Near T-bone with cager avoided

[Carter Turk]

I went for a short ride the other day after figuring out my gelmat battery was toast after only 8 months of near daily use. I trickled charged another battery overnight and it fired up the following day like nothing ever happened.

So I set out on a short loop to see if everything was in order with the bike. Chuckanut Drive is a beautiful stretch of road running along side the water with 9 miles of decent turns. Traffic was light so I was able to enjoy the corners, wicking it up a bit. At the end of the turns is a long straightaway and when I got there I came up on a car. I was matching the speed of the car about 5 bike lengths away when the car (a dark blue Audi 6 with Canadian plates) begins to brake and starts veering onto the right shoulder, slowing almost to a stop. I say Oh they're going to let me by and next thing you know the idiot pulls a U-turn right in front of me. I was in 4th luggin about 50 mph when I had to grab a hand full of front and a fair amount of rear, enough to skid abit, before I even had time to pull in the clutch. The woman I see now as I'm stopped looking through the rear passenger door behind her seat, doesn't even see me and continues on her way. I called her an idiot and a dumba$$ in my helmet and continued on my way. It didn't seem worth my while to confront her because she was obviously clueless. I'm glad I was alert and reacted in time. By the way I payed $4.20/gal for super unleaded, the most I've ever payed for gas. Luckily all I needed was 3.29 gallons. Last tank netted me about 38 mpg.

 

[mriddle]

Glad you are ok .. could have been disaster for sure.

My nickname while traveling by car is UTurn .. but I am very careful to not do it in an unsafe way.

I went for a short ride the other day after figuring out my gelmat battery was toast after only 8 months of near daily use. I trickled charged another battery overnight and it fired up the following day like nothing ever happened.

So I set out on a short loop to see if everything was in order with the bike. Chuckanut Drive is a beautiful stretch of road running along side the water with 9 miles of decent turns. Traffic was light so I was able to enjoy the corners, wicking it up a bit. At the end of the turns is a long straightaway and when I got there I came up on a car. I was matching the speed of the car about 5 bike lengths away when the car (a dark blue Audi 6 with Canadian plates) begins to brake and starts veering onto the right shoulder, slowing almost to a stop. I say Oh they're going to let me by and next thing you know the idiot pulls a U-turn right in front of me. I was in 4th luggin about 50 mph when I had to grab a hand full of front and a fair amount of rear, enough to skid abit, before I even had time to pull in the clutch. The woman I see now as I'm stopped looking through the rear passenger door behind her seat, doesn't even see me and continues on her way. I called her an idiot and a dumba$$ in my helmet and continued on my way. It didn't seem worth my while to confront her because she was obviously clueless. I'm glad I was alert and reacted in time. By the way I payed $4.20/gal for super unleaded, the most I've ever payed for gas. Luckily all I needed was 3.29 gallons. Last tank netted me about 38 mpg.

 

[bonanzadave]

A friend who had just picked up a new truck had a garbage truck do that to him. He did t-bone it and totaled the new truck. I think about that everytime someone pulls over in front of me and now Ill add your story to the list.....

 

[Steve]

Glad you made it OK. A good reminder to always watch out for the other drivers, because you know they are not watching out for you. :shock:

I remember a story in one of the bike mags many, many years ago about a rider that was following a car that was driving just under the speed limit and erratically. The biker found a safe place to pass and got around the car, figuring that it would be safer to be ahead of this driver. Just a few minutes down the road, he entered town and was waiting at a red light. He saw lights approaching in his mirror, and they appeared to be slowing down, but the same car that he had just passed rear-ended him at the light. That rider has since changed his philosophy to one that says it's safer to follow an erratic driver, as you can usually control the distance.

One other thing in your post caught my attention:

I By the way I payed $4.20/gal for super unleaded, the most I've ever payed for gas. Luckily all I needed was 3.29 gallons. Last tank netted me about 38 mpg.

I did not see anything about your bike in your sig line that warranted the use of "premium" gas, and was wondering why you use it.
There have been many discussions on this topic, here is a link to one of them.


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[spyug]

Glad you avoided mishap on that one.

I had to laugh a bit when you identified the car as having Canadian plates as it took me back to my early teens. I came to Canada from Britain when I was 12 and driving around with my dad we quickly noticed a lot of drivers making wacky u-turns and nosing out into traffic from side streets and the like. My dad soon coined the phrase "Doing a Canadian" when he encountered them and your post made me think of it. Thanks...brought back some memories.

It really must be a Canadian thing as another guy on a local forum reported the same thing on his weekend ride in the middle of a major Toronto road. Up here though we blame folks of Chineses extraction and I now call it "Doing a Chinese". There are actually parts of Toronto (huge Chinese population) where it is not safe to drive.

When I encounter boneheads I like to stay behind them.....way behind them. Being in front is just an invitation to get nailed.

I just goes to show you are not safe anywhere when riding a scoot.

Cheers all,
Spyug

 

[t3rmin]

Sheesh. Glad you made it out OK, Carter.

 

[willie]

Just missed being t-boned by a 'wing

Just missed being t-boned by a 'wing

I was slowing down to turn into a parking lot yesterday while driving my truck. I noticed a Goldwing about to pull out of the driveway just before the one I was going to turn into. The guy was looking at the traffic behind me instead of at my signal indicating my intent. IF I hadn't stopped to let the guy go in front of me he would've run into the side of me. I was amazed that he didn't even acknowledge my gesture to "go ahead". The guy seemed oblivious to my granting him a reprieve. The next driver he does that to may not be a biker looking out for his safety.
Willie

 

[Carter Turk]

Steve, regarding the gas I have a MTC big bore kit 1229 with stock sleeves, so it gets a little hotter than stock. I hear detonation on occasion.

Spyug, I love the Canadians, and I always have fun when I go there its just the folks from BC, and Alberta who continue to do odd things on the roadway. My story is one example or braking going uphill on the freeway or braking and accelerating at the same time. Another one is someone going 10 or more below the speed limit for several miles and then when someone attempts to pass they speed up. Odd antics.

Just this morning on the way to work another green Audi A6 wagon with a 50 something guy with a tie turned in front of me. I had to go from 25mph to a complete stop to let him finish cutting me off into the credit union.

 

[Steve]

Steve, regarding the gas I have a MTC big bore kit 1229 with stock sleeves, so it gets a little hotter than stock. I hear detonation on occasion.

Gotcha. Sounds like it might be justified. 8-[

I was just hoping that you weren't one of those guys that wanted "only the best for my baby" and fed it "premium" gas on the mis-guided perception that it is better gas.

.

 

[earlfor]

Sounds like you need to mount a couple of Sidewinders on that thing.
Nothing like a good ol missile launch to make a point with a cager. LOL

Earl

 

[Guest]

It must be international u-turn idiot weekend.I nearly got a backhoe(tractor with a bucket on the front and digger on the back).Did the same,waited till I was overtaking and u-turn right across in front of me.Gave the sphincter a good workout( all sh#t contained).At least I know my recent brake overhaul works.Keep them eyes peeled.Cheers,Simon.:shock:

 

[scottp8113]

Sounds like you were pretty lucky. In my second job, I deliver legal papers and such, yesterday I had my fiance's brand new car and as i was leaving the parking lot of my first stop a lady came out of one of the side rows without even slowing down and made the new car not so new . And the best: she told the cop that she didn't see me because I was going too fast, but the first thing the passenger said was that she had seen me and wondered why the driver didn't. Nothing like a good van vs. car to start off the week.

 

[Carter Turk]

I guess all the cagers are stressing about life and not paying attention when they drive.