[Stuart]

The only thing I like more than riding (..and women), is driving my car just to get that outta the way for people who love cars more than bikes.

So, i'm coming home from work and decide to take my plan B ride home when all of a sudden a car comes flying out of a parking lot without stopping at the stop sign...then when he notices me coming at about 42mph he freaks out, slams on his brakes and stays covering my entire lane and 7/8 of the only other lane....

So I slam on my rear brake and pull in my front brake hard enough to get full stopping power without locking either, and I still managed to nudge his quarter panel and do a semi stoppie, then the bike tries to fall on the left side but I recovered it, then I backed it up alittle bit to check stuff over and the ******* speeds off without even saying anything to the effect of sorry I'm such an *******...

So, the bike is fine but I was a little shaken being my first "semi-accident" with a motorcycle, but I was more pissed than anything, if he had gotten out of his car I might have knocked him out anyways so I guess it's a good thing that he drove off so I didn't ruin my criminal justice career over an idiotic driver.

Sorry bout the long post, needed to vent a bit.

 

[Ken]

Glad you are OK. These people that roll through the stop signs are a real pain in the ass. Seems to happen all too often. Is it just me, or did I become a better car driver after I started riding a bike?

 

[Stuart]

nah, I became a better driver too and I notice every single biker even the ones that pull into my blindspot, i can hear the exhaust system all the time no matter how low it is.

I wouldn't have minded a roll through but this was a speed through on a one way stop sign coming from the parking lot of an apartment building so he didn't even have the ability to see past the apartment building he was coming out of

 

[Spok]

glad you survived unscathed stu....I too have become a better cager since taking up the 2 wheel ride again. I almost look for bikes to get out of the way of now.

 

[vaporgas2000]

stu, glad to see you came out unscathed.
I also became a better driver after riding. you automtically pay more attention to what"s going on around you.

 

[TrashMonkey]

DELETED

 

[DiverDown]

Glad your OK Stuart!

Lots of close calls this weekend...let's be careful out there friends!!!

Same here, had a truck run a yield sign on me. Was so close I could see his eyes make BIG round O's when he decided to look and saw me. Only thing I am glad about is no cage was behind me because I know they could not have stopped as fast as I did. No stoppie, but VERY close.

 

[Stuart]

yeah, I'm not one for stunts...but if I ever was I don't think i'd do them this way, I need to put new pads in the rear and I just replaced the front disk brakes

 

[ZX-2R]

Better habits

It seems most people become better drivers when they are no longer surrounded by metal and can see everything around them. You almost wish that people that cause accidents had to do some community service hours in a sidecar, cruising around the city. I think that riding a motorcycle makes the majority of us better drivers and more aware of the distances that we follow other vehicles, especially motorcycles. The best thing about the motorcycle in a very tight situation is that it CAN take a shoulder on either side of the cars or in a really tight spot through the middle of them. I had a car skidding the other day behind me at a stop light, so I drove up between the cars...he stoped about 2 feet behind the car I was behind...VERY narrow time of reaction and escape. ALWAYS keep your options open if you can. Sometimes there is no way out, but prior planning to these situations...saved me once again...be safe out there...

 

[Stuart]

yup, i'm always in first and away from the car in front of me so I don't have to move my steering to much to either get to the left or right of the car in less than a second, I also play the what if game and **** I'm good at it, it'll make you an expert when it comes to something actually happening

Like...I see the cars reverse lights on, what if? he decided not to wait for me and back out at a high rate of speed.

So, I automatically further my spacing from the car and slow down a little, then make sure i'm in a powerband so that I can get outta there quick if I need to, or i have the option of stopping

 

[bud8fan]

glad your ok stu..your doin everything right..just hav'ta stay on the defensive all the time..loose you defensive driving skills and you will have a not so safe ride..

 

[forest1000]

What I don't understand . . .

What I don't understand is the guy I followed home today (in my car). A tuner talking on his cell phone, driving a stick, w/ his hand on the phone, laughing it up and wobbling bewteen lanes.

