So I am taking my normal 60 mile one way ride home from work the other day. This is a ride I have done many, many times. As I exit the highway near my house I see an SUV with a left turn signal in the oncoming lane. As always I cover the front brake, slow down a bit and watch the car's driver side tire for any movement. I am 46 and have been riding for 25 years so this is not something new. All of a sudden the car turns across my lane as if I didn't exist. I was ready (kinda) and grabbed a big handful of front as well as rear brake. I missed the back of the SUV by what seemed like inches, coming to a complete stop and almost dropping my bike in the process. The SUV continued along without even a tap of the brakes.
Well, to be completely honest, it scared the hell out of me! I have two little girls at home and keep thinking about what if? I had all my gear on but that does not make me feel any better. Now, where I used to make excuses to take the bike, I find myself not wanting to get back on. I have no idea why this one incident had such a profound effect on me. I have been in close calls before. I am just looking for a way to get past it. I feel guilty because if I did get hurt or worse would I be a non caring Dad and husband for taking the risk? They accept that I love bikes but something was different this time. I find myself asking if it might be time to hang it up. Just in a weird place right now and curious if any of you have been there?
Thanks everyone,
Primo
Congrats on dodging the SUV idiot. :fing02:
You can get creamed while driving a car, crossing the street on foot, lots of ways. :ph34r:
I'm not a big fan of insurance, but this is what it's for. To protect your family.
So hopefully that's in order. Ride safe, drive safe, walk safe.
You are probably in shock a bit, so give it time to pass.
I recommend :beer:
You deserve it.
There is an excellent article on risk vs reward in the May 2013 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News. Especially many kinds of risk. Each rider weighs the perceived risks against the satisfaction of riding. Every one is unique. I highly recommend the article.
Most all of us have those same close calls and feeling about love ones and while there are NO absolutes(except one) in this world your skill as a rider saved you. Take a couple of days off from riding and revisit this again, that my suggestion ..
Glad it was a close shave and not something worse. I know the feeling, it can be very unsettling. I got hit from behind at a stop sign in broad daylight while wearing a hi-viz vest. For a few minutes I couldn't believe it happened. I still can't believe she could not see something right in front of her in colors designed to attract attention.
You did all you can do. You used your experience and executed well to avoid that idiot.
Glad your experience help keep you safe. Agree with others take a few days to reflect then revisit. As to safety
Glad it was a close shave and not something worse. I know the feeling, it can be very unsettling. I got hit from behind at a stop sign in broad daylight while wearing a hi-viz vest. For a few minutes I couldn't believe it happened. I still can't believe she could not see something right in front of her in colors designed to attract attention.
You did all you can do. You used your experience and executed well to avoid that idiot.
Some people miss everything. I drive a 80,000 pound garbage truck and people try to merge into me. Also nationwide in my company there is always a story every year of some one working the rear of a truck in hi-vis gear and a driver does not see them or the truck and smashes them. Its sad but shows that at any size bad drivers are out there and litteraly hit anything. The best we can do is watch and be proactive.
The only solution is collision avoidance technology. It is starting to be implemented in some cars but it won't be reasonably widespread for years, probably decades.
People are sure as hell not becoming better drivers.
Primo,
I know exactly how you feel. I'm a little younger than you but I also have 2 young kids and have been riding on the street for the same number of years. Unlike your situation my wife has been completely against my hobby from day one and while she accepts my decision to ride she is constantly worried about it and really wants me to stop. I too have learned to be very defensive on motorcycles and to look out for the other guy to make a mistake but within the past 6 months I have had three very close calls with idiots in cars coming from the opposite direction and crossing the double yellow and missing hitting me by a mere few inches. These close calls constantly run through my mind and have caused me to cut back on my riding by at least 50%. Motorcycles will always be part of me but incidents like this take all the fun out of it because instead of enjoying myself I am constantly worried about being taken out by some idiot in his/her cage. The truth of the matter is that there are alot more distractions out there now and people in general are much worst drivers than they used to be in years past. Only you can decide whether or not you want to continue to ride but it sounds like you definitely need a break for a while. Taking a break will either strengthen your love for riding or will make you realize that there are more important things in your life to focus on. Good luck with your tough decision.
