How safe is safe?

I went for a ride yesterday in spite of the weather forecast predicting strong to gale force winds. In my defence, the winds were anything but when I set out and remained noticeable but safe throughout the day. In over 40 years of riding I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that I can recall wind conditions that caused me to be concerned for my safety while riding. Indeed, they always seem to be to be more worrying when you are standing still than they do when you are on the move.

It was a great day on the road, the lack of traffic for a weekend seemed remarkable and I still can’t figure out why this was so. Anyway, I wasn’t going to complain as it meant that all my favourite twisty bits were pretty much deserted. I made good time to the Tree and was already heading home before lunchtime.

However, once headed south again I began to notice the wind more and, by the time I’d got to Colo Heights, they were quite belting along. I stopped at the servo, had a quick cold drink and pressed on as I didn’t want to push my luck. It was starting to get very noticeable but my plans to be home well before the evening when the winds, I knew, would be at their worst, were stymied somewhat by a huge pall of smoke in the distance and very fat and very officious Highway Patrol officer on the run down into Wilberforce yelling at me that the road was closed and that I would have to go back. Despite asking several time if there was a way that I could continue south and avoid the area, he maintained his Vogon-like stance, offering no words apart from those already noted.

Poor petal, I suppose he was angry at having to get out of his air-conditioned car in 31 degrees temperature to actually do his JOB and deal with the public who, after all, pay his wages. Anyway, I doubled back a bit and found a little side-road that appeared to be heading in the right direction and native cunning and built-in GPS systems brought me out onto the Sackville Road which took me through Ebenezer and brought me into Wilberforce in the middle of town.

By now it was very windy but swirling dust was more of a problem than the wind itself and I boogied on, keeping it safe and keeping it real, heading off down the Mt Keira road (softly softly here because of the overhanging trees and the possibilities of debris on the road) and pulled in to home right on the button of 1500. Another great day in the saddle and another punt that paid off. I had pretty much beaten the gale force winds which, as I expected, really cracked on by tea time and enjoyed a terrific ride against the expectations.

Now, you may be wondering why I left so early and got home so early. Well, it’s MotoGp weekend, isn’t it? And even thought I knew that I’d miss the practice sessions for the minor classes, I was banking on getting home in time to see the MotoGp FP4 and then qualifying. Well, you know what happened there, don’t you. I logged on in time to see a huge crowd huddled around the Race Secretary’s office and a group of sour-faced riders emerging with the news that all on-track action for the rest of the day had been cancelled. Miguel Olivera’s KTM had apparently been hit by a wind gust as he crested the rise in the straight and was carted sideways onto the grass resulting in a frightening accident from which we soon learned, he had emerged pretty much unscathed. The session had been red-flagged and the inquest had determined that it was just too unsafe to continue.

Well, social media immediately hit high gear with all sorts of silly comments about the lack of courage of the riders and stupidity like, “I bet Mick Doohan wouldn’t have worried about the wind.” Significantly, many riders and ex-riders on social media quickly stepped up to the defence of the Safety Committee. Mick was there somewhere, I really wish that someone had asked him but I know what his answer would have been. It wasn’t the rain that was the problem, hell, it ALWAYS rains at PI, but that wind was just WAY dangerous. The decision to abandon all remaining sessions was 100% the right one. Yes, you can’t make racing completely safe; yes, there is always an element of danger in what these guys do; yes, they accept that risk. BUT organisers also have a Duty of Care and I didn’t hear one single rider coming out of that meeting and whinging about wanting top be out on the track!

End of comment.

Johann Zaco’s Honda experience is going to be interesting. He looked good in FP1, outscoring Jorge Lorenzo, (hey my cat goes faster heading to the laundry for dinner than Jorge is going at he moment) and, in the Fp3 session which saw many riders sitting it out, Johann was FOURTH!! His body language still suggests that he is struggling with the ornery cuss that is the Honda, but the signs are promising. If it RAINS, people might just get a BIG surprise come race day.