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A cager tried to kill me tonight

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    A cager tried to kill me tonight

    This is a long one, but an adventure nonetheless.

    My friend called me up tonight asking if I wanted to go for a ride. About an hour's ride away (via backroads instead of the 30 min freeway ride) is his fiancee, waiting for something he had to go drop off. He was going to ride there, so I said I'd come along.

    We hit the road on our bikes, him on his 92 Katana 600, me on my GS. It was fun times; we rolled up and down through the gears, got some good curves and such, but then things went wrong.

    I was riding down the frontage road next to the freeway next to the airport. I saw something black on the road ahead, then figured out it was a gouge in the road.

    It wasn't a gouge; it was a pothole, a big one. I hit it pretty hard, and heard an unwelcome smacking sound behind me. I looked back, and sure enough my entire tail section was sitting in the road.

    After doing my bike's first appearance mod - removing the rear fender and custom mounting the license plate - I had ziptied the tail section to the steel of the bike.

    Well the pothole managed to rip out all the zipties, and the tail went flying.

    Seconds after beginning my run back to the tail, a mustang ran it over. That kinda sucked. The guy was really apologetic, but what the hell was either of us to do about the situation. I used what remained of the zip ties to shoddily strap down what remained of the no longer pristine tail cowl and tail light. It did not look pretty. The lense was 80% gone, but somehow the light bulb had survived, so it was functional.

    We rode on, the light falling off a few more times on the way, but we made it to meet his fiancee only 45 minutes late. While he was talking to her I went to the nearest grocery store (luckily still open at 10pm) and got to McGuyvering.

    I bought a maroon colored (closest I could find) clear document folder, clear box tape, and zip ties. I went to town with the zipties, then sliced up the folder to use as a light lense. It looks pink now, but it works well enough that I think it could pass the Johnny Law test.

    So the ride went ok beyond that. We decided to hit the freeway for the ride back (my first freeway ride with this bike) and cruise home. Note to self and others: A Kerker 4-1 is defening on the freeway. The 6,000rpm resonance at 75mph or so is horrible.

    I blasted up and down on the freeway a few times and had fun with it. The tail stuck around just fine after all my rigging.

    So we get off the freeway, hit a few surface roads and part ways as my friend headed to his apartment.

    This all takes place in the span of less than 5 seconds, but bear with me on the seemingly protracted time scale: Seconds later on a 6 lane road I see this truck to my right about to pull out and make a left in front of me. I could swear he saw me because he seemed to hesitate, then he just starts creeping. He doesn't hit the gas to pull out like he meant it, and didn't stop for me either, he just went 5mph or so across the 3 lanes as I gradually moved left hammering the brakes down from 60mph to avoid this guy as he kept moving in front of my lane every time. By the time I was 20 feet away from him, still going 20mph or so on full braking, he finally stopped. By then I was in the center turn lane and he was 3 lanes across in the middle of the eastbound side of the road. I barely missed his nose.

    I was cussing my brains out as I passed him by. Talk about a heart stopper.

    Thank God I saw this guy in time, because he couldn't see sh!t until it was waaaay too close to too late. That was my 2nd cager turning left experience.

    I went to the grocery store near my house and picked up some microwave dinners and put them in my backpack, and headed home. It's always an adventure when he's with me, my friend said.

    #2
    Keep it safe buddy. A sharp eye and quick response are the two most important pieces of safety gear you can take with you on a ride.

    Always expect the unexpected when it comes to other drivers

    Comment


      #3
      Re: A cager tried to kill me tonight

      Originally posted by isaac
      This all takes place in the span of less than 5 seconds, but bear with me on the seemingly protracted time scale ......

      I barely missed his nose.
      Originally posted by earlfor
      With the truck pulling out, you had 5 seconds to survey the situation and take appropriate action. There are the quick and there are the dead, youre not quiick enough.
      I understand your aim here, but this was a low one. I'm not dead. This means I was quick enough. This means my actions were sufficient enough to save my life. I could have done things more quickly if I were slower though, so instead of coasting like I did last night, I'll hit the brakes when I see a car at the side of the road that might pull out.

      Originally posted by earlfor
      You should upgrade your situational awareness program.

      I'm not flaming you. I'm just trying to keep you around.

      Earl

      Earl, you've been in this situation and did exactly the same thing as I did, which is everything that was in your power to do at the time. After that, advised or not, you got better.

      Now, placed in this situation to give advice, you let your imagination take license with the events that occurred to me last night. I can't help but think that had I done as good a job describing what happened as I did at staying alive, I wouldn't have to feel as if you'd just done exactly what you said you weren't doing.