Rollin
this is why i am installing a police bullhorn under the fairing and adding a mic to my helmet.. :angry:
YOU IN GREY SUV !!! STAY IN YOUR LANE!!!!
green chevy.. PUT THE PHONE DOWN!!!!
you in the red s10 you're hot! give my your phone #!!!! :laugh:
No wisdom here, except for the obvious: Only you can make the call. When the worries outweigh the enjoyment, then it's probably time. I'm older than you (50) but no kids. Still, though I've been riding for 37 years (with a few multi-year breaks), I still get flak from some relatives and friends. I took riding courses when I started, wear proper gear all the time, and ride as though I'm invisible (as apparently you were to this SUV). But even if some idiot texting behind the wheel of a BMW X3 doesn't take you out, something low-tech like Bambi can do it too. I still enjoy riding enough that it outweighs the worries, but a run of close calls could change that. So we're back to where we started: It's up to you and no one else is in a position to second-guess your decision. As Rollin said, good luck with it.
YOU IN GREY SUV !!! STAY IN YOUR LANE!!!!
green chevy.. PUT THE PHONE DOWN!!!!
you in the red s10 you're hot! give my your phone #!!!! :laugh:
Hey gll429, do you work for the NSA? That's a transcript of what I was yelling inside my helmet the last time I rode downtown! :goofy:
If you decide to keep riding, maybe as a counterbalance to your close call, seek out an MSF class or equivalent near you and take recurring training. I'm involved with a local monthly riding clinic to help new and returning riders and find it helpful to have defensive riding skills repeated to me over and over. Besides basics like countersteer and throttle control, we cover things such as situational awareness, obstacle avoidance and max braking techniques. Surprisingly what I'm finding even more helpful is that I've been drafted in to assisting with instruction, which has helped me more than 3 yeas of sitting in class listening ever did. The reason I started taking the class - I promised a family member I wouldn't kill myself riding motorcycles. Not that taking training is any guarantee . . . but it helps improve the odds in your favor. It was the same when I was flying - it was easy to become a bit too comfortable - even complacent - (as you mentioned you were 'kinda' ready) and just knowing that I had a flight review coming up got me going to sharpen my game. Good luck on your decision.
Congrats on dodging the SUV idiot. :fing02:
You can get creamed while driving a car, crossing the street on foot, lots of ways. :ph34r:
I'm not a big fan of insurance, but this is what it's for. To protect your family.
So hopefully that's in order. Ride safe, drive safe, walk safe.
You are probably in shock a bit, so give it time to pass.
I recommend :beer:
You deserve it.
:1:
Give it time, but don't give up your hobby just yet. Or if you do, I'll give you $1000 for your beautiful yellow vfr...
C
Odds ... I'm 68 and have been riding my own road bikes since 1965, as time on the road grows, the more I find my self choosing areas that I need to be more careful in than the others where I don't. That still left me where I had what I felt were safe places to let it rip............ Back roads in the middle of the week days, I ride alone and feeling free. I get cars coming at me over the line while they're day dreaming/texting/talking/etc., but the nice thing is on the bike they usually leave me a piece of "their" road for me to get by............ Now driving my car on the same back roads is another ball of wax, I've got my finger on the headlight flicker switch just waiting for the next idiot to come over a hill, or around a blind turn on my side of the road, but in the car there is no place to go, no problem when I had a Jeep just run off the road and ease it back on, but with these normal cages they sit so low you know you're going to trash something if I have to go cross country. So as all this adds up each year I find my fun areas are smaller, like the back roads where I live were great till I danced with a Deer, not enough to hurt me or the bike(much), but being the 1st time making contact with one of those things, is far different than all the times I've come close to hitting one, it just doesn't register unless there is contact, so now I find, like you, that to stay riding on the road(or track, deer cross tracks too), I need to be ever alert "just for the deer", the rest of these idiots are pretty predicable. Riding in more open areas(less vegetation) is a safer place to let it rip than wooded areas, like riding in the mountains of Colorado, I felt safe, I could always spot the deer, where here there's deer high vegetation with in 2 human paces of the pavement, and even looking for them it's hard to spot, but so far I've managed to see them in time to stop.
