What was your closest call?

[earlfor]

It certainly got my attention. :-)

Earl

Wow! That may just be the definition of intensity.

[Schweisshund]

i have had two that serve my memory well. one was a soccer mom who pulled out in to my path and stopped dead in her tracks blocking the hole road, when see seen me. I was on the main road she was on a side street. i started to lean in to a turn, then she takes off and pins me behind a parked truck and stops cutting my escape path off. all of this was done at about 15-20 mph. then she takes off giving me just a bit of room to get by the truck and slams on her brakes agen. I dang near hit the rear of her van. I chased her down and yelled at her till her husband came out. then i yelled at him. found out from the husband she has crashed many times.

the last one, i pulled up to a stop sign. lit a smoke waiting for the traffic to clear. my turn to go let off the clutch and a Mexican laying down in the seat, voided the stop sign. passed me on the left to do a right hand turn. if he would of had a rear bumper i would of been under his car. left a tread mark down the side of his car from my front tire. the Mexican had the balls to tell me cars have the right away over motorcycles. when a girl that seen it happen told him she called the cops he ran.

I had the privilege of talking with a former Hell's Angel a while back. He converted to Christianity and didn't live that lifestyle anymore - however, he did mention keeping a ball pin hammer under his tank for experiences like that.

[bradleymaynar]

The only close call that really comes to mind is when I was with another GSR member on a Crud Run ride a couple years ago. He was on his modded 550 and me on my 1100. He was in the lead and we decided to follow a large group of mixed bikes. HD to Buell and Hayabusa. He was ripping up the twisties and I was trying to keep him in sight. Just before a 25mph turn I had been passed by what I believe was a 'busa. I figured fine, you've got the better bike, no big deal. However, upon entering the turn I found myself nearly riding into the back of the 'busa. I had to hit the brakes hard and found myself heading towards the edge of the oncoming roadway, about a 6 foot drop. Fortunately no one was coming in the opposing lane, so I was quickly able to, thanks to the GSR, look where I wanted to go and reaquire my line.

That situation has since made me be very cautious when riding in an unfamiliar group.

Brad bt

[marvinsc]

The only close call that really comes to mind is when I was with another GSR member on a Crud Run ride a couple years ago. He was on his modded 550 and me on my 1100. He was in the lead and we decided to follow a large group of mixed bikes. HD to Buell and Hayabusa. He was ripping up the twisties and I was trying to keep him in sight. Just before a 25mph turn I had been passed by what I believe was a 'busa. I figured fine, you've got the better bike, no big deal. However, upon entering the turn I found myself nearly riding into the back of the 'busa. I had to hit the brakes hard and found myself heading towards the edge of the oncoming roadway, about a 6 foot drop. Fortunately no one was coming in the opposing lane, so I was quickly able to, thanks to the GSR, look where I wanted to go and reaquire my line.

That situation has since made me be very cautious when riding in an unfamiliar group.

Brad bt

Good Point Brad, a Better Bike doesn't always = a Better Rider!

[Sandy]

The only close call that really comes to mind is when I was with another GSR member on a Crud Run ride a couple years ago. He was on his modded 550 and me on my 1100. He was in the lead and we decided to follow a large group of mixed bikes. HD to Buell and Hayabusa. He was ripping up the twisties and I was trying to keep him in sight. Just before a 25mph turn I had been passed by what I believe was a 'busa. I figured fine, you've got the better bike, no big deal. However, upon entering the turn I found myself nearly riding into the back of the 'busa. I had to hit the brakes hard and found myself heading towards the edge of the oncoming roadway, about a 6 foot drop. Fortunately no one was coming in the opposing lane, so I was quickly able to, thanks to the GSR, look where I wanted to go and reaquire my line.

That situation has since made me be very cautious when riding in an unfamiliar group.

Brad bt

Some guys are only throttle jockeys and haven't got a clue about much when it comes to actual riding. I almost reared a generic sport bike a couple of years ago who did the same thing to me .....except I was driving an '85 Mazda 323 Wagon. LOL.

[Regent]

We were exploring and my brother was leading. His bike would pull mine in a straight line, but my Ninja was very nimble and I was better at quickly transitioning and taking corners at speed. I got a big head and started to close on him through some twists that were downhill and pretty soon I'm on and off his back wheel with the ability to pass him if I wanted, so I was kinda playing around and tucking under him in the corners and falling back every so often. We really didn't run that hard in the straights and for the most part I thought we were running somewhere around 75%.

We take a few turns in one section, and I close pretty quickly on him as we go around a downhill, off camber, right sweeping turn. I was too close to him to duck to the inside after running up on him from the previous left turn, and just about half of my front tire is in front of the back half of his rear tire once we get settled into the turn. The bad thing is the turn just keeps getting gnarlier and gnarlier as it twists tighter and becomes more downhill. He starts to panic a bit and lays on his brakes a touch which straightens him up a bit and and starts him in a slow transition towards me and the center of the road. I can't brake harder or I'll straighten up and cross the center, and I can't lean any further or I'll rub into his back tire.

I'm gonna go ahead and nominate you for a Darwin Award. Hopefully you bite it alone before you kill someone.

[UTCiv]

Oh I'd be the first to admit is was incredibly stupid. I really have no defense or excuse for it, but it did happen, it was the single closest call I've ever had that was 100% completely my fault.

My descriptive writing in the first quoted paragraph probably portrays our proximity a little closer than it really was prior to the incident and that we were riding much harder than we actually were (as far as even discussing the bikes and their potential which we were never even close to). It makes me sound like I was trying to be a badass and was just all over him pushing him and what not. What were doing was sort of lane splitting (staggered riding). I still made a mistake of getting too comfortable on the road, too comfortable with my proximity to the people I was riding with, and ended up riding up on him to a point where I could not safely slow back down and give him the proper room.

