Close call.

**Motu** · 21st February 2010, 20:03

I've been riding on gravel roads for 40 years,and my biggest fear is meeting an out of control car coming the other way.I've had some close calls,but today was the closest yet.I was doing the Kaiaua Loop and went up to the Upper Mangatawhiri Dam to use the toilets - if you need a piss stop,make it a good one.

Near the top coming out a Subaru came around a left hand turn,he was completely out of control and going way too fast,sledging full left lock downhill towards me.Although there was no ditch and an area of low scrub I could moved into,that was where he was going too.I don't know how,but coming out of a downhill left hand bend with full lock understeer,he was spinning to the left....maybe out of control from the previous corner.That stopped his forward progress and he spun in a 360 down the road,missing me by about a foot.

I turned around to follow,expecting to see it down a bank.I found him hiding down a dead end road,and did my grumpy old man act,telling him to learn to drive and that he almost killed me.He actually looked pretty shocked with his close call.At the very top I found where he had been doing some skids.

I'm not innocent myself of course - when I was his age I was a total lunatic in a car on gravel roads,every corner full lock sideways.But it was only a 36hp VW,not a twin turbo 4WD....and I very seldom (once) lost control.

Rant over.

While I'm here...or there.These photos are about 8 years apart,but you can see where the inspiration for the R65 streettracker came from - K70 tyres and dirt track handlebars.

**tri boy** · 21st February 2010, 20:09

Glad your OK.
Hard to replace grumpy old men.

**CookMySock** · 21st February 2010, 20:17

I had the same thing happen to me, but he ended up down a bank avoiding me. Quite a fright. I didn't even get time to blink.

Steve

**marks** · 22nd February 2010, 07:31

funny how those xs1's and xs2's had nicer lines than the british bikes they were modelled on

its frightening how easily your whole existence can be turned upside down by some brainless idiot with a lead foot

**Dodgyiti** · 22nd February 2010, 08:09

Lucky one Motu, it is a worry about the pretend rally drivers on gravel roads, plus they wreck the corners with their wheelspining

**trustme** · 22nd February 2010, 08:20

Yah can't kill grumpy old men that easy.
Glad it turned out OK, sure does frighten shit out of you when it happens.

**crazyhorse** · 22nd February 2010, 08:31

Glad to hear it turned out ok for both parties. ANd good that he was sitting quiet, contemplating what may have had a nasty ending..... hope he had a spare pair of undies wtih him, I suspect he may have had to use them

**Horney1** · 22nd February 2010, 08:54

Glad to hear he avoided you Motu! I guess his 4WD was pulling him back left under power. Did he spin past on your right or left? Tricky situation, did you momentarily consider ducking right? Very bad thing to do but in this situation would it have helped or got you more in the sh*t? I sometimes contemplate the same scenario and wonder if doing that might be way to avoid them when it gets extreme.

**Motu** · 22nd February 2010, 11:49

My number one rule for gravel roads is not to nail it until you see a safe exit,and always expect something to be coming around a blind corner...especially right handers.There is a lot more traffic on the Upper Mangatawhiri Dam road than there ever used to be because of the mountain bike tracks...so I was going slower than usuall and keeping well left.My biggest worry is that I had no escape route for this clown,and that he missed me was from no skill of his own,it was just a fucking fluke.He must have been spinning from an over correction on the previous corner.

I just wanted to highlight that no matter how long you have been doing this,or how good your bikes is....shit really does happen.I've still got a good record for this sort of riding....but the dice is still tumbling.

**GPS MAN** · 22nd February 2010, 12:00

WOW - close call! Glad you didn't get hurt!

I had a close call on the Wanganui River Road with a tour bus... This idiot pushed me up against a rock face.....he never slowed down......

Got to be careful.....or lucky!

**offrd** · 22nd February 2010, 12:17

Bloody lucky!

I can think of at least one person on KB that should take note of this... Not because of how that person drives a car, but how they use the WHOLE road on the bike.....

Put those two together and its splatter!

**Balrog** · 22nd February 2010, 13:06

Glad to hear you're ok.

Its not just cars but bikes as well.
I had a head on with another motorcyclist on Admiral road in Wellington and I was as far left as you can
get without riding off the road.

After we hit, I ended up going down the bank on the left and the other rider span off up the road.
When I went over to the other rider to see why in hell he'd be cutting a blind corner at full throttle
he took his helmet off and was about 12 years old.

Anyway trail bike vs GS1150 Adventure = GS bent but rideable. Trail bike on trailer, rider on way to hospital.

I should have sent him the bill for bending the GS back into shape, but I foolishly starting feeling sorry for the little twat.

**Oscar** · 22nd February 2010, 14:21

Originally Posted by Motu

I've been riding on gravel roads for 40 years,

You must be tired..

**Ixion** · 22nd February 2010, 14:23

It's OK, he sleeps in the saddle. In fact, whenever he's riding, he's actually asleep. You've heard of sleep walking? Well, Mr Motu is a sleep rider. Whatever you do, if you should encounter him riding, don't wake him up. Awake, he doesn't know how to ride, he'll fall off.

**Oscar** · 22nd February 2010, 14:28

Originally Posted by Ixion

It's OK, he sleeps in the saddle. In fact, whenever he's riding, he's actually asleep. You've heard of sleep walking? Well, Mr Motu is a sleep rider. Whatever you do, if you should encounter him riding, don't wake him up. Awake, he doesn't know how to ride, he'll fall off.

He rode my DRZ once and fell off it.
I guess the zorst was too loud and woke him up..