Never thought I'd post a thread like this - aka Spuds1234 nearly bins it [Archive]

Spuds1234

10th May 2008, 16:36

Just a reminder for you guys to take it easy out there on the roads aka Spuds1234 nearly bins it

Had a car pull over to the side of the road, he didnt indicate, he just pulled over to the left.

I was right behind him when he suddenly swung out to do a U-turn.

Needless to say that yelling in fright inside your helmet doesnt help you stop faster.

It was probably a good thing that I didnt have time to brake to much as he hit my leg and braked hard and I just bounced off the car and carried on riding along.

No damage to me or the bike (had I been quicker on the brakes I would have been on the pavement as he would have just pushed me right over). I hit the right side of the front of his car (just in front of the right wheel).

His car as some dust on it and what looks like a broken bracket.

We both got off very lucky.

Unfortunately I cant say he was 100% at fault. I was going a bit quick and probably wasn't paying enough attention.

So take this as a word of warning guys, take it easy out there and expect that ninja U-turn at anytime.

Cheers

Spuds1234

90s

12th May 2008, 12:23

Glad you were OK.
Hav eto really watch it at this time of year - so many cars in the traffic with completely fogged up windows in the morning - they have no idea of what it out there and little care. We have to watch it, but its easy to slip.

CookMySock

12th May 2008, 13:11

I would have slowly taken my helmet off and grasped it really tightly by the rim, and then hit him really hard with it. Then I would carried on riding. What an asshole.

Glad you are ok bud.

DB

2Slow50

12th May 2008, 16:42

Glad you got off lucky mate..

Something very similar happened to me the other day except I was lucky enough to break/stop in time before the guy pulled right out in front of me.. I stopped there shaking me head at him, when he got out to apologize, I gave him the finger and hit the gas = P

Its a good reminder.. We are invisible to cages and the slippery roads are not forgiving.

vifferman

12th May 2008, 16:55

Had a car pull over to the side of the road, he didnt indicate, he just pulled over to the left.

I was right behind him when he suddenly swung out to do a U-turn.
Same thing happened to me, but unlike your guy, the idiot I encountered didn't brake, so even though I did, I was still basically fukt: a car can turn faster'n a bike that's braking. Result: bike written off, my foot still aches more'n five years later.
BTW - even though you can attribute some blame to yourself (which is good - means you can learn from it), legally he's at fault.

I did the same thing myself: even though the other driver was at fault, I learned to make sure to never assume that what you think a driver's doing is what he will actually do. Plus, if in doubt about whether a driver knows you're there, tootle them (melodiously at first, then more vigorously).

MIXONE

12th May 2008, 16:59

loud pipes save lives!

Spuds1234

12th May 2008, 20:46

Loud pipes point behind you not forward. The majority of the sound travels behind you and in an upwards direction ergo the car infront of you probably still wont hear you and you will go deaf faster.

Id rather have my hearing than loud pipes any day. Sure I could have loud pipes, but then I would have to wear ear plugs around town aswell as on the open road so I wouldnt be able to hear whats going on around me aswell which I think has probably saved my bacon more than having loud pipes has.

MIXONE

12th May 2008, 21:24

I disagree.With stock pipe on my beema I had people step out in front of me,cars pull out etc.etc.Since fitting a decent pipe not one of the above.Coincidence I think not.Same with my old bonnie.Straight thru pipes and if anyone starting crowding me I just pulled in the clutch and gave it a rev.Worked every time.Even if the majority of the sound is not going forward sufficient is to make a big difference.I've lived and ridden both sides of this fence and know which I prefer.If they hear me coming they know I'm there.
But then if we all agreed the world would be a boring place.

scumdog

12th May 2008, 21:40

jrandom

12th May 2008, 21:51

The GSX1400 has a very noisy horn. It's as loud as most car horns. Far better than the usual "meep meep" excuse for a horn that most bikes seem to come with these days.

I'm sure it's saved me from getting creamed once or twice.

:yes:

fireliv

12th May 2008, 21:54

GLad you OK Spud, what an idiot.

Just reinforces that "Constant Vigilance" theory.

Spuds1234

13th May 2008, 06:21

Cheers guys.

