Close shaves? You drive a bike, you will have an off, at some stage

Skill Magill

Been driving for maybe 25 years or so, and although I havent been hospitalized recently, in the past 15 years I have had some close calls, and some friends have lost their lives. I think its inevitable that at some stage you will crash, fall over, lose control and to a certain extent its a flip of a coin whether you come out on on top. I've been lucky enough to come out on top a few times, I had an off wearing an open face helmet which resulted in losing teeth and a portion of my lips to the road, another one I broke my collar bone and two heels. I would consider myself very experienced, but sometimes you can't see round corners if you get my drift.

blade1

Yep, have had plenty of close ones and a couple that I thought it was game over.
One that comes to mind is a time when a woman pulled out in front of me.
When she saw me she stopped an blocked the road.
Too late to brake,I was inches from going through the drivers door.
Not sure what happened then but the bike went around the car somehow,bike in a tank slapper, it kicked my legs off the bike so my legs are hanging off one side off the bike.
Guess it just wasn't my time to go!

Cienciano

Sometimes there's just nothing you can do.

Max Headroom

I know its obvious now...but looks he had time to go around the back of the car...do you think..???....lucky though..
Is that a baby in the front...:eek:

Geraldo

It's a very scary thing when it dawns on you you're going to crash alright. I would consider myself quite experienced and also pretty safe but I've been on the road a few times. It's never been my fault either but the moral high ground is no good if you're a corpse so you have to take lessons away from every situation.
Luckily the worst I've had was a broken wrist but like I say, I'd consider myself an extremely safe rider. You have to respect the danger when you ride. Otherwise it can end really really bad!

Mr Sheen!

Max Headroom wrote: »

I know its obvious now...but looks he had time to go around the back of the car...do you think..???....lucky though..
Is that a baby in the front...:eek:

Prob not a good idea to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid something. Hitting something head on would be a lot worse.

Cienciano

Max Headroom wrote: »

I know its obvious now...but looks he had time to go around the back of the car...do you think..???....lucky though..
Is that a baby in the front...:eek:

No, don't think he could have swerved, once you drop anchor you just go straight. Almost no time to react there.

Wonda-Boy

The stupid dopey head on ur man when he got out, how your man did not go ape on him I dont know......lucky he did not go through the passenger door and hit the young child in the car!

Skill Magill

^^^^^
I had a chap pull straight out from a side road and I went straight into the drivers side and knocked me off. When I was on the deck I could here him moanin that he'd just got his drivers side fixed and look at the state of it again. Didn't even ask how I was etc etc. I just lay back and said I'm not goin anywhere, ambulance and guards were called, he was found to be 100% in the wrong with loads of witnesses. Lets just say, if he hadn't been a dick I wouldn't have prosecuted him.

Max Headroom

Unbelieveable..........I was coming through Shankill this evening..bitch/whore/bas*ard producer is turning right into her driveway..i see her and throttle off a wee bit just in case...she starts to turn in..then decides she wont make it and stops..her front wheel, wing and half the bonnet are on my side of the road....i carry on past giving her a shake of the head....













BTW..i was in the fcuking Transit....:mad::rolleyes:

inchiuvatu

only been on bikes 4 years and had a few close calls, about 50/50 being other people trying to kill me/my wrist getting me into trouble. only off was after i got cocky after a fast run over the gap in the wet. the road between hollywood and blessington.. was incredibly lucky to not collide with oncoming traffic as i tumbled and then slid like a turtle at *cough* 80kph (thats the speed limit around there right?), bike lost and indicator and bust a radiator but took almost nothing to get her right, all i got was a sore thumb... back protector are great!(seriously i felt like a ninja turtle sliding along headfirst toward the unknown ...ditch-hedge)

MarkR

What's the law on bikes moving to the other side of the road in slow traffic? Presume it's the same, no crossing continuous white lines?

