busted up

[Kevin]

Coming home from work monday night @1 am, a car turns left in the intersection in front of me. my 82 r100rs hits the car in the passenger door and i get thrown over the roof and land in the street. i come too as they are loading me in the ambulance. I just got released from the hospital today, broken right arm, I'm southpaw luckly. I have amild concussion. The Emt's cut my armor jacket off. The bike is totalled.  My buddies have the bike in my garage. Looks like I'm goimg to have some time off to get my daughters vision finished, we also went to chicago last saturday and picked up 2 t500 suzuki twins,{ restoration projects}. oh and the doc said i shoulden't be alive. I'm sold on my kbc full helmet and armor gloves and jacket. It's goog to be home. Kevin C.

[Paul_Jungnitsch]

Glad to hear you're ok. That's what I always thought would get me on the motorcycle. Sometimes people 'look but don't look' and in a car you are usually alright, on a bike it's sort of up to fate that day.

[Lucky]

It's ALWAYS some moron turning left... S.I.P.D.E.- IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.
glad your (mostly) ok, I hope to NEVER have to say goodby to a Visionary that way...

--Lucky

[YellowJacket!]

same thing almost happened to me on monday too!  Was on my way to work and some idiot talking on her cell phone ran a stop sigh and turned left right in front of me.  (thank goodness for the visions ABS...lol) did the stupid jam on the brakes first then let go and did the swerve.  Found out my horn doesnt work!

David

[Mutt]

It may not be audiable, but my finger always works!

Glad your going to be alright Kevin. Hope your back on two wheels soon.

Mutt

[Paul_Jungnitsch]

A lady cut in front of me when I was touring the Gaspe' in Quebec. Not only did she cut across the highway without looking, but when she saw me she panicked and STOPPED!

I had a good look at some very wide eyes as I locked the front brakes (no anti-lock that day, the Vision was only 5 years old at the time) and left a very long black streak all down that nice Quebec pavement.

Luckily the bike stayed up and I didn't (quite) hit her (would have been smack in the center of her door). My face must have looked kind of scary because she didn't get out or anything, just got the hell out of there while I tried to slow my heart down.

If I get motorcycling again and do much regular commuting I think I might shelve my black aerostich and get one of these:

http://www.aerostich.com/pages.php?pageid=19

I wore something that color when I bicycled in the winter to university and it was amazing the difference it made.

[Lucky]

Last weekend i went to visit my son at his friends, it was at the end of a bumpy road, & i just finished the fork seals. ?on my way home on a quiet country road, when this Lincoln SUV swerves into my lane & guns it! they obviously couldn't hear the stream of profanitys spewing forth under my visor, but they sure heard my Taurus horns! some SOB in a neck noose on the phone with a harley sticker on the window. GRRR! under some situations, beatings should be legal!

--Lucky

[squid]

glad to hear that you are ok and bones will mend, there are are lot of idiots out there,,i was comming home today at lunch and some dimwit was empting you his shoes out the window while driving,,he had gravel in them cause the were hitting my knuckles and visor,,but helped me remember a few ideas that a couple of harley guys i used to ride with gave me,,,
one guy carried ball bearings with him in his pocket,,so when someone cut him off or threw the cig butt out the window, he would pass them and toss one over his shoulder.  nice chip in the windshield and no proof it was from him,,,coulda been a stone ;)
the other ideal is more funny than practical,,,,i worked with this guy and this was our idea on a slow day
take a bunch of road flares, an old style alarm clock with the bells on top and a speaker magnet
so when yer cut off,  or whatnot,  speed up beside the car, drop your decoy bomb on the hood and take off lol,,,,unfortunatly the police classify this a mischief, and dont see it as funny :P

[h2olawyer]

Kevin -

Glad your injuries weren't more serious - get well soon!

I used to get a lot of people pulling out in front of me.  Now, as I approach intersections I swerve a little bit - whenever I can - & it seems to have cut down on the phenomenon quite a bit.  Still happens but much less often.  Generally, I move about 1 or 2 feet side to side & in no particular hurry.  Makes the headlight appear to flash a little bit to anyone in front of me.

