The Curse of Motorcycling... just about got taken out today.

[Justicier]

Well today was fun. I was enjoying the weather, riding my motorcycle. Decided to stop by the lake and read for a bit. As I waited for oncoming traffic to clear so I could turn into a parking lot, some guy in a pickup, who apparently wasn't paying attention, nearly turned me into a hood ornament. I heard brakes locking up behind me and... had I not accelerated when I head tires squealing... that truck would have hit hard.

Odd thing is... when someone nearly kills or seriously injures you there is typically a reaction of some kind, whether that be panic... fear... anger... I felt nothing. Wasn't afraid or angry... probably the only thing I felt was disappointment at how easily one person's distraction could result in another's death. My reaction to the event was to slowly shake my head, and extend my arm with the palm facing skyward to let him know "he done goofed." He did apologize profusely when he passed me, hopefully he will make an effort to reduce potential distractions when driving in the future.

Any other motorcyclists frequent these forums? Any "war stories" to tell?

[windows_x_seven]

Jeez, that was close.

[Xannari Ferrows]

Jeez, that was close.

-windows_x_seven 2015

[PakledHostage]

Any other motorcyclists frequent these forums? Any "war stories" to tell?

I'm not a motorcyclist but I am a cyclist. It takes me as just as long to drive to work as it does to ride my bicycle, so I ride my bike. For the most part, riding the bike is more enjoyable and lower stress than driving, but I do have my share of war stories.

A lot of the time when problems happen, it is the motorists who aren't paying attention. They change lanes, pass at inappropriate times, make left turns across my lane, run stop signs, etc, etc. The most dangerous situations occur when they misjudge my speed and do something stupid that forces me to take evasive action. It probably has a lot to do with why I've never purchased a motorbike. I might hit a top speed of 50kph on my bike but motorcycles are obviously much faster. If motorists can't see and avoid me when I'm doing 30-50kph, I'd hate to be even more vulnerable at higher speeds.

[Guest]

This conversation reminded me of this video :

. Still one of my all time favorites

[Justicier]

I might hit a top speed of 50kph on my bike but motorcycles are obviously much faster. If motorists can't see and avoid me when I'm doing 30-50kph, I'd hate to be even more vulnerable at higher speeds.

I can see your perspective a little bit. Honestly I couldn't imagine riding a pedal bike on public roads. You've got more turning capabilities than I do on my 440 pound sportbike, but you lack the advantage of being able to accelerate away from a threat. Had I been riding a pedal bike today, I definitely would have been a hood ornament. I'd definitely like to hear of some of your close calls, because to me, it really seems more dangerous to be on a pedal bike than a motorbike on public roads

[Wanderfound]

Every male (and many of the females) on both sides of my family have been motorcyclists back to at least WWII. I've been a daily rider for twenty years. I owned a car, once; sold it after a year because I never used it. Never broken a bone, never lost a millimetre of skin; apart from one incident of running wide on a corner when I'd only been riding for a few months, all of my "crashes" have been walking-pace incidents in mud or sand a long way from the tarmac.

Best war stories...there was the time I had to dodge a flying mattress that came off the truck in front of me (glancing blow to the shoulder, no big deal), and the time I took a wrong turn into a particularly dodgy neighbourhood and had a guy try to take me off the bike with a cricket bat...

The best, though, isn't a crash story.

I was riding up the Stuart Highway from Adelaide to Alice Springs, on the gibber plains near the SA/NT border. To set the scene: a "gibber" is a stone about the size of your fist. A gibber plain is a region that is made of nothing but those stones; just red rocks to the horizon in all directions, with the rocks hot enough that they'll burn you if you pick one up without gloves.

Scattered through it are saltpan lakes, where the desert has boiled off the water, leaving a brilliant white crust of pure salt. The land is perfectly flat to the horizon in all directions, resulting in a sky so "big" you feel like you should duck.

