[Video] KTM Duke 200 rider’s near miss shows why you should be careful overtaking any vehicle

Overtaking is always a tricky affair, be it on the highway or on city streets. Here’s one such overtaking maneuver that nearly took a KTM Duke 200 rider out. Things could have gotten very nasty but for the solid braking capability of the motorcycle and then of course, quick reflexes from the rider. And all of it was caught on video.

As the video by M2N Rider indicates, the rider on the KTM Duke 200 was just about to overtake an autorickshaw on a road somewhere in Bangalore, when a jaywalker, carrying a pot of water crosses the road. The jaywalker crosses the road just ahead of the autorickshaw, which means that there’s no way that the Duke rider would’ve spotted him. If not for the rider’s quick reflexes and the Duke 200’s strong brakes, the biker would have crashed into the jaywalker, and a nasty accident would have been the result.

The rider of the KTM Duke 200, who also posted this helmet cam video onto Youtube, states that he rolled off the throttle as soon as he saw the autorickshaw’s tail lamps light up. That’s very good riding there, for not paying heed to traffic in front of, and around you, can take people unawares, especially in such situations. Overtaking even on city roads, calls for caution and a high-level of alertness, just as what this Duke 200 rider demonstrated. As for errant pedestrians, they’re almost everywhere. You – the car driver or motorcycle rider – always need to be on guard.

5 things to remember while you overtake on city streets:

• Try to scan the underside of heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks for approaching pedestrians. A quick scan under the vehicle’s underside will give you a fair idea about approaching pedestrians.
• Slow down while overtaking parked/just-halted vehicles, especially such as buses and trucks.
• Always overtake from the right hand side. It helps, and it’s also the legal thing to do should you ever find yourself in trouble.
• Expect the unexpected, from jaywalkers to even large stones roads. It pays to be alert, always.
• Opt for vehicles fitted with ABS – both cars and motorcycles. ABS is a life-saver.