My next riding suit will be yellow but probably leather.  I do like that Aerostich suit, though.  To heck with being stylish - I'd rather be seen!

H2O

[silicon_toad2000]

I'm sure beating these people up would be defendable, "honest your honour, I thought he was going to kill me and I beleived he would do it again unless I intervened"

[h2olawyer]

No legal opinions from me on this one - he would deserve all the above plus force him to take the motorcycle safety course!  A minimal motorcycle awareness section ought to be part of every state's driver's licensing system.  Just my personal opinion.  Three fatalities around here in the last few weeks from cars turning in front of motorcycles.   :( >:(

Here's another horn for getting noticed -

www.aerostich.com/product.php?productid=17137&cat=263&page=2&xid=60a5ccd1205f38b6ec00b83879c551be

Looks like a winter addition for me (both tones).

H2O

[Mutt]

Those look like some nice honkers h20!  :)  Looks like they'll fit nicely under the fairing.

Unfortunately most of the time the horns are only affective after the fact just to scare the person driving the car. There are instances when the horns would be more affective such as with Kiawrench and the lady backing over him in the Cadillac.

Mutt

[redxz550inoz]

I have found a resounding kick to the drivers door works wonders to let the driver know he's about to change lanes on top of you  :D  ... sadly, that chance is not always presented.

[Superfly]

Accidents suck.... Broken bones suck more!? I broke my right hand in a motorcycle accident (...but I am right handed) and that was the biggest challange.? But if you can walk away from that accident, consider yourself a lucky person.

I do alot of riding on the L.A. freeways, and one time (about 3 months ago) I was riding about 40-50 mph, and this (explitive deleted) moron in a nice new Caddy STS was chatting on her cell phone, did not even look, and swerved right into my lane, and bumped me!? I was fighting to controll the handle bars, and when I finally did (I did not want to go down at that speed in rush hour traffic) I looked at her in her new Caddy, and noticed a nice gash in her door (from my footpeg)? smiled, and gave her the one finger salute!? I am sure she had a nice suprise when she got home and saw her door!

[Mutt]

I used to live in San Diego (Poway) and had to drive up to LA at times for training. I'll bet I've only driven to LA maybe 8 times. 4 of those times I actually witnessed an accident and all were rear-enders. Traffic was moving 70+ suddenly in the middle of no where the brakes started slamming.

I fear rear end accidents on my bike because I was hit in the rear end while riding on I-95. Fortunately we were nearly stopped for a toll booth at Petersburg so it was relatively slow speed. Drunk driver!

Mutt

[YellowJacket!]

Thanks H20,

I just ordered one of those horns.  132 db  WOW!!

David

[h2olawyer]

David -

Let us know what you think.  You may need to wire in a relay to keep from frying your horn switch.  I think Lucky had to put one in to operate his Taurus horns.  When I do it, I'll probably get both tones - the more obnoxious the better!

H2O

[MotorPlow]

This must me contagious.
I dropped my bike last night.  I was coming home and at my house, I gotta ride around the house and park in the basement. This is only the second time I dropped a bike since I started riding in 1993 (or so). 

Trying to be quiet, I went to flip off the cutoff switch and accidentially goosed the throttle, paniced and grabbed the front brake. The grass was wet with dew and I found the abs brakes don't ab on a slippery surface. I was nearly stopped, but the front tire kicked sideways.  Before I knew it I was standing next to the bike laying on the ground.

I am afraid to look at the damage. I have looked out the window and see plastic pieces on the ground, but really don't want to go into the basement to look.  Raining today, so I will take the van to work. Venture into the basement tomorrow. I know at least, the turn signal is busted.

Ride Safe, Even in your own yard.
Chris F.

[Lucky]

yes, you MUST add a relay or you'll melt the horn button electricals, i learned this the hard way...

chris, at least if your going to drop it, you couldn't ask for anything softer than grass..

--Lucky

[Superfly]

If you really wanna bust your vision, the best way to do it is into a mountain... (so I've heard!)  ;D