How not to pass at the Gap

[Hellsnat]

Ran across this video, thought I'd post it up.

Brad/Ben, feel free to delete it if it isn't appropriate.

http://www.twistedlimit.com/cbr/Twistedlimit317.WMV

[brad@dealsgap]

No we have been watching it for a few days now, it is approperate for folks you watch this. It is a good lesson on how not to pass, and how fast you can find your self off the hill. The second guy almost followed him down as well. So was he watching the road or mindlessly following his buddy?

[Hellsnat]

Sorry if it was a repost. I tried to do a quick scan before I posted it.

I had a hard time not laughing, not at the guy that went over but the whole situation.

Can you shed a little light on this? Did he make it out ok? I'm hoping nothing serious.

[brad@dealsgap]

First it is not a repost, just something some one sent us. Second we have no idea this even happened so we do not have an idea what resulted.

[Party Crasher]

That bike would have been the tow truck trophy of the day!

That was freaky how he just disappeared into the bowl. How many bikes have gone down that bowl, I wonder... I know I have seen a few get dragged back up....

[brad@dealsgap]

Not sure, a few I would think. Someone shed more light on this, apparently they were passing an RV towing a truck, so that was a long pass. They must have had some speed for 2 bikes to make it......well almost make it for one.

[kaw750]

Awesome way to show how not to pass. How far down does that drop off section go? Does this type of accident happen alot down there. I think it was just stupid for him to do that with a curve coming up. Or did he not know there were 318 curves in 11 miles? I hope he did not get hurt to bad.

[v2wyn]

I certainly hope the guy that went over the hill was OK and I am not making light of that....but listen to the audio of the folks inside the vehicle after the bike disappears over the hill. That part is hillarious!

[shakeyjake]

I have gotten several links to this video but have been unable to view any of them. The page turns white with some computer code and then the screen goes blank. Any suggestions to view or find at another location?

[falco]

I have gotten several links to this video but have been unable to view any of them. The page turns white with some computer code and then the screen goes blank. Any suggestions to view or find at another location?

The same thing happened to me using FireFox. It worked using Explorer. I hope this helps.

[Ralphie]

moral of the story: harley riders will beat your a$$ for their own stupidity! idiot! (he, he, he, ha, ha)

[brad@dealsgap]

If you noticed, not one of those riders ever approach the vehical or say a thing.

[funster226]

Firstly, thanks to the admins for creating this forum. Glad to be here.

Now, I keep watching and watching this to learn how to not handle my machine. I think they could've leaned over more, seems like they just focused on where they didn't want to be instead of looking where they should go and locked em up.

Also, bad place to loose ones patience or temper. I feel for the car people worrying about being responsible... Speaks volumes to the appearent prejudices to / fears of the motorcycling sub-culture.


Riding like this gives us all a black eye IMHO.

[starcruncher]

can you believe it?I recognize the turn,My oldest son dropped his busa on that curve back in june,it drops off about 15 feet and then theres a log,then it goes downnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.I hope he got caught at the log.weird huh?:confused:

[brad@dealsgap]

Fun
Excellent points, did look alot like target fixation along with speed. They were passing an RV towing a truck and their is not alot of room along that part of the road. Then he locks up the back break and off he goes. His buddy was also fixated on him and almost followed him right in.

[bradC6]

The same thing happened to me using FireFox. It worked using Explorer. I hope this helps.

In Firefox, click and hold (Apple) or right click (PC) and do a "Save Link as..." to download to your computer. You can then view it through the video player of choice.

As for the riders, target fixation all the freaking way. They could have shown a little patience, waiting for a better place, but they seemed to not possess that skill, either.

[748L052]

WOW! - I've been running the oncoming, uphill headed sportbike rider view of that movie in my bad dreams for years - 'cept in the dream it's a springer with no saddle bags.

the dialog is just too cool... absolutely over the top.

Matter of fact that's a medium-to-good passing place/op because visibility there is above average. (sorry if that is a shocking thing to say to visitors - but there it is folks, pretty good visibility)

After a few runs newbies & leafpeepers, having seen bikes making passes in a similar section think, 'suur, I kin do that...' meanwhile forgetting or more probably never even knowing that one needs to be able to actually ride an actual motorcycle on an actual mountain road...

[laggindragon]

notice how by the time he goes off the edge he is going slow enough to turn to the right. I've done the exact same thing near my house, and for years (untill they paved over it) every time I saw my black mark on the road I thought "why didn't I just let off the brakes and turn?"

[Poppy]

Double yellow line + Blind curve = Squid down :(

[v2wyn]

The guy should have tried this manuver and maybe he could have saved it...

http://www.uglyjackass.com/media/videos/?id=motorcycle_save

[brad@dealsgap]

I think the moral of this story is......Do not ride beyone your limits......Do not ride beyond your bikes limits......Use the mushy thing under your helmet......simple things will keep you out of the ambulance or from hitting other riders.

