Fucked by a cager tonight (5 Feb)

[carlosliu]

Just clean and lube the chain in the afternoon. I went out for a gentle ride around Takapuna area, under the speed limit.

Around 9pm, I went straight in the left lane at 60kph along the Anzac St and approach the intersection of Auburn St. I saw the light turn yellow and then red. I gave it a brake, change gear, not a hard break at all, slow down until about 10kph.

Everything is smooth until I heard a screaming break sound behind me. Next thing is that I fly over my bike and hit the ground. Probably, one of the witness called police. They showed in 5 min. The cager drove a toyota starlet, didn't have a license, no insurance either.

Luckily, I was in full gear, not hurt too much, just a little bit pain at the left wrist. The bike is still working, rear break paddle and tail light were bended, scratches on exhaust. I felt the handle bar is a little bit strange on the way back home. Maybe there are other damages. I'll check it tomorrow.

What's else I can say. This is my first drop, but it's not my fault.

Any suggestion of mechanic shop for repairing? Hope it won't cost me too much, though I was fully insured.

:blank:

[JimO]

Just clean and lube the chain in the afternoon. I went out for a gentle ride around Takapuna area, under the speed limit.

Around 9pm, I went straight in the left lane at 60kph along the Anzac St and approach the intersection of Auburn St. I saw the light turn yellow and then red. I gave it a brake, change gear, not a hard break at all, slow down until about 10kph.

Everything is smooth until I heard a screaming break sound behind me. Next thing is that I fly over my bike and hit the ground. Probably, one of the witness called police. They showed in 5 min. The cager drove a toyota starlet, didn't have a license, no insurance either.

Luckily, I was in full gear, not hurt too much, just a little bit pain at the left wrist. The bike is still working, rear break paddle and tail light were bended, scratches on exhaust. I felt the handle bar is a little bit strange on the way back home. Maybe there are other damages. I'll check it tomorrow.

What's else I can say. This is my first drop, but it's not my fault.

Any suggestion of mechanic shop for repairing? Hope it won't cost me too much, though I was fully insured.

:blank:

contact your insurance company

[Quailboy]

I bet your not very pleased.

Yes, call your insurer!

[NighthawkNZ]

though I was fully insured.

Good that you are okay... bikes can be rebuild/replaced... you can't...

Contact your insurance company...

[carlosliu]

Thanks, I'll call insurer tomorrow. er... it's public holiday...

Sounds like I'll miss next week NASS. :crybaby:

[MyGSXF]

Good that you are okay... bikes can be rebuild/replaced... you can't...

x2!! :niceone:

[klingon]

Sorry to hear about this, carlosliu, but good that you're not too sore. Don't plan to do much tomorrow - you can just about guarantee you'll wake up in the morning and discover all the aches and pains that you didn't notice tonight!

Something very similar happened to me a couple of years ago. I stopped at a stop sign, the car behind me didn't. I thought I was just bruised but I ended up with a fractured rib, and it turned out I had mild concussion.

Do you remember every moment of the crash, or are there some blank bits in your memory? If you're in any doubt at all, get checked out by a doctor. ACC will pay, and the sooner you get checked the better.

Also, did your helmet hit the ground? A helmet is a single-use item and will need to be replaced if it's had an impact.

Good luck with the insurance and with getting the bike assessed and repaired.

[fireliv]

Gladf you are ok. Most insurance places have a24 hour line... but either way there should be someone manning the phone tomorrow.

GOod luck getting it sorted

[Mom]

Liberace is a bastard for sure. Good to hear you are relatively unhurt mate! That was very bad luck indeed. Call your insurance company, dont worry it is a public holiday, they have 24/7 call centres.

Arnica cream is good for the lumps and bumps on your body too.

[klingon]

By the way, sounds like you were very near CycleSpot in Barry's Point Road when this happened - they are probably very good people to assess your bike (it being a Honda and all).

[Dean]

hope you get it sorted out all the best with recovery

[carlosliu]

Sorry to hear about this, carlosliu, but good that you're not too sore. Don't plan to do much tomorrow - you can just about guarantee you'll wake up in the morning and discover all the aches and pains that you didn't notice tonight!

Something very similar happened to me a couple of years ago. I stopped at a stop sign, the car behind me didn't. I thought I was just bruised but I ended up with a fractured rib, and it turned out I had mild concussion.

Do you remember every moment of the crash, or are there some blank bits in your memory? If you're in any doubt at all, get checked out by a doctor. ACC will pay, and the sooner you get checked the better.

Also, did your helmet hit the ground? A helmet is a single-use item and will need to be replaced if it's had an impact.

Good luck with the insurance and with getting the bike assessed and repaired.

Thanks for the suggestion and sharing the experience.