Wonda-Boy

MarkR wrote: »

What's the law on bikes moving to the other side of the road in slow traffic? Presume it's the same, no crossing continuous white lines?

Dont mention the war m8

Cienciano

MarkR wrote: »

What's the law on bikes moving to the other side of the road in slow traffic? Presume it's the same, no crossing continuous white lines?

Yeah, same as a car really. Different people have different practices, I wouldn't pass a line of cars on the right if traffic was coming towards me. I used to, but not any more, I've mellowed with old age.
I've passed on plenty of solid white lines though.

Suasdaguna1

Too many close shaves here from granny pulling out of her driveway stuff. I use a go pro, recharge and format after a days riding. Sounds excessive but it only takes a sec. Best decision i ever made. Another bike pal of mine swears by cameras.......he believes cages give you a wider berth if the see they are on camera. Oh on cage days, paranoia has caught up with me....have a cheap ebay dash cam too.......just my 2cent

That fella on the you tube is very lucky (a) he didnt break a leg and (b) he wasnt skinned alive....why? Good gear.....in the sunny weather i saw a middle age fella in his shorts riding around on a GS, .......as James May says, a "cock".

aaakev

A guy on a zx10 flew passed me on the N7 this morning wearing jeans, runners and a jumper.... mad bastard......

neamhspleachi

aaakev wrote: »

A guy on a zx10 flew passed me on the N7 this morning wearing jeans, runners and a jumper.... mad bastard......

Fúcking idiot IMHO

At least I can go home & have a shower after wearing the leather jacket, boots & kevlar jeans in this weather

Road rash don't come off that easy

goodlad

MarkR wrote: »

What's the law on bikes moving to the other side of the road in slow traffic? Presume it's the same, no crossing continuous white lines?

Yeah its the same law for bikes and cars. Although with nothing in the oncoming Lane I couldn't see why any biker would not cross the line and move up. Otherwise ya might aswell be in a car and not on a bike.

But ya have to do it slowly and watch for pedestrians appearing between the cars on your left in the slow traffic. The key to situations is slow speed and a shed load of observation.

Max Headroom

neamhspleachi wrote: »

Fúcking idiot IMHO

At least I can go home & have a shower after wearing the leather jacket, boots & kevlar jeans in this weather

Road rash don't come off that easy

Why is he a fcuking idiot iyho...??.............if HE feels comfortable doing it why does it bother you..??

OTOH...if it was stolen thats a different thread...;)

Skill Magill

Another time I was coming out from Dublin Docks and a 40ft was in the right hand lane as I was on the inside with the intention of turning left, presuming he was turning right.(no indicators) However he thought he was in a ralley car and was swerving to the right hand lane in order to take a hard swing to the left ( the racing line ). When I realised what he was doing and the 40ft was bearing in on me, I saw an entranceway that allowed me to mount the path and shot up that. I was sick as a dog afterwards.

Mr Sheen!

Skill Magill wrote: »

Another time I was coming out from Dublin Docks and a 40ft was in the right hand lane as I was on the inside with the intention of turning left, presuming he was turning right.(no indicators) However he thought he was in a ralley car and was swerving to the right hand lane in order to take a hard swing to the left ( the racing line ). When I realised what he was doing and the 40ft was bearing in on me, I saw an entranceway that allowed me to mount the path and shot up that. I was sick as a dog afterwards.

Quite common for big trucks to take lines that seem unusual. Best thing to do is give them a wide berth at roundabouts and junctions. Sure you could nip on beside them , but what's the rush ya will get past them after the junction no probs!

Sounds like quick thinking on your part ( with a bit of luck) saved your ass.

Skill Magill

leppla wrote: »

Quite common for big trucks to take lines that seem unusual. Best thing to do is give them a wide berth at roundabouts and junctions. Sure you could nip on beside them , but what's the rush ya will get past them after the junction no probs!

Sounds like quick thinking on your part ( with a bit of luck) saved your ass.

