the oncoming semi-truck.  

The event occurred along a stretch of highway in what appears to be Arizona. A stray dog darts out across the highway and makes contact with one of the riders. The motorcyclist behind him, (the one on a Suzuki DRZ) locks up his front brake and hits the ground.  

In mere seconds, the DRZ rider is sliding into oncoming traffic into the path of a semi-truck.  Luckily for him, the driver of the semi is paying attention and moves to the outer portion of the lane and applies his brakes.  

To add a little more awesome to the video, the “lucky to be alive” supermoto motorcyclist kicks out his left leg in a last ditch attempt to change his vector and avoid death.  

How did this go so wrong? 

Well there are a number of factors to consider: Were these guys traveling too fast to manage a stop in time and apply maximum braking? Highly likely. You can clearly see on the speedo on one of the riders that the pack was moving in excess of 70+ mph and managed to get on the brakes to avoid the dog in the first place. 

As motorcyclists we learn in our Basic Rider Course that dogs typically maintain a constant speed when chasing or darting out into traffic and to avoid them, the best course of action is to vary our speed. Slow down then accelerate. 

The second rider, who collides with the dog, actually locks his front brake in a panic instead of staying on the throttle and bracing for the impact. 600 lbs. of sport bike at speed versus a 30 lbs. dog—the bike will win but it’s going to be messy and the possibility of going down is likely but your chances are still better than absolutely going down. Grabbing a fist full of brake was this motorcyclist’s biggest mistake. 

The following DRZ rider also panics and locks his front brake and goes down well in advance of the rider in front of him. He had two options that could have been utilized and if practiced regularly could have helped him. A quick brake then swerve technique or commit and apply maximum braking and accept the slower speed impact.   

We learn that braking and traction on a motorcycle are linked and doing either one at maximum means you cannot do the other. You have to be cognizant of how much you’re withdrawing from your braking and traction bank account. This is another basic motorcycle principle we all learn when we get our M1 endorsement.

But he did not have enough time to react!? The guy on the sport bike did not and simply chose the wrong input. That’s just inexperience. The guy on the DRZ? He had enough time to grab a fist full of brake and lay his bike down well in advance. Simply put a more experienced motorcyclist would not have grabbed all that brake and loose control of their motorcycle. Also, a more experienced motorcyclist would know a downed motorcycle in your path is still traveling forward. This means your stopping distance is still greater than your initial following distance.       

What they could have done right?

Because they were traveling at a higher rate of travel they should have spaced themselves out more and thus giving themselves the ability to scan the area for on-coming hazards. 

What to do Next Time or if You Find Yourself in a Similar Situation?

Slow down on rural highways. Duh. There are simply too many hazards that can take you out.  

Ride within the limits of your motorcycle and continue to practice and hone your maximum braking and swerving maneuvers. These skills are critical to master when riding on the street.    

 What they did do right?

All of these motorcyclists were wearing protective armor and for that they receive some serious kudos. The DRZ guy walked away mostly unscathed (because an Angel was watching over him) and thus are a lot less injured than they would have been had they been in t-shirts and shorts.   

Video Source: LiveLeak

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