My helmet wasn't hit the ground as far as I can remember. :rolleyes: Just check the helmet surface again, no scratch or other noticeable damage.

I will contact a doctor soon.

[Owl]

Sorry to hear that carlosliu!

Believe me when I say that I feel your pain, as I got fucked over last night! At least I had the protection of a cage, though I'm still a bit tender.

Best of luck with insurance and repairs to your bike!:yes:

[Katman]

The most important time to be checking your mirrors is when you're slowing to a stop in a vulnerable spot within the prevailing traffic.

[Mully]

My helmet wasn't hit the ground as far as I can remember.
.

Yes it did. That's why you need a new one.

And a new jacket

And pants

And Boots

And Gloves

[carlosliu]

The most important time to be checking your mirrors is when you're slowing to a stop in a vulnerable spot within the prevailing traffic.

I learned this in a hard way ... But It seems very hard to see things closely behind me from the mirror, normally I have to turn my head.




Yes it did. That's why you need a new one.
And a new jacket
And pants
And Boots
And Gloves

Sounds like a good idea, if someone can pay them for me. :girlfight:

[McJim]

I learned this in a hard way ... But It seems very hard to see things closely behind me from the mirror, normally I have to turn my head.


Try adjusting your mirrors - if you still can't see directly behind you with the stock mirrors get extended mirror legs - about $15-$20 each but well worth a view of what's behind you (rather than of your elbows!) I used to have a VTR 250 and that was the first thing I changed - rode it out of the shop - was unhappy with rear vision, turned the bike around 1km later - back to the shop "Do you do these with longer legs?" "Yup" "Cool - I'll take 2"

One of the best investments I made.

as for gear - do you have home contents insurance?

[shafty]

BAd luck and good luck carlosliu;

Did the Wallopers "cuff 'em and stuff 'em"?

Hope they did.

Don't ya just want to smack the driver in such situ's!

All the best Dude

[retro asian]

The most important time to be checking your mirrors is when you're slowing to a stop in a vulnerable spot within the prevailing traffic.

Can you tell if a car is going to stop just before you, or just too late?
Also is there much you can do once you realise its happening?

I usually leave a space in front of me, so if it ever happens I hopefully won't get sandwiched.


Sorry to hear Carlos, hope everything turns out to be ok.

[quickbuck]

Can you tell if a car is going to stop just before you, or just too late?
.

The closing speed is a good indicator.
If the little car in the mirror gets bigger fast, then chances are you will need to move off rather quickly.

The Motorcycle mounted Police actually train for the avoidance of the very accident Carlos was involved in.
You end up doing a very quick little joggle to the left or right (what ever is the least distance) shortly after you have stopped at the intersection.
This leaves the errant drive to have an accident in the intersection rather than using the bike as a braking point and launching the rider into the intersection.

[Jerry74]

just ride up level with the cage and fold their mirror in or tap on the window then they may actually notice there is a motorcycle on the road too.

[portokiwi]

The Main thing is that you are ok. Sore today that will be expected. My knee is still having problems and I crashed over a month ago. I wonder if I am still covered by ACC.
Bit of a funny night last night with crazy drivers..... Was waiting at the lights at St Halliers last night when a big red 4wd go's flying past me through the red lights. :lol: Muffti police car was just about to turn when the 4wd went past. Yes the mufti police went after him.
I hope he gets his cage locked up.

[RoadRacer04]

Thanks, I'll call insurer tomorrow. er... it's public holiday...

Sounds like I'll miss next week NASS. :crybaby:

Insurance companys should be answering phones today...my girl friend had to get up at 5 to be at work (tower insurance) so im sure their answering.

[Mully]

Sounds like a good idea, if someone can pay them for me. :girlfight:

Your insurance should cover it, and recover the money from the dickhead. They have to go after him anyway.

I'm almost certain your gear got damaged

[bikerboy011]

Sorry to hear this mate, there are a lot of retards around that try to kill us grrr. Hope it gets sorted in no time.

[Crasherfromwayback]

The closing speed is a good indicator.
If the little car in the mirror gets bigger fast, then chances are you will need to move off rather quickly.

The Motorcycle mounted Police actually train for the avoidance of the very accident Carlos was involved in.
You end up doing a very quick little joggle to the left or right (what ever is the least distance) shortly after you have stopped at the intersection.
This leaves the errant drive to have an accident in the intersection rather than using the bike as a braking point and launching the rider into the intersection.

Good points! And another is to always sit there in gear so if you see someone about to rear end you, you are quicker to get away to the side of the vehicle in front of you allowing them to fuck the back of their car NOT your bike!

[Owl]

The Main thing is that you are ok. Sore today that will be expected. My knee is still having problems and I crashed over a month ago. I wonder if I am still covered by ACC.