I hear ye, was a courier at the time

leeroybrown

I'm not riding in Ireland at the moment but when I rode abroad I always used to tell friends "it's not if you fall off, it's when you fall off".

BaronVon

leppla wrote: »

Prob not a good idea to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid something. Hitting something head on would be a lot worse.

His brake light only comes on at the last second, he had no time to react at all to avoid the car.

MarkR wrote: »

What's the law on bikes moving to the other side of the road in slow traffic? Presume it's the same, no crossing continuous white lines?

You can cross a continuous white line for access or in an emergency, according to the Rules of the Road. Bikes have a bit more leeway, cos you can shimmy back in, but anything that happens when you're on the far side of the CWL will be deemed to be your fault. plus you run the risk of getting a ticket!

Rippy

Wasn't even indicating . Had no chance .

Fingers!

There is an indicator light at 0:05 alright

Cienciano

Max Headroom wrote: »

Why is he a fcuking idiot iyho...??.............if HE feels comfortable doing it why does it bother you..??

OTOH...if it was stolen thats a different thread...;)

Yeah, i drive a bit runners and jeans. Probably should at least wear the boots, but just a short 15 minute commute on the m50 I can't be arsed. On a spin I would.
We all know the risks and take our chances. I also have a car sitting at home, if i wanted to take less risk i'd take that

Rippy

Fingers! wrote: »

There is an indicator light at 0:05 alright

Well spotted .

Rippy

I wonder if she was prosecuted for careless driving , presume the video evidence is usable ?

neamhspleachi

Max Headroom wrote: »

Why is he a fcuking idiot iyho...??.............if HE feels comfortable doing it why does it bother you..??

OTOH...if it was stolen thats a different thread...;)

Cienciano wrote: »

Yeah, i drive a bit runners and jeans. Probably should at least wear the boots, but just a short 15 minute commute on the m50 I can't be arsed. On a spin I would.
We all know the risks and take our chances. I also have a car sitting at home, if i wanted to take less risk i'd take that

It doesn't bother me, I just feel why take the risk if you have the gear just because it's inconvenient to put it on for whatever reason

Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age & with my past post crash recuperation experiences, including pins inserted, grafts, fractures etc., I don't think it's worth the risk

To each their own though

Pierced Off

Cienciano wrote: »

Yeah, i drive a bit runners and jeans. Probably should at least wear the boots, but just a short 15 minute commute on the m50 I can't be arsed. On a spin I would.
We all know the risks and take our chances. I also have a car sitting at home, if i wanted to take less risk i'd take that

I've been lucky/unlucky (delete as applicable) enough to have had only one off in over 30 years of riding. I was on a 10 minute run from Ballyfermot to Neilstown. Car pulled across in front of me leaving me with my shoulder broken, wrist broken completely in two and my knee/tibia in around 20+ pieces. It was reckoned by the Dr. who treated/rebuilt me that the gear I was wearing did actually save my leg. Without the leather and assorted pads and armour it would have probably been an amputation.
To answer the two most common questions, The Doctor was a biker not a scaremonger and yes I was a little over the 50km speed limit.
Regardless of weather, I now make damn sure everything I wear is armoured/ padded etc. With the fibres and technology available today there really is no excuse for not wearing decent PPE.

Cienciano

neamhspleachi wrote: »

It doesn't bother me, I just feel why take the risk if you have the gear just because it's inconvenient to put it on for whatever reason

Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age & with my past post crash recuperation experiences, including pins inserted, grafts, fractures etc., I don't think it's worth the risk

To each their own though

I'd probably wear flip flops if I could change gear

Pierced Off

Cienciano wrote: »

I'd probably wear flip flops if I could change gear

I'd rather you than me, but in saying that I was in Crete last year and saw a couple on a Hayabusa. He was in shorts t-shirt and slip on trainers. She was wearing short-shorts (think Dukes of Hazzard, only tighter) bikini and sandals. In 40 degree heat, it looked awful tempting.

