Nicked by a cager today

[Docholiday]

Took my bike to work today and was making a left turn into the parking lot from a two lane road when I heard screeching and saw tire smoke and felt the bike shift sideways as I pulled into the lot. The bike stayed upright but suffered a scrape on the saddlebag and a rub on the rear muffler. I looked back to see a car pulled on the side of the road. There was about 50 feet of rubber from where he had hit the brakes. Fortunately he veered to the side as he braked or I think it might have been real messy. I was wearing a hi viz yellow kevlar jacket but he still said he didn't see me until the last minute. I was shaking so badly afterward that I only collected half of the information that I should have. The guy said he was real sorry and that he had a bike too. I guess you never know when trouble will pop up. It could have been so much worse. I'm thankful that all I got was a scratch but it burns me that I have only had the bike for a couple of weeks. I'm sure you guys understand. I just had to vent. Fortunately my wife is just happy that I was not hurt. No negatives about owning the bike.

 

[DailyCommuter]

Its a real good idea (IMHO) to always check mirrors as you are going into a turn. Just for that reason. You may have been able to goose it out of the way. Hind sight is alway 20/20, so I don't mean to criticize so please don't take it the wrong way.

 

[Art FJR]

Sounds like another reason for the Hyper-Lites. Some folks swear by them. I bought them (maybe $80) and I haven't installed them. Thanks for the reminder.

The thing that concerned me most was that the other guy was a biker too. I ride the cage to work, but I am always looking out for bikes.

I got passed by an FJR the other day. He was in the HOV lane because he can. I saw him coming from a mile away. The burgundy one. And right on his ass was a Suburban for no reason at all. And in it a chick on the phone. So I speed up and give him the universal "goose it" signal and he does and I signal and get in front of the Suburban. The I give him a 3 second cushion as the Suburban tailgates me. For a few miles I risked a HOV violation, but I figured the LEO would cut me a break anyway. The FJR eventually twisted the right twisty thing and did some weaving and was gone. It was nice just watching him ride down the road in peace. I have a '92 Volvo 960 Wagon so I was never in danger. I hate the cagers.

In the DC area, we all complain that there aren't enough roads. However, we have a really high occurances of non-reoccuring traffic jams. They can't build roads wide enough to solve the idiot problem. Following too close, poorly maintained vehicles, talking on the cell phone while eating and putting on makeup, or reading a book cannot be solved by road width.

And for God's sake, let the motorcycle guys drive down the road in peace and get off their ass in heavy traffic. Even the stupid ones. I even like to see Harley's on the road (did I say that outloud?).

Glad you were Ok. Not sure what you could have done better except Hyper-Lites.

Art

 

[James Burleigh]

Glad you're all right and that the bike is mendable. A good reminder that there's an invisible wire connecting the front brake lever with your eyeballs that pivots them to the mirrors every time you stop.

I was on my Harley Sportster coming home at night a number of weeks ago, with only the stock taillight and maybe some reflective shit on my black jacket, when stopped at a light I hear a screeeeeeeech and look behind me to see a cage about three inches from my back fender and a young man looking blankly through the windscreen at me like nothing happened.

Scared the shit outta me and reminded me to reconnect that invisible wire.... Jb

 

[Silent]

Glad to hear that you''re ok. It can be a scary proposition getting hit.

It's been my experience that no matter how many lights, hi-viz, reflectors, flashie bits, and such you put on the bike, people still won't see you. My ol Venture Royal looked like a christmass tree and I was still rear ended twice at stops.

People just need to slow down a tad and pay attention.

 

[Motorcycledoc]

Glad to hear you're ok!

Bummer about the bike, but it's fixable.

Left hand turns always make me nervous. An acquaintance of mine was killed while stopped for a left hand turn - got hit by an extra-wide load that a truck was hauling - trucker figured he had enough room to pass on the right!

On busy roads I'm inclined to pull off to the right and wait until the coast is clear, and I always try to leave an escape route beside the car in front of me when I'm stopped at an intersection. And I try to remember to keep checking those mirrors!

Which brings up the topic of those high speed chases I was in that I didn't know about, but that's another story!

 

[Docholiday]

Thanks. I did check the rear mirror before I turned, but had to wait for a car in the oncoming lane to pass. There was no one behind me for 1/2 a mile while waited, but heard the ruckus and felt the nudge when I started to pull into the parking lot. The guy said his attention drifted for a few seconds when he was scanning for his mother in law's car in a driveway a block ahead. It doesn't take much to turn us into roadkill. It sounds like hi vis and bright lights can't take the place of drivers paying attention.

 

[NoCage]

One piece of advise Doc, the mirrors can say "no", but they can't say "yes". In other words, after checking the mirror, do a deliberate head turn/check to where you want to go. Maybe you did that. If not, just a suggestion. Glad you're okay.

 

[wfooshee]

Gunny on the mirror check when slowing or turning.

I had to take to the center lane a couple weeks ago with the car in front stopping for the light, I slow down, check the guy behind me, although he was not tailgating, he was also not looking. I pulled up next to the car in front and waited for the crunching sound. Nothing but tires squealing, and he got stopped. There might have been room for me, but it don't matter, 'cause I weren't there.

Slowing down to turn scares the bejeezus out of me a lot of times, though. Cars will creep right up on your ass, and you're not sure if they actually know you're slowing, despite the brake lights and turn signals. It's really such a shame that I have to use everybody else's roads and always get in their way wherever I go. . .

 

[FJRBluesman]

Doc - Glad you're OK. God was watching over you... :yahoo: