Well Dang!

[ddaniels]

My very first motorcycle fender bender. Here's the story:

I was riding to Home Depot over lunch following a white Ford pickup. All of a sudden he stops just short of the parking lot entrance. The guy in front of him had stopped and did a U-turn and pulled back out. I look and see the parking lot is being re-done and is barricaded off. I'm stopped about 20 feet back from truck. All of a sudden pickup guy puts it in reverse and starts going backwards towards me and an accelerated rate. With no time to move I lay on my horn and brace for impact. He plows into my front bumper and, thankfully, stops immediately before running me over. Didn't even knock me over. Thankfully, all that is damaged is the front fender. So, after I angrily release adrenaline flow in his direction, he apologizes profusely and calls his insurance agent and provides me with his info.

Detail are worked out, insurance check is on the way, new fender and hardware are on order, body shop is chosen and contract worked out. It could have been much worse. Thinking back, I am both angry and laughing at his first comments, "I always check for motorcycles". Not this time you didn't. "My backup sensors always beep when something is behind me". Try turning your head and looking you moron.

 

[dorkburger]

Glad you're ok.
The increasing reliance on sensors and cameras is scary.
I once had a little Asian woman back into me in traffic- no damage, just the slightest thud. Right in front of a cop who was directing traffic, who pulled her aside and gave her an earful.

 

[Brendan W]

Almost the same happened me a month back except it was a VW Caddy ten feet away and I was on a 1:10 down slope section of a one vehicle width Viking street. I hit the horn as soon as I saw the reversing lamps come on and luckily the impact was slight. I stayed upright. So he hops out and starts yelling about his rear windows being blacked out like it was my fault he had decided to blind himself. Speedy departure. Wouldn't mind so much except I had been travelling behind him in stop go traffic for at least five minutes looking at his stupid face in the driving mirror.

 

[Guest]

I've had that happen in a car before, glad you and the bike are relatively ok!

 

[bwringer]

Glad you're OK!

And the bike is new enough you can actually get parts. That makes things a little easier...

I once got a nice hard shove from behind on my V-Strom while stopped in traffic on the highway due to an accident ahead. The guy behind me in a Toyota FJ Cruiser dropped his phone, so naturally in order to deal with this horrific emergency, he took his foot off the brake and his eyes off the road while rummaging for his sacred electronic nipple.

Fortunately, I have a nasty, paranoid, and suspicious mind while riding, so I was covering the clutch out of habit and had an escape route. As soon as I felt a shove beginning, I didn't hang around to figure it out; I automatically nailed the throttle, dumped the clutch and squirted onto the shoulder next to the car in front.

Same story; the guy was also a longtime motorcyclist and was utterly mortified. No visible harm to either vehicle, but he gave me his info, asked me to have it looked at in more detail and get in touch if anything was damaged. No damage at all, thanks to the huge soft plastic bumper on the truck and the Givi hard bags on my bike.


I also got knocked off my V-Strom last fall in a roundabout -- it was a lady from Illinois who was completely confuzzled by the first roundabouts she had ever seen. A little cosmetic damage to the bike (but it was perfectly ridable; I continued on and did my grocery shopping), no damage to me, and a dented door and missing mirror for her Ford.

A bystander called 911 with a motorcycle accident and no less than two ambulances, two fire trucks, and three cops showed up in about 90 seconds and started looking for the bodies. It took the better part of an hour for me to convince the EMTs I really was unhurt (gear works!) -- I was literally hopping up and down on each leg to prove they weren't broken. And the whole time, the lady in the Ford was wailing and sobbing inconsolably. Fortunately, her insurance took care of things pretty well.

 

[Brendan W]

Now if half the energy they expend post event on mortification, grief and apologies was spent instead on eyes open, brain engaged, beforehand.
Wouldn't that be nice.
Electronic nipple.................. that's bad
Going to borrow it. Don't count on seeing it back anytime soon.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Glad you are okay Dave; are you going to use Liberty Collision? The shop in Middletown did a great job on my right bag a couple of months ago when they fixed scratches I received from dropping the bike against a curb

 

[Steve]

Sorry to hear that, Dave.

You may <think> it's only the fender, but it would be wise to have the forks checked for straightness, too. If they were both bent just a little bit, and the same amount, it won't look bad, but will definitely drive strangely.

.

 

[Guest]

Sorry to hear that, Dave.

You may <think> it's only the fender, but it would be wise to have the forks checked for straightness, too. If they were both bent just a little bit, and the same amount, it won't look bad, but will definitely drive strangely.

.

I was thinking the same thing. Check out the forks thoroughly.

 

[Redman]

Ew, Dave.

Good to hear no injury to you.

Also good that the guy stuck around and admitted to his error.

When I was 18 I ran car into back of a car that was backing up in the road. I thought I could have stopped in time from where I first saw him, but could not stopp to where he backed up. When cop got there, the guy didnt addmitt to backing up, was evasive. Cop said front of my car hit back of the the guys car, I was getting a ticket. And I did.

.

 

[gbw]

Man, so glad you're ok. Makes me angry how stupid people are sometimes.

 

[ddaniels]

Well I rode the bike home afterwards getting up to 55mph with no wobbles or strangeness at all so I'm pretty confident forks are ok. The Mark on them is on the left one from the fender scraping it.

Scott I'm having Little Giant body shop in Dayton paint the new fender. They were able to squeeze over $850 out of his insurance company and are only charging me $250 to paint. Fender andfasteners ran me about $165 so I'm coming out with some money in my pocket. After all I have to out it back on. Plus compensation for the traumatic experience right?

 

[ddaniels]

Appreciate the sentiments. Thank you all.

 

[Guest]

he took his foot off the brake and his eyes off the road while rummaging for his sacred electronic nipple.

That is hilarious and is now my new term for cell phones. :eagerness:

 

[GSXR7ED]

What s story! Thankfully, your horn was loud enough for the big truck to hear you... otherwise, it could have been worse.

It's good that you are able to laugh at the situation once you let out your disapproval. Glad you did not get seriously injured.


Ed

 

[bwringer]

Electronic nipple.................. that's bad
Going to borrow it. Don't count on seeing it back anytime soon.

That is hilarious and is now my new term for cell phones. :eagerness:

Thanks!

Always happy to contribute to the language. And in two continents! Or a continent and an island, depending on you you look at it.

 

[ddaniels]

Back in business. Good to be back on 2 wheels.