Cienciano

I was renting a harley in Vegas before, they asked if I wanted a jacket, I said yes. So went in and tried a few on, it was so hot that I decided I wouldn't bother. Came back out to pay and told them not to bother adding the jacket (it was extra).
They said "we didn't include it anyway, no one ever takes the jacket". Was about 40 degrees there too.

Hotblack Desiato

Cienciano wrote: »

Yeah, i drive a bit runners and jeans. Probably should at least wear the boots, but just a short 15 minute commute on the m50 I can't be arsed. On a spin I would.
We all know the risks and take our chances. I also have a car sitting at home, if i wanted to take less risk i'd take that

Bear in mind that the foot and lower leg has the worst circulation of any part of your body and is the slowest to heal.

I'd go without gloves sooner than I'd go without proper bike boots. I was hit side-on by a car turning right, impacted on my foot, I got away with a fractured metatarsal and 2 crushed toes (and a broken kneecap from being launched in the air while my leg was pinned.) I don't like to think about how much if any of my foot would be left if I'd been wearing trainers.

Bike boots are no effort to put on, and offer a lot of protection to a part of your body that is a lot more vulnerable and hard to heal than people think. Crazy not to wear them imho.

Magown3

What do you guys think of wearing motocross boots? I have a pair that I wear on the bike as I've no "road" boots.

I wear them coz they're comfy and imho, offer decent protection also.

aaakev

Magown3 wrote: »

What do you guys think of wearing motocross boots? I have a pair that I wear on the bike as I've no "road" boots.

I wear them coz they're comfy and imho, offer decent protection also.

Are they not a bit big and bulky for everyday use no? Iv a nearly new pair of boots for sale if your interested sure send me a pm

Cienciano

Magown3 wrote: »

What do you guys think of wearing motocross boots? I have a pair that I wear on the bike as I've no "road" boots.

I wear them coz they're comfy and imho, offer decent protection also.

Should offer better protection than most road boots. They're designed to have bikes falling on them regularly. They're generally a bit more bulky and louder design, and probably not fully waterproof.

Skill Magill

I wouldn't call motocross boots comfy, they do offer the best protection though. I couldn't walk in them, put it that way

Magown3

They're a little bulky alright but nothing I can't handle. It's good to hear that their protection is as good as other boots I'll stick with them for a while.

I'm pretty sure that they ARE waterproof but not tested in really bad stuff. Also, if u don't have them on really tight like you would on a motocross bike, there's a decent level of comfort.

Mick55

Still fairly new to bikes, only had one close one which of course came from overconfidence.

On a country road came into a corner a bit too quick, there had been a farmer driving in and out of a field so there was sh!te all over the road, didn't see this until I was already in the corner!

Couldn't lean into the corner or the bike would have went from under me, tried to stay upright and make it around but ended up being pushed out into the ditch. Front wheel bogged down in a drain and bike stopped dead, I did my best superman impression over the handlebars and ended up landing shoulder first on the road and rolling a few times. Few scrapes and bruises, the handlebar caught me nasty around the groin, I back handed the road which hurt like hell even through the gloves. Bit stiff for a few days after thankful it wasn't worse. Needless to say I'm glad to have that learning curve behind me!

Cienciano

Mick55 wrote: »

Still fairly new to bikes, only had one close one which of course came from overconfidence.

On a country road came into a corner a bit too quick, there had been a farmer driving in and out of a field so there was sh!te all over the road, didn't see this until I was already in the corner!

Couldn't lean into the corner or the bike would have went from under me, tried to stay upright and make it around but ended up being pushed out into the ditch. Front wheel bogged down in a drain and bike stopped dead, I did my best superman impression over the handlebars and ended up landing shoulder first on the road and rolling a few times. Few scrapes and bruises, the handlebar caught me nasty around the groin, I back handed the road which hurt like hell even through the gloves. Bit stiff for a few days after thankful it wasn't worse. Needless to say I'm glad to have that learning curve behind me!

