Nasty off *warning general essay*

There is no way I will ever give up riding unless it kills me. I really do love it that much. Just a mental block I need to get over with the filtering, yes.

I'm a bit worried that the mental block will distract me however. I will just need to take my time.

Originally Posted by ThEGr33k

Probably only think you might have been doing wrong is going too fast. Other than that from what you say it sounds like you were looking out etc.

Glad you are alright though!

Oh and I hope you are getting the exhausts back! (Laser?)

Yea i'm pulling them off this weekend. There is a small dent on the right hand pipe just before the can itself (don't know what it's called), probably came from a stone or something, and there is a slight scuff on the left hand side endcan from the accident. Apart from that they are pretty much fine. Sound effing loud. I will put them up on here for sale for cheap before fleabay if anyone may be interested

[gruntygiggles]

Very well done mate, sounds like you did well not to let yourself get more injuries. Bet it was a sight though seeing yourself slide towards a lorry.

Get whichever bike you are going to WANT to ride and just let yourself get back into the swing of things.

[andrewsmith]

+1 for what TW said

you aint at fault as the car was driving without due care or attention. expect the police to want a statement from you (if they haven't already)

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

+1 for what TW said

you aint at fault as the car was driving without due care or attention. expect the police to want a statement from you (if they haven't already)

Police turned up straight away to clear bits of my bike that were all over the road. They were in a car but were both bikers themselves. Said straight away the driver was totally at fault and was 'probably a complete plank/ probably still pi**ed from the night before'. Got a police reference number that I think has helped me out greatly with the insurance.

The A13 really is a death trap if your not careful IMO. Seen plenty of wrecked bikes on the side of the road in my commuting lifetime. I've had my off now so need to concentrate even more than 110% from now on.

Everyone gets confidence knocks mate http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=152876

I'm back in the saddle and somebody riding behind me for a few hours last week, said you'd never know I was having any confidence issues, but he can see a difference in my cornering speed, etc. He knows who he is, he may post up if he wants to. But after the first 20 miles or so, I asked him if I looked as wobbly as I felt? By the end of the day the wobblyness had gone, though the caution around my cornering speed remained, which can only be a positive thing.

You are already filtering again on the Bandit so you are half way there. If you feel a bit nervous, just keep doing it and your confidence will return. You will always remember this incident and apply caution and that can only be a good thing.

Could you have done anything to avoid it? IMO you are absolutely right to think about it in that way, it's the only way you can learn from the experience. Before I get flamed, the OP asked for analysis and that's what I'm giving him.

From your description is this what happened?



If so only thing you really did wrong was that you always need to be wary of gaps. If there is a gap on the road and the traffic is heavy, some bugger will always try to fill it in order to get half a car length in front.

Same principal as doing a left shoulder check before exiting when turning right at a roundabout. Moving to the middle of the roundabout to go round it, has left a gap on your left hand side, and you need to check that gap before you cross it to exit the roundabout.

Because there is a lot to take in when filtering between lanes 2 and 3, the motorway is wide, and the car that hit you would have been 90 degrees to your left, he is difficult to pick up in your peripheral vision. It's up to you to realise that though and think "before I move into that gap, have I looked at and second guessed the intentions of every other car that can and might want to cross my path?". If the answer to that question is "no, there is so much going on in lane 2 and 3 that I haven't had a chance to look properly at lane 1" then don't move!

If you do get a chance to look at lane 1, see if there is a car that is catching the car in front, if that happens and there is a gap, there's a good chance the car will jump into it.

If any lane is moving faster than the lane next to it, and there's a gap in the faster lane, there's also a good chance a car will go for a gap.

For safer filtering, looks for situations where cars are boxed in and can't move, then filter through. I always try to pass between cars that are adjacent, there's a better chance then that they have seen the other car alongside them, and won't try to change lane.

Anticipation, based upon what you already know about how drivers behave in a traffic flow. If you haven't had a chance to anticipate, or you can't see everything (because perhaps there's a truck in the way), don't move (ie: don't change your course and speed).

Going slower may have given you more time to pick up what was going on in lane 1, but for all we know you could already have been doing 20mph, so only you know if this is relevant.

I always filter between lanes 2 and 3, and when rejoining traffic move into lane 3, there's less to think about (the central reservation isn't going to jump out!) and car drivers are expecting it more, they don't expect a bike to take a slower position on the road. Then if the traffic flow in lane 3 gets too quick for you, take your space on the road as if you were a car, and change lane to lane 2, in the same way as you would in a car. Again car drivers are expecting that behaviour more than they are expecting you to come out from between two cars when splitting lanes.

To be fair to the driver of the Seat he (though he was probably just being an impatient pr1ck who has forgotten what mirrors and indicators are for!) could have checked his mirror and looked down the length of lane 2 behind him, and checked his blind spot, but you were sitting in an invisible position on the other side of the car in lane 2.

I'm not saying it's "your fault", of course the other driver was an idiot, but it's too late to worry about whose fault it was when your sliding on your ar$e, so you need to do as much as you can to be responsible for what happens to you on the bike, and to be in control of your environment. Hey, we live and learn, and you won't do that one again!

[yorkie_chris]

No the other car moved from the right side according to OP

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

No the other car moved from the right side according to OP

Ok, so this happened?



Well that is much easier to see, anticipate and avoid I'm afraid.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

For safer filtering, looks for situations where cars are boxed in and can't move, then filter through. I always try to pass between cars that are adjacent, there's a better chance then that they have seen the other car alongside them, and won't try to change lane.

Just don't pass the car on the right, when it has a gap to it's left. Flank it's rear to the near side, at the same speed and slightly behind it (where the bike is in the diagram), until either it jumps lanes in front of you or it's drawn level with another car and can't move, then twist throttle and away you go through.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Everyone gets confidence knocks mate http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=152876
I always filter between lanes 2 and 3, and when rejoining traffic move into lane 3, there's less to think about (the central reservation isn't going to jump out!) and car drivers are expecting it more, they don't expect a bike to take a slower position on the road. Then if the traffic flow in lane 3 gets too quick for you, take your space on the road as if you were a car, and change lane to lane 2, in the same way as you would in a car. Again car drivers are expecting that behaviour more than they are expecting you to come out from between two cars when splitting lanes.

+1

I've driven cars for years, so when filtering I try and think like a car driver... "F*** it this traffic is moving slowly, and I'm gonna be late for my meeting with that w@nker boss of mine... whassat, a space? They're moving way quicker in that lane... lemme have it!...*smack* Whoa, where'd he come from??"

It's not right, just the way it is.

Sorry to hear about that, it's clearly sh*tted you right up.

Get back out there as soon as you feel ready and then take it as easy as you want.

And yeah, be positive, this is your chance to get a different bike!

[tonyk]

99.9 % car drivers are out to get us...........(or it could be me)
allways expect the unexcepted, cleashay but its true.
filtering down the m25, traffic had stopped and this wonderfull person
pulled his car out, to block me passing him...WTF...
there is always one.
i try to go slow enough to stop if some idiot pulles out, but we cant win all the time.
glad your ok. and happy the other drive has said it is 100% his fault,
sue the Fxxxer, bike, clothes, days lost on work, everything...!!!.