Close calls...

[Gnome]

Following on from werewolf's thread the other day about his unfortunate off, got me thinking back to a few near misses I've had, be them my own fault or someone else's.

Last night (Friday), a group of us went down to the Ace Cafe for the performance night.
Hung around for a couple of hours then left, and headed to the petrol station over the road (unbeknown to me).
So we all race away from the lights (as you do), and suddenly a few of the guys turn right much to my surprise! :D

Lad in front on his Hornet slams on the anchors, and thankfully having left a good gap, I do too.
However, the brakes on his Hornet are fairly superior to mine (plus the extra 3 or 4 stone I'm carrying probably don't help), and hence the SV begins to lock up and slide.

Squeaky bum time!

I get enough speed down to pull off the brakes, and dart round his left-hand side.

A pretty close-call, and I hold my hands up to that one.

Had a couple of instances of people pulling U-turns on me when I've been filtering past stationary traffic too that have almost caught me out.

So what have you done or had done to you? So to speak...

[Milky Bar Kid]

See this....http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=149422

And was out on Shiny Shiny the other day, in a 30 limit, coming around a tight left hander and a bloody HGV pulled outta an offside junction RIGHT in front of me...GRRRRR

[Razor]

My last close call was another bike, cut me up on a left hander up the cat and fiddle and then put his brakes on going into the corner... Just as he got a few feet in front of me... SV brakes were well sorted, but I had to brake much harder than you should when cranked over at that speed... Managed to let lever off and avoid low siding or hitting the muppet on the CBR.

Now if I see another bike coming up fast and looking to pass before a corner I pull a block on them, before they do the same to me.

[Nobbylad]

Just got in from a quick blast to try and sort my suspension out. Took a right at a very tight mini roundabout and the back end slid out on a bit of loose stuff as I started to accelerate, right leg came out instinctively and luckily the bike straightened out. Wasn't going fast or owt, just assumed there'd be more grip than there was in this heat and didn't really check the surface as was more busy watching a car coming towards the roundabout as it didn't look like they were slowing enough.

[thedonal]

I was on the A31 today, coming off a roundabout onto a dual carriageway. Started moving from lane 1 to lane 2 just on the roundabout exit, having eyeballed a beemer approaching (thinking I had some time) then realised the beemer was going FRICKING quickly- tucked in, waved 'sorry' and got on with it.

Could argue that the beemer was going way too quick, but I'd have been doing the same and it's down to my observation, so fair do's is fair do's!

Think the sunshine today cooked the brain a bit! Reminder not to ride to the Folks (to Walkford from Surbighton) on a farking hot day, around the Midday hour again!

The odd filtering thing too today- just cars moving into gaps on M3/M27, fortunately, I was observant and had plenty of space to brake (was being rather careful!). Traffic on the motorways southbound (and near Lyndhurst) was terribleness!

[McK]

Almost drove through a cyclist last week - entirely my own fault as I was undertaking quite speedily and nipping in and out of traffic. All caused by frustration at london traffic + london drivers plus the stupid idea that you should drive in bus lanes.

[mcgrimes]

Closest call ive ever had is travelling down a national speed limit single carriageway, i over took a car, and as i pulled back into my lane, i found my self quickly approaching another car further ahead. Turns out she was doing half the speed limit at 30 and decided to stick there; so i promptly overtook and had a good stare in.

Not been driving long, but no doubt ill encounter something in the future!

[thulfi]

A van took out a pigeon the other day. The pigeon went flying up into the air (dead). What goes up must come down, and almost on my head, had I not just slightly eased off the throttle and moved a bit to the right. It landed inches to the left of my front wheel. Almost a filthy vermin experience.

Almost taken out by a bus as I passed him at a bus stop. No indicators, didn't even look to see if anyone was on the road. Fine he was apologetic, but wouldn't be much use if I was down.

[Stu]

I have never ever had a close call on my motorbike ...that has not been my fault.

even just listing today's close calls would take too long.

[rpwoodman]

I was out on Saturday.
I was riding down a nice straight piece of road and saw a bicycle in front of me, in the middle of the lane. I didn't bother slowing down (was doing about 40), but started moving right, into a filter lane (cars coming the other way). As I got quite close to the bicycle, the rider stuck his arm out (right) and swerved right, to turn into a minor road). I ended up ducking under his arm. Didn't bother looking back.
It was an odd sequence of events.

[squirrel_hunter]

I have never ever had a close call on my motorbike ...that has not been my fault.

even just listing today's close calls would take too long.

Does that not indicate anything?

[Stu]

Does that not indicate anything?
Just as the fact that I'm still alive with relatively very few accidents to my name indicates something too ;)

[metalangel]

Out in the vale on the weekend, a loose Tesco bag blowing back and forth around the road, I slow down and try to judge it, it blows way off to the right so I carry on through JUST AS A gust blows it back and it snags on my front brake lever! And coming up on a junction, and there's a car in front... just could not get it to unsnag and blow away.

[boot]

Have had so many at other's fault in the short time I've been riding, that there's too many to mention. From pedestrians walking out, to HGV's pulling out, even when I've clocked them, clock me. You can see their brains just not engaging.

Around a full moon, it is usually at it's worst.

[MattCollins]

Had a close one with an oncoming road train as he was trying to overtake another in pouring rain. That was a real sphincter clenching moment as he appeared through the lead trucks cloud of spray and I went spearing down the verge, through the drain and up the other side. Verge and drain is usually 20-30m wide so not so bad and road is built up maybe 3m above ground level there so it was a 5m drop at roughly 30 degree angle. Laid it on at the driver over UHF and Ch40 remained very quiet for a while.
Lots of near misses with wildlife on the highway. Plenty more with turning traffic everywhere. Not sure which is worse. For an intelligent species, humans can do an awfully good impersonation of that stupid animal.

A couple of good ones are black fellas that try to flag down a vehicle at night by either laying down in the middle of the road or by jumping out at a bike doing 100kph+ waving their arms around in the air when said bike is within 20m. It is a scam anyway. Tourists fall for it all of the time. Black Fella leaves a major town with say 50 km of fuel in the tank and rely on the goodwill of others for fuel to make the rest of their journey.
Not exactly a near miss, but I clipped a jumper who was slow to get of the way just recently. Steering damper absorbed the hit. Rule #1: I don't stop unless I want to take on the whole tribe. I go straight to the cops and fill out an accident report. Officer asks why I didn't stop for the benefit of the report. I say I fear for my safety which is a load of rubbish. Cops know how it is. Reality is I am sick of this BS.
No doubt I'll be hearing more about it when he tries to sue for compensation (they know that word) from the TIO. Cops already have my logs including video attached to my statement. No skin off my nose, but hopefully he'll be told to b***** off.