Best way of learning is a near miss or incident like that. You'll never go too fast around a corner again (well, maybe not) and you'll always watch for shít on the roads. Similar happened to most bikers with shít (literally) on the road. Loose chippings are another disaster, I was near Clonalvy village and went around a corner and found the council had topped a road with loose chippings. About an inch deep of poxy gravel on the road.

CNTRLR

Cienciano wrote: »

Best way of learning is a near miss or incident like that. You'll never go too fast around a corner again (well, maybe not) and you'll always watch for shít on the roads. Similar happened to most bikers with shít (literally) on the road. Loose chippings are another disaster, I was near Clonalvy village and went around a corner and found the council had topped a road with loose chippings. About an inch deep of poxy gravel on the road.

that used to be clare county councils favourite way of repairing a road, just lob an inch of gravel for a few hundred metres down the road, sure the cars driving over it will compress it down, saves us doing it...

Had many, many interesting rides along the coast due to this malarky over the years.

Bandit 6

and people wonder why biking is dying off...

Canis Lupus

Cienciano wrote: »

Best way of learning is a near miss or incident like that. You'll never go too fast around a corner again

Amen to that. First day out on my first proper 'twisty road' ride. Went into a corner that tightened unexpectedly. Grabbed instinctively for the front brake
and sailed out onto the other side. Had a car been coming I would have been toast.

Vikings

ninja900 wrote: »

Bear in mind that the foot and lower leg has the worst circulation of any part of your body and is the slowest to heal.

I'd go without gloves sooner than I'd go without proper bike boots. I was hit side-on by a car turning right, impacted on my foot, I got away with a fractured metatarsal and 2 crushed toes (and a broken kneecap from being launched in the air while my leg was pinned.) I don't like to think about how much if any of my foot would be left if I'd been wearing trainers.

Bike boots are no effort to put on, and offer a lot of protection to a part of your body that is a lot more vulnerable and hard to heal than people think. Crazy not to wear them imho.

I'd be the opposite to be honest! Though 99.9% of the time I wear both, I've never went out without gloves.

I've been in a cast for the past 4 weeks after an operation to fix a broken finger, and being one handed sucks. I'd much rather be hobbling around on crutches than be without a hand.

HamSambo

If you're hobbling around on crutches then you're gonna have no free hands

Cienciano

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Amen to that. First day out on my first proper 'twisty road' ride. Went into a corner that tightened unexpectedly. Grabbed instinctively for the front brake
and sailed out onto the other side. Had a car been coming I would have been toast.

Everyone has done that at some point! Natural reaction as you said is to brake, so bike straightens up and goes straight. Good read here:
http://www.ofirmx.com/blog/2013-04-10/motorcycle-cornering-survival-reactions-and-proper-body-positioning/21

Or the video I posted before covers it in more detail, definitely worth a watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWgb0MtgNlo

gctest50

HamSambo wrote: »

If you're hobbling around on crutches then you're gonna have no free hands

only need 1 - saves weight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbrIoPY4nO8

BrokenArrows

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Amen to that. First day out on my first proper 'twisty road' ride. Went into a corner that tightened unexpectedly. Grabbed instinctively for the front brake
and sailed out onto the other side. Had a car been coming I would have been toast.

Yup did the same going over the Alps last week. Had my helmet camera on at the time, I may or may not post it when I get back home. I havent watched it yet.

Hotblack Desiato

Vikings wrote: »

I'd be the opposite to be honest! Though 99.9% of the time I wear both, I've never went out without gloves.

Neither have I.

You never see a rider with bike boots and leathers/textiles and then on top just a t-shirt and lid, at least I never have. But I frequently see riders all geared up with expensive lid gloves and jacket, but below the waist they might as well be naked - only wearing jeans and trainers.