What little rain happens out there just soaks into the dust and disappears. But when it hits the road, it first runs off to the side, concentrating the moisture and resulting in a band of sparse greenery on the verge of the road. This attracts the kangaroos, emus and camels. And since the only heavy freight into that region is by road train (trucks with 3+ trailers) that take a couple of kilometres to come to a stop from highway speeds, there's a lot of roadkill.

Every dead 'roo or whatever will have at least a dozen crows on it, and usually also a wedge-tailed eagle. They're magnificent huge birds, and they don't mind eating carrion; it's easier than hunting. But since colliding with a Wedgie at 150km/h isn't good for your health, you need to hit the brakes and horn as soon as you see the birds, and give them time to get out of the way.

However, on this particular day the dead 'roo in question had not one but two eagles on it. I did my usual brakes/horn routine, the crows scattered and one of the eagles lumbered off into the air. But the other one just sat there staring at me. You could almost see its crazy raptor thoughts: "I'm the top predator here, you bugger off".

So I keep slowing down, and I'm down to 50km/h and nearly on top of the 'roo when the second eagle finally takes off. But instead of flying away from the road as the other birds had, this one flew straight down the road, travelling in the same direction I was.

Again, picture the scene: red stone desert stretching to infinity, patches of white salt shining in the sun, huge sky, breathtaking scenery in general. Then add to that the fact that there is now an eagle with a five-foot wingspan, flying in front of me, at eye level, perfectly matching my speed, almost close enough to reach out and touch. I could feel the wash buffet my helmet every time its wings went down.

It only lasted about ten seconds before the eagle veered away from the road, but they're ten seconds that I'll remember until I die.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Wanderfound

[Shpaget]

A taxi driver abruptly stopped, I stopped some 3 m behind him, he then reversed into me, got out of the car, took a suitcase from a client he was supposed to pick up, dumped it into the trunk and drove off. All with my bikes front tire firmly stuck under the car.

Cops brought him back.

Another time I went for a ride and woke up with my chin in the process of being stitched and the jaw broken. I still don't remember what happened, but apparently some kid changed lanes into me. A week in the hospital and the kid didn't even come to say sorry or something.

[PakledHostage]

I can see your perspective a little bit. Honestly I couldn't imagine riding a pedal bike on public roads. You've got more turning capabilities than I do on my 440 pound sportbike, but you lack the advantage of being able to accelerate away from a threat. Had I been riding a pedal bike today, I definitely would have been a hood ornament. I'd definitely like to hear of some of your close calls, because to me, it really seems more dangerous to be on a pedal bike than a motorbike on public roads

I guess it is a bit of a mixed bag... It sounds like your quick thinking and your bike's ability to accelerate saved you from serious injury (or worse), whereas I'd have been screwed even if I'd been quick thinking enough. For that reason, I don't ever make left turns from out in the middle of the road on my bicycle unless there's a left turn lane. I'll stop on the shoulder and then cross like a pedestrian when there's a break in traffic. At traffic lights, I'll ride through the intersection then stop and turn 90 degrees by the curb and wait for the light to go green in the new direction. It is a defensive tactic I adopted after similar (although not as severe) close calls to yours.

But the reason I chimed in on this thread is that those of us who travel on two wheels do share a lot of the same concerns. We're more vulnerable than cars and, statistically, when we get hurt on the road it is the motorist's fault more often than our own. I once crashed into a car on the front quarter panel and landed on the hood (bonnet) after she made a left across my lane. Another time, a guy made a right turn just after coming up beside me and caused me to scrape along the side of his truck. Luckily I didn't fall off and end up under his wheels. Other times I've come close to getting hit when people run stop signs (especially so on quiet residential streets) or when they make a right turn on a red light (allowed in much of North America) and enter my lane while I'm already in the intersection.