I prefer the constant dickwad theory.

It like this "I can be a real dick on my motorbike, am I doing something that is overly putting me at risk?"

Its what I think when I ride through town. Out of town Im not to fussed as there is less traffic to worry about.

However in town if Im aggressivly lane splitting or overtaking etc I will probably rein myself in pretty quickly.

Highlander

13th May 2008, 06:30

Don't wish to detract from your incident and the message to always be vigilant while riding, but if you were behind him,he pulled left then started a u turn in front of you, how did you manage to hit the left of his car?

Spuds1234

13th May 2008, 06:40

haha my bad.

I hit the right side of his car.

Atleast I can walk away knowing Bike 1, Car 0

Radar

13th May 2008, 08:25

Unfortunately I cant say he was 100% at fault. I was going a bit quick and probably wasn't paying enough attention.

So take this as a word of warning guys, take it easy out there and expect that ninja U-turn at anytime.

Cheers

Spuds1234

Glad to know you are OK Spuds. Its good to finally read a KB'er being honest and self-critical: you knew you were going too fast and were not paying attention as you should have been. All too often I read here about an accident or near accident, and the KB'er blames cagers, road conditions, bad brakes, the weather or anything else but never puts himself into the equation. When roads are used as race tracks by bikers who cannot see past their nose with any self awareness, accidents will happen.

So Spuds, thanks much for your post. You have given us a fair analysis and hopefully it will result in better safer riders.

scumdog

13th May 2008, 08:34

I was going a bit quick and probably wasn't paying enough attention.
Spuds1234

C'mon dude, this is KB - ya don't say stuff like that on KB - after all, this is the 21st Century where it's always somebody elses fault.

And too much speed has nothing to do with any crash.

phoenixgtr

13th May 2008, 08:44

Gotta watch those cars mate. Glad to hear you came out of it ok

Spuds1234

13th May 2008, 16:49

If I dont take responsibility for the things I can control no one else will.

If I ever end up down in the dumps with no money and no bike it will probably be my fault. No one elses.

In everything you do there is always a lesson to be learnt. Its whether or not you stop to find the lesson, think about it and then learn from it that counts.

Mr Triple

13th May 2008, 20:42

HungusMaximist

14th May 2008, 00:18

Learnt a good lesson after I over took a car in a suburban road and got hit.

Learn the lesson and move on!

Those GSXF are hefty beast btw! :msn-wink:

Spuds1234

14th May 2008, 03:51

Those GSXF are hefty beast btw! :msn-wink:

Sure are. Ive had 15000 trouble free km's on mine, and 10000 troublesome ones.

The bike just doesnt want to stop going. Sure it needs a new 2nd gear which Im weighting up fixing, or I will just sell it and get something else. Just dont know what to do yet. Need to do more soul searching.

And riding without 2nd gear isnt that bad once you get used to it. Hell its been so long without 2nd gear when I get on other bikes I always rev 1st and go right into third. The ZXR250 I helped test ride the other day didnt like that much. It took it though /ramble

mashman

14th May 2008, 13:39

loud pipes save lives!

Not always... In the last year i've had 3 people switch into my lane on the highway whilst riding next to them... RSVR with open Akras, not exactly quiet... It's just sheer fuckin ignorance... they still don't look. Add that to the several incidents i've almost had a roundabouts... People cutting into my lane and nearly wiping me out and this mornings incident with the old guy that was staring at me as we both entered the roundabout at the same time, the difference being that he was speeding and I wasn't... I had right of way and somewhere between the access point of the roundabout and the roundabout itself he realised that and thought it would be a great idea to give way... He slammed on his anchors and watched as i missed the backend of his cage by mm... I swear i could feel his exhaust on my shin as i went by...

There's no legislating for idiots that can't use their mirrors or indeed make a decision at an intersection... Like Spuds and a few others say ... Prepare for the worst case scenario in your day to day riding and you'll likely stay tyres down...

EJK

14th May 2008, 13:44

loud pipes save lives!

