I hit the scene only a minute or so after a guy slid his Harley off the road and down a bank. No emergency personal were there yet. He was wearing a helmet but had some blood on his face. He complained about his shoulder. From the way it looked it was either broken or dislocated. There's a reason I'm telling this story. He told us what happened. He was looking up to enjoy the view (he's right, it's a very picturesque spot) and didn't see how sharp the curve was, drove off the road. Luckily it was a grass covered hillside and he was only going 25. So what did he do wrong?
1. allowed himself to be distracted by the view on an unfamiliar road for too long (I'm guilty of that too)
2. probably did not even try to apply more countersteer to get it around the curve
3. made the classic mistake of fixating on the trouble rather than the escape route
I think he could have made it after #1 if he had focused on the road and countersteered as if his life depended on making that curve. He got lucky there was only grass. He was airborn for at least a few feet. I think had I been there and knew I couldn't make the turn I would have straightened up and gone off upright. There was a very good chance of making a good landing and riding back out of the field with no more than a great story and maybe slightly soiled underwear.
1. allowed himself to be distracted by the view on an unfamiliar road for too long (I'm guilty of that too)
2. probably did not even try to apply more countersteer to get it around the curve
3. made the classic mistake of fixating on the trouble rather than the escape route
I think he could have made it after #1 if he had focused on the road and countersteered as if his life depended on making that curve. He got lucky there was only grass. He was airborn for at least a few feet. I think had I been there and knew I couldn't make the turn I would have straightened up and gone off upright. There was a very good chance of making a good landing and riding back out of the field with no more than a great story and maybe slightly soiled underwear.