In Canada, bicycles have to follow the same road rules as other road users do. They are also entitled to the same rights as other road users have. I have to stay to the right in my lane, but I am also entitled to a whole lane if I need it. On narrow residential streets, it may not be possible for a car to pass me safely because I have to ride far enough out from the parked cars that I won't get doored when someone opens a door. That often doesn't leave enough room for a car to get by. That doesn't stop them from trying though. It has happened often enough that some SOB in a SUV decides to play chicken with me because he can't wait for me to clear some 1/2 block section of narrow road with cars parked on both sides. He'd have to wait if I was driving a car. Why does the fact that I'm on a bike give him the right to endanger my life so he can save a few seconds?

Motorists need to pay more attention to cyclists and motorcyclists. Sure there are bad apples who flaunt the rules when they are on their bikes and motorcycles, but as I said above, more often than not it is the guy on four wheels' fault when someone on two wheels gets hurt on the road.

Edited July 16, 2015 by PakledHostage

[Justicier]

This conversation reminded me of this video :

. Still one of my all time favorites

Wow... Never seen that one before. How in the world did that Lorry driver NOT notice the noise and resistance of having that kind of hood ornament?

Again, picture the scene: red stone desert stretching to infinity, patches of white salt shining in the sun, huge sky, breathtaking scenery in general. Then add to that the fact that there is now an eagle with a five-foot wingspan, flying in front of me, at eye level, perfectly matching my speed, almost close enough to reach out and touch. I could feel the wash buffet my helmet every time its wings went down.

It only lasted about ten seconds before the eagle veered away from the road, but they're ten seconds that I'll remember until I die.

Man that sounds like a veritable "perfect storm"... all of those factors lining up to the main event of the Eagle buffeting you with it's wing wash. I've seen some cool stuff in my 5 years on two wheels, but nothing close to that. I love hearing stories from bikers in different parts of the world, there's a variety and social norms that result in things happening that are simply impossible in other parts of the world. Although, I will say, your flight with the Eagle reminded me of my run with the Moose. Nothing spectacular, just a cow moose and her calf running on the road right in front of me for a good minute or so. Not the most majestic sight, but gave me a good chuckle

And hats off to you for going 20 years without a scrape, I wish I could claim the same. I've wrecked once... a high-side crash at about 35mph during an emergency maneuver. It was a half-success... I avoided getting T-boned by a speeding sport car, but alas, it was a bittersweet victory as I lost the rear wheel traction and attempted to recover by reducing angle and rolling off the throttle instead of clutching (I was still a first-year rider at the time). Obviously, rear wheel regained traction too quickly. It's pretty amazing how much force a bike exerts to chuck the rider off the top of it like that. Thanks to wearing armor, what should have been a shattered collar bone and head injury turned into nothing more than severe bruising which took about a month to heal. Sadly my first bike was totaled as a result of the wreck, but I'd take that and bruising over getting T-boned by a car traveling double the speed limit any day!

Edited July 17, 2015 by Justicier

[benzman]

I think that motorcycling tends to make the rider develop a kind of 'sixth sense', or more likely, an enhanced sense of 'situational awareness'. I remember once riding along a four-lane road and approaching a green traffic light. The light turned amber when I was so close that it was a toss-up whether to accelerate through or brake to a stop. I chose to brake and as I slowed down something told me to move over from the center of my lane to the white line between two lanes. As I came to a stop, one of those trucks that transport racehorses roared past my left elbow and through the red lights! Had I stayed in the middle of my lane I would almost certainly have been cleaned up. Shook me up for a while.

I think that the OP heard the brakes and his brain said 'getohellouttahere!'. Just as well that there was a gap in front of him that let him do it.

[hugix]

A few weeks ago a colleague of mine almost killed a motorcyclist with me in one of the passenger seats of our truck. We got stuck behind a big truck that was driving about 70 / 80 Kilometer per hour on the highway. We decided to pass that truck so we could get to a more constant speed.

