Scariest moment on a bike?

**Big Dog** · 23rd March 2004, 18:44

If you really want to use your cell phone on a fore court buy a sheilded type like they use around explosives. My advice stay 10m upwind from the vapour source.

as to why is petroleum still the main fuel source.
The liquid is perfectly stable its the vapour you have to worry about. The other alternatives either offer less performance or more risk.

Try this experiment.
Drop a match ito a full bean can of petrol (small and out doors).
Nothing should happen if you were well ventilated.
Now try it again with only a quarter of a bean can of fuel.

You should get a flame of height determined by the ambient temperature.

**Posh Tourer :P** · 23rd March 2004, 20:36

The right bike helps a lot Georgedubya.... As two smoker will attest, the beemer, with its 19in wheels front and rear and high profile tyres leave him and his dad in the dust.... and I will admit that twosmoker is a faster rider round corners than I am, and that I'm certainly not confident on gravel....

**Posh Tourer :P** · 23rd March 2004, 20:48

And on the subject of my scariest moment.... The two offs I've had dont factor in... they were both at about 50kph, happened too fast to be scary and didnt involve anyone else.... Prob the worst was a couple of weeks ago, riding to Uni behind milky. Driver saw milky but not me.... (note to all riders riding second in a staggered position.....) so pulled out to cross the road... I didnt brake, I had about 10m in a straight line max from when I realised he wasnt stopping.... gassed it (4th gear at 60 didnt accelerate much) and swerved out into the other lane with this car still coming across the road. I estimate my mufflers at the rear missed by less than 50cm, even with me across the median and in the wrong lane... luckily there were no cars in that lane (hence this idiot's decision to try get across). Still dont know if he saw me, I didnt see or hear him brake or anything as I went across the front. The bike is relatively large and noisy, so I hope he's shitting himself....

**celticyankee** · 24th March 2004, 06:33

Most scariest moment? Back in the states, I was stopped in traffic in a 2 lane bridge which was hundreds of feet above a rushing river. I heard the god awful sound of skidding behind me. I check in my mirror and see a HUGE tanker truck coming on me fast, I had no where to go.....seconds later I'm bouncing off the car in front of me, then bounced off the front of the tanker and suddenly I'm on the ground watching a tire miss my head by inches......crawled out from under the truck once it stopped.....all very surreal......the driver never asked if I was ok, he actually mumbled something about HIM having a bad day!

I lost the plot and went after the driver who proceeded to lock himself in his truck till the cops arrived.......I collapsed shortly after that, amazing what adreniline (sp?) does when you're in shock.

Cops were cool when they realized it was a women rider hurt and even got a flat bed instead of a tow truck to haul my bike away as I was begging them not to hang my bike on a tow truck.

Didn't cry till I saw my beautiful bike laying on the street all smashed up....was the most painful sight.....

I was lucky, only down with injuries for 6 months and got the bike put back together better than ever over those 6 months.

I really thought I was going to meet my maker when I saw that tanker coming...it was definately the most scariest moment of my life....on or off the bike.

**Motu** · 24th March 2004, 08:25

OOOhhh,tha't nasty - I'm always worried about that one,looking in the mirror and seeing something out of control behind.

I was talking to a guy awhile ago who did some releif driving in the States - he said he would see a minimum of 4 major truck wrecks a day - mainly driver fatigue and overloading but also condition and build of the trucks,those rigs wouldn't be aloud on our roads,he saw trailers just break in half.Also some rigs,mainly California don't run front brakes,they have their reasons,but the rest of the world thinks they're nuts.

**celticyankee** · 24th March 2004, 09:53

Motu, I can relate to what your mate was saying about trucks in the states. I rode as navigator in a big rig in the states for 8 months with my kiwi husband. The west coast is definately worse in regards to truck conditions, etc....we did MAJOR checks on any trailers we picked up there especially on the Mexican/USA border as most were far from legal or safe.

We only saw 3 major accidednts in 8 months, but then again, we tried to avoid the west coast as much as possible.

Drivers are paid by the mile and with the company taking 10% off the top of any job, drivers will push themselves far beyond safe limits to earn money.

With all that said, I have to say those 8 months driving across the states was an amazing adventure....I have some pretty funny stories stored in the memory bank from that time.........what a long strange trip it was.......

**Omega1** · 24th March 2004, 10:06

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post and I must say this site is great.

One of my Scariest moments...I had just bought a new TL1000s and decided that an early morning ride to Martinborough would be a great way to get acquainted with my new bike.Everything was going well,I had the roads to myself got over the hill and was riding out to Martinborough.I came around a corner and there was a cow standing in the middle of the road.....gulp!.hit the brakes swerved and flew past with the two bros cans roaring. Ok I thought this is a rural road I can handle the odd cow no problem.I continued to the township then turned around and on the way back a blackbird flew out of the grass on the side of the road and hit me in the chest I nearly died of heartfailure.
I stayed on but decided that since the Wairarapa wildlife obviously had it in for me I would go home....

