This isn't a crash story, but a 'could have been crash' story. I was riding up California Hwy 1, which is a two lane road for the most part, once in awhile it temporarily widens with an extra lane for passing. I was following a large group of cars, slower car in the lead who was going 55mph. There was a long straight stretch and passing allowed - dashed lines.

I would need to pass 6 cars to get in the lead, which was my intention - take the whole batch in one fast pass. I crank it up, pass the first 2 cars, then suddenly out of the middle of the group a Porsche pulls out to pass the car(s) ahead of him, and I have to hit the brakes, and my headlamps filling his rearview mirror - I could tell he was not expecting that and to his credit he went back to his side straight away.

The best way to avoid all of that, if you still want to pass, is to track way left on the other side of the road to have an escape route, and maximum 'hammer down' on the throttle.

My two biggest fears when passing are:

1) The vehicle being passed decides to turn left unexpectedly. BOOM!
2) There is a line of 2 or more cars and they are NOT leaving room for you to pass them one at a time so you attempt to pass them all. Some goofball decides to pass without looking in the RV mirror and there you are.

Glad your alert riding saved you from a nasty crash!

"1) The vehicle being passed decides to turn left unexpectedly. BOOM!"...yes....number one 'fear'..had it happen a couple of times myself...you learn quick or Bye Bye;)Ride safe and smart.....glad you didn't get hit.Normally,If there's no room between vehicles and I'm passing several....I won't.But usually when I go to pass several,I've already looked far enough ahead to judge if I can squeeze in if I need to.And I never just scoot out and around a line of cars...I wait a couple of seconds with my pass(turn) signal on...and watch the driver in the mirror of his car...you can usually tell if he's seeing you or not.The pass switch on the 14R is VERY nice for getting their attention;)

It's VERY easy to get 'in a hurry' on these bikes...and end up not seeing a developing situation that could be avoided by focusing a bit more on staying alive;)Just because it CAN pass several cars easily doesn't mean it always HAS to...I'm guilty of taking these risks myself.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/2/2014 @ 11:42 AM *

I know the area you are talking about. It would be nice if, when the lead car has 10 cars on his tail, he would, I don't know, PULL THE HELL OVER and let everyone be on their way. Usually I end up pulling out to almost the other shoulder and hauling ass until I'm past the whole group. It especially pisses me off when a passing lane appears and the fool in front stays in the left lane, forcing us to pass him on the right. Aaaarrrgh!

Mad

I'm kind of confused... are the passing lines different in the US? Up here approaching any intersection the lines are double solid (no passing either direction). I've never had any remotely close calls with the other vehicle turning (knock on wood).

Worst I've had to deal with is oncoming traffic, 2 lane highway, bunch of cars coming in the other direction and a pickup truck decided to try and pass without enough time. I saw that coming literally a mile away and just moved onto the shoulder.

No...They're double yellows...BUT...I do believe we're talking about being in the right hand lane,and then going around several vehicles...and one of them decides to turn into a road or lane or whatever on the left side of the highway.Lots of roads don't have a double yellow break when the opposite side like that has a road there.Here some don't anyway....so you have to be watching not only ahead for oncomers...but ALSO for roads that may be approaching and someone wants to turn onto from the right side of the highway(same direction you're going).This happens a lot actually.And most of those people do NOT turn on their blinkers either...they just want to flow with traffic a much as possible,then 'dart' into that side road...I guess thinking they needn't slow much or alarm anyone behind em with a turn signal...since it IS only a short shot onto one of those roads.Had it happen here...a couple of times.Was VERY fortunate I was able to back off some before I got into a 'pass' situation with them making their turn.Came close,I'll say that.

Traffic going upwards....side road off to the left.HOWEVER...many times these signs will NOT be placed.If you're not watching the left side of the two lane as you pass a line of cars...you can come up on one of these roads...as a cage ahead is turning onto one....disaster if you're moving with any speed.There's really nowhere to go if you're 'in' a line of traffic and in pass mode(left hand lane).