      My inner journalist took a back seat to me saving my own @ss, so I failed to note the subtleties of the situation which may have made me seem less idiotic and more skillful. The words to affect that escape me right now. Since the past is past, I'll use these:

      Originally posted by Hypothetical Biker
      Man, that sure sucked. Let this be a lesson to you that you should expect the worst from the road and from cagers, so always be ready to take action to avoid trouble well ahead of time, and slow down preemptively if you see obstacles or a potential for a bad situation.
      Same effect, less chance of a grudge.

      and Hoomgar, thanks.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: A cager tried to kill me tonight

        My reply to your post was online for about 1/2 hour. At that time, after further consideration of the probabilities, I concluded regardless of what I indicated, it would be considered a flame. If you noticed, I deleted it prior to your rebuttal. (at least prior to the time I was able to read it on the forum) But then, I dont know how long it takes for a delete to take effect either, so I gues that one goes both ways. :-)
        Earl


        Originally posted by isaac
        Originally posted by earlfor
        With the truck pulling out, you had 5 seconds to survey the situation and take appropriate action. There are the quick and there are the dead, youre not quiick enough.
        I understand your aim here, but this was a low one..
        Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

        I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

        Comment


          #5
          Just glad you're OK! Thanks for the reminder about the stupid things others do. It can save someone's life or limb.
          Because motorcycles accelerate fast and stop fast, we tend to think we're in control of things around us. We tend to forget we must drive defensively and expect this kind of thing.
          And on the seventh day,after resting from all that he had done,God went for a ride on his GS!
          Upon seeing that it was good, he went out again on his ZX14! But just a little bit faster!

          Comment


            #6
            Glad you made it ok. It's always good to make it out ok. Never anything wrong with that. 8)

            Earl wasn't being low or flaming, he was trying to give you constructive criticism. Earl is always straightforward, not meaning any harm.

            I think it is usually Skip that says you should ALWAYS practice emergency braking at what ever speeds you intend to travel. I've heeded this advice and it's save me numerous times.

            Imagine this: You'r crusing along on a 6 lane road (3 lanes each direction) you're in the right hand lane minding your own business, traffic is moving about 50 mph, and you're passing this Brown Dodge Caravan. You may be hitting about 55 mph at this point. At about mid way thru the pass, this guys just swerves right over. No 5 seconds, no 1 second. You are harder on your brakes than ever before at the same time to your amazement, your clutch hand and left foot are downshifting like mad, all this out of reflex and thanks to Skps advice. The brown caravan makes it just hairs in front of your bumber.
            Thanks to Skips advice, I practice this on country roads to make sure that I can do it. It was quite excellent advice.

            That was all that earl was trying to get acrossed.

            Keep your chin up Isaac, we all mean well here buddy.

            Oh, and YES that happened to me. 8O 8O

            P.S. I also have read the Counter Steering thread and have been messing around with that a bit. I've always done the push method, I'm trying out the Push/Pull method. Heck, I'll try anything that will help me. I actually kinda blew that on the way home. I am so used to Pushing, that when i had to swerve today, I got myself confused. I guess I'll either have to practice it or keep to my push method.

            Comment


              #7
              Regarding the push / pull thing. Try not to think about it.

              Back in the day (my new bike is still FUBAR) I used to salom the dotted lines on back country roads. The swerve becomes second nature. I never practiced the HARD serve, but I will as soon as my bike becomes road worthy.

              I did practice the HARD braking. (But mostly I practiced HARD acceleration. What can you say? '82 EZ, I mean it just begs it of you.)

              Comment


                #8
                Glad you are OK. You can't be to careful when on/near the road

                Comment


                  #9
                  I think the beauty of this whole incident is how a guy can get out a of situation like that (thank God!) and then learn from it. I'm happy you had some common sense and did the best you could do in the given situation. 30 years ago I didn't and I wrecked and then I learned what to do. Hindsight is great but it ain't worth a crap if your dead. Shiny side up buddy.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    From his actions my guess you encountered a drunk. I have witnessed this more than once, even had one try to take out my ambulance. If the idiots can't see a 20,000 lb. ambulance what chance do you think you have of being seen on a two wheeler? Just be glad you were on a bike, chances are you would never have been able to avoid a collision with him in a car. I would have gotten his license number and called 911 to report his actions to prevent someone else from becoming his victim.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Michael Falke
                      I would have gotten his license number and called 911 to report his actions to prevent someone else from becoming his victim.
                      Best advice posted in this thread yet!

                      I have done that already on occations too.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        good save

                        Good save I can't say you did good or bad cause unless your in your shoes its just ah gee I would have crap, the only mistake was not following him and kicking the truck door closed on him when he trys to get out, you had no plate and a helmet on, means no I.D, you can tell I always get even

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