This is starting to sound a little too much like a defense, which it's really pointless to defend such a bonehead move, so I'll humbly accept my nomination (wth no intention of heading to the awards ceremony) and return to enjoying the forum.

[earlfor]

It doesnt matter who you are or how long you have ridden. If you ride, its a certainty you have made a mistake at one time or another, some people more than others. :-) What matters is that you learn from them so as not to repeat the error.

Earl


[quote=UTCiv
This is starting to sound a little too much like a defense, which it's really pointless to defend such a bonehead move, so I'll humbly accept my nomination (wth no intention of heading to the awards ceremony) and return to enjoying the forum.[/quote]

[Billyboy]

Yeah, if someone, especcially my brother was riding my ass like that I'd get real mad.

I've had a couple near misses.
Going through an intersection blind. Going under the limit of 50km/h. Left turner. Stopping in my path. Locked rear wheel. almost went down, saved it. She pulled ahead and gave me some space, I stopped where her bumper was a half second before. Chased her down. "Didn't see you!" she said.

[Schweisshund]

It doesnt matter who you are or how long you have ridden. If you ride, its a certainty you have made a mistake at one time or another, some people more than others. :-) What matters is that you learn from them so as not to repeat the error.

Earl

Amen Brother !!!! =D>

[Schweisshund]

I saw my first motorcycle accident today

And it was NOT pretty! I was driving in downtown Holly Springs, GA (small town) and came around a corner to see a Kawasaki in the air in oncoming traffic (2 lanes). It slammed to the ground and slid for about 15 feet. I didn't see the rider until a few seconds later because a White pickup truck in front of me obscured the view. He was sliding on the asphalt on his back, he had shorts and a short sleeve shirt and leather gloves. He was able to stand up, get infuriarated, take his helmet off and slam it to the ground while cursing. His right arm was bleeding profusely (road rash skinned him). There was a black pickup truck - apparently the at fault driver in front of the white pickup that was in front of me. Once the rider stood up, that truck took off.

I went to do my errands, came back and reported to the 4 officers and medic what I had seen - apparently the at fault driver went home, switched cars and came back (???????)

The rider of the Kawasaki had his arm in bandages and was on the cell phone - thanked me for reporting what I saw.

Wear jeans and a jacket guys. His arm was skinned.

[gremlin]

I had the privilege of talking with a former Hell's Angel a while back. He converted to Christianity and didn't live that lifestyle anymore - however, he did mention keeping a ball pin hammer under his tank for experiences like that.

one other time a guy backed up over my bike in a parking lot. I was sitting on the bike at the time. he just came to a stop and started backing up. its hard to push a bike backward fast. i was yelling at him, hitting the horn and there was a bunch of persons just walking by. thay never trued to help. when he finely woke up and figured out something was wrong he bent my front finder and egged the the rim. he decided he better pull ahead. jerking the bike forward. I ended up dropping the bike. he jumped out of the truck and said i did not see you. he even had the nerve to offer me 100 bucks not to report it. boy was he mad when the cops showed up. he even found out the tow bill was going to be higher than the 100 he offered. one new rim and finder and i was ready to go.

he learned real quick what a poed biker can do. I have valve covers that have a valve remover built in. he keep getting flat tires on the passengers side.

[Jon Kram]

Almost cut a Volvo wagon in half when I was 17 at dusk on a city suburb street at about 100 or so mph. Glad I missed it, at the time all I could think about was my bike getting totalled... didn't care I almost got killed. Another incident that made me wierd:?

[Regis]

Did the 'search' for 'Close Call' and decided to add my own little lunch time story from today.

Leaving the plant and get to the intersection to make a right (it's a four laner both ways, and I'm going from moderate traffic to the busier street). I make a right into the right lane and I've already scoped out the much clearer left lane. I make a quick helmet check to my left and I make the lane change.

Something in my brain clicks and I just nail the throttle on the GS1100E in second gear. A split second later I hear a car locking up behind me as I'm hitting 6 grand. The screech of tires continues for another second as I hit 7, then 8 grand. I am clear and also scared $hitless! Either I miscalculated his speed in the left lane from far back, or he was coming up fast on the rear, not planning to stop and made the change through the intersection, nearly right into me.

After 25 years off've a street bike, I am in agreement of the statistics, that it's way more deadly out there, than back then!

[80GS1000]

The incident that gave me the most pause about riding a bike in the canyon twisties came last weekend. I was coming around a 30-35 MPH left hand, blind exit, 180 degree curve on a two lane, double yellow strip divided canyon road when at the 90 degree mark, a Ford F150 pickup truck appeared IN MY LANE. Not just a little bit over the double yellow line, mind you, all 4 wheels were in MY lane. "OH F*&**&*&CK" came outta my mouth, I knew I was screwed. Pain, hospital bills, worse flashed through my head. He swerved to avoid hitting me, which is fortunate because I literally had no exit path at that point. Pulling left would have had me hit his front right bumper, pulling right would've hit the right bumper. Stopping would've meant becoming a hood ornament. Guess he was trying to straighten out the curve or misjudged how tight the corner was and ran wide on this twisty road in his ill-handling truck and was hoping nobody was coming the other way.

I should have turned around, grabbed his plate number, then called the cops that some guy who looked like he was on drugs pointed a gun at me while he drove past. Given that the sheriff was parked at the bottom of the canyon, that would've made Mr. F150's afternoon a bit interesting.