I think you have a year dude from date of injury, but it'd pay to check!;)

[Crasherfromwayback]

I think you have a year dude from date of injury, but it'd pay to check!;)

And if not...you hurt your knee playing golf. You're then covered.

[carlosliu]

Thanks for your kind words. I just came back from the doctor. He put on a wrist splint, and bandage on my foot. Nothing too serious, no fractures.

I probably will have a quiet and lazy week though. :sleep:

[Max Preload]

I just came back from the doctor. He put on a wrist splint, and bandage on my foot. Nothing too serious, no fractures.

Must try harder! :lol:

[Manxman]

Thanks for the suggestion and sharing the experience.

My helmet wasn't hit the ground as far as I can remember. :rolleyes: Just check the helmet surface again, no scratch or other noticeable damage.

I will contact a doctor soon.

You sure 'bout that...:cool:

Good to hear you're ok, though.

[mattian]

get your insurance to take care of it then take the offender to small claims court to get them to pay your excess costs.

[carlosliu]

get your insurance to take care of it then take the offender to small claims court to get them to pay your excess costs.

Good suggestion. Will do that. Thanks.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't it just be a case of giving the insurance company the dudes details and thats the end of it - i.e. no excess to pay as the person who caused the 'accident' has been identified? Helped by the fact that a witness called the cops & they'll have a report of it on file?

[Mole_C]

Good suggestion. Will do that. Thanks.

Are the cops charging them with careless? If so just call them and tell them the excess and they will claim it back for you when he goes to court. Also if you have any injuries at all let them know cause it makes it a much better charge :)

[marioc]

Bad luck man but ffs its "brakes" not "breaks".

[FJRider]

Bad luck man but ffs its "brakes" not "breaks".

Give him a break... his mirrors weren't working either...

[samgab]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't it just be a case of giving the insurance company the dudes details and thats the end of it - i.e. no excess to pay as the person who caused the 'accident' has been identified? Helped by the fact that a witness called the cops & they'll have a report of it on file?

Yeah, that's the great thing about having full insurance. You just fill out the form explaining what happened, and they do the rest, and you get a cheque in the mail.

[samgab]

Thanks for your kind words. I just came back from the doctor. He put on a wrist splint, and bandage on my foot. Nothing too serious, no fractures.

I probably will have a quiet and lazy week though. :sleep:

That really sucks man. And you really did nothing wrong at all. It would be an amazingly alert rider that would have avoided that one. Good thing you just got minor injuries. Of course, no injuries and no crash would have been even better...

Anyway, side point, you said you'd just finished cleaning and lubing your chain? What type of cleaner did you end up going with? And what type of lube? Of lesser importance now, I know, but I'm interested, none-the-less.

[MsKABC]

Glad you and your bike made it out relatively unscathed. A friend a few years back was not so lucky - stopped at traffic lights when someone rear-ended him. He was ok but his bike was written off. It was his baby and he'd had it from brand new :(

[sunhuntin]

Good points! And another is to always sit there in gear so if you see someone about to rear end you, you are quicker to get away to the side of the vehicle in front of you allowing them to fuck the back of their car NOT your bike!

agreed. when stopped at lights, the bike remains in gear unless i know the cycles are REALLY long and my hand needs a rest, and i have cars stopped behind me. ive never understood why some put the bike into neutral at lights.

glad you are mostly ok :yes:

[Max Preload]

This is where lane splitting comes into it's own as a safety tool. Safest place to be is beside cars, not in front of them. All it takes is one dopey cager to crush you between his front bumper and the bumper of the car in front of you. I know my chances of surviving a sideswipe on the motorway on a bike are much better than the chances of surviving a nose-to-tail...

[Forest]

agreed. when stopped at lights, the bike remains in gear unless i know the cycles are REALLY long and my hand needs a rest, and i have cars stopped behind me. ive never understood why some put the bike into neutral at lights.


Some bikes have very heavy clutch springs. So putting the bike into Neutral is easier on the wrist.

[klingon]

If I read his story right, carlosliu was first at the lights - there were no cars to shelter behind. In a case like this you have the choice of staying where you are and being hit from behind, or moving forward through a red light and being hit side-on.

I don't like this kind of choice. :no:

[shah]

hey Carlos,
sorry to hear about your mishap, mate. get well soon, eh.
regards,
Shah

[Lucy]

If I read his story right, carlosliu was first at the lights - there were no cars to shelter behind. In a case like this you have the choice of staying where you are and being hit from behind, or moving forward through a red light and being hit side-on.

I don't like this kind of choice. :no:

No, the problem was he stopped for an amber light. Must be new to Auckland.

I've been through lights thinking 'oops I really should have stopped for that one', then looked in the mirror and four cars have gone through after me!

