Talk about your close calls

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maxim9691 · #1 Unread post by **maxim9691** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 9:08 pm

Besides the daily cage driver closing they're eyes and pulling out in front of me.
There have been a few moments in my motorcycling life that stand out.
In my 20+ years of riding the lowlights have featured moments of ignorance and near-misses.

At the time I had only been riding a hand full of years when I topped a steep hill in the early AM. Only to meet a deer just over the peak of the hill top.
My reaction as I see the deer, is to do nothing - "amazing reflexes I must've had in my youth "

Luckily the deer's reactions were better than mine, which jumped clearing my front tire. All I saw were hooves, still don't know how I missed him.
Would love to have seen a side view of what exactly happened !?

17 years ago, during my first year of marriage and the last time my wife road with me. 'Can you see where this is going?'
Anyway we were riding to the beach , shorts, open face helmets.
Some friends following us in a truck and driving close enough behind to keep most of my attention, in the rear view.
It starts to rain along the way. As I'm looking for the turn off which is on a curve and hard to spot.
As I approach slowing down to about 35 and beginning to miss the turn off.
I clamp down on the brakes and feel nothing on the rear brake and as you might expect.
I lock the front up on the wet pavement and it slides out from under me, leaving me face down on the ground.
Wife ends up in the softer ditch, unharmed.
Besides some lost skin , I felt as though I was going to lose a front tooth.
Which happily I didn't.
Any way after closer examination, the bike had a rear drum brake which didn't work.
Because the arm going from the brake pedal/lever was broke in two.
That was the last time I wore shorts and a open face helmet and the last time my wife rode with me.

Other Misc. Events
Road off of gravel road that came to a 'T'

While riding above the speed limit x2 then Surprised by deer in the road, drove between 2 of them.
Realized how smart that was after

While learning to ride, my parents thought it would be safer if I learned to ride in the back yard.
Which was about 75 ft long and 50 ft wide. With shrubs on the inside of a wood fence.
Needless to say, there was a loss of many shrubs and the damage of some fencing

Getting your motorcycle license only and trying to drive it year round.
In a place that has winter days in the 30-0 range.
then trying to ride it to school from a heated garage on a bike that is electric start only.

I think thats enough stupidity for now, but I do have more

Scott58 · #2 Unread post by **Scott58** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:25 am

Since 1975 there are to many to list up to and including using my foot to deflect a car fender trying to sideswipe me. Riding a kz 900 down a 10 foot embankment avoiding a drunk etc. But I never went down and that's the main thing.

#3 Unread post by **sv-wolf** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:48 am

There are too many even to remember. But today, I overtook a car as I turned onto one of my favourite short-and-fast back roads (didn't want to get stuck behind him) and completely failed to see another car coming towards me out of a blind dip - just didn't see it. That was one of the nippiest overtakes this year!

As I slowed down into a village at the other end of the road three minutes later an oldie came straight out of a turning at me. I had to accellerate and swerve across the road to avoid him.

Fast in; dodo out, as they say!

jimguitars · Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:40 pm

One morning on my way to work, making a right onto a wide road, I could see the red light at the next intersection...

But I could also see the yellow light for the cross street, so I started grabbing gears. I figured I couldn't possibly get there so fast that the light would still be red when I arrive.

At the last second the light changed in my favor, but there was also a van that was trying to catch that yellow light (but didn't)...

So we both came skidding into the intersection and when the van stopped I was pointed right at his passenger side door. I knew I wouldn't make the stop so I let off the brakes and went right, expecting to go lowside, but (to my surprise) the tires stuck and I cleared it. It was really close! ... probably just inches between my knee and his bumper.

After that, I never trust a blind intersection... even if I have the right of way.

UTRider · #5 Unread post by **UTRider** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:50 pm

First bike about 10 years ago, in a construction zone, some idiot didn't see me and turned from a side street. Got their attention by kicking the front panel of the car, and they swerved into a turning lane to keep from running me over or sending me into a 3 foot deep trench.

Three years ago on a gold wing, was driving at night on a city street, had a little rise up over a canal then back down. As I went up the rise, headlight reflected on something stretched across the road. I ducked, hit both front and back brakes. Somehow kept it upright into the dirt opposite side of the street. Good thing those kids that stretched saran wrap across the street were fast runners.

Two years ago, coming home at night, was ready for deer, was watching for them on the highway. Didn't see a one. Get off the interstate onto the city streets, relaxed a little bit and wouldn't you know it. a deer comes running out of the city park. When it got in front of me, it turned and tried to outrun me. I put down rubber in a skid and just barely hit his rear end.

#6 Unread post by **Big B** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:56 am

saran wrap? i would have made sure the next several years of those kid's lives were living hell for pulling that kind of bullshit

jstark47 · #7 Unread post by **jstark47** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:31 am

UTRider wrote:First bike about 10 years ago, in a construction zone, some idiot didn't see me and turned from a side street.

Happened to me yesterday on the way home. I ended up on the shoulder..... across the road. Flipped the bike around, chased the guy down. When he opened his window I gave him an earful and more. He kept protesting, "but I looked both ways!!" I was looking right at him - he only looked to the right, I was coming from his left. Jacka$$.

I was kind of primed for it, was watching his front wheel, so it didn't catch me completely by surprise. Which is why I'm still intact to write about it this morning.

Then there was the one who merged into me on I-295 the other day. After she realized what she did, she looked sheepish and waved an apology (besides, she was hawt!!) so....... whaddya gonna do?? I get merged into about once a month while commuting - you can never let your guard down.

UTRider · #8 Unread post by **UTRider** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:46 pm

Big B wrote:saran wrap? i would have made sure the next several years of those kid's lives were living hell for pulling that kind of bullshit

Well, they ran down a dirt canal bank road. I got about 10 feet down the bank on the wing before I decided THAT was a bad idea. By then, no way was I going to catch them on foot. Had I caught them, they wouldn't have been happy campers.

Dragon on Wheels · Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:50 am

I saw a close call in my car that involved someone on a bike. It was at an intersection with a traffic light(2 lanes in both directions) and the light turned green. There was a large truck on the other side making a left and he turns quickly to beat the oncoming traffic(where I am part of). There wasn't a left turn signal, so oncoming traffic(my side) has the right of way. IMMEDIATELY behind the truck is a guy on a bike tailing the truck so close that you couldn't see that he was there and also trying to squeeze in before the oncoming traffic gets through the intersection. He wasn't able to, but fortunately, no one was moving too fast(except for him perhaps) and the cars all stopped and he swerved around them. The whole trying to turn left before the oncoming traffic thing really annoys me. It doesn't save that much time and can involve some dangerous situations.(I've seen some people try it and then slam on the brakes and block traffic because a pedestrian was trying to cross the street in the crosswalk that the left-turner didn't see)

MTexile · #10 Unread post by **MTexile** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:33 am

Was trying to think of a really good one to post, couldn't decide. Then Fate threw one at me literally. Was making my way home after a ride today on a two land highway, straight stretches, dips and rises with a few 45 mph curves thrown in. A fun little road (MD-140 between Westminister and Emmitsburg MD, if you're curious).
Doing about 50-55 going west up a hill, road has a slight curve to the right. Reach the top and coming up the hill at me is a RV with 6-8 cages behind it...the only problem was some moron in a Camry in MY lane trying to pass the RV. I slowed and hit the shoulder, Camry forced it's way into the east lane. Wasn't too dangerous, but if we had all reached the crest of the hill at the same time...