[spaceflight101]

We talked about this video on Harley Tech Talk, but because that forum is family friendly and the video has some of the "seven deadly words" the links were removed.
Most of us found it interesting that rather than become first responders at an accident scene, these people chose, out of fear, to sneak away before the Harley riders blamed them for the accident. Yes, we can only hope that the rider who went over the hill only had cuts and abrasions, and didn't wind up under the bike with a compound fracture and internal injuries.
There was also a sentiment that unless you're a trained paramedic, you should leave and let the "professionals" do their jobs. While that may be true in the city or if they've already arrived, the truth about the Dragon is that you and your vehicle may be needed to transport an injured rider to the store, or the overlook, for medical transport.
It takes very little to administer basic first aid. It takes even less to just stop and see if you can render aid at a crash site. In this video, it would appear that something even more basic had taken a holiday:
Common sense and simple human compassion.
Kitty Genovese is still spinning in her grave...

[MilleArp]

.....(1) Most of us found it interesting that rather than become first responders at an accident scene, these people chose, out of fear, to sneak away before the Harley riders blamed them for the accident.
..... (2) There was also a sentiment that unless you're a trained paramedic, you should leave and let the "professionals" do their jobs. While that may be true in the city or if they've already arrived, the truth about the Dragon is that you and your vehicle may be needed to transport an injured rider to the store, or the overlook, for medical transport. It takes very little to administer basic first aid.
.......(3) It takes even less to just stop and see if you can render aid at a crash site. ...


1) If you review the vid, you'll see that several fellow riders had already stopped. Also, there was simply no place TO stop and pull something that big over, safely. Staying parked there in the road, or partially in the road, would simply cause an accident.
Per other forums and threads, my understanding is this was a large group of riders. So, the crasher wasn't alone.

2) Most folks don't even have basic CPR training, and usually just add to the confusion and mahem that already exists at a crash. If too many people stop, it almost becomes a mob mentality, and can actually cause more accidents due to passers by gawking at the huge amount of people just milling around.

3) I've helped at many (too many) crash sites, both up here in MI and in the Gap area.
I don't pull over if there's already a 1/2 dozen people stopped. At that point, there's nothing I can add, other than to ride ahead slowly and give the universal (pat the dwarf on the head) signal to slow down; and to let Brad/Ben/Francois/crew know about it so they can tell others to watch out.
I have, after sunset, gone back up in my truck upon hearing someone was down, knowing there's a lot less people available after dark. Am always glad I did as there weren't that many folks at that point helping.

For what it's worth.... the audio of the vid shows us how much PR work we bikers need to do, if we want to keep our riding priviledges.
There's no shortage of folks who either hate bikers, are scared of them, of simply don't understand them. These same folks will have no qualms voting in all kinds of bike restrictions/bans...

[v2wyn]

...For what it's worth.... the audio of the vid shows us how much PR work we bikers need to do, if we want to keep our riding priviledges.
There's no shortage of folks who either hate bikers, are scared of them, of simply don't understand them. These same folks will have no qualms voting in all kinds of bike restrictions/bans...

A big "Amen!" to the quote above and a hardy "Ditto" to MilleArp's entire post.

Concerning the quote above, one thing we all need to keep in mind while at the Gap, and closer to home as well, is that the cage you are passing may contain someone's elderly mother, sister, young daughter, grandmother, g'father, etc., etc.. There are a lot of folks that end up on the Dragon totally by mistake, as did a 24 year old friend of my daughter. After being scared out of her wits, she now refers to Deal's Gap as "Hell's Gap".

As I've seen many times in the daily updates at www.dealsgap.com, we all need to "..please play safe, have fun and be respectful to all you see and meet. --- Ben" These are good words to ride by and good words to live by as well.

[MilleArp]

......As I've seen many times in the daily updates at www.dealsgap.com, we all need to "..please play safe, have fun and be respectful to all you see and meet. --- Ben"
These are good words to ride by and good words to live by as well.

BIG +1

:)

[spaceflight101]

"For what it's worth.... the audio of the vid shows us how much PR work we bikers need to do, if we want to keep our riding priviledges.
There's no shortage of folks who either hate bikers, are scared of them, of simply don't understand them. These same folks will have no qualms voting in all kinds of bike restrictions/bans..."

Amen!

[sndwave]

Being new to the forum and as some one called me a few posts back a “cage” driver, but not new in anyway to Deals Gap, the Dragon and surrounding area, think the audio truly shows they would have stopped, but didn’t have a pull off area. I have watched this video many times before now.

I am deeply concerned by the comment made about being beat because some one has had an accident. Why in the world would some one think they would have been attacked by anyone? These people were driving the road at a safe speed for themselves and in the footage I’ve seen, they were staying to their side of the road.

That is one of the areas that has better visibility and a pass there, if you would pass, is one of the better places. But at no time if I was the person driving the RV would ever have the thought of having my a$$ kicked because people have driven off the road. The person’s on the throttle did it all on their own.

The person who made that comment has some serious problems with people who ride bikes and needs to truly meet more to conquer whatever fears he may have.

I have met only the nicest people on bikes when I go to the area and I’ve made many friends, visitors and locals.