Anyone had some close calls or collisions.

[screamineagle]

New to street bikes. Still dont have a license yet. Getting it soon. Just wanted to here some stories about near accidents or collisions. What to watch out for or expect from idiot drivers.

 

[dave_xb12r]

ALWAYS assume they don't see you. The end

 

[Nuage420b]

The first time i rode on the street. about 2 weeks ago. . . I was pulling onto the highway from a side street and saw a gap I thought was big enough so i pulled out. Last thing my buddy teaching me to ride was don't forget to look left. . . Well, i didn't look left and pulled out right in front of a gran marquis going about 75. He swerved around me with some tire squealing and i felt like an idiot. We pulled over immediately and I was not so nicely reminded to turn my ******* head and look. I got lucky, but I learned a great lesson there. That and I needed to get on the throttle more when pulling into traffic.

 

[kajer]

ALWAYS assume they don't see you. The end

might as well lock and sticky this thread.... lol

I ran into the back of some lady after she slammed on her brakes for no apparent reason. people assume bikes can stop faster than cars... sometimes yes, sometimes no. I couldn't because the lady in front had no working tail lights to warn me she was being an idiot...

always assume people hate you and want to make you crash and die. period.

 

[Nuage420b]

I went down after I dumped the clutch and goosed the throttle and jumped a curb. Everything seems to go into hyper drive and **** can seem to overwhelm you. But a few hours later and getting back on immediately i was just fine. I know I have tons and tons to learn but breathing slow ,calming down, and always be ready to pull the clutch if something doesn't feel right have helped me get up and on the road. i can't wait to go for more rides and take that MSF course maybe some advance rider courses in the future.

 

[07Bolt]

may seem strange,but I noticed when I ride, Im only leaving the possibility of a rear-ender to fate. I SELDOM take my eyes off whats in front of me. But every time I stop or slowdown I check the rearview for that 1-time where the person behind me isn't paying attention.

 

[Nuage420b]

07 i too had that thought pop into my head. I noticed how nervous I was just to look down to check my speed, and then trying to see through my mirrors was nearly impossible when I was on the highway. And I just told myself well hell. . .If it happens it happens, and just stayed focused on what was in front of me. I would like to find better mirrors but i think I'll just end up not putting them on when i mount the crossroads. I'm comfortable turning my head and maintaining my direction now so I guess I'll stick with that.

 

[dave_xb12r]

Don't stop in the middle of the lane, leave room for a car to swerve by. And when you're at a stop, flash your break light. The only thing I use my mirrors for is looking for cops(and apparently I don't do that very well judging by last weeks ticket)

 

[bajabomber87]

Well I'd think everyone has close calls every week or they just dont ride a lot. I put 20k on my bike in 1 year so I got a ton of street riding experience.

What to look for or expect?

On the street, cars changing lanes, when you're riding along side another car make sure it knows you're there. One thing that helps is throwing a Jardine or some loud pipe on your bike.

When you're going into an intersection, rock the throttle and make yourself be heard to the cars sitting at the turn signal waiting to pull out. At all intersections if you feel like the cars dont see you, roll on the throttle, make some noise and flash your lights.

If there is enough space and a car decides to pull out in front of you (when you have the right away) wheelie at them to make sure they see you and know you are now a ragging made motorcycle rider, ride up to their window and hit it or smash their mirror with your knuckles.

Watch out for man hole covers or drainage grates, especially on turns, you'll slip and fall and look stupid in front of everyone.

Become friends with city cops, wave at them, they should wave back and hopefully notice your riding the bikes they stare at when they take their police Harleys into the dealership for service. Sometimes they give you a break when you ride wheelies away from stoplights (man I love that officer)

Highway, dont ride next to semi's. The truck probably wont hit you but they sway in the wind and could knock your ass down but I'd be more scared about the tires de-laminating or blowing out and stabbing you with a steel belt or 100lbs of flying rubber.

When splitting lanes watch the **** out for cars switching lanes, more than half dont use signals, especially in the Bay Area in CA. You have to be fully in the zone and watching EVERY single car you are riding in between. My eyes are going crazy, literally looking at each car 4 times before and as I'm passing. Thats a lot of left to right movement. Dont cover the brake though, you can take yourself down, just be ready to grab it and clutch at the same time.

Oh and if anyone ever cuts you off so bad but you dont have a chance to break their mirror off, following them around for a few minutes/miles makes them scared like no other. I know I'm only 5' 9'' of badassness but I probably made the lady that cut me off when she was looking me eye to ******* eye think I was going to kick her door in and light her car on fire.