Then with all that, we have to worry about some idiot running into the back of us if the time comes to make the 120 foot stop to keep from running into that deer, so now I have to ride/drive for the idiot behind me as well.
So no worries, I'm still riding, just not as fast.
Deer strikes in Va. 1 every 113 ............ If that were lottery ticket odds I might buy a few................ You'll get over it more as time passes, just let it make you a safer rider, keep on trucking........
Well you have your family 1st and foremost on your mind, which is a good thing.
But before you can be there for them, you have to be there for yourself first....
If riding your bike gives you pleasure, makes you feel good with yourself, then this makes you the relaxed, caring person for them.
Not riding, but frustrated because "you are not allowed", will make you less of a nice person for them for sure.
Riding a motorcycle makes me whole, no crashes (there have been a few) will change that. Unless it is the big one...
On my wedding day my wife made me promise NEVER to sell my motorcycle.
I always try to ride well withing my limits, got the chicken strips to prove that :goofy:
You cannot safeguard against the village idiot or deer...
Take time to reflect/consider what you want to do. Whatever you decide, it will be good.
Whew. Glad you avoided yet another clueless cager.
As for the rest...that's your story to write. I ride when I feel like riding. I don't force it because then it's just not fun and therefor not worth it. One time I had my VFR parked for the better part of 6 months. So if you are feeling like parking the bike for a while then do so. There's nothing wrong with that. If it becomes a permanent situation then so be it.
Your family is an important thing. Yesterday I wanted to take the afternoon off from work because my 14 month old daughter kept walking up to me hugging my legs to pick her up. I never feel guilty about riding vs risk even now though. Then again, I don't ride at ridiculous speeds, do stunts, etc. As always, the choice is yours to make and there is no wrong answer.
What an absolutely awesome thread. To the OP...so grateful you are unharmed. To all the posters here ...what an incredible outpouring of wisdom! This thread should be published in every MC rag. Thank you VFRD members. Although my beloved VFR is gone, this is where I still come for community and wisdom.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
I knew I could count on all of you. Thank you all so much for the awesome responses. I am going to park her for a little bit and see how I feel. I am already getting the urge so maybe a nice Sunday morning trek with little traffic on my favorite roads will be in order. I definitely can't see getting rid of the bike. I even like staring at her in the garage. It is nice to know that others have been in a similar situation. Not sure why this one hit me so hard. My wife knows I ride as safely as I can and is encouraging me to " get back on the horse". I am happy that I have VFRD as a place to communicate with people like myself. And to Polarbear, sorry but she is not for sale - especially at $1000!
You guys are the best,
Primo
I'm glad you survived the close call. Periodically, it's healthy to re-evaluate what we do for recreation and otherwise. Sometimes we reflect on things on our own and other times it's prompted by incidents like yours for example. I have two young girls myself (ages 10 and 6) so I know where you are coming from on your considerations. I commute occasionally to work in downtown Atlanta, a 30 mile ride one way. While I have not encountered any left hand turners as of yet and am very thankful for that, I can't count the number of times people have come into my lane on the interstate and want to occupy the same space I'm in like I don't exist. I expect it, react to it, and keep on going. I'm not going to let a few idiots rob me of what I love to do. Is it risky? Yes. But life is for the living and I'm going to live it. We all make our choices and I respect whatever anybody else chooses regarding riding or not. I hope you decide what's best for you and you feel good about it in the end. Decide on your own terms and in your own time.
Chuck
Interesting I to had a similar experience BUT slightly different. I would sometimes rides with these young guys who would drive reckless to say the least every once in a while it was kinda fun. In a big group riding around not super fast but fast out in the open. I would be the only one geared up. Well one night rode with this one guy 20 just got his bike a year ago rode way to fast no helmet. I rode behind him as we all went to a bike night didn't trust him nor did I like his riding style. Few days later he dies in a solo crash on the way home at 2:30am... going to fast...at night do slick roads... drunk (he had taken several shots before he left)...no helmet no nothing. I know he did EVERYTHING possible to insure a bad out come..STILL it effected me even IF I don't do any of those things. Took me about a week to get back on and don't ride with those guys anymore. The love has returned with a new found wisdom
My 2cents