close calls lastnight..

[MrDude_1]

well two really.

first one was as i was riding to a friends house..
i was crusing down one of the main roads here (4 lanes each direction, surface street).

well, moderate traffic, ect.. im crusing along, when it occurs to me that im starting to tailgate a little close to the car infront of me.. i back off a tad... about a half second after i make that decision, a 4" long 1/2" bolt pops out from under the tire of the car infront of me.. i dont even swerve the bike, i swerved my head/body to clear it.. it was tossed up that high.

a second sooner, and it would have hit me in my face... and yea... i had the visor up... polycarbonate "shatterproof" sunglasses or not, it probably doesnt matter with a 4" bolt.





ok, that overwith, i get to my friends house.. he has a nice older tube frame buell, and we go for a fun ride.. after screwing around alot, we end up taking the hwy for a short hop from one exit to the next.
well, just as we get on, a state trooper flicks his lights on some car ahead of us. not the bluelights everyone can see.. no, just the front wigwags that people behind dont notice.

the car slams on the brakes. it starts going around 5 mph, and tries to get from the fast lane across to the slow lane. the cop isnt helping speed things along, hes still in the fast lane doing 5mph too.


well, being bikes, we can slow easily... brian is in the "slow" side of the fast lane, im in the "fast" side of the lane next to him.
i have brian next to me, doing 5mph.. a cop infront of him.. some jackass infront of me doing 5mph.

and according to my mirrors.. a ford F250 (or some other huge ford, they all look the same in the rearview) hauling up on me at 50ish.

im flicking my brake light lever for all its worth, clutch in, preparing to shoot diagonally between a state trooper and a car hes trying to pull over... just before i give myself that mental GO!, i see the nose of the ford dip down on the brakes, and he changes lanes.
i think it was me flicking the brakelight that made him notice. i suppose my massive OEM CBR rear brakelight was worth it.... LOL.

this whole time, both the cop and the guy are oblivious to the fact that they almost got us killed... and i KNOW that if i took either one of my only two escape routes, while i would have made it, i would have also gotten pulled at possibly ticketed.

both of us were VERY glad to get off at that next exit.

[MrDude_1]

oh, and later that night, i start to hear a rattle.

the reflector (the one over the bulb) in my beautyful vrod light... fell off.
its now rattling inside the headlight.... FUG!

[jaysun0ne]

thats what you get for putting harley crap on your bike

[MrDude_1]

thats what you get for putting harley crap on your bike

lol.
gotta have one part from each major make... lol.



i did find out how to fix it though.

[NT696]

about a half second after i make that decision, a 4" long 1/2" bolt pops out from under the tire of the car infront of me.. i dont even swerve the bike, i swerved my head/body to clear it..

You must have Jedi reflexes, young Skywalker.

Glad to hear you were uninjured.

[dagus]

Crap. Glad you're ok and no major damage.

[MrDude_1]

about a half second after i make that decision, a 4" long 1/2" bolt pops out from under the tire of the car infront of me.. i dont even swerve the bike, i swerved my head/body to clear it..

You must have Jedi reflexes, young Skywalker.

Glad to hear you were uninjured.

LOL.
the farce is strong with this one.

[Swipe]

MrDude_1, that's what you call a bolt out of the blue.

.....errrm, I'll get my coat

[MrDude_1]

MrDude_1, that's what you call a bolt out of the blue.

.....errrm, I'll get my coat

LOL.

[jaysun0ne]

your bolt story reminded me about the time i almost hit a big ass turkey wile driving my van.

dumb thing was in the center median. as i was driving by, it takes off when im about 70' away and closing at about 70mph. big thing flys right in my path! well it got enough altitude to clear the roof of my van, but not by much. my reaction wile sitting in the drivers seat was to duck! if that bird was 1' lower i would have gotten a face full of glass and dead turkey.


i was out last monday on the rc51 and was fallowing to close, so i slow down and as soon as i backed off there was about 2' of a shovel handle in the middle of the road. since i backed off i had time to brace my self but not enough time to dodge it. rolled over it with no problems.

[LeftRightLeftThrottle]

A Chevy 1500 merged into me on the way to work the other day. Luckily the Hawk is skinny enough to fit in the curb and gutter!

I have to admit its my fault, I was leaving the customary 10 car lengths in front of me before getting to the esses that grace one of my routes. The 10 car lengths are so I can enjoy the esses at speed instead of following the caged zombies at their loping pace. Anyway, a Trailblazer and the 1500 mistake the 10 car lengths as an indication that I am slow and that they should pass me on the right at 50mph before slamming on their brakes for the turns. The Trailblazer immediately gets in front of me before the braking routine and the 1500 stays in the right lane about two car lengths ahead focused on his bagel or something. As all this was happening I was beginning to roll on the throttle and as the Trailblazer cuts me off I slide around him while managing to give signals in both directions using my lights AND my arms. Now I'm ahead of the Trailblazer settling into the right turn with the 1500 just ahead of me. As I'm going back to the left the 1500 starts to slide over (no signal of course) so I lay on the horn in repeated bursts, this doesn't phase the driver so I roll on the throttle before he completely runs me over. Riding through the gutter my arm nicks the sideview and my leg rubs his fender.

