Close calls and lessons learned while riding
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,979
Likes: 1,165
From: No where near you, OH
I was on the first long ride I've taken in Aug of 2003. About 2000 miles into it and a half an hour from my destination a girl blew through a stop sign and I broad sided her at 50 mph. Almost met my maker in that one.
The next one I was approaching an intersection, the street I was on was a through street and the side streets had stop signs.. I saw a car on one side stop and a truck on the other side stop. They were going at a high enough rate of speed when they spiked their brakes I slowed from the posted 40 mph to 30 just in case one of them was going to bolt. I was partially through the intersection when the truck did just that. Broke even more **** and damned near wrote off the RK I had at the time.
The last one was 2 years ago. I was coming home from the mall after work and turned onto the street headed to my house. Rounded into a curve and saw an oncoming car. Was going the posted 35 mph. At at the absolute very last second she turned left in front of me. No signal light, no slowing down, nothing. This happened about 10 or 12 feet ahead of me and at 35 mph I didn't stand a chance. Broke even more ****. I have more metal and screws in me than a Transformer does.
Lesson: Expect the unexpected. People don't care about anything but what's in their own little world. They don't care.
The next one I was approaching an intersection, the street I was on was a through street and the side streets had stop signs.. I saw a car on one side stop and a truck on the other side stop. They were going at a high enough rate of speed when they spiked their brakes I slowed from the posted 40 mph to 30 just in case one of them was going to bolt. I was partially through the intersection when the truck did just that. Broke even more **** and damned near wrote off the RK I had at the time.
The last one was 2 years ago. I was coming home from the mall after work and turned onto the street headed to my house. Rounded into a curve and saw an oncoming car. Was going the posted 35 mph. At at the absolute very last second she turned left in front of me. No signal light, no slowing down, nothing. This happened about 10 or 12 feet ahead of me and at 35 mph I didn't stand a chance. Broke even more ****. I have more metal and screws in me than a Transformer does.
Lesson: Expect the unexpected. People don't care about anything but what's in their own little world. They don't care.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 315
Likes: 122
From: Colorado
I also had one of those cars pull out to also pass, right as I got next to them
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 6,536
Likes: 11,068
From: ohio
Let's hear about your close calls and lessons learned while riding. I figure this is a good way to share some stories and also help other people learn from other people's experiences. What were some close calls you guys have had on the road? What was your thought process during the encounter? What evasive maneuvers did you use? How did you get out of it or not?
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 337
Likes: 269
From: Central Florida
Was riding up to The Dragon last month in the Middle of Nowhere, GA. Started up this half mile 4% grade with 5 vehicles coming down towards me. The last driver pulls out to pass the other 4 pulling a 20 livestock trailer and never saw me coming up the hill. All I needed was about 48 of pavement and I was good. Turns out I had about 3 of shoulder and a couple feet of lane thanks to the others moving towards their shoulder. Not the first time thats happened. Would have been at least an hour for an ambulance to arrive.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 587
Likes: 312
From: here n there
Was riding up to The Dragon last month in the Middle of Nowhere, GA. Started up this half mile 4% grade with 5 vehicles coming down towards me. The last driver pulls out to pass the other 4 pulling a 20 livestock trailer and never saw me coming up the hill. All I needed was about 48 of pavement and I was good. Turns out I had about 3 of shoulder and a couple feet of lane thanks to the others moving towards their shoulder. Not the first time thats happened. Would have been at least an hour for an ambulance to arrive.
Lesson learned: For a lot of people your life has approximately zero value.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 10,029
Likes: 5,404
From: Manitoba
Friend of mine was run down from behind! They were two-up on an overpass. When the collision occurred they were both thrown forward and landed up against the overpass' restraining barrier - preventing them from dropping 30 feet or more!
Broken bones, **** streaks, etc.
DUI!
Broken bones, **** streaks, etc.
DUI!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 21,086
Likes: 19,247
From: The Wasteland
Last Summer I got the bike out in the afternoon for a ride. I was riding south on rt. 74 in Pa. near Waggoners Gap. For those not familiar with the area there is a place on top of the mountain where you can go and watch hawks and other birds of prey, it's a very scenic area. You can see for what looks like 20 miles, looking out over Carlisle and other parts of the Pa farm country. Its also a popular area for bikes and cars because the road going through the mountains is very curvy and there are 2 very sharp 180 degree cutback turns in particular that can be challenging if you are not on your game.
It was on one of these cutbacks where I almost bit the green weeny yesterday. The speed limit is 10 MPH around this turn but I was doing about 20-25 as most bikes do. As I came around the apex there is an SUV coming around the corner in the opposite direction and he is about 2 or 3 feet into my lane. I leaned the Road King down further trying to keep from hitting him but these big bikes don't like to lean that far over and pretty soon into the lean it let me know it. My right side footboard mount was grinding hard on the pavement and the board started folding up on me. It was all I could do to keep it from low siding and I could feel the *** end starting to move around losing traction. Thankfully the SUV slammed on the brakes and swerved back into their own lane and I was able to keep my bike from low siding. So we both went on our way. I pulled over in a parking area at the top of the mountain to inspect my bike. It ground the foot board mount a bit and scuffed up the lip on my footboard but otherwise no damage. So I sat there a minute and gathered my self before heading home. Be careful out there folks, you never know what's right around the corner waiting for you.
It was on one of these cutbacks where I almost bit the green weeny yesterday. The speed limit is 10 MPH around this turn but I was doing about 20-25 as most bikes do. As I came around the apex there is an SUV coming around the corner in the opposite direction and he is about 2 or 3 feet into my lane. I leaned the Road King down further trying to keep from hitting him but these big bikes don't like to lean that far over and pretty soon into the lean it let me know it. My right side footboard mount was grinding hard on the pavement and the board started folding up on me. It was all I could do to keep it from low siding and I could feel the *** end starting to move around losing traction. Thankfully the SUV slammed on the brakes and swerved back into their own lane and I was able to keep my bike from low siding. So we both went on our way. I pulled over in a parking area at the top of the mountain to inspect my bike. It ground the foot board mount a bit and scuffed up the lip on my footboard but otherwise no damage. So I sat there a minute and gathered my self before heading home. Be careful out there folks, you never know what's right around the corner waiting for you.
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About a month or so ago, I was approaching an intersection with a traffic signal. I had the green light, and was traveling the speed limit, and luckily for me, as I approached the intersection, I noticed a car in the oncoming left hand turn lane, and in my mind, I had already made my escape plan, should they turn in front of me. The car didn't move, at least until I was almost in the intersection, and then they turned left, and I had to swerve around them to the left. Luckily, as I approached the intersection, my brain had registered that there was no other oncoming traffic, and I was able to swerve around the car, (still don't know how I didn't hit the car because they were so close when they turned in front of me) manage to keep the bike upright, and get back into my lane on the other side of the intersection.
I pulled into a Kroger parking lot about a half mile down the road to clean out my shorts, and whatnot. I learned firsthand that constantly scanning and keeping my head on a swivel, as well as always having a plan as to what I would do if this or that happens saved my ***.
I pulled into a Kroger parking lot about a half mile down the road to clean out my shorts, and whatnot. I learned firsthand that constantly scanning and keeping my head on a swivel, as well as always having a plan as to what I would do if this or that happens saved my ***.
Last edited by One Wire; May 2, 2019 at 12:58 PM.
