My morning commute today...Follow

My ABS paid for itself today. I was on my way to work this morning on my VFR motorcycle and about a mile away from my exit on the highway when the traffic began to back up. This in itself is not unusual, because my exit is the same for both the business district and the local community college and the 7:45 time meant that everyone was heading to their destination.

I moved over to the right from the fast lane to get in between the right and middle lane and start lane splitting. The traffic was moving about 10-15 mph and I was going about 25 mph when all of a sudden this red pickup truck cut from the middle lane to partway into the right lane. He couldn't merge completely since there wasn't room and was thus stuck in both lanes. All this happened without a turn signal and about 30 feet in front of me.

I grabbed all the front brake I could and stomped on the rear brake without thinking about it-- which probably saved me precious feet and tenths of seconds --and came to a stop a mere 10-12 inches from the rear bumper of the pickup. The ABS chirped three times, I felt the rear slide for just a moment as it moved over a Botts dot, steady up and slow the machine down fast, fast, fast.

She moved her truck over, I continued on my way, and proceeded to get the adrenaline shakes up at the traffic light at the exit I make my turn at to get to work.

In retrospect, if I had a non-ABS equipped sled I'd have locked up the rear wheel and undoubtedly pranged off the back bumper of that truck. I don't believe I was moving too quick for traffic, but the quick darting move by the pickup was something that wasn't forseeable since there was no turn signal and the front end wasn't pointed towards the right even a little bit. I saw the driver do a fast head check, but it wasn't to the rear, but to the side, so she never saw me coming up behind her.

Anyways, that extra $1000 just paid for itself today. <Whew!>

Totem

It was a close call this morning, no doubt. I was still amped when I walked into the pilot quarters fifteen minutes later. There's nothing like an adrenaline surge to make you come fully awake during an otherwise typical boring drive to work.

Yikes!

Totem

Lol, Reinman. Btw, Firebirds is possibly one of the worst movies ever made.

Totem

I work in the oil industry, I want the price to be $100.00/barrel. I want to spend $200.00 to fill up my SUV.

I'm seeing that so often I'm begining to think you are black despite meeting you, or was that just a stand in?

Maybe, maybe not. I've had this argument with a friend of mine who's got the ABS VFR (mine has conventional brakes), and we've run tests against each other a few times, nothing very scientific mind you. From high speeds, I can stop quicker than he can every time, usually by 5 or 6 feet. At low speeds (under 35 mph), he consistently is able to stop quicker.


Reinman says..



If you think that's true then you don't know what dangerous means. Motorcycles are vulnerable. Its all the other vehicles out there that are dangerous.

Ya people that care about their family's safety are stupid! I mean how dumb can you be?!? It's the same thing with people that can afford airbags or antilock brakes? What a bunch of jackasses!

It's fairly obvious that someone safely driving an SUV is gobs more dangerous than some drunken as[/b]shole flying along in a Geo Storm with a Taco in one hand and a doober in the other.

Who cares if your family dies as long as everyone can feel equally safe right? Everyone should drive an 89 Honda Civic. Of course when some tired trucker that just fell asleep comes barreling across the median and decapitates your wife and kids big deal, as long as you did your part to make sure everyone feels more equal right? There's no reason to **** and moan when some drunk driver T-bones you in the middle of an intersection popping your 2 year old daughter like an overripe tomatoe.

Loved ones can be replaced. What's one persons loss compared to the overall state of the nation and everyone's feeling of equality right? If you can afford to raise your standards of living and safety above the norm you have to much money anyway. You should send that extra money in for the good of the nation. All for one! GOGO STATE!!










sorry everyone, just wanted to try rampent conservitism on for size this morning

Edited, Wed Sep 1 09:22:07 2004 by xythex

the average engine size in europe is less than 2.0 litres, then you have america where buick and chevvy make 4.0 litre fuel guzzling monsters, and thats just a family saloon, if there wern't so many americans around we wouldn't have the same problem. - Argument for america beaing a generally bad place #1265

Edited, Wed Sep 1 11:25:08 2004 by Dracoid

The coefficient of static friction is higher than the coefficient of dynamic friction, and anti-lock braking systems assure that you always stay utilizing static friction, and therefore provide better breaking?

Thanks for the flashbacks to high school Physics. You might also enjoy how brakes work:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/brake.htm

or how anti-lock brakes work:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/anti-lock-brake.htm

A competent driver can stop faster in dry conditions without ABS than with them. On slick surfaces, ABS are generally considered to have the advantage. ABS give the driver the luxury of not having to modulate brake pressure.

I drive a little bitty cherry red MR2. Noone ever looks to check to see who's beside them! Im down here folks! Quit trying to run my cute little car over! Just because I can see your under your bumper does not mean my car will actually fit under there!

Come to the Chicago area, Totem. Then, take a little joy ride down I-294 North towards O'hare around 7a.m. If you have trouble with people changing lanes without signals at 25mph, try dealing with it at 80mph.

Twiztid

hehehe, i was onlly playin pickle, i don't hate america, i just hate 95% of the americans i have met on these boards, I didn't get anything from i baised site.



i realise that this isn't a generalisation, but it was implying one, and this argument is utter bullsh[/i]it if there isn't one

[i]Edited, Wed Sep 1 15:22:18 2004 by Dracoid

When I'm trying to fit my 14' car into a 15' gap between semis in the other lane at 80mph, I don't have time to signal!

Fu[/i][b][/b]ck! North Avenue exit! Hang on!

[i]Edit: Hey, wait a sec... who are you kidding? There hasn't been a morning since the dawn of mankind that traffic on 294 moved at 80mph at seven in the morning

Edited, Wed Sep 1 15:35:38 2004 by Jophiel