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/6/2014 @ 12:05 AM *

The area I was talking about is along California Hwy 1, down by Big Sur. The particular stretch has a lot of curves, but some occasional straight areas where it is legal to pass, dashed lines. There was no issue with someone turning left, as there's no "left" there, just cow pastures, cliffs and the Pacific Ocean.

After that event, I then realized I probably do not look BEHIND me when I am about to pass, even in my car. I'm focused on making sure I have enough room to get around the car ahead.

On a side note, and this came with experience - although I know I can pass a car ahead of me in probably 2 seconds, and I do not need that much spacing with cars coming in the opposite direction, you never know if you are going to spook a driver in the opposite direction, because he has no idea that you are going to be safely back on the correct side of the road way before he passes you... an elderly or other driver may panic brake and spin or cause an accident when he sees you so close (closer than a car would be).

So although I can easily pass someone, I don't always do it in case there's a grandpa in his Buick coming in the other direction, who panic brakes causing havoc..

The impulse to 'make it' has gotten me too close to the oncomer a few times.They'll normally flash their lights when it happens...as if to say..."Hey,A-hole...do you see me NOW?"Yeah...I need to be a tad more restrained this new season.In all truth...I COULD rail much faster in the pass and reenter mode....but I try not to rip by a line of cars doing 170 or so.I actually make sure I've got an escape back into the right lane when I cut it 'kinda' close sometimes.Guess I'm thinking more about what they think than just doing the move and so be it?We're not really as close as would cause a wreck headon or something....but oncomers DO resent bikes at times.And they think you're taking too much risk coming at em.

I've never really endangered anyone in the pass move...I make sure of it.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/6/2014 @ 12:07 AM *

I've literally been behind someone and counted as I passed them, from start to finish... "one thousand one, one thousand two" - back in the lane ahead of the car. Two seconds to initiate and complete a pass. When you're driving in a car, that feat seems next to impossible. You probably need 1/4 mile to safely pass another car in a reasonably fast car @65 mph, but on a bike, probably 150 yards to be on the safe side, 450 feet, less than 1/10th of a mile.

I avoid splitting and riding the line between traffic on a two lane road, but a few weeks ago I was once again on Hwy 1 along the coast, following a pretty long line of cars. At that point I was just enjoying the view, not in passing mode.
Some guy on a Honda sportbike passes me and starts riding up the double yellow line threading between both directions, passing huge numbers of cars. So I start doing the same, and damn, it was easy... but at some point I thought, "this is probably pretty stupid...." and got myself to stop, but it was 'short-term addicting'.

Opening her up and using the power is VERY hard to resist.I LOVE my Ninja;)

Me too. Love the Ninja, when I do pass I enter hyper Mach one so to limit my time in the danger zone (while passing). In so doing, I get a kick out of watching people in their cages jump up from the sonic boom as I pass!

Fun stuff!

Silly old fools, it's illegal to pass more than one vehicle at a time! Lol just giving y'all shit.

Well...that's what we're doing,right?...one vehicle at a time....I mean...they aint rollin side to side;) Now...if it were a freeway...then I could see more than one at a time....yes?

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/2/2014 @ 11:19 PM *

Silly old fools, it's illegal to pass more than one vehicle at a time! Lol just giving y'all shit.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/3/2014 @ 7:46 AM *

When I am aboot to pass on a two-laner I say to my Ninjee, "prepare for warp speed; standby trans-warp drive!"

Got goose bumps just typing that.

Oh, oh!! I forgot! And THEN when the engine is spooling up and the primary reduction is making that whistle/screamy sound I pretend that is Mr. Scott optimizing the matter/antimatter ratio through the dilithium matrix.

"Engine room! MORE SPEED!!"

* Last updated by: hagrid on 3/4/2014 @ 4:48 PM *

and then the blur comes

Yup, forgot that part too.

Damned cherry vodka.