**Solarwind** · 24th March 2004, 10:28

I remember waiting in a turning bay, and the road was wet after a recent storm, a 4WD or SUV came up behind me and skidded on the wet road... I let go of the clutch and sped forward a few metres. Thankfully I had the room to do that

**Big Dog** · 26th March 2004, 15:41

Speaking of Trucks. First out of town ride on a M/B at the ladies mile just north of mt messenger I encountered a Jackknifing petrol tanker, whole road blocked (he screwed up the corner) I was doing 180kmph and had to hit the picks hard and fast back wheel locked, no time to pulse, front wheel squealing like a stuck pig in protest, smoke pouring of my two and his 18 (?). Came to an untidy halt (like something out of a John Woo movie) with less than a bike length in it.

Now that is a guaranteed cure for constipation!!! :~

**Olly** · 10th March 2007, 10:18

What about this; heading back from Dargaville towards Whangarei, round a courner I just manage to hit the possum running infront of the bike and then the electrics die and I can't see anything (11pm). Unfortunatly after breaking heavily thinking to myself oh s*** wheres the ditch, the lights power back up! Was a slow trip back after that...

**Bruiser** · 10th March 2007, 21:23

Originally Posted by Solarwind

I remember waiting in a turning bay, and the road was wet after a recent storm, a 4WD or SUV came up behind me and skidded on the wet road... I let go of the clutch and sped forward a few metres. Thankfully I had the room to do that

These days I always try to leave enough room in front at stops to exit left of the vehicle in front, especially if the road is wet!

I even point the bike slightly to the left so I at least have a slight chance of getting out of the way if I hear that horrible braking noise behind me. Left, because theres no traffic coming my way.

and you'd be surprised how many cage drivers give me the dirty look for leaving too much room in front, but to be honest I'd rather that than leave no room to move.

**Shadows** · 10th March 2007, 23:36

Originally Posted by Big Dog

Do you sit on your bike when you refuel?

Ever thought what would happen if it overflowed?
Would you wear it?
Would it ignite when it contacted the hotter parts of the engine?

Will it happen? who knows.
Could it happen? Yes.
Do you want to find out?

Done it. About at least half a litre all over me and the bike including engine and headers, having just pulled in off the main drag where I had been doing 120k for the last couple of hours. Nothing happened except that my leathers stank of petrol for weeks.

I still fill up while sitting on the bike. Just much more carefully.

**jade** · 11th March 2007, 09:39

Ive had bout 10 crashes in 3 years, and been fucken lucky, worst injuries Ive had have been a grazed elbow or knee.
Cept for one, I didnt get up after that one.
Going to work, Id woken up late and gone straight to work, every day for weeks Id gone for a ride before work for an hour.
Takes about 3 or 4 mins from my house to work if you get the lights right,
I went straight to work and coming round the corner my work was on I was banked over, around the corner a car coming the other way was sitting indicating to turn across my path, you guessed it simultaneously she turned as I came around the corner, This was the scariest moment of my life.
It wasnt raining but the road was wet. Instantly I backed off the throttle and hit the brakes, front and back - locked up and skidded towards her car.
When I backed off the throttle I was probably doing 70k in a 50.
I remember everything to the point of impact. theres a 10 second blank there but then people are around me - (my work was across the road)
I didnt go over the bonet, I just hit between the passenger door and the back door square and stopped.
My bike was right next to me - I wasnt getting up
Ambo came eventually and cut my pants off and checked me - Not a scratch on me - But my femeur was sticking out my leg and a small pool of blood developing - Not a scratch on me but a broken femeur in 5 places.
Gave me a big ass bottle of nos and a couple hits of morphine. bliss.
40cm rod later, 2 blood transfusions and 6 hours of surgery later im as good as new, just cant put weight on my leg for 3 months.
3 months spent fixing my bike - got on it 2 days after I ditched the crutches.
15mins after I set out the front wheel locked and I went over the bars at 60k.
I have more stories but Ive blabbed on enough

**5cotty** · 11th March 2007, 18:26

Two up and fully loaded at Xmas (missus, tent, booze, clothes yada yada on the back) Coming to a corner and lining up on the center of one of those short one lane bridges....

Guess what?..... Yep...

Shingle in the middle.. after a bit of snakin around I had to come through the corner on the wrong side of the road and only just got back to my side in front of an oncoming car.

Oh Yeah....

The Scary bit was gettin a whack on the back of the head from the missus..
(Sheesh you would think I put the shingle on the bridge)

**RedKLR650** · 11th March 2007, 20:14

Originally Posted by Big Dog

If you really want to use your cell phone on a fore court buy a sheilded type like they use around explosives. My advice stay 10m upwind from the vapour source. as to why is petroleum still the main fuel source. The liquid is perfectly stable its the vapour you have to worry about. The other alternatives either offer less performance or more risk. Try this experiment. Drop a match ito a full bean can of petrol (small and out doors).
Nothing should happen if you were well ventilated. Now try it again with only a quarter of a bean can of fuel. You should get a flame of height determined by the ambient temperature.

As a professional photographer I once had a shoot for Shell at their tank farm at the Port of Timaru. The shoot had to take place on the top of one of the tanks 1/2 full of fuel, so the Shell boss accompanied me with some sort of sniffer device and if I remember rightly, he said that it is only in a small mixture range that the vapour becomes explosive ( 14% I think it was - could be wrong..... ). In other words, if there is pure vapour, it doesn't ignite easily, and if there is too much air, the vapour is not there in large enough quantities to be dangerous......

Hope that's helpful, Cheers, Stu