Moronic Accidents or close calls

Had one in the car the other day ... pedestrian with (probably) a nice looking iPod/mp3 player as a Christmas pressie, too busy marvelling/infuriating at the "jog wheel" technology and was merrily approaching the nearest kerb on a left-hand bend without a care in the world (certainly without any thought for any traffic) - had she stepped out I think she'd have had a lot more time getting to grips with that iPod from her hospital bed ... with this in mind, I honked the horn just as I was turning into the road, and I think all she had to do was change her underwear when she got home

On the bike ... I've had a few, but seem to have far fewer since my NDIS course (proof indeed that sometimes it DOES sink in ) ... My observations and anticipation is far better on the bike these days (famour last words before running into the back of a stationary tractor no doubt!).

Most of my "oh cr*p" moments these days are due to inattentive drivers on motorways/roundabouts. Best you can do is just expect them to do the unexpected and try and steer WELL CLEAR of them.

In 2001 I borrowed my eldest daughter's Honda VFR400 NC30 for a few days, with the intention of buying it off her. She'd just bought a CBR600FX and the NC was going cheap. All I wanted was an extended test ride before stumping up the cash, so I collected it in my works van and took it home.

Later that night I went out for a ride around the Derbyshire Dales, had a bag of chips in Matlock Bath before riding home towards Worksop, which is where I lived then. I'd decided I was going to buy it, it really was a lovely bike to ride. On the approach to a roundabout just outside Chesterfield I overtook a scruffy red Astravan and slowed to a stop in the right hand lane, looking right for a gap in the traffic before moving off. Next thing I know I'm hitting the large chevron sign on the roundabout itself back first after bouncing off a car roof. I remember seeing bits of NC30 flying around me as I went.

It turns out the guy in the Astravan, a plumber, was a bit of a bike racing fan, but not a rider. He'd seen the NC30 come past and thought it was a super rare VFR750R RC30, which was an easy mistake to make as this one was painted RC30 style and had a single seat on it, with Yoshi can. He was so intent on confirming what he'd seen, presumably so he could tell his biking mates, that he forgot all about braking as he approached me. The result was that he hit the back of the NC30 at approx 45mph without even touching the brakes.

Somehow I didn't break one bone, I was black and blue from bruising but the worst thing was my back was in so much pain from having the rods holding my lower spine in place bent. It took an operation to replace the rods and about 9 months of chiro/physio before I was able to ride without much pain.

He got banned for 6 months and IIRC a 300 quid fine. I got paid out 500 quid more than I was going to buy the bike for and paid my daughter straight away, but she still won't let me ride any of her bikes 'just in case'.

Originally Posted by Daimo

Errrr daily? Should I just do a report when i get to work/get home?

Usually involve people not using roundabouts properly. Jumping red lights. PEdestrians walking out without looking. Busses trying to squeeze you out. Taxi drivers doing U turns without indication or anything. People coming out of juncitons without looking etc.....

ah london...love it!

on my first scoot i owned a pug speedfight 100, happened in hackney, came around a roundabout, bit fast, fully going for it thinking i was rossi, flicked off onto the exit and the road runs downhill, toward a zebra crossing, as i approached it there was a car, brake lights on obviously staionary, i went to brake, as i did the cars brake lights went off, 'ah' i thought its moving off, so i didnt brake the car didnt move...opps...i hit it at about 45-50mph shot forward, right knee went through the plastic leg sheilds, my balls hit the clocks...teh whole front exploded into bits really...how my head did'nt go through the back windscreen i dont know,i wasnt insured at teh time..doh!...i wrote it off pretty much, had to pay for teh cars damage and my bikes new front facelift...lesson learnt..BIG time...with black and blue plums!!

oh and my first big ' OH SH~T!' moment on my SV a.. 90oddmph tankslapper...i posted up on here after it hapened, scared the life outta me..shook me up in a big way!

[DavieSV]

just after christmas, travelling up the A38, 2 lane dual caridgeway, inside lane was empty, there were 2 cars ahead of me in the outside lane, sometimes in this situation I would make progression up the inside lane close to the hard shoulder, but I could see that the car in front of me was putting a bit of pressure on the car in front of him to move over, after about 1/2 a mile, the front car put the left indicator on and pulled over into the inside lane, the car in front of me accelerated and overtook, I followed at the same pase, at this point there was a car in the inside lane, one in the outsdie lane & me following the car in the outside lane, normal, the road was clear ahead of the two cars as far as we all could see, as the car in front of me passed the inside car, the inside car pulled back out into the outside lane with no indication and no car infront of them to overtake, where was I? rear passenger door, drivers side. I had no where to go, I was telling myself not to panic brake! luckily didn't get target fixation on either the barrier in the middle of the road or the drivers door as both were as close to me as each other. I had my left leg up to the tank level as she was that close I thought she may hit my leg and I was over the rumble strip! If she had used her mirrors, all she would of seen was a the front end of my sv diving on the brakes and a helmet full of . I slowed down and swung across the boot of the car, with what felt like my helmet pumping with blood, my heart beat was soo fast. I regained composier, there was still no trafic in the inside lane, I did undertake her whilst keeping a close eye on her. she didn't glance, quiver, shake or even seem to know I was ever there. I didn't have anything left in me to do anything, I just wanted to be out of there, pulled off at next roundabout, had a fag, reflected on the sea of idiots we ride through every day.

It wasn't her fault, I should have known she was possibly a t**t and therefore prepaired for that situation. I live many don't.

Originally Posted by plowsie

Yesterday i overran into a field due to missing a bend

learn to lean mate,learn to lean

p.s hope your ok.

[yorkie_chris]

Another one today, coming back from the dyno place, open road, NSL, a car's doing 40, so I went to overtake, before I moved out I decided "no, can't be bothered, too windy, bike's running lean ... I'll just chill at 40"

A few seconds later, off he goes on a road to the right without slowing down at all, a guy nearly at the junction nearly lost his wing cos he cut the corner.

Nearly!

Originally Posted by sv-robo

learn to lean mate,learn to lean

p.s hope your ok.

Ohh i have dont worry about that, i hit a patch of either mud, slippy wet stuff or ice, and slide as i hit the brakes so boot down we'll run this one off into that field entry

Umm please correct me if I'm wrong on this.....

We are allowed to filter it is know as a high risk manover, my understanding in accidents terms is that it would go 50/50 most of the time, this is what happened to me....

I was filtering down the A5 heading towards Kilburn (M1 direction) so there I was riding down the road. Then this ****** is a BMW (always is isn't it) jhust turned right without indicationg I stopped my bike safely emergency stop!!

I was so ****ed off, so I can chased the guy, and vented my anger, then carried on riding.

How could have I prevented this, simple if I knew about rasing vision and reasing the road further ahead like I do now, then I would have been more ready for this to happen and would rejoined the main traffic line. Though the car driver is still an ASS They didn't even look.

I talked about this with the traffic guys, they said it would have been 50/50...,,if the moran in the car had hit me.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by bluethunder

I talked about this with the traffic guys, they said it would have been 50/50...,,if the moran in the car had hit me.

see Davis vs. Schrogin