Did you had to say that out LOUD?? lol

Glad to know you are OK Spuds. Its good to finally read a KB'er being honest and self-critical: you knew you were going too fast and were not paying attention as you should have been. All too often I read here about an accident or near accident, and the KB'er blames cagers, road conditions, bad brakes, the weather or anything else but never puts himself into the equation. When roads are used as race tracks by bikers who cannot see past their nose with any self awareness, accidents will happen.

So Spuds, thanks much for your post. You have given us a fair analysis and hopefully it will result in better safer riders.

I'd say! I'm tired of blaming on the cagers and diesel on the ground. Bling for both of you! :clap:

motorbyclist

15th May 2008, 01:48

Loud pipes point behind you not forward. The majority of the sound travels behind you and in an upwards direction ergo the car infront of you probably still wont hear you and you will go deaf faster.

true, but it does make a difference, just like how headlights only work when someone is looking in your direction while you head towards them but they do help you get noticed nonetheless

perfect example was one day i was unfortunate enough to be stuck in my car in the parking lot that is the auckland motorway. i heard a rumble over the racket coming from my stereo and that gave me enough time to ensure i wasn't blocking the bright headlights splitting up behind me (turned out to be a SV1000 that sounded like it had no mufflers at all and a hyosung following close behind)

that said, many cars are so well sound insulated you can't even hear the bells at railway crossings and many drivers don't seem to know how to use mirrors for anything other than adjusting their make-up

plus i like to hear alot of what's happening around me, which is why i don't use an mp3 player while riding (not that i even own one, but i know people that do ride with them blaring over the wind and engine noise)

motorbyclist

15th May 2008, 01:50

He slammed on his anchors and watched as i missed the backend of his cage by mm... I swear i could feel his exhaust on my shin as i went by...

i've had a few whereby the car accelerating rather than stopping has prevented the accident also, plus a few where by braking i've had to make emergency maneuvers that i wouldn't have otherwise had to have made

PrincessBandit

15th May 2008, 08:32

... I was lucky enough to break/stop in time before the guy pulled right out in front of me.. I stopped there shaking me head at him, when he got out to apologize, I gave him the finger and hit the gas = P ......

Its a good reminder.. slippery roads are not forgiving.

Understandable, but at least he went to apologize. I would have felt totally stink if I'd done that, stopped to apologize to you and you treated me like that. Or maybe that was the whole point of your response. An encounter like that would not put bike riders highly in my esteem; and before you rant about the driver deserving it for their actions at least you were about to get an apology rather than abuse from him. Trust me, there are plenty of road users out there who abuse the crap out of you even when something is entirely their fault.
"Slippery roads are not forgiving" - obviously neither are you.

motorbyclist

15th May 2008, 20:47

+1

they stopped, and wanted to apologise. usually they keep driving, if they DO stop, 9 times out of ten they try to abuse you because it somehow isn't their fault they ran a stop sign/red light/failed to give way/didn't look/were reversing back around a blind corner.

that said, i'm usually pretty angry with people when they nearly hurt my bike/me

FruitLooPs

22nd May 2008, 17:41

I've had the whole u-turn situation too, memorial ave with the fuggin split median sections. Every tom dick and harry wants to pop a u-turn at them.

In my instance someone was doing a u-turn into the two opposite direction lanes, thus blocking the view of the bint who decided to do a u-turn into the lanes going in my direction with me just down the road tootling along.

A large amount of skid (bloody panic, must learn from that), some furious braking on her part (not before she was sideways across both of the lanes) :eek5: I jumped off the brakes, weaved hard off the road and around her front bumper by 10cm odd. :angry2:

I think she was in a state of shock, I was already off and down the road cursing profusely into my helmet. :wacko: :sweatdrop

Keep an eye out in the weather! if it'd been wet I would've dropped it from braking and slid into her car sideways :dodge:

Guided_monkey

26th May 2008, 17:59

Gotta love those bugger's that 'Sorry mate didn't see you'

Had one tonight on Southern Motorway. Red BMW no indication just pulled into a notional gap in the fast lane...... only problem was me filtering. Headlight on high and indicators.

A quick heart in mouth moment...... lot's of brake..... wet road!!!!!

And the knuckle head finally realises there's a big red, loud motorbike in his way.

Oh well........ another life almost lost.

:eek: