Reversing lights? You cannot be serious!

[Hitcher]

One trashed ST1300. One rider with a sore right knee and a bad case of grumpiness. One careless driving charge (no, not me) and an insurance claim pending. Bugger!

The day started well enough, albeit a bit blustery with the rising nor’wester. Mrs H’s mother is staying with us for a week, and Mrs H decided to take her on a road trip around the North Island, including a visit to the Mystery Creek Fieldays, where I would meet up with them and travel back with them in the c.a.r.

So today the gals set off in the car and I followed shortly afterwards on the bike, catching and passing them just after Silverstream. The plan was to have lunch in Greytown. They would then head on to Napier and I would ride home.

Just after the Te Marua golf course the RAV4 I was following caught up to a Landcruiser pulling a trailer. At the passing lane after the Twin Lakes lookout the RAV4 pulls out to pass and I go with him.

Just as we’re past the Landcruiser, the RAV4’s reversing lights come on. I think “Those are reversing lights.” Next I think “Fuck, he’s stopped!” He had. Hard on the brakes, front wheel locks, I ease off that and get hard on the rear as well. Too late. Clunk, into the back of the RAV4 I go.

I didn’t look that closely at the RAV but I noted some paint damage, but nothing else too obvious. The ST1300, however, is a different story. The nose is trashed, and I suspect, after helping the attending Police Officer and the tow truck driver roll the ST onto the back of the recovery truck, that something in the steering may be a bit bent. The wheel went largely under the RAV’s “bumper”, with the headlight and the rest of the bike that immediately follows it taking most of the damage.

The knees on my armoured pants are a bit chewed and my right knee, which was OK for about the first half hour, is really starting to seize up and ache. Thank god for good gear and armour!

Slutted? Why yes. I should have been taking more care. And it’s only since Easter Thursday and 4,000km of riding since I got the ST back after our last “off”.

I was worried about the old guy driving the RAV. He looked decidedly seedy and I was worried about his heart. His wife said it was the first time he’d driven an automatic. He’d changed into second to overtake and when he’d flipped the stick to go back into D, he went all the way to R.

The cop says this guy will more than likely face a careless driving charge. And he has admitted fault (I have a handful of witness who back up my version of events anyway), so the insurance claim will be on him. I actually feel a bit sorry for him.

I am cross on so many levels.

Mostly for scaring the shit out of Mrs H and her mum as they drove up the Kaitokes and saw a big red bike spread all over State Highway 2. Not a great way to get their holiday off to a positive start. I was up and around straight away, and had to beat off a couple of well-intentioned women who wanted to take my helmet off (the helmet is just fine, as are the helpful women).

Tomorrow, bureaucracy and, I suspect, more of the sore knee.

Thanks to Richard Palmer and Shirley for stopping to see how I was. I’m grumpier now, thanks Richard!

[Sketchy_Racer]

Bugger dude.

Its amazing how quick those cars can stop. I can speak from experience

good luck with the fix up though

[Madness]

Hitcher I'm so sorry to hear of your misfortune. You have just highlighted to us all how vulnerable we can be when sharing the roads with cagers, and to happen the day after so many of us were up that way having such a ball too!

Maybe it's time.......... Time to get a Litre Sprotsbike, they stop on a dime ya'know?

/Edit: We all know how tricky automatics are to drive don't we??

[onearmedbandit]

Mr H, I had to check the date of this thread initially as I thought it must've been about your last incident. Sorry to read about that mate, hope Mrs H and her mother are not to upset. Most positively however you are not injured, and while the damage to the bike sounds serious it can be repaired or replaced. Hope the insurance side of things comes through smoothly.

[u4ea]

o that really sux.hope ya knee isnt too bad.good gear saved it by the sounds of things,and as for your bike i guees the insurers will do their job.hope the gals get over their shock too.

[MD]

Thanks for the PM Hitcher. I feel stink now for not stopping on my way back to Wgtn as I came across the scene. I got the hebbie grebbies seeing a smashed up red ST1300 and the Ambo Guys looking a bit busy with lots of police, so I thought they wouldn't appreciate rubber neckers stopping to ask who's involved.
My first thoughts were how could anyone crash there???
What an idiot going from D to R, didn't think that was possible in modern vehicles.
The ST didn't look too flash. That's two KBers trashed in 2 weeks on the hill.
Im starting to feel like a jinx.
Try and stay cheery Mr H.
ps- like he said go for a light weight sports bike. Far safer. You'd be amazed how well they react and stop compared to the big cruisers.

[Hitcher]

I must admit in the crash equivalent of the post-coital afterglow, I have mixed views about the ST. Yesterday it ran faultlessly and we had a perfect day in the Wairarapa. But that's twice now it's gone down hard. And this time after hitting something hard hard.

Did I mention I was pissed off?

[T.W.R]

Holy Shite Hitcher ! bit the same way as OAB had to check the date once I started reading

Friggin dimwits in urban puddle jumpers

Something just doesn't bode well with your relationship with the ST13 the insurance company is going to love you

At least your in one bit, bugger the bike !

Time for a change of flavour in the stable one thinks

[Madness]

Pissed off??

Home alone??

Use the Stereo to it's full potential. I listen to Danzig when I'm truly pissed.

[inlinefour]

Did I mention I was pissed off?

Can't say I bame you either. Reckon you would have stopped if you was on a modern sprotbike? Hope your steadis repaired swiftly and your back on the road enjoying trouble free motoring soon.

[Edbear]

Mind you, if one was to run up the date of a RAV4, would be better off on the ST than a smaller bike, too! Guess it's a case of whatever the story, just glad you're okay! (Sore knee and grumpiness excepted!)

[yungatart]

Bugger! Sorry to hear about your latest off - look after those knees of yours, hope its not too long before you are back cruising the roads again.

[Motu]

Kama - you must of been a real arsehole in another life.You have to watch for a lot of things happening on the road,the unexpected can crop up anytime - but...but...reversing lights coming on in an overtaking manoever is in no ones book on the unexpected.But there is a reason - I sugest some regressive hypnotherapy to find the root cause.

[ZeroIndex]

sorry to hear about that dude.. glad you're pretty much ok.. hope everything gets sorted out soon..

[Hitcher]

Reckon you would have stopped if you was on a modern sprotbike?

If the penny had dropped a second or so earlier what was going on with the reversing lights I would probably have got the ST stopped as well, or gone around him. I'm not blameless in this either.