Rider killed

[GREENDRAGON]

Yesterday there was a biker killed on the hiway by my house. The paper said he was changing lanes in an area where there was a paving project going on.One lane was about 3" higher than the other so one of the times that he crossed it threw the bike sideways and he slid into a guardrail and he died at the scene. the female passenger was injured also. They found a helmet on site but do not know if it was being used at the time or not. I dont know about any of you but when I come across a paving area where the lanes are different heights I try to just stay in one lane or the other. It always makes me nervous to change lanes in that situation. Even more so with a passenger or a car tire.
Be carefull out there! There is construction going on everywhere.
Ride safe and enjoy the summer.

[Daniel Meyer]

Yikes!

The valk, and motorcycles in general can easily negotiate that kind of obstacle...you just can't "ease" into it.

When crossing "up" just keep on the speed and turn firmly/sharply in. Not too easy, not too sharp...too easy and you can lose control as the bike "trips". Too sharp and the steep bump can be jarring (and possibly throw you or help you lose control).

Just right and the tires will "climb" the rise with authority and the bike won't so much as bobble. I've negotiated as much as a 6" rise with the valk without any hint of a problem. seems like 30-40 degrees seems to work the best on the Valk.

It does take practice though to know the right angle...higher speeds actually help...I think they should teach this in the rider's courses but I don't recall that they do.

[Jabba]

Yikes!

The valk, and motorcycles in general can easily negotiate that kind of obstacle...you just can't "ease" into it.

When crossing "up" just keep on the speed and turn firmly/sharply in. Not too easy, not too sharp...too easy and you can lose control as the bike "trips". Too sharp and the steep bump can be jarring (and possibly throw you or help you lose control).

Just right and the tires will "climb" the rise with authority and the bike won't so much as bobble. I've negotiated as much as a 6" rise with the valk without any hint of a problem. seems like 30-40 degrees seems to work the best on the Valk.

It does take practice though to know the right angle...higher speeds actually help...I think they should teach this in the rider's courses but I don't recall that they do.

But... when in doubt, or when not CONFIDENT, stay in your lane and live with whatever speed you're stuck at.

I had something similar on my way home from virginia recently.  Thery were paving the WV turnpike, and only one lane was done.  I could not tell for SURE how big the lip was... so, at speed, I felt it with my boot before executing the lane change.  I just couldn't SEE it.

Jabba

[Bobbo]

We had a situation similar to that happen near here a few years back.  A couple from Germany was riding a rented bike on I-44 about 30 miles from St. Louis at night.  The road had new paving about 3 inches higher in one of the lanes.  As they changed lanes, they hit this ridge, and it threw them off the bike.  They were not hurt much from the fall, but unfortunately, they were run over by a car as they lay in the road.  After that tragic accident, MODOT put up large amber signs warning motorcyclists whenever they are paving and have uneven lanes.

[RainMaker]

The rider was from Australia.  The female injured was his wife.  So very sad.

Here's the link:
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100806/UPDATES01/100806009/1002/NEWS01/Australian+man+identified+as+driver+of+motorcycle+in+fatal+crash+on+I-25+near+Fort+Collins

[solo1]

Yep, we're having a real problem with edge traps here.  INDOT (Indiana Dept of Transportation) in their infinite wisdom have decided to rotomill and repave two parrellel main  roads next to our addition.  Our addition of 830 homes was effectively blocked in for awhile, edge traps are everywhere and NOT marked.

Good advice here. either stay in one lane or cross at 35 degree angle or more with both wheels straight as you cross.  Think of edge traps as railroad rails.  Dangerous but can be handled.  Above all, be aware of them!

[Hotrodwing]

The same thing happend to me a few years back,while entering a ramp on the Pa turnpike the brainiac's decided to groove the road starting on the left hand turn. Well I come around doing 30'ish and the rear tire fell off to the lower section approx 2" lower. I guess I panicked and tried to bring it back up and the rear slid out like it was on ice. So here I am now sliding on my left side with the bike headed toward the center barrier, I let go and the bike does a left hand spin and goes around the barrier. I get up while she is still sliding wavying at the on coming cars all the while picking up the parts that came off and run over and pick her up.  She slid all the way on the crash bars and wore a good 1/2" off the crash bars. I push her back throught the toll booth and call for a tow. She would have run but the highway peg put a hole in the valve cover.  Within a week had the replacement parts on and was good to go.  It was an 81 Goldwing and she ran great. I miss that bike but I love the VALK. As a matter of fact I still have the highway pegs on my Valk even with the battle scare on the bottom.  Ps I had a leather jacket and gloves on that day and glad I did. I only had a small bruse on my knee and my jeans were ripped at the rear pocket where my wallet took a little grinding to.

[big turkey]

I'll pretend you did not say car tire in the original post.

Non Motorcycle Specific.

What a shame to hear of a fellow rider going down.

Yes the transition from one lane to another on a obstacle such as that is best done quickly and

 forcefully

with counter steering techniques being utilized to counter the forces involved.

Rock on and ride on but do it at your skill level.

Wrecking sucks but mistakes happen.

Big Al