Would like to share a valuable lesson

Last night I was riding home from the shop in the left lane of a divided road that has 2 lanes each direction. I was coming up to a place where traffic merges from the left, but has a stop sign. There was a car at the stop sign. We were the only vehicles in the area.

As I passed the car it pulled forward and sideswiped me. It was a 16 YO girl, on her way to a prom, lost and on a cell phone getting directions. When she knew where she needed to go she just went. Fortunately the gear did it's job and I got out of it with some bumps and bruises. The Venture will be border line on whether it's salvageable.

Now, if you're thinking you'll wonder why this idiot was in the left lane with a 16 YO girl on a cell phone merging from the left when there was an empty lane to the right. The answer is I was distracted.

I'd made some electrical modifications and I smelled a burning smell. I was thinking about that rather than the road and traffic. Yes, she shouldn't have pulled out, but if I'd been on the ball I'd have been in the right lane and the incident never would have happened.

So, I hope I never forget to never ever ride distracted. I wanted to share with you guys hoping that I keep someone else from missing an opportunity to be safe.

 

Glad to hear you're OK- - show us the damaged gear, and how fast were you going.

 

I'm glad you made it out of that situation in one piece.

On my way to work every morning I have to drive a short stretch of road where all the high school teenagers are driving their cars to school (wtf? we pay taxes for school buses to take them to school SAFELY... but I digress..)
I see them on their cell phones or goofing around, four in a car not paying attention and generally acting like idiots. Until I pass the turn off for the high school I am on heightened alert with all senses running at 150%.

 

I was going about 40 and I think most of the energy ended up in her car - probably from the Venture so I didn't get beat up by it.

There is an extension on the engine side cover that carries part of the shift linkage which is broken. I believe that my foot was between there and her car. It's quite sore but not broken and hopefully will be back to normal in a few days.

I figure the bike and I ended up about 30' from the impact point and suspect the slide was only the last 15 feet of it. The gear looks untouched except the helmet. The face shield and chin bar show that I was sliding on the left side of my face. I think most of the impact with the ground was at my left shoulder and elbow - which are conveniently under armor. They are a bit sore, but no worse banging the elbow on a door frame or taking a punch in the shoulder.

I'll post pics of the helmet when I get it and the camera in the same place.

 

Carl, glad to see you're still with us!!!

A good lesson to all new riders on the board, as well as the seasoned riders. We are invisible!!!! Watch for them, they don't watch for us!!!

 

Glad to hear your ok Carl and I hope your back to normal soon, What a great reminder to all of how fast it can go bad and consider how easy it could have been so much worse!
Shaun

 

thanks for your story Carl, im glad your reasonably ok, definately a good reminder that infact we are vulnerable

 

Lesson noted.

Glad to hear you are ok and around to tell the story. Face surfing is a scary experience.

 

Geez Carl glad your OK man. Hope you recover fast and can get the bike repaired soon.

 

Carl, glad to hear you're OK. Stuff like that happens.....people just get caught up in their own little world. Sorry to hear about the Venture....is this a 1st gen? I've still got loads of parts lying around for a gen1 Venture Royale. If you need anything, you can pm me here or on the Venture Riders website (I'm Captainkirk there, too.) Best of luck to you.

 

MiCarl, glad you are OK. Thanks for the reminder as we all start riding more as the weather warms.

 

You like TOTALLY harshed her phone call! Thank you for the heads up ... real usable life lesson here.

 

Carl,

Ye gads! I'm glad you're okay!! Did you get an x-ray of your foot, just to be sure?

 

glad you survived mate, hope you make a fast 100% recovery.

 

Not at first. After I went to bed though I was flushed, rapid pulse and heart pounding - so went to the ER.

Conclusion: sore foot and Nicorette OD.

 

GEEZ Carl it's too early in the season! Glad to hear you're OK, bikes can be fixed.

Was it dark, or dusk, or was she just totally blinde?

I agree with changing to the other lane being your missed opportunity for avoidance, but dammit you shouldn't have to.

I've always watched the driver rather than the vehicle to see if they're even looking in my direction, etc., but the cellphone thing is adding a new dimension to cager stupidity. Apparently being on the phone makes it hard to see the LINES ON THE ROAD. I've had a couple "interesting experiences" with people on phones in the last couple days, and I was IN MY CAR.

 

Fitz, agreed the phones make the problem worse. Because of the angle she really needed to make a full look over her right shoulder and I bet the cell phone was in that hand.

And you're right, I shouldn't have to avoid her. Fact of the matter is it happens to all of us frequently (even in the cage).

And I try to watch the driver too. In this case I plain old wasn't paying attention either.

 

Very good lesson in "failure to anticipate" being in our case a failure.

It's not so much that you weren't paying attention; after all you saw the car waiting there. You simply assumed it would "behave" and stay there until you passed; rather than anticipate the erratic behavior that nailed you and take preemptive action.

Glad you're ok.

 

Only goes to show a moment of inattention or failing to anticipate the stupidest thing the driver might do can have dire consequence to those of us on bikes

 

Glad you're ok, this experience must remind anyone that, as said 20 years ago my driving instructor:

"Remember that even if your bike have more headlights than a football stadium and it's louder than an atomic explosion, and you're wearing a neon tube suit with a disco ball over the helmet, on the moment you start riding you both became invisible and silent"

 

Exceptional quote!

 

Man I need to tattoo that to my forearm or something - great quote

 

I don't know what you have for helmet laws but I bet you're glad you were wearing one! I'm still a big fan of full face helmets.

 

I have always driver with the mentality of watching others all the time.
Because of that - I have 10 years of driving under my belt with no tickets, no accidents, my fault or other.

My belief is the bike has to be in running order... basically, running well enough to pull forward out of the way of someone, and also brake hard enough to avoid a problem. Also, big reminder - STAY IN GEAR at red lights!

Dropping into gear before dropping the clutch does not give you enough time!

I always stay in gear, and nearly got creamed last week if I hadn't stayed in gear. Box truck took way too wide a turn, at speed (18ish year old driver in a plain white box truck) and if I hadn't been in gear and been able to pull forward and off to the right as he swung around, he would have knocked me flat on my side. Granted, probably wouldn't have damaged much due to being stopped, but damn, be ready to get out of the way!

Good thing you are OK Carl. Hope the bike is fixable, but fix yourself first!