The unavoidable and unexpected does happen

[Hiflyer]

(luckily) This didnt happen to myself.

My best mate of 5 years who actually convinced me to get a bike had an accident. I was so gutted.

He says (and witness reports match what he says) he was 200m from his drive way, when the car infront of him pulls over to the side and slows down dramatically, so my friend goes wide to avoid an accident, when out of nowhere the car infront swerves infront of him, sending him slammng ito their drivers side door, off the bike, over the car and onto the grass.

My friend was fine but the bike (suzuki gsf bandit 250) was a complete wite off, bent front forks, and wheel etc.

Cagers seem to believe that nothing wil happen if they just pull out.

He's lucky, but have any of you had similar experiences?

[jrandom]

Happens all the time.

Your friend's error was in failing to anticipate that the car pulling to the left might precede an attempted U-turn.

It was not unavoidable, and should not have been unexpected.

He just hasn't learned how to ride safely on the road in traffic yet. We all do eventually; the ones who don't generally either die or get scared off of riding motorcycles.

Glad to hear he's in one piece.

[98tls]

(luckily) This didnt happen to myself.

My best mate of 5 years who actually convinced me to get a bike had an accident. I was so gutted.

He says (and witness reports match what he says) he was 200m from his drive way, when the car infront of him pulls over to the side and slows down dramatically, so my friend goes wide to avoid an accident, when out of nowhere the car infront swerves infront of him, sending him slammng ito their drivers side door, off the bike, over the car and onto the grass.

My friend was fine but the bike (suzuki gsf bandit 250) was a complete wite off, bent front forks, and wheel etc.

Cagers seem to believe that nothing wil happen if they just pull out.

He's lucky, but have any of you had similar experiences?

After 37 years riding i can say yes many,worst resulted in 7 days asleep etc etc etc been over the roof of a couple of cars when a young fella.Nothing to add but always expect the unexpected.

[Hiflyer]

After 37 years riding i can say yes many,worst resulted in 7 days asleep etc etc etc been over the roof of a couple of cars when a young fella.Nothing to add but always expect the unexpected.

A family friend once said you haven't learnt to ride till you've crashed 7 times, would you agree?

[jrandom]

A family friend once said you haven't learnt to ride till you've crashed 7 times, would you agree?

I've been riding for six years, binned about a dozen times and am still a total n00b.

All of those crashes were avoidable, mind you. I've never had any post-crash emotion other than "d'oh!"

Although a smashed-up hand last year added a bit of "oh, fuckin' OW" to the usual "d'oh".

Not sure if that helps.

[FJRider]

so my friend goes wide to avoid an accident, when out of nowhere the car infront swerves infront of him,

So your friend moved out of the drivers line of sight, to where the driver did not expect him to be... and you wonder why it happened, and totally blame the cage.

Seen it happen, heard of it happening with more serious results... your friend was lucky...

[Hiflyer]

haha yea it does, i still haven't binned (touch wood) but when i do i hope it aint too bad!

This guy at work has been riding for years and hasnt crashed more than 4 times he says maybe hes blowin smoke

[FJRider]

A family friend once said you haven't learnt to ride till you've crashed 7 times, would you agree?

To quote a friend... BULLSHIT...

[jrandom]

haha yea it does, i still haven't binned (touch wood) but when i do i hope it aint too bad!

There's no rule that says you have to bin on the road.

Try not to. It hurts and it's expensive.

[Hiflyer]

So your friend moved out of the drivers line of sight, to where the driver did not expect him to be... and you wonder why it happened, and totally blame the cage.

Seen it happen, heard of it happening with more serious results... your friend was lucky...

sorry forgot to mention no looking or indicating, its a quiet road he lives on so i guess he assumed ther wouldnt be anyone else behind him

Im not just talking crap either, seriously.

Not like other people here (not trying to say you are FJ if it sounds like i am)

[98tls]

A family friend once said you haven't learnt to ride till you've crashed 7 times, would you agree?

Bit of an old school attitude i think mate,i am mid 40s and can remember my old man (motorcyle fanatic) telling me when a young fella that "if your not having the odd off then your not going hard enough",many including myself to a degree will call that madness but looking back given the time/place etc it wasnt all bad,hes still out there doing it in fact awhile back just bought a 1250 Bandit and im still here by the grace of god or a bit of luck.These days theres mentors and courses etc for guys starting out,all good.Nothing like that in my day but i was lucky enough to grow up in the sticks with plenty of room and an old man who was bike mad,even luckier that aside from SS bevel drives he also had a TL250 trials bike which is pretty much what i learnt to ride on,first bike i actually got to call mine was an SL125 when i was 9.

[kevfromcoro]

To quote a friend... BULLSHIT...

yeah well we get that all the time
must of been a couch potatoe.. watching how dangerous bikes are on TV.
sitting in bar to-day and a young fella comes up and says..
i wouldent ride one of things if you payed me.


Over..........

Hope your mate is OK


KEV











kev

[FJRider]

sorry forgot to mention no looking or indicating, its a quiet road he lives on so i guess he assumed ther wouldnt be anyone else behind him

Im not just talking crap either, seriously.

Not like other people here (not trying to say you are FJ if it sounds like i am)

If you pull over to the left of the road to do a U turn... look in your mirrors to see whats coming up behind you...WHERE do you look for traffic coming TOWARDS you. Your side or the "other" side... see nothing...

Watch their mirrors... if you can't see their face or they aren't looking (OR YOU ARE NOT CERTAIN THEY ARE) slow down /or stop...and live.

[Hiflyer]

k well my point is shit happens, and he is lucky, they should have looked though. he now rides like hes invisible, as in he assumes the person ahead hasnt seen him.

[vtec]

Being a bicycle courier I've become totally paranoid of all other road users including pedestrians, I still go insanely fast and lanesplit through the tightest of holes but I'm constantly visualising possible carnage all around myself. Nobody ever sees a bicycle. It's up to me to make up my own road rules purely to keep me alive. I break all the laws, but stick to my own rules of survival/engagement, it's like a battlefield out there with everyone sniping at me.

Your mate was lacking in experience, it just sucks that sometimes in the gaining of experience you get messed up. I've been lucky enough to learn from countless near misses.