ncpbmw1953
Member
My mission is to never drop my bike so I haven't installed crash guards yet, but it's always tempting whenever I read these threads. Besides giving this mission full attention at all times and adhering to slow speed maneuvering tactics I've practiced a little luck is required too I know to not drop a bike. I have been in 3 situations in 23K miles now where I could have dropped the bike because I failed to commit to my approach on how to avoid dropping the bike and survived them all so far. The first was following Nav V's suggested route that was supposed to exclude gravel roads which took me on a 12 or 14 mile fairly narrow deep gravel road w/ no place to turn around so slogged it out and really had no close calls--a truck kindly stopped and let me move slowly by. The second was the exact same issue however this one took me to a one lane road and finally thru a creek bed with about 5" deep water and it was clearly luck that there wasn't something to topple the bike under water. The third was following my brother into the Penny Bar and Grill's gravel parking lot where I first learned my TCX riding boots had almost zero traction on this exact type of surface. What I did learn was to keep my feet very close to the bike and point my toes inwards to maintain traction, and then when we left the parking lot I asked my brother to spot me because this surface was like tiny ball bearings! My normal practice is to look for 'safe' parking spots no matter how long I have to walk to get to my destination after parking, but that day I couldn't find anything out there in what amounts to the Kabul of California, McKitrick, a veritable windblown gravel pit of oil wells, and the Penny Bar! Outside of these three situations I've never been close to a tip over. But I'm 6'4" tall, albeit w/ very weak upper body strength, but strongish legs, and good balance and awareness.
I already have 3 horns installed so I'm good there. And I have BMW valve cover guards and the stick on bumpers BMW makes for the side cases is about it for protectors. I've thought hard about getting the Clearwaters but in the end conclude they too don't really provide enough value for safety strictly as conspicuity devices. If I did night riding I would absolutely get them, but I don't so far, and that is primarily to avoid dear and drunk drivers. My sense is if someone doesn't see the 3 headlights plus LED rings, plus my swerve maneuver, plus flashing my high beams they're likely texting anyway. The horns however are another story and I would not have a bike w/o a super loud horns which I use judiciously and they truly help avert potential encroachment into my travel path, though I would have been ready anyway most always. I find them very useful for waking someone up especially during rush hour when commuters are hell bent on getting to work on time when they leave the house late. You know what I'm talking about: you're riding along and someone races to a sudden stop on your right, getting ready to enter traffic from an alley or driveway or other, they're rapidly looking both ways to try to enter traffic as quickly as possible--those are the times they are at risk to not see you, so a horn blast wakes them up every time and I see it well, the effect that is. My 3 loud horns do work very well indeed!
I'm still intrigued by what I mentioned above and wonder if you could get good enough drop guards just from something on those two bolt locations, again to help me get the bike upright after a tip over. Have to find the RT-P guards referenced above.
