Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Now we all know the dangers of riding and how we have to be careful of the other drivers on the road, as they don’t tend to always see us. Well this is something that I still can’t believe.
Stopped at a red light about ½ a car length back from the car in front of me, who was in the cross walk, I noticed a semi that was going to turn. Knowing the car would back up and had enough room to back up I still backed up a bit more, till a truck pulled up behind me. Knowing there was more than enough room for the car in front to back up; I braked and waited for the truck to turn. I never would expect the following to happen. The car backed up as I thought and then kept backing up, by that point I couldn’t move anywhere and started honking. Still to my horror the car kept backing up onto the front tire and when the car bumper was hitting the headlight and the rear wheels of the car where lifting off the ground, the car still kept backing up, the bike moving back and me ready to bail, the driver finally went forward. Not because of my horn or that the driver noticed anything had happened but the light was green and the truck had passed.
The driver did finally stop ½ a block away, with a few by standards in complete disbelief and thoughts of ‘that’s what you get for riding in February’. I’m still glad I was lucky to get away with a visit to the hospital via an ambulance. Lesson is learned and me and my bike in the mend. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the road again. I really hope Ill be able to get the old 77 GS400 back on the road again.
So, I guess I'm in the market for a front end and rim any leads out there?

Wow. At least when I crashed it was my own fault.
What reason did the other driver give for not paying attention? I mean, it's common sense to look where the car is going. Is it that much effort to move one's eyes up to the rearview mirror?
Sorry for ranting, but drivers like this anger me. Seems like the driver, not you, should pay for the bike damages.

Glad you're okay for the most part though. That's what really matters. Bike can be rebuilt, body is a bit more difficult.
What kind of injuries did you get?

The driver said it wasnt her fault, but the police saw it differently. Her insurance company has paid for the bike, but the medical expenses are still going on so it will be a bit yet before the matter is cloased.

As for injuries, my one knee hyperextended backwards and I rotated two disk in my back and got whiplash. My wrists and elbows where sore for a week, from the jolt of impact, but other wise I got off realy lucky. I feel if I was on a different bike or if the bike had fallen to a side, I would be in worse shape. As she keot backing up after she hit me, if the bike had laid down she would have ran over me.

This is why they need to do more rigorous testing before they give people licenses...reflex testing/retesting, IQ testing, situational awareness testing, etc. States need to stop giving every idiot with 30$ a drivers license - just because you can parallel park between some cones, and make it through a really weak road test, does NOT make you competent to drive.

wow, nasty one Chels. Like you say, could have been much worse...but that doesn't make it any less painful. Hard to know what else you could have done to make the driver wake up and notice you. A lot of Calgary drivers seem to be half asleep at the wheel in the winter months. Sucks for your front end, too, not many GSs like that around.

Just makes that fairing mounted rocket launcher seem all the more tempting...

Ya the front end is a hard one to find, as is most parts for it. I think I have her running again, but will have to wait and see how she runs without the nobby tires, in spring or when ever I can kneal again.
i dont know what she was thinking or why she didnt respond to all the horns honking or why she didnt stop whne she hit me? Who will ever know, why these things happen.

Looks like the self-contained air horn is my next upgrade...Gonna take some creativity to fit it...

Seems to be several stories here on people being hit by cagers at stop signs or lights....advice to newer bikers....try staying well to the drivers side of the vehicle ahead and watch your mirrors and keep it in first gear....sometimes that allows you to pull forward and let the cagers hit each other. Saved my butt a couple of times!

Lonewolf

the_first_lonewolf wrote:Seems to be several stories here on people being hit by cagers at stop signs or lights....advice to newer bikers....try staying well to the drivers side of the vehicle ahead and watch your mirrors and keep it in first gear....sometimes that allows you to pull forward and let the cagers hit each other. Saved my butt a couple of times!

Lonewolf

This was done, but I had no where to go. My options where to get hit by her or ride into a semi. I had backed up as far as I could as there was a truck behind me. The speed she backed up at too, as a total surprise, so right a way it was to late to do anything else. The only thing I could have done was not be there in the first place.