I didn't see it - lesson learned

[Abercrombie FJR]

Dang Don, be careful. I don't want our last ride together in Spearfish to be our last ride together.

 

[Bokerfork]

That was YOU! Crap,,,, if only I'd known. F'n brakes

 

[El Toro]

I'm glad to hear that this turned out well. I was sad to see that some of the regulars had had bad offs during my time away ... and I would have been very sad had this report been made by one of your friends because you couldn't make it.

Hang in there.

I remain convinced that the number one cause of motorcycle accidents is riding with other people.

 

[kaitsdad]

CARVER.

DON'T ******* DO THAT.

RESEARCH "COMBAT MODE."

 

[gumba]

I don't ride in groups any more. **** happens in groups . It's a hard sell with old friends, but that's the way it is.

 

[Jer]

I had a very similar incident happen about 15 years ago after a California stop sign stop in Idaho. I stop at intersections now and look both ways.

Hope I don't forget to do that sometime in the future because I am looking forward to having a future..

 

[LKLD]

Let's face it, we've all had those moments where we wonder "what the hell am I doing?", or " what the fu** did I just do?". These words usually come into the mind of an experienced, and intelligent, rider. Brief moments of lapse of reason. We usually look back on them, even dwell on them, for quite a while. This is what makes us not only better riders, but the best of riders.

Why? Because we recognize our error of judgement, and it pisses is off, that's why. Because it does, it makes us strive to be better.

So today, you're a better rider than you were yesterday....congratulations are in store.

 

[Panman]

Glad luck prevailed Don, rode with you a couple of times now and think it would be more like me than you to do that! Not something we like to admit, good on you to remind us all to ride smart

 

[bluesdog]

I had a very similar incident happen about 15 years ago after a California stop sign stop in Idaho. I stop at intersections now and look both ways.Hope I don't forget to do that sometime in the future because I am looking forward to having a future..

Looking both ways is good, but paying attention so you actually see stuff is better. If your brain is really distracted, you just might not notice that on-coming bright red semi.

What works for me is to relax for a moment before heading out, and bring that relaxed, alert awareness with me along for the ride.

Be the ride, mindful in each moment, and just let all the extraneous, non-ride related stuff go away.

The FJR makes it easy, because it is so much fun!

 

[Bugnatr]

That was YOU! Crap,,,, if only I'd known. F'n brakes

As long as we learn from our lessons, no harm no foul Don.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I had a very similar incident happen about 15 years ago after a California stop sign stop in Idaho. I stop at intersections now and look both ways.Hope I don't forget to do that sometime in the future because I am looking forward to having a future..

I did the same **** in Little Rock AR, a few years ago, on the way home from either EOM, or one of Wheaton's Camping Trips. Glad the other guy was paying attention, because I had my head fully inserted in my ***. I think about that a lot at intersections now.

 

[FJRay]

What they all said. Don't do that ****. Glad all is well.

 

[Tyler]

*******.

Love you. :wub:

 

[SacramentoMike]

Agreeing with everything except the "making good decisions 99% of the time." Since we make hundreds of decisions on every ride, better do WAY better than that. You wouldn't get half a mile.

Live and learn, we hope. And by the way, a comment made years ago here on the forum has always stayed with me. "I don't mind riding fast, but I never hurry on a motorcycle." Wise words.

 

[ionbeam]

Don, you won the lottery of life! Happy you are ok.

Glad you found the one in a million driver, the one that is competent.

Your friends riding partners suck.

When I looked at the map you linked I realized -- holy cow – I know that intersection, it’s about ¼ mile from the Dancing Deer center in Templeton where we stayed. That is an expansive intersection where Vineyard intersects Rt 46 at odd angles; I had commented to pillion that it’s a difficult intersection. It’s one of those places where you have to completely stop, plant your feet and turn in the seat to take it all in. I can see how just throwing a quick look over a shoulder as you are doing a rolling stop can allow you to not see a car.

Not making a full stop at a stop sign intersection is a bad habit, but one which most of us riders have. As I get older and process visuals a little slower I’m trying to learn to quit making ‘rolling stops’ and put a foot down at stop sign intersections and look. (STOP – Slow To Observe Police then Spin Tires On Pavement)

 

[Mehitabel]

I almost took out a Pirate a few years ago. Leaving my driveway in my car I looked left... nope nothing... looked right.. nothing.. "click" something made me look left one more time and there he was... black Harley, NO HEADLIGHT, black leather jacket, no helmet, just a black scarf. Totally blended into the black road. And he had very loud pipes which I could not hear until AFTER he went past.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Glad that no harm was done to anybody. Luck was with you sir. Hope it stays with you.

 

[Old Guy]

On a spirited ride with locals yesterday, I discovered a .65L motobike just can't make the instant passes that 1.2L motobike can... and the 1.2L's were just barely nudging it back in over centerline..So I said **** it and let the pack roar on.
Approaching Vineyard drive and Hi 46, I looked both ways... but my mind was on how the 'guys' didn't even wait at the stop sign. They were nowhere to be seen.. So I launched.. right in front of a grey sedan. Fortunately for my *** the driver had seen me, recognized I'm a true ******* ***** and had scrubbed enough speed that he didn't get to see me die.

It's a very strange and bad feeling to realize you just made a serious mistake.. and got away with it.

I don't know the driver, but he did everything right.

I, on the other hand, did everything wrong.

.. Preoccupied with the where did the fella's go?

.. Thinking of what I was going to get done around the ranch when I got home

...Wondering what that new knock was and where it was coming from

....Doing everything but keeping my focus on the immediate job at hand, to safely ride the bike.

Lesson learned.

Thank you sedan driver, Thank You.

Here's the view

This is very similar to a mistake I made on New Year's Day a couple of years back. I was riding with two friends and was in third position at the time. They both passed a car, but I didn't have time to get by. They took on off, and after some time the car and I rounded a corner. Before I had a clear view of the roadway ahead, I saw the solid yellow line vanish, so I knew a legal passing zone was coming up. As soon as I could see the straight I gave it a quick glance and nailed it. I was probably putting 30 mph on the car when, out of the shadows ahead on what appeared to be a perfectly empty road, a grey car appeared. There was no way I was going to get by before we met, so I got on the brakes hard hoping the car I was passing wouldn't do the same. I barely got back in in time.

The similarities to your incident are obviously a grey car -- mine was in the shadows and not easily seen -- and a rush to catch up with my buddies.

I learned a lesson too. I don't make snap decisions any more. It only takes a few seconds to really look rather than just glance.

I now look for movement. If I look for a couple of seconds, even a well-camouflaged grey car in poor lighting will move enough to catch my eye.

Thanks for posting. Riding a motorcycle in traffic safely is largely a mental exercise. This is the kind of thread that could save someone some serious injury.

 

[puppychow]

Some light reading as food for thought, that I found this morning.

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/riding-tips-reasons-why-riders-wreck-motorcyclist-street-savvy?src=SOC&dom=fb

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/riding-tips-why-we-crash

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/share-road-riding-motorcycles-safety-tips-traffic-street-savvy

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/how-to-avoid-crashing-emergency-braking-riding-tips-brake-check-accidents

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/risks-and-rewards-riding-motorcycles-how-to-be-smarter-rider-street-savvy-motorcyclist

 

[RadioHowie]

*******.
Love you.

Good reply, Tyler...

Best one in this thread.