Hazardous start to the riding season

[hemibee]

As a friendly reminder, be careful out on the highways. For many areas the riding season is approaching or has already started, for others it is starting to wind down or the area has year-round riding so timing this reminder can't be perfect for all. In our area where it is pretty much year-round riding season for us, there are still those that put their bikes up for the winter and are just now starting to hit the roads again. WATCH OUT for the fair weather riders.


A regional forum report of an encounter with someone that sounds like they may have just dusted off their bike and hit the road.

Hey, dudes, just wanted to post up a cautionary note on a near miss I had this Saturday, riding my restored 84 900 Ninja with some buddies.

I am now convinced that certain hill country roads are more dangerous, giving the masses of large shiny bikes that have a hard time negotiating turns.

Me and my buddies were returning to Austin on Hamilton Pool road, still on the very farther out section off of 281. Its actually FM 962 and at Cypress Creek Road there is a tricky curve that has a bit of rise and can catch you out.

Well, I am heading towards the turn, and a couple big shiny bikes exit, and since I know more often follow, I rolled off the gas a bit. As I enter the turn, a big bike has his rear wheel locked, smoking the wheel, front end wobbling.....as he crosses the double yellow right in front of me.

He was not wearing a helmet, and his eyes were big and bugging out, he was fixating right on me. His front end was wobbling around, he could not control his trajectory. I knew a head on collision was going to happen. I averted my eyes to the left, did a hard counter steer, and he grazed me and the bike. My bar end weight was snapped off the bar, the bar bent, my right footpeg sheared off, and I felt his bike mash my right foot and ankle. Thankfully I did not drop the bike.


He careened down a cluvert and dropped his bike, I think as he was trying to stand it up.

Dude was very apologetic, and provided me all of info by phone. I could smell alcohol on him.

Seeing as I could ride the bike, and we were quite a ways out from any near by town, I opted to ride it back home. So next is dealing with his insurance company.

Was a wake up call:

Practice your braking and counter steering.

Slow up if a couple of big shiny bikes emerge out of a turn, the next one may be in your lane.

Think out scenarios in advance.....how will you respond in a similar situation?

Wear high quality protective gear that fits.

Be wary of time of day.....are you heading back into town on a road that still has lots of riders heading the opposite direction?


Ride safe dudes!

Several others commented between the first and the following post but I won't add those since they don't add a whole lot to the story. The one recurring theme in those posts were call LEO so there is not just your word against his with the insurance company and with the smell of alcohol, the local LEO or Troopers should handle it.

I talked with his insurance company, since I left a message to file a claim. They described some of the accident to me, and said he admited he was at fault. They passed me on to Safeco that actually holds his MC insurance, along with claims adjuster and claim number. I called and left my info. He also admitted fault to my riding buddy at the scene, and he is former Marine, so talk about credibility!

There were no obstacles in the road, and he did not ground out his bike....He told me "I just looked down for a couple of seconds...."

Here is a picture of the skid mark he left as he overshot the turn, rear wheel locked up and smoking. He was headed roughly west, I was headed roughly east, coming into the turn. He intersected my path on my side of the road.

Here is the rest of the skid mark he left as he went down the embankment on the other side of the road. At this point I would have been on the right hand side of the picture, in his lane as I had to countersteer to my left.

 

[DaveM]

Wow not a very sharp curve either

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[The Seeker]

May I add to this cautionary tale that if you are in an area where it snows, for the first month or so after the weather warms up enough to ride, be VERY CAREFUL of the dust, grit, and road salt remnants left over from the winter. This is especially true at road edges, intersections, and turn offs.

Until some rain and just plain usage flushes that junk off the roadway, you've got to be alert to that winter build up remaining on the roadway. It can be almost as slippery as ice.

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[Rocky]

May I add to this cautionary tale that if you are in an area where it snows, for the first month or so after the weather warms up enough to ride, be VERY CAREFUL of the dust, grit, and road salt remnants left over from the winter. This is especially true at road edges, intersections, and turn offs.

Until some rain and just plain usage flushes that junk off the roadway, you've got to be alert to that winter build up remaining on the roadway. It can be almost as slippery as ice.

Posted with TapaTalk

10-4 and amen to that
I saw a guy on a Harley today riding on streets that are still full of salt and salty runoff from the snowbanks. Many roads still have sand on them and the usual debris crap.
No thanks, I can wait until it all washes away.
But if was 5C(41F) today, so I guess the guy couldn't wait.

 

[CarlS]

It is hazardous out there on the roads any time of year!

 

[keystiger]

Great advise all.