While we where on the left lane passing the slower truck on the right lane a motorcyclist decided that our overtaking action took to long.. So he got in between the trucks. came up to our cabin (where the driver has less visibility) and slowed down. We where very lucky the other truck saw the cyclist and honked his horn when we went back to the right lane... Or else we would have killed the poor guy.

I spend a lot of time on the highway and often see motorcyclists do really weird stuff, driving without protective clothing, trying to overtake cars with to bikes next to each other. Constantly changing speed. trying to overtake via the flight strip.I understand the joy of a motorbike, but there are times that they completely disregard safety...

[PakledHostage]

I spend a lot of time on the highway and often see motorcyclists do really weird stuff, driving without protective clothing, trying to overtake cars with to bikes next to each other. Constantly changing speed. trying to overtake via the flight strip.I understand the joy of a motorbike, but there are times that they completely disregard safety...

All road users have a responsibility for the safety of the roads we all use. For every dumb thing one group of road users does, there are just as many anecdotes about dumb things that some other group of road users have done. Statistically, though, motorists and not the motorcyclist are more often at fault in collisions between motorcycles and automobiles.

Mark Garner's Bikewriter's blog has a good analysis of a fatal accident that occurred in the UK a couple of years ago. The motorcyclist was killed in the collision and the motorist was charged and convicted for his role in the accident. The accident fueled debate specifically because both parties were at fault, but it also highlighted that the guy on two wheels is more prone to loose out.

Edited July 17, 2015 by PakledHostage
Added link to motorcycle safety article, including a source for my statistics.

[Drunken Hobo]

Not a bike rider but as a motorist I've seen a few suicidal bikers. One overtaking me in a city 40 mph zone (whilst I was going 40 mph), just avoided oncoming traffic by ducking in front of me by what must have been millimetres. I have no idea how he didn't hit my bumper.

There's also a few moronic bikers in my town at the moment who drive at ludicrous speeds. Last year one of them came towards me at what I'd estimate 150 mph whilst doing a wheelie. I only hope he carries an organ donor card and takes no-one else with him when it goes wrong.

Less impressive but a few weeks ago I was following a guy on his chopper tailgating a bus. Must have been at most 2 m away from the rear of the bus. Good luck if the bus suddenly slows down...

Stupid car drivers I can kind of understand, as they can have a false sense of security by being in a big metal box with lots of comfy airbags. Cyclists too, as literally any idiot can buy a bicycle and ride it on public roads with no training, so you're going to get your fair share of fools. But I just don't understand motorcyclists who seem to have a death wish. They must know how squishy they are and how easy it is for things to go wrong. Is it just a false sense of immortality?

[Dispatcher]

A maxim of mine is: no matter who's at fault in an accident between a car, truck, or 18 wheeler ... and a bicycle or motorcycle; the cyclist will lose.

[Wanderfound]

A maxim of mine is: no matter who's at fault in an accident between a car, truck, or 18 wheeler ... and a bicycle or motorcycle; the cyclist will lose.

Which is why the first rule of motorcycling is: if you put yourself into a position where your survival depends upon another motorist doing the right thing, then you've already screwed up.

Riding a motorcycle isn't very dangerous. Learning to ride a motorcycle is incredibly dangerous, and it takes about five years of regular riding to do. The physical manipulation of clutch/brake/throttle/etc is a very minor part. Most of it revolves around learning how to read the "body language" of the traffic around you, so that you can avoid the near misses before they develop.

You can get the physical skills down in a month or two, and start developing the mental part fairly quickly as well. But getting the mental skills hardwired to the point that they operate automatically and constantly (especially when tired/cold/wet/etc) takes quite a long time.

Bikers have plenty of safety-enhancing options available, but they're pretty much all active instead of passive. Where the cars have crumple zones and airbags, we have agility and awareness. Active defences like those only work if the rider uses them properly.

