New Rider With Bad Experiences...

[cbrman]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the long(ish) post...

I recently passed my DAS and purchased an old CBR600 (1992). The bike is fine and i have been riding it carefully and on the whole loving every minute!!

However, in around 3 weeks of riding i have had 3 scary incidents.

On 2 occasions I have had a car pull out in front of me at T-Junction. I concluded they must have been deliberately trying to scare the $h1t out of me because they can't have not seen me.

My 3rd incident was being forced off my bike becuase someone violently swerved (to avoid hitting something) forcing me to swerve and loose control. I ended up flying into oncoming traffic. I was riding up the centre of normal 2 way traffic at low speed. I broke my scapula which i am told is common to bikers.

On each occasion i wasn't doing anything incorrect (as far as i know).

I am now in 2 minds as to wether to replace the fairing on my bike and get back on or to just sell it and forget the whole thing.

Am i just really (really!) unlucky or is this what is to be typically expected by bikers...?

Cheers.

[mchaggis]

Do not quit, you will very probably regret it. Everyone expects to fall off, and pretty much everyone has, to some degree or other. I found breaking my arm just made me want to ride more, but then I'm me.

Perhaps you are unlucky to get pulled out on, though there is always some bad luck floating around waiting to get someone. Cars pulling out in front of you despite the fact they should have seen you doesn't mean that they did actually see you. All it means is that they are blind twats who didn't bother really checking properly.


In essence, let your scapula (collarbone?) heal, take things easy for a while, fix the bike, and get back on it. Advanced riding courses might help with your confidence, with me it was just a case of hating leaning for a week or two until I'd gotten used to how to do it again.

(I broke my arm after I'd been riding on a CBT for a week, and it never occurred to me that I might jack it in, so don't let it get to you.)
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[jay12329]

I try to be as visible as possible, My head light is ALWAYS on, and when i use a florecent band across my chest. I also ride defencively, this means when i see a car wating to pull out of a junction on the left on the road i move to the right side of the lane, somethimes this movement is enough to grab the persons attention, it also creates a much bigger gap between you and the car giveing you more time to react to their movement. I also look at the wheels of the car, it is very obvious looking at the wheels that someone is moving even then this is a very slow movement.
When filtering (passing between two lanes of slow moving traffic)
i watch people to see where they are looking and again look at the wheels of the cars to see which way they are faceing. By the sounds of it there was nothing you could have done as the car move as an emergency.
I the fairing pannel isnt in a million bits just duck tape over the cracks and get back on as soon as possible. When i came off my bike if i didnt have to ride it the 100 miles home it would have gone staright in the garrage and been sold. The ride home reminded me what i love about rideing, and the bike still gets ridden every day, even in the snow!
HTH
J

[cbrman]

Thanks.

I suppose the confidence will return after getting back on.

I'll wait and see. I like the sound of an advanced course.

I am sure though that i will never ride in the snow! You must have balls of steel (or need some help)!

[Barker-CBR 600]

Think of it as having your spill early, surviving in relativly alright condition and once your recovered you can get back on it and be the wiser for it.

By all means take your time, let things cool off and see how you feel is my advice.

As machiggis says, it might just make you want to ride more. When i came off the second time i had pretty messed up legs (tarmac burns across knee's and calfs, still got scarring permantly on knee's as a reminder) for a good month or two afterwards. But even walkin funny for a month or two didnt put me off once i was back in business.

Trust me once your on the seat and get one good ride under your belt.. you'll feel all the better for it. A little wiser an a lot more wary.
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
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'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[G]

You should be fine, providing you learn from your experiences (y).

I always though that being on a bike meant that people were less likely to see me, until people did the same to my large Passat Estate.
Also had someone pull out infront of my 9ft high red van on a fast dual carrigeway (van don't have good brakes and doesn't look like it would either ).

While you are more likely to be hurt on a bike, if you keep your wits about you, you also have better brakes and being much narrower can often avoid collisions that you might not have been able to in a car.

[MarJay]

[G]

I believe TC reccomends riding with only sidelights on, not dipped beam in daylight.

I'd have to agree that while it does make you more noticeable, it also makes it harder to judge distance so there is the possibility of causing accidents.

[cbrman]

Is TC a person?

[fazed]

[mchaggis]

[cbrman]

Big thanks for all the comments. They've been very helpful.

I've been going in the garage and starting the bike up almost every day, reving the engine. It's the closest i can get to riding at the moment.

I still have doubts in my mind but i'm sure they'd go after getting back on.

I'll definately practise the defensive riding that you guys talk about. I remember my instructors talking about this, but its scary
how quickly i have forgotten all thee things since passing my test.

I think i'll be investing in some good armour aswell - especially a back protector.