[bezajel]

No, the problem was he stopped for an amber light. Must be new to Auckland.

I've been through lights thinking 'oops I really should have stopped for that one', then looked in the mirror and four cars have gone through after me!

Eek, this happens to me all the time. I can't believe some of the lights people run through. I dunno what's wrong with stopping, anyway, I like to be at the front of the lights!

Though if there aren't people stopped behind me already, I tend to flash my brake light when someone's approaching.

[klingon]

... if there aren't people stopped behind me already, I tend to flash my brake light when someone's approaching.

I put on my hazard lights, then sit there looking like a meerkat trying to see in every direction at once. Having been hit from behind once, I never want to experience that again! It hurt!

[sunhuntin]

Some bikes have very heavy clutch springs. So putting the bike into Neutral is easier on the wrist.

thanks for that. didnt think, lol.

klingon... not sure about where you are, but i was looking at the road this morning while at the front of a set of lights. i have worked out that theres enough room in front to shoot forward into the ped crossing lines to avoid being rear ended. if angled right, you could avoid going into the intersection entirely.

[klingon]

thanks for that. didnt think, lol.

klingon... not sure about where you are, but i was looking at the road this morning while at the front of a set of lights. i have worked out that theres enough room in front to shoot forward into the ped crossing lines to avoid being rear ended. if angled right, you could avoid going into the intersection entirely.

Yes, this is true of a lot of intersections but not all. It would really be a judgement call at that moment (having mentally rehearsed it, just as you were doing this morning).

How fast is the car behind you going? Is it likely that you will be safer if you move forward by a metre, or does that just make it more likely that you'll get pushed into oncoming traffic when they hit you?

In some of the intersections on my commuting route, turning cars cut the corner quite badly so (depending on the light phase) there's a pretty high chance of being hit by a turning car if I move forward, even if I just move up to the painted line on the road and don't go over it.

At the intersection where I was hit, I had stopped at a stop sign. There was very little room in front of me (no pedestrian crossing) and I had to be quite a long way forward to see oncoming traffic from my right. The road was on a long hill, and cars coming from my right would be going damn fast by the time they reached that intersection. There was no way I was going to shoot forward unless I was sure the road was clear - in which case I would have gone anyway and not been hit!

I've gone over that scenario many times since then, trying to work out what I could have done differently at that particular intersection. So far I haven't come up with a viable answer.

[samgab]

I put on my hazard lights, then sit there looking like a meerkat trying to see in every direction at once.

Haha, very funny mental image there, a meerkat sitting at the lights on a motorbike looking all around...

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[klingon]

Haha, very funny mental image there, a meerkat sitting at the lights on a motorbike looking all around...



That's exactly what I look like. A meerkat wearing a fluoro vest.

[bezajel]

I put on my hazard lights, then sit there looking like a meerkat trying to see in every direction at once. Having been hit from behind once, I never want to experience that again! It hurt!

I don't have hazard lights!

[Ixion]

Can you do the "chee chee chee" noise instead?

[Max Preload]

Having been hit from behind once, I never want to experience that again! It hurt!

Toni Marsh... is that you?

[Cynos]

The most important time to be checking your mirrors is when you're slowing to a stop in a vulnerable spot within the prevailing traffic.

Indeed, you can never trust the person behind you. Too many times I see people texting when approaching stopped traffic. >_<

[klingon]

Toni Marsh... is that you?

LOL smart alec :bleh:

[samgab]

Indeed, you can never trust the person behind you.

Yeah, apparently that's what they say in jail too...

[motorbyclist]

The most important time to be checking your mirrors is when you're slowing to a stop in a vulnerable spot within the prevailing traffic.

it is also recommended to weave a bit so at to make yourself more obvious and to help the cager realise you are 20m short of the line - often they assume you've stopped ON the line like a cage does, and dont/cant perceive that you aren't cause we're too small


Are the cops charging them with careless? If so just call them and tell them the excess and they will claim it back for you when he goes to court. Also if you have any injuries at all let them know cause it makes it a much better charge :)

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

if only

the cops do shit all - that is a personal matter not a police one, and if the police DID get your excess, why not do the whole thing and pay for the bike?

i can tell you from experience that you will only get out of an excess if the other party admits fault

if you aren't insured (or in my case my brother wasn't insured for my bike) you're fucked. small claims doesn't actually force anyone to pay, even after the 3rd successful hearing - meanwhile the unlicensed driver is forced to pay a fine and is prevented from getting a licence for another few months


Yeah, that's the great thing about having full insurance. You just fill out the form explaining what happened, and they do the rest, and you get a cheque in the mail.

exactly.

provided you don't go through the part where you disagree on the excess, the sum insured, the value of the vehicle, and whether or not two months is an acceptable time to sort everything out.