[Justicier]

Riding a motorcycle isn't very dangerous. Learning to ride a motorcycle is incredibly dangerous, and it takes about five years of regular riding to do. The physical manipulation of clutch/brake/throttle/etc is a very minor part. Most of it revolves around learning how to read the "body language" of the traffic around you, so that you can avoid the near misses before they develop

^This.^ I stress something very much along those lines when I talk with people who are thinking about getting into riding. I have always likened riding a motorcycle to flying a stealth bomber behind enemy lines. Work on the assumption that everyone around you cannot see you, but if they could see you, they would actively try to kill you. As such, stay alert, mind your surroundings, know your machine's capabilities, and always create for yourself a way out for when things go wrong. I also encourage the potential rider to take a very introspective look at their mentality. If you have that "Stealth Pilot" mindset, I think you'll do well as a motorcyclist, but if you're easily distracted, are not calm when pressured, or simply don't have the fine physical skills necessary... then I would much rather break a person's heart and discourage them from getting into riding than find out later that they were killed while riding.

Something I do also stress, however, is the fact that we can't predict everything... and as such, we can't proactively defend against whatever may occur. An example would be riding mid-day on a lake-side road. If you know the road, you can predict areas where gravel or debris may be a threat, such as on a tight corner with a gravel driveway linked to it. Every intersection I roll up to I scan for threats, assuming that there may be a drunk driver who will blow through the stop sign. There's still things that are impossible to predict, however, and at that point it is necessary to ask yourself if it is an acceptable risk. After all, hitting a deer that has darted out of the woods straight into your flight path leaving you no time to even blink before impact is far more damaging to a biker than to those in a protective shell.

This brings me to a sad story that I cannot help but be reminded of.

On the morning of September 24th, 2011, my best friend was killed while riding his motorcycle up to Canada. Jonny had been riding for about 8 years, and had plenty of "street smarts" about him. He was taking a route up through the state of Washington with the ultimate destination being Banff. The route he chose was known to be a bit dangerous due to its twisty nature with blind corners. In addition to being a good friend and mentor, he was also likely the most warm-hearted police officer you would ever meet. On that road, he was traveling in the northbound lane behind an SUV. He was wearing full protective gear, and from the reports I saw he was following at a safe distance. In the middle of one of the corners, the driver of the SUV saw a deer standing on the side of the road and panic braked, thinking that the deer would jump out in front of him. Given that it was a blind corner, Jonny's reaction window was more limited, and his potential escape routes were blocked by oncoming traffic. The evidence suggested that when Jonny saw what was happening he made an attempt to brake and then swerve out of the way. The bike low-sided and he slid into the back of the vehicle. I know he had internal abdominal injuries, and despite the helmet, traumatic head injury. Given that it was a fairly remote area, it took 30 minutes for the ambulance crew to arrive. I was a volunteer EMT for 2 years, and knowing the details of the crash I know that there was no chance he could have survived unless someone began CPR almost immediately after the crash. Given the ambient temperature, brain death would have occurred after only 6-7 minutes lack of oxygen. As far as I could tell from the crash reports, there was no mention of anyone beginning CPR until the EMTs arrived. Even if he was dead on the scene, the responders provided chest compressions and oxygen all the way to the hospital, as per local scope of practice. He was declared dead at the hospital. Given the fact that it was a road with lots of twists and blind corners, even when following at a safe distance and at the speed limit, only a fraction of a second's distraction is all it could take.

At the time, I was in my second year of riding... still very green... and it made me seriously question whether or not to continue. Obviously I did, though admittedly it was not for the right reasons at the time. (Girlfriend at the time broke up with me not long after Jonny died, I did not have a death-wish per se, but I certainly didn't much care about my own safety). It was a pretty rough time... but that incident, more than any other, reinforced to me how fragile life is, and how much every moment matters. Years later, now motorcycling seems almost therapeutic to me... it's honestly very difficult to describe in words.

This post turned out to be far lengthier than I had anticipated, my apologies... I don't know if anyone will really "get" anything out of this but I felt it warranted mentioning.

Edited July 17, 2015 by Justicier