Please take the phone and put it in the dark place you are sitting on.

And next time I hope this guy hits me . . . cause I need a new car and I'm sure the lawsuit will cover it.

 

[kyhick1]

Good Job, Quick Reaction!!!!!

Stu,

Even when I drive my car I am in motorcycle mode too. As everyone said this is a good thing....I drive in the interstate in KY I65 has a lot of 18 wheeler traffic as well....You have to keep your wits about you at all times. If I am very tired or not feeling good, I stay off the bike....want to be fully awake and aware of everything that is going on.

I had someone pull out of a parking space on my right and do a u turn right in front of me...had to do the same thing, jam on all brakes. The guy didn't look in his mirrors before he pulled out.

No damage done, just had to take 5 to slow down my heart rate

Heather

 

[ZX-2R]

When I'm not ALL there

When I'm not ALL there I'm in real deep trouble. I still have knobbies all the way around on my bike...on the very well used (read slick) blacktops you can slide a long ways just going around corners, an deven have the rear end powerslide really easy if you have much throttle cranked in when you are already going a little fast for the corner...I've learned to enjoy the slowing down and downshifting and even though it's a bad thing, I've learned to enjoy powersliding. It takes some balance, precision throttle, some precision braking before the turn to set the chassis, but it has been a blast riding. When I put some serious street tires on it it will change the way I ride...and when I get my Kawasaki I will seriously change the ways that I ride. My $1.50 "S" bike has cost me about $150.00 to get to the point where it will pass vehicle registration inspection. No major loss, but lots of fun relearning the art of 2 strokes, and knobbies on hot pavement.

 

[nathan600r]

That almost exact same scenario happened to a couple of friends when they were riding........Except they chased the guy down and.....convinced him to apologize.

 

[tdaugharty]

Same story here ... Had a lady on her cell start coming over ... I clutched,,, Reved and horned her and she looked right at me but still kept coming over .... She now has a big dent in the right rear quarter panel from my riding boot. After kicking the sh*t out of her panel she just kept going.

Had a dump truck pull out in front of me while I was moving a little fast down a two lane of an urban area and stopped to make a left turn just after pulling out. I locked the rear brake and pulled the front but after realizing I was going to be missing a head I layed into the horn and dropped down to second to pass him on the left side (The direction his blinker was indicating). I squeezed between the truck and the oncoming car. Major pucker time and peg dragging!

My lesson .... Leave plenty of room, slow in urban areas and never assume people see you or even care if they see you. Always have a way out or really good insurance for your family.

 

[molebaby]

Come to Phoenix AZ. the red light running capital of the free world :roll:

 

[2WheelFun]

Come to Phoenix AZ. the red light running capital of the free world :roll:

I use to live in Phx and after moving here "Pacific Northwest" I was asked by a neighbor how it was living in Phx. I began telling her "in jest" that when you pull off of a red light and the two lanes narrow into one "years ago they did" you had to be careful since some people who had machine guns mounted on their hoods would shoot you off the road just so they could beat you and be first to sit at the next red light. Leaving Phx was a happy time for me.

 

[QKENUF4U]

Glad you are OK. These people that roll through the stop signs are a real pain in the ***. Seems to happen all too often. Is it just me, or did I become a better car driver after I started riding a bike?

you nailed it on the head. i got my VF700F interceptor when i was 16, didnt get my car license till i was 17 :razz: i KNOW FOR A FACT that im a 1000x better driver since ive been riding all my life (28yrs now)
i drive my truck like i ride the bike. im constantly guessing what the cars are gonna do in front of me and i always know where every car is around me. i cant stand not being able to see behind me in my mirrors etc. :?

 

[nathan600r]

Glad you are OK. These people that roll through the stop signs are a real pain in the ***. Seems to happen all too often. Is it just me, or did I become a better car driver after I started riding a bike?

Yeah I did too.