Video games, food and cards

Arriving at the Club at 4:00pm found the State in place and a couple members engaged in using the motorcycle simulators. By the end of the state involvement (7pm) around 35 members had run through the units. I myself scored a "B". Not bad considering I plowed into the back of a parked car and died. The simulators are not exactly like riding a bike, the main thing being that you don't lean in a corner, you turn and where on a real bike you push on a bar to turn, here you don't. But the main reason for the equipment is not to be exactly like a bike, but More so a test in condition and reaction. Driving through the simulated city you will find pedestrians crossing without warning, parked cars pulling out in front of you, Buses turning wide into your lane to make turns, cars backing out, mopeds coming out of blind spots, traffic lights, cars passing, fog, and a whole bunch of cars driving over the center line. In short it is a City from hell.It is a lesson on what to watch for and how to plan for it. In other words ride pro-actively not reactivity.




After the simulators the state takes you through a power point exercise on observance. But the real eye opener is when they explain the human vision points, and rate your vision and peripheral vision. Most (including veteran riders) found out just how limited the human vision is.




To be honest I was not looking forward to the evening, Hell I know how to ride, and truthfully the only reason I jammed on the test is that the side to side view requires pressing a button on the handle bars, when I looked down at the bar to see, a car stopped. But even that showed me how fast even a simple glance downward, say at the speedo, can take your eyes off the road and take away that one second that is needed to avoid an incident.




When 7pm rolled around out came the food and we ate, and if you have seen the club eat you know it wasn't pretty. Imagine 40 or so people at a free food banquet. The thought of all that food, pizzas, chicken, lasagna, meatballs, sloppy Joe's, pasta and shrimp, and the desserts still makes me hungry, even now, two hours later. The Club settled down to cards and a fire after dinner, all in all and excellent night.



klay