That was close!

I have found that the yellow light go/no go deal is a bit risky because the area of the road where the traffic signals are gets lots of oil, anti-freeze etc from our vehicle friends dripping everywhere when they stop for a red light. I find it best to be a bit to the right or left of the traffic lane. Trying to stop quickly with slippery stuff on the pavement is not where you want to be........
tim
 
I'll go through a yellow if I'm at the point my truck couldn't stop in time. That's worked for me so far to not get rear ended by a car that couldn't stop.
 
some ppl use the term stale green light. you have a sense of how long it's been green and that it just might go yellow any time
 
Best advice I can give is TRUST NO ONE!!!
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Years ago I saw a fellow on a Gold Wing get killed by hitting a cars muffler lying in the road that the car ahead had straddled. He hit it hard enough to get the fround wheel into the air, when it returned to the road the front brake was locked and he high sided, flinging him into traffic. I believe that practicing panic stops and sudden maneuvering is good for longevity on this earth. Remember they are out to kill you.
 
Years ago I saw a fellow on a Gold Wing get killed by hitting a cars muffler lying in the road that the car ahead had straddled. He hit it hard enough to get the fround wheel into the air, when it returned to the road the front brake was locked and he high sided
there's a rule of thumb that (if you can't avoid it) you can ride over anything in the road that's lower than the frame clearance. for an xs650 that's quite big. would not want to do it with the brakes on though. you can practice riding over stuff in your parking lot practice. my instructor (ex-cop who had a bit part as a cop in Rain Man, saying "get back in your car" very authoritatively ) had us riding over planks on the course. he had us stand on the pegs with legs flexed and kidded us about liking to be spanked (by the bike's seat) if we didn't get on the pegs.
 
Yupper brake and steer all you want but if you are going to hit something in the road, off the brakes, straight on before impact.

Just twist the throttle and jump right over! :D
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Haha! I swear I tried to do that, when I hit that dog.....right before I had a face full of asphalt!
Might’ve worked better if it was just a squirrel or something smaller! :laugh2:
 
Bought an XS that had cut a deer in two. Rider was fine, didn't see it, hit it straight on.
Yeah I went over the bars when I hit a German Shepard nearly 50 years ago. But I probably had front brake on. That tends to wash the front tire to the side at impact sending the bike down and you forward.
 
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I had my own experience with a dog a few years ago. Instead of coming from the side out of a yard, he ran out and stood in the middle of the road ahead. I actually sped up and headed straight for him. I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I was thinking the faster the better my chance of staying upright, and the more swerving the more dangerous, I don't know. At least swerving to avoid little animals is dangerous. A microsecond before contact he must have zigged to the side but I heard a little welp so something got part of him. Was still standing in my rear view mirror though. I didn't feel the bike hit anything.
 
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