Crash Chronicles (Crashes and Near Misses)

[bernie]

April 2009:

I was picking up my serviced 1985 K100RT from my dealer in Monticello, MN when the service manager told me the same thing he had told me dozens of times before: "Be careful on that new front tire."

I nodded and thanked him with the sage look of a motorcycle veteran I thought I was. I started the bike and started the trip back home. Outside temperature was 40 degrees F and the roads were dry.

About a mile away from the dealership, I came upon the new roundabout that had just been installed the previous fall. This one was made of concrete; nice, smooth, new, concrete.

Traffic was light, and I love to blast through these roundabouts doing the weave to the right and back to the left. My speed was 25-30 MPH.

I made the weave to the right, on the asphault approach but when I made the weave to the left on concrete to set up my exit, my bike went down amazingly hard and fast on the left side. It happened so quick, I swore I had hit a patch of ice.

They say that it takes a healthy adult 3/4 of a second to react to a situation in front of them. The bike must have gone down much quicker than that because I did not have a chance to even ponder the thought of going down. Reflexes took over, I did a combat roll on my left shoulder and landed upright on my feet.

I then watched in slow-motion agony as the K100 slowly rotated 360 degrees on her left side and then crashed into the curb around the perimeter of the roundabout, fairing first.

The left side mirror popped off and the curb inflicted a 3 inch diameter bruise/crack on the fiberglass fairing. A passing motorist graciously stopped and helped me right the K100.

I then headed back to the dealership to drop off my bike to have them perform a post crash inspection and service.

What I did right: Due to the low ambient temperatures, I was wearing my First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket and pants, boots, full face helment and gloves. Injury was a sore shoulder that took a couple months for all the pain to go away.

What I did wrong: (Stupidity broken down into the following 3 points)
1. Totally forgetting that I had a new motorcycle tire on the front of my bike. New motorcycle tires are very slippery, (ride with care for first 100 miles).
2. Not exercising caution on cold motorcyle tires, also very slippery until they warm up, which will take a very long time on a 40 degree F day.
3. Riding too fast for conditions through a newly constructed, (very smooth surface) roundabout.

It is amazing in the weeks following that crash how alert and careful I was when riding. With that crash in my memory I was on "red alert" for the next month or so, continually analyzing potential threats and taking corrective actions. It was like I was experiencing a partial, continuous adrenalin rush each time I rode in the weeks following the crash.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, crash memories fade over time and while I am still careful, most of the time, that adrenalin rush feeling is gone.

My hope is that I will not be experiencing that adrenalin rush while riding anytime soon.

Tim Bro

'85 K100RT; '90 K75RT; '91 K75RT; 2005 R1200GS

Sounds like that was Earle. He has told me the same thing about tires. I have heeded the wise words.

 

[jeffkruger]

Sounds like that was Earle. He has told me the same thing about tires. I have heeded the wise words.

Something I have done for several years with new tires is to go for a ride on a gravel road, and preferably through a bit of deeper gravel, slowly, as on the shoulder. When I get home I hose the tires off. The dust and dirt seem to somewhat soak up some of the mold release or RuGlyde that may be on the tires. I still take it easy for a while with new tires, but doing this routine does seem to help.

Glad the poster was not hurt. I live in a smallish area in eastern WA, and just over the weekend there were two motorcycle deaths. Neither one involved another vehicle, both left the roadway and died. The one early yesterday morning was a Hayabusa that apparently went through a winding freeway onramp too quickly, exited the road on the outside of the turn, tumbled and was pronounced dead at the scene. Always so sad to hear about a rider death, and very chilling to read some of the accounts here.

 

[henzilla]

Had an encounter with a roadrunner the other day. My encounters seem to be animal related lately.

View attachment 46412

Was zipping along at 70 mph and doing the usual scan at my 3 & 6 when I saw something low coming my way about 10 o'clock on an intercept course. He/she was about three feet off the ground and coming fast . I ducked and felt a hard wack on my helmet, but stayed on course as this poorly flying chicken sized ground bird ALMOST cleared me. Some birds do not do flight well...this is one for sure.

