Came very close to being off the bike at the weekend

[stinkwheel]

Operator error in several respects. Thought I'd share.

I was filtering through traffic on the Glengarry Road as part of a group ride-out. Fairly spirited riding and leapfrogging short queues of traffic.

I pulled out to pass the front two vehicles in a queue, cutting it a bit fine before the next oncoming car but enough time to get out wide, accelerate and break back in again, set up for the next left hander.

Turns out the van at the front was in fact tailgating a honda Jazz driving with two wheels in the ditch which I didn't see until I was fairly comitted and had the hammer down.

Went to tuck back in but the car I'd pulled out to pass braked meaning my gap disappeared. Went for the next gap, the van also braked. Ok, hanging out in the breeze now alongside a van with an oncoming car. I now have to slow down enough to get in in front of the van without running into the back of the Jazz (I'd planned to be here, but travelling fairly fast and cornering at the time).

So, on the brakes pretty hard. On the brakes very hard. Went into a compression (the road surface undulates badly here) and bottomed the suspension. Front washed out sideways. Got back on the power crossed-up and straight into a lock-to-lock tankslapper which settled down then got back on the brakes again before I hit the back of the Jazz.

Acted casual but wrists were both dinging from the slapper and I don't think I've been as close to a high-speed crash for quite some time. One of the lads in the club was behind me and says he saw the front let go and thought I was going over the top, doesn't know how I got it back.

Today I ordered some new springs. I've known I had a rediculous degree of sag on the front for a long time and hadn't done anything about it, I shouldn't be riding around on 24 year old springs designed for a Japanese guy.

Happened about here.

Down to poor obs in the end, witha smattering of ignoring a known handling issue and doing nothing about it. Although in fairness, both my escape routes disappeared when the other drivers braked for no good reason. They must have been in "procession mode", heard the bike wind up and dabbed their brakes.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Fidge]

I've seen a few cars brake when they see or hear me overtaking.

[Sload]

The best lessons that tend to stick are those learned in the hardest way, you got lucky.
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Honda Varadero >> Triumph Speed Four >> Honda CBR1100xx

[Chuffin Nora]

[stinkwheel]

[ferrisio]

Not a leading question, but what speed were you going roughly?
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BMW R1100R

[Tracer1234]

Well done keeping it rubber side down
____________________
Riding: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Occasionally Riding: 08 Suzuki SV650, Potato: 2011 Yamaha YBR Custom.
Used to ride: 2015 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (smidsy) 09 Triumph Street Triple (P/X'd) 08 Yamaha YBR (Sold)
CBT 04/14. A: Mod 1 & 2 13/04/15

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

What was this on? VFR?
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[struan80]

Thanks for posting and the reminder. Glad all ended ok.
Overtaking worried me a fair bit but has improved recently. IAM has helped with an overtake plan and such.

I am not experienced rider like you though and have been almost caught out with poor obs and bad techniquwe a couple of times when overtaking already. Don't get many chances to fail!

[Kris]

Well done for not getting deaded

Bet you swore when you saw the Honda Jazz eh.
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[Rogerborg]

[stinkwheel]

Yes, on the VFR.

Speed-wise. Third gear. I'd have been doing 45 when I started the manouver with the throttle wide open. I'd have been aiming to be hooking fourth as I broke in for the corner.

It was avoidable. I could have waitied 'till I'd gone round the corner instead of being so impatient. I'd probably have seen the Jazz as it went round the corner too (although maybe not from the recommended "command position").

In fairness, the Jazz was just driving slowly, probably met into double figures of 45mph Honda Jazzes over the weekend. Having a van so far up his chuff they should have been married was the problem... And me assuming it was the van at the front of the queue.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[pig hog]

We all make mistakes. That said, choosing to overtake multiple vehicles on the approach to a blind bend with chevron arrows (where several previous accidents will have taken place) and solid white lines, while in a gear high enough to have the throttle pinned open before having even started the manoeuvre...

Hidden car aside, that strikes me as rather poor planning/judgement. Especially as part of a group ride. Well done keeping it upright, though. Could have easily been a very different outcome.
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A2 Licence: 18/10/2013
A Licence: 01/12/2015
'13 Yamaha XJ6N '15 Daytona 675R / '16 MT-07 dead / '17 MT-07 / '18 MT-10

[Pigeon]

I just brown trousered reading that!

[Val]

Good that you are fine! Things happen.

[hellkat]

Oh noooo, I have nightmares about places like that; about coming off and ending up in a ditch for days where nobody knows I am there

Good to know you're still with us, albeit by the seat of your pants.

Any particular reason why the hell the car in front was driving with two wheels in the ditch?
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[DrSnoosnoo]

I shan't be adding hindsight advice to a rider of your experience.

Thanks for the write up, it can go in my noob bank of possible scenarios. Well done on keeping it upright, by the sounds of it, I'd have come flying off.

I've had a bit of a tank slapper on the ZZR in my first year thanks to some diesel on an overtake but it sorted itself out and I was just a passenger.
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[Rogerborg]

[daifuco]

This weekend my arse wiped the tarmac for the first time. Approaching a roundabout I had to change lane I glanced the mirror I had a gap big enough. My mistake: not shoulder check right before. He wanted to overtake me even when approaching roundabout. He swerved didn't touch me. BUT....

He was in full rage he He was like the angry, unfunny brother of Al Murray. Shaved head fat neck He probably was born in a greassy pub and was raised with pork pies. He was shouting at me and cornering me as we were close to the roundabout I panicked and then I was down.


I'm alright the crash was at bicycle speed the bike is being checked.
Lot of lessons learnt that morning.

[stinkwheel]

[Rogerborg]

[HughiusMaximu...]

Sounds like it was an accomplishment to keep it all together under pressure...

Its a sobering lesson that if it can happen to experienced riders it can very easily happen to noobs....

Thanks for the write up.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Glad you're still with us. It's good sometimes to be reminded we're mortal.

I can't be trusted on group rides, so I avoid them
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[UncleFester]