 

[Randomchaos]

A little less than a year ago, I had an accident on my XB12R. Was on a nice curvy road, following a guy on a BMW tourer. We started going through a blind left turn, and all of the sudden a guy on a cruiser appeared coming from the other direction with his rear tire locked up. I got on the front brakes so hard that the rear tire lifted off the ground. I somehow managed to make it past the guy on the cruiser as he finally fell over, but when I sat the back end back down, it was no longer aligned with the front tire. I then went into a miniature slow speed tankslapper, and ended with a nice slam to the ground on the right side, and about a 30 foot slide. Was able to ride the bike 40 some odd miles back home. I only had a slightly bruised knee and hip.

Just last month, I had another accident on the firebolt, this time being my fault. Same road as the previous accident, I was out playing, and pushing the bike a bit hard. I was going through the same couple of corners over and over again, letting my G/F get some pictures of me. As I made one pass through a blind left hander, I remember getting my knee down, seeing the exit of the corner, seeing it covered in gravel that hadn't been there 2 minutes before, and panicing. My brain instantly thought "oh crap, too much lean angle to make it through the gravel at the exit, straighten bike up some". Well I straightened up the bike too soon for the corner exit, ran outta road, then saw lots of sky, ground, sky, ground scenery. This accident totaled out the bike, and left me with a sprained ankle and thumb.

In all of my accidents, I was geared up, accept for pants on the first one.

 

[drunk_uncle]

You need to be an ATGATT rider, all the gear all the time, training and track time. Track time really improved my riding skills, besides where else can you drag your knee at 90mph withour worrying about a cop or a minivan coming at you in your lane.

 

[taildraggin]

Sometimes, you can reduce the probability or magnitude with experience and training. Been riding since 1975 and I'm starting to lose count of my street get offs; I stopped riding for 10 years after the last (1996). Some were fairly entertaining and spectacular, but I haven't been scratched, yet. All were between 30-60mph at contact.

Track riding is good for learning the edge, but I believe dirt riding is better - you push the bike's dynamics around more and crashing is pretty much part of the game; experience with merit.

E.g. I pulled out of an city alley on a rainy fall day during college in front of a very unexpectedly fast-moving Mercury Montego. Whacked the throttle open and Jay Springsteen would have been proud of the way that KZ650 powerslid across and up the road, the Mercury's hood ornament within easy reach.

I'd be dead (as would my buddy, who was passenger) if I hadn't figured out how to powerslide that pig around. It was a handy thing to know at that particular moment.

I'm not saying you must have dirt experience to ride on the street, but it can be very useful.

There is a randomness with road riding 'events' that has always bugged me, though. I don't believe that Valentino Rossi's odds on the road are much better than mine. Not because I'm a great rider, but events occur that simply defy prediction or countermeasure. IMO, dirt or road tracks are much safer - most of the freaky randomness is removed.

E.g, going to work, down main street of our small town doing under 30 last summer a drunk bluehair flew across an intersection about 50 feet in front of me and parked her bucking Camry inside the jewelry store. (They announced a drive-thru sale the next day). She was doing about 50mph when she crossed main street, airborne ("gas pedal was stuck") crossing my path.

I was glad that I had another sip of coffee that morning.

Wear a Roadcrafter now, simply because it's the fastest full protection to get on and off and covers the most weather conditions. Maybe it will help, but I have no illusions.

Damn, I do love motorcycles.

- Charlie

 

[vanson1200r]

I was riding my Triumph Thruxton 900 to a MSF class in Visalia California (I teach MC safety) and I was on a long straight at about 0545 am then a red Ford Tempo passed an 18 wheeler (two lane black top) and forced me on the shoulder. I used that experience with my class for "swerving to avoid and object".

 

[Thaloc]

Umm I dunno if u want stories or advice....


Watch people front tires

Stay out of blind spots

Keep the road clear infront

 

[hula Buell]

I was riding thru Big Sir and a curve sign was missing and I went into the curve too hot and the road did a fish hook and I straightened the bike up and did a emergency medium speed stop 5 feet short of going off the cliff.Ends up someone took the sign out and it was not replaced yet.My heart was at 800psi.I shut off the bike and hung out for five min.and went to the edge of the cliff and looked over.O my god !!!!!

 

[dave_xb12r]

Wow hula, do you live near Big Sur? That's my back yard for riding. I live in Monterey.

I had an experience in Big Sur as well. I had my gf on the back coming around a medium left hander, and the rear tried washing out. It was a close one for sure, and just like you hula, I would have slid off a cliff. The difference was, I would have taken someone else with me. I still don't know why. It didn't look like debris was in the road, and it seemed dry. It must have been oil of some sort.

 

[Sidewinder]

I was crossing a bridge that had an intersection right at the end. I was only going 40 (35 limit) and this guy in an expedition pulls out in front of me. I hit the front hard and lock up the rear brake. I slid around his back left side and past his driver's door with about 10" to spare. Sliding is something I'm used to from dirt biking. I can't say it should have worked and I can't say it would work again. Just need to be one step ahead of all idiot drivers on the road, which is impossible.