I looked in mirror and saw no flailing bird in the road, but did notice my sunscreen strip was missing from the inside of my visor...it had been soidly in place during my pre- flight 10 minutes earlier. My only theory is it got hooked by one of the RR's talons since that helmet now has a nice set of scratches on the visor . I think I had it cracked open a tad.
If I was not fully awake, that took care of that

 

[gch71]

I still have to laugh at this..

Back in the mid eighties I was given an assignment (by my dad and older brother)to do a break-in of an HD sportster for a friend of my brother. My instructions were to put about 2000-5000 miles in about two-three months. Not a problem I was young dumb and fulllll of ambition. Well everything went well for the first few weeks logged plenty of miles, hell even got a speeding ticket in Daytona Beach, I was passing some old people doing 35 in a 55 zone, problem was I was having to much fun got hit for 30 over . Any way you get the picture I was feeling pretty good and secure. Bike was looking clean no scratches.......until. Well my dads driveway is about three hundred feet of sleek even pavement surrounded by perfectly edged Bermuda grass...problem is it was a full three inches lower then the drive way. Being brainless at the time I jumped on the bike gunned it, at the same time the dog waltzes across the drive way right into my line, I swerve, missed the dog but just placed the front wheel to close to the edge of the pavement. Off the edge it goes and instead of just driving into the grass my dumb ass tries to steer it back on the driveway...hughhhh mistake. The front wheel catches but the rest of the bike doesn't follow. It decides to drop and slide on the nice pretty side of the bike on the edge of the concrete. I ended up ok, just my ego got bruised. I busted the bike pretty bad, new steering wheel, new handle brake master cylinder, mirror, primary cover busted, new exhaust and turn signals. Lots of $$$$
But what really got me was the bike I had just trashed belonged to Wayne Gardner, he was a racer for Rothmans Honda then. Well he bought the bike in Florida asked my brother if he could put some miles on it and break it in for him. I really felt like crap and embarrassed. To this day I don't know if he knows or he just hasn't said anything
The lessons you learn!!!! I still remember that to this day, never-ever try to yank it back on, just ride it in the grass!!

 

[AKsuited]

This is a pretty good defensive driving video:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UVmr1nt5hzY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Harry

 

[AKsuited]

Here's another safety video

This one isn't bad, but the lack of attention to conspicuity (black helmets, black jackets) is troubling, especially in a safety video. Don't make yourself harder to see.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/umcMNsSgvVg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Harry

 

[markaz]

Fatal Crash in Utah

My wife and I drove past the site of this crash maybe 15 minutes before it happened, towing our fifth wheel from Torrey to Bryce Canyon. I don't know why they were doing this so close to the road but I had to swerve to avoid the kids actually standing in the roadway. There were several adults there as well with pickup trucks alongside the road. It looked like a pretty hazardous situation altho I didn't know what they were doing.

http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2014/10/11/jek-motorcyclist-dies-after-crashing-into-felled-tree/#.VD9Cz61dXbI

A real shame. I feel sorry for the motorcyclist and for the kids involved.

 

[AKsuited]

My wife and I drove past the site of this crash maybe 15 minutes before it happened, towing our fifth wheel from Torrey to Bryce Canyon. I don't know why they were doing this so close to the road but I had to swerve to avoid the kids actually standing in the roadway. There were several adults there as well with pickup trucks alongside the road. It looked like a pretty hazardous situation altho I didn't know what they were doing.

http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2014/10/11/jek-motorcyclist-dies-after-crashing-into-felled-tree/#.VD9Cz61dXbI

A real shame. I feel sorry for the motorcyclist and for the kids involved.

I would hope a personal injury law firm gets involved in this. The State of Utah should be sued because it happened on their property, the Boy Scouts of America should be sued, as well as any adults associated with this negligent act. Most states require a permit to do anything on their right-of-way. Was a permit issued? Every safety standard regarding work on or along a roadway was violated. Heads should roll, and large punitive damages should be assessed. Ridiculous waste of a human life.

Harry

 

[henzilla]

Road Hazard

Out riding the Airhead today and rolling through a familiar corner on a two lane rural road as I scan something in my preferred line.

The sun was at my back and low so it lit it up some as I scanned my exit to the turn...adjusted the line and couldn't believe what was in a straight line in the wheel track .


