Simply unbelievable...

Message

gitarjunky · Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:54 pm

So, I picked up the SV today from the shop...all fixed and ready to go...only to get IN ANOTHER ACCIDENT 30 MINUTES LATER!

I was going down a street, coming up on an intersection. I'm in the left lane, in the center of it, there is a car next to me and cars waiting to turn left in the lane to my left. Right as I get up on the intersection some "O Ring" decides he's not turning left anymore and shoots back into my lane, with the car next to me, all I could do was hit the brakes as hard as possible, but it was too late. I slammed into the right side of his car and slid along it to a stop at the passenger window, only to be looking at his stupid girlfriends dumb founded face.

The bike is relatively ok. The clutch broke off and the tun signal housing is kind of f'ed up, and my new tank they just put on got another gosh dent. I'm completely fine, surprisingly enough. But I don't know what to do. I've been out on my new bike a total of about 5 times and wrecked it twice. I feel like something is trying to tell me to stay off the gosh motorcycles. I think I'm going to sell it and try again at a later date...its really frustrating and I've wanted this for a long time, but I also don't want to die....what do you guys think?

Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:57 pm

OUCH that sucks. I take it the cops were involved? Hey, bikes are fixable, you're lucky you're not hurt.

#3 Unread post by **Jamers!** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:59 pm

i donno what to say man. That sucks, but good thing your ok. If this is something you really want then try a few times more, accidents like that are hard to avoid. Just be careful and judge if you think its worth it.

JWF

jmillheiser · Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:32 pm

spend some time on streets with less traffic before venturing out onto high traffic streets again. Take the MSF course if you haven't already.

dont report this to your insurance company, they will probably cancel your coverage and then you cant ride at all.

I spent probably a good week just riding around my local neighborhood before venturing out onto higher traffic surface streets, did my first interstate ride after about 3 weeks (a short 1 mile or so jaunt down I-80 just to see how easily my bike would get up to highway speed), started doing 30-40 mile backroad rides after about a month, going to do my first 50+ mile interstate ride on friday, would like to try my first seriously twisty road towards the end of april (once I get the fairing off the bike and change the bars)

jmillheiser · Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:34 pm

Yes I have dropped my bike, twice to be exact. Once was at a stop sign when my foot found a pothole, second time was last weekend when my bike fell off the side stand when the stand sunk into the ground (I was standing about 10 feet away from it when it fell off the stand LOL)

SuperRookie · Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:32 am

Learn to ride like NO ONE can see you...assume that they can't, cuz only riders look for bikes on the road. Intersections are the worst and you have to bear in mind all the possibilities of what some a-hole might do...just be prepared. Let it scare you off the bike? Nah. Take these incidents as a warning to develop your observational skills. And maybe grow another pair of eyes

C'mon...use yer 'spidey sense'...

sapaul · #7 Unread post by **sapaul** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:06 am

Sorry to hear this man, but maybe my story will help you, I first rode as a youngster and then went legal on road when I was 19, then had to sell the bike a few years later for family reasons, then I moved countries and did not have a road bike for 15 years but rode observed trials at competition level. When I got back on the road at age 35 or so I had to learn all over again and this was without the super fast reactions that you have at 20 years old. I knew the only way for me to survive was to dedicate myself to learning as much as I could. There are people on this forum that consider me experianced, I condsider that there will always be something more to learn. Believe me when I tell you that my control of the bikes is very good but that means nothing out on the road if you do not have street knowledge. I do not think your problem is bike control but a lack of street knowledge and you are not yet cynical enough of the bastids in the cages that are trying to kill you. Here is a start hope it helps. Read the sections about street positioning and take what is applicable to your situations. When you have finished with that, go find more.
http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/navigation.htm

Lion_Lady · #8 Unread post by **Lion_Lady** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:31 am

Glad you're uninjured.

You have got to QUIT EXPECTING CARS TO WATCH OUT FOR YOU!!! It is up to you to avoid them. Your life depends on it.

Never never never count on the cage next to you to do what is expected: Stop at the stop sign, turn left when they have their turn signal on, slow down, etc., etc.

You will die sooner, rather than later, if you do not change your thinking.

Leave more space cushion around you in traffic and behave like those in the cars are actively trying to kill you (better still, that they're trying to kill you and there's $1 million dollar prize for doing it). You've been lucky twice. Don't count on it again.

<rant off>

Pam

Locopez · #9 Unread post by **Locopez** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:11 am

Rally glad to hear you were un-hurt...you need to make the right decision for you. You will know what that is at the right time. If you do decide to keep riding...everything here that most people said is true. Look...Look, and Look again. Start watching people in the cages..sometimes they put off a signal.

Good example...yesterday on my way into work. Light rain...less than two miles from my office. three lane street. I was in the left lane...a small import cage in front of me in the middle lane. Something he did got my attention before he pulled his dumb A@s move...so I was covering the front brake and letting off the throttle...just then he started to move over with no blinker, without looking...I hit my horn..and held it...about half way into my lane...he either heard the horn or saw my headlight...then jerked back into his lane..and crossed the other two to go the total opposite way.

Moral of the story they (cage drivers) are out there everyday...most don't ride...and don't have an apprecation for what it is like to dodge them.

Ride safe...and don't let me take the fun out of it for you!

scan · #10 Unread post by **scan** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:21 am

+1 to both the above.

Most accidents are not going to be your fault, but also most of them can be avoided by using extra caution. Always pretent you can't be seen and cover for that fact.