Seconds later I'm amazed to be alive, upright and intact. Filled with rage I change lanes (indicating this of course) then flip on the opposite blinker and turn around to face the truck and point emphatically at my signal and giving him my meanest WTF!?!?! look

Long story short, the morning commute is no place for fun I guess and I should've known better. But why can't people pay more attention while driving!!!!!!!!!!

[MrDude_1]

A Chevy 1500 merged into me on the way to work the other day. Luckily the Hawk is skinny enough to fit in the curb and gutter!

I have to admit its my fault, I was leaving the customary 10 car lengths in front of me before getting to the esses that grace one of my routes. The 10 car lengths are so I can enjoy the esses at speed instead of following the caged zombies at their loping pace. Anyway, a Trailblazer and the 1500 mistake the 10 car lengths as an indication that I am slow and that they should pass me on the right at 50mph before slamming on their brakes for the turns. The Trailblazer immediately gets in front of me before the braking routine and the 1500 stays in the right lane about two car lengths ahead focused on his bagel or something. As all this was happening I was beginning to roll on the throttle and as the Trailblazer cuts me off I slide around him while managing to give signals in both directions using my lights AND my arms. Now I'm ahead of the Trailblazer settling into the right turn with the 1500 just ahead of me. As I'm going back to the left the 1500 starts to slide over (no signal of course) so I lay on the horn in repeated bursts, this doesn't phase the driver so I roll on the throttle before he completely runs me over. Riding through the gutter my arm nicks the sideview and my leg rubs his fender.

Seconds later I'm amazed to be alive, upright and intact. Filled with rage I change lanes (indicating this of course) then flip on the opposite blinker and turn around to face the truck and point emphatically at my signal and giving him my meanest WTF!?!?! look

Long story short, the morning commute is no place for fun I guess and I should've known better. But why can't people pay more attention while driving!!!!!!!!!!

sounds fun. lol.
years ago, i was shoved between a jersey barrier and a truck.... with the little choices i had at that instance i kick/punched the truck hard enough to dent the bed... the guy swerved enough and i got by. lol.

god, i just start thinking about this stuff.... and suddently i realize i have enough "close call" stories to write a book. lol.

[hawkLer]

...not trying to be one of those "blah blah blah.... New York City this and New York City that" people, but, fuckin' A- try riding in new York! I swear no one ever learned to drive around here, they just got into a car and either passed their test (or didn't) and are cagin' on their merry, "I don't give a fuck that you are another motorist or even human being, you're in the path of the next destination in my shitty existence"... way.
After screaming my head of at a guy who decided to pass me on the right and missed hitting me by a foot or less with his foot pressed all the way down, engine roaring on a one lane each direction road, this guy says to me "what the hell are you doing in the middle of the road?!!"

oh you mean my lane??? just because I didn't flog it through a wet section of the road after the light trned green, doesn't give someone the right to almost kill me.
I got so mental at the guy, raging, that he reached over and grabbed his "The Club" and was like, "what are you going to do? huh?!" and waved it at me.
Good thing I don't carry a gun sometimes, I swear... I hate guns and violence but the rage just turns on sometimes and we lose our minds.

Best thing to do is just let it go, or calmly ask them how they would feel if they killed someone today or how their family might feel if they got killed today? Worst of all, in NYC, no one even bats an eye at that question but I hope it might sink in later on and theyre more careful in the future.
Doubt it.

"Okay, I'll get my coat"
sigh...

[Deadlego]

I have a close call my self...

well I was going to the local state park to meet my mom and dad there. They were already there wait for me. I was almost there and and had to switch to res with gas. so I turned around to go about 1/2 mile back to get gas at the gas station. When I was heading to the gas station, note there was no one infront of me. I had my hi beams on too (daytime) I was almost to the gas station when I had some guy blow a stop sign right in front me and pulled into my lane. The guy was so close the I had less the 3 or 4 ft when he pulled infront of me. I was going about 30 to 40 mph. Had to serve and go on the double yellow line. 2 lane road too. I had about 1/2 ft or less betwen me and the car. The other thing that sucks is when I served to miss I had a car in the other lane comeing at me so I had less then 1/2 ft betwen the other car too. Yes I did nail my horn and every thing. All I can is that im very thank full that I had taken the MSF class. I think if I didnt take that I would have hit him.

That really pissed me off. The guy ran the stop sign and almost hit me. If I was my truck I would have hit in the driver side and guy would most likly have be injured.

[MrDude_1]

eek.. sounds close!


that MSF course is the best money you can spend though... saved my ass countless times.. i think im due for a refresher myself...