K4 Down after 11 years

[Big Bad Al]

My beloved K4 s has been injured after giving me nearly 11 years of dedicated and safe riding. I was sideswiped - can't think of another way to describe it on friday afternoon riding my usual commute home from Ealing. I was going along at very low speed and had almost gone past a junction when it felt like an express train rammed into the side of me. It is difficult to really piece together what happened as the driver has impacted the rear of the bike tipping me on to her bonnet / windscreen. I was running up to nearly 11 years trouble free until then..... I can only assume the lady driver just didn't stop at the give way sign as she wasn't in my line of site as I went past the junction. Anyhow I've ended up with three broken ribs (how can they be that painful!) and a bruised lung. My head didn't seem to have hit anything, she missed my legs so despite the fact I thought I was going to bleed out and die on a pavement in Ealing, I seem to have been remarkably lucky. Suzy looks poorly and I am awaiting the insurance assessors visit. Should be a bread and butter matter with the insurance if such a thing exists. So on friday night I was thinking, well that was pretty random may be it is time to quit biking. I have ridden from day one with a high viz vest, kept the headlight wiring as set up by Mr Suzuki and tried to ride as I was taught, feeling that after 11 year with my SV, I must be doing something right. I get the usual people puling out at this and similar junctions all the time and it's easy enough to slow down, break / stop if needed. But To get hit like this after almost passing the junction - impact point seems to be my nearside passenger foot hangar, seems to be something you can't lookout for. Two days on and the visit to A&E, with the needles, x-rays scans, tearful family members, having your head strapped to a board and unable to move, seems like it happened to someone else and I don't feel too bothered. Selfish maybe? As I nearly passed out at the side of road and when I did pass out and start shaking, complete with open mouth and rolling eyes in the hospital, (much to the alarm of my family) I was thinking, I really should have a list of practical things my wife needs to do to sort out, like contact numbers for life insurance, salary payments etc.... so maybe I will finally put pen to paper now. Seeing my little 8 year old girl so upset, upset me, but we had a long talk the following day and I explained that I wasn't actually badly hurt just probably in shock and not breathing deeply because of the ribs hurting. So after this long rambling post...... should it be a new SV or Pushbike for me?!

[ophic]

My mrs took a similar approach.

"You wanna bike into London? Write a will!"

[Big Bad Al]

ha Ophic - good for her. The day after my spill my daughter was due to go for her first ride as a pillion on her boyfriends bike. She put it off partly out of respect for my feelings and partly out of fear, seeing as I had built up this invincible track record for 11 years. Later in the day she came and asked me if I minded her going out after all and of course I said yes just be careful. Her boyfriend also spoke to me which considering they are both adults is nice.

I already asked her if she wanted to be a doner or not.... A little dose of realism doesn't do any harm I guess. I Did my will a few years back, maxed out the life insurance through work, always wear a full protective suit and high viz vest. Didn't count on coming across a blind BMW driver though.!

[ophic]

Originally Posted by Big Bad Al

Didn't count on coming across a blind BMW driver though.!

You can be sat watching TV in your living room and one of those can still get you!

[Swin]

28 years of London commuting for me, with a few spills along the way, but nothing as frightening as you describe.
I would normally suggest you analyse the situation, see if there was anything you could do differently to reduce such a thing happening again and treat it as a learning experience, but in this case it sounds like you were just the victim of a useless driver!

Wishing you a speedy recovery

Swin

[jambo]

If you'd been hard on the gas with the front wheel up you wouldn't have been hit

First off very glad you're OK, sounds quite scary for all concerned!

In all seriousness sometimes there is pretty much nothing you can do, if you've managed 11 years in London without a prang, you're doing something right. Could you have done something different on this occasion? Hard to say from what you describe, it should as you say at least be pretty straightforward from an insurance point of view. Hope you get paid out.

In terms of what to buy next I can't convince myself it's any safer to cycle at all, I suppose you'll get fitter, but you'll be quieter, less visible, smaller, and generally wearing much less protective kit. Of course, you can cycle defensively but you seem to be doing that on the motorbike anyway.

What next? Well, with the changes to central London ULEZ requiring a Euro III compliant bike from 2020, you'll want something younger than the K4 (a 2007 onwards bike). I do like the look of the Yamaha MT range, be a dear, buy one with the insurance money and let me know if they're any good will you?

Jambo

[Craig380]

Glad that you're (relatively) OK and hope that the other party's insurance doesn't try to f*** you around. From the impact point it sounds like an open and shut case. As you say, bloody good luck that she didn't hit your leg.

For what it's worth, 4 years ago my wife's Punto was written off (twisted chassis) when she was stationary, in a queue at a roundabout: a drink-driver in a BMW X5 hit her (and 3 other cars) after failing to negotiate the roundabout exit. Luckily, my wife and daughter were relatively unscathed.

The point is, sometimes it really isn't your fault - the other party is entirely to blame.

[Big Bad Al]

Ophic, don't make me laugh - it hurts! Yep, that is the underlying theme Craig - sometimes it is out of your control. Jambo, I think you are spot on, I would have been clear if I was going quicker - lesson learned! My daughters boyfriend has a Yamaha MT03, single pot. Looks and sounds nice, but those handle bars would give me problems over the Greenford Flyover - it's a squeeze on the SVs... I didn't know about the new regulations as I haven't wanted to change bikes. I love my SV. Swin - 28 years, that gives me hope, I didn't think may bikers last that long! Appreciate the comments guys. I will be on my E-bike (Cyclotricity Revolver 500W restricted to 250W) for a few weeks I think. 15.5MPH (If I run it legally, which I actually do..!!).

My commute goes from where the Old master brewer used to be, 8 miles along to Hangar Lanes, all on a cycle route off road. It's just a boring cycle route.

cheers - gents, appreciate the positive comments.

Al, dont let it get you down mate, like others have said, sometimes it is out of your control and I doubt you could have done anything to avoid it.

Wrong place, Wrong time.

[jambo]

Jambo