I pulled over and looped back to remove it before the next guy finds it. 20 foot / 50ish LB TOW CHAIN

I didn't stop to snap a pic as it was a hazard for anyone coming along. I pulled it out of the lane....and loaded that bad boy up

Here is a pic of how it was laid out in the safety of my driveway

Makes the circle around bike!

Have seen some strange stuff in the road, first complete tow chain and glad it didn't ruin mine or others day. I was expecting to find a truck pulling a car missing a chain ahead of me...but didn't.

 

[henzilla]

Guess I the only one to continually find potential hazard "treasures" on my rides

Here is another one I came upon the other afternoon on a side road.



2" angle iron laying sideways across the road ahead of me. It would have popped up on the other angle had I rolled over it...or worse.
Would have thrown it to the side of road, but would be a hazard to the mowers at some point!
Besides that, one never knows when it could come in handy....had to lay it across bars for short ride home.

 

[arthurdent]

Guess I the only one to continually find potential hazard "treasures" on my rides

Here is another one I came upon the other afternoon on a side road.

Could it be your fellow Texas road users just lose more stuff?

 

[henzilla]

Could it be your fellow Texas road users just lose more stuff?

Could be

I have found some crazy things thru the years. Some pretty pricey things alongside the red shop towels. Life jackets on Monday mornings near the lake were always alongside the road. You could pick the pricey ones and leave the orange ones for the next guy.
I once was riding my bicycle and stopped to pick up over 100 Sawzall blades...brand new, must have been sitting on Bubba's bumper after a blade change. I have not used them all up yet.

I rolled over a 4X8 sheet of $$$$ stainless about 1/4" thick that had slid against the concrete barrier while also pedaling...went back with trailer a few hours later and darn if it was gone...I wasn't sure how I was going to pick that bad boy up anyways...it looked HEAVY. I am sure the loadee made a hasty reroute to find his bosses plate after the OH CRAP moment...I've had those as well

 

[akbeemer]

If I were to you, Steve, I'd be concerned that I was the target of all this metal that finds its way into my path. Seems to be too much stuff to be chance.

 

[BCKRider]

If I were to you, Steve, I'd be concerned that I was the target of all this metal that finds its way into my path. Seems to be too much stuff to be chance.

Steve has a VERY MAGNETIC personality! Mine, on the other hand, only attracts nails and screws.

 

[henzilla]

I got the punctured tube trying to get my last $ out of the rear tire to say I run over junk as well



Was easier to go fetch it and install new rubber as it got tired of me pumping it up as I was meeting Helen to ride home with her Tuesday...she made me drive her bike, I tried getting on pillion...she laughed.

 

[BCKRider]

Steve, I am embarrassed. If your personal magnetism can draw a 50 pound chain and even a 4X8 1/4 inch steel plate to the road, my God, the nails and screws must be flying to the roads you ride from several miles around! You should be charged as a magnetic driver.

Frankly, I think I should find the appropriate agency in Texas and have you banned from driving. In fact, maybe you should be banned from leaving your home unless you can prove that magnetic quality only applies when you are in control of a vehicle. Too bad for you, and it is not really your fault, but public safety has to come first. Agreed?

 

[Paul_F]

Steve, I am embarrassed. If your personal magnetism can draw a 50 pound chain and even a 4X8 1/4 inch steel plate to the road, my God, the nails and screws must be flying to the roads you ride from several miles around! You should be charged as a magnetic driver.

Frankly, I think I should find the appropriate agency in Texas and have you banned from driving. In fact, maybe you should be banned from leaving your home unless you can prove that magnetic quality only applies when you are in control of a vehicle. Too bad for you, and it is not really your fault, but public safety has to come first. Agreed?

Is Steve's true identity Magneto from X-Men?

 

[AKsuited]

handling corners

Safety lesson:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WkAtWiRq8Q0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Harry

 

[KenDittrick]

Not mine this time but it has happened to many of us...

North of Winnipeg MB...

http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/motorcyclist-feels-lucky-to-be-alive-after-narrowly-avoiding-head-on-crash-1.2284904

 

[globalrider]

North of Winnipeg MB...

http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/motorcyclist-feels-lucky-to-be-alive-after-narrowly-avoiding-head-on-crash-1.2284904

Its hard to text and keep an eye on motorcycles at the same time.