Coming home tonight along a wide A road I ride all the time - slow traffic up to a lorry in the distance. I'm in and out overtaking in the little gaps. Hard on the throttle and try to time it so I just pop out behind the next car as the gap appears on the right. Getting up near the lorry - must be getting complacent or something - go to overtake and I'm not sure whether the person in front lifts off because I'm coming up quick behind but I begin to overtake a fraction earlier than I'd like. Just as I come out the thing coming the other way makes contact with my wing mirror. It's all over in a flash - the wing mirror is intact, there is no sound of broken glass but there must have been 80-90 closing speed. The mirror just got tapped on the very end and I felt something brush the mitt over the handlebar. To be honest, I didn't see what it was - might have been a van cos the S mirrors are quite high up - whatever - feels like the grim reaper has given me a warning tap for being such a tosser. I'm no flippin hero - just a very lucky bleeder I reckon. I dunno - what an absolute nobber
Moral is, don't get complacent I reckon. Do something each day that scares you - I just did a months worth
Jason
Everyone has an arse in mouth moment at some time in their riding lifetime.The trick is to keep em to a minimum!I bet the adrenalin was flowing after.Now remember to change yer pants and get sloshed!
Glad your OK.
gus
Last year I had one I'll never forget. Was travelling down the A65 between Settle and Skipton, a road I ride or drive every day. Just playing really, overtaking in a similar manner to how you described and I went to pass a car and caravan coming to a right hand bend when a Jag XK came the other way going really quick. He was on the white line and to this day I dont know how I didnt hit him. He didnt try to move over at all and it was one of those ring-clenching moments that you just cant get out of. I actually felt like my wheels were almost touching the caravan when I was on the lean. Stupid stupid trick and all from being over-confident.
Chears Boys - I just hope I can remember that moment next time I feel myself getting a bit out of hand and calm down a bit. I know as motorcyclists we all have these scares, but the more you ride the bigger scare you need to feel REALLY scared I reckon. Two blokes in my office have come a cropper in the last few months, one will be in plaster for 3 months. Ricey's had an off, Lightrunner and a few others on here too have had accidents recently.
It's a bloody dangerous game, but I still want to play
You wanna try your hand at being a courier;sometimes you can have 2 or 3 of those moments a day!
Most of the time you are well ahead of the thought pattern tho and develope a kind of ESP.
I think a weeks training in London with a courier is in order!
Glad you're OK.
Bailey.
Honda VFR750 FV 1997 Red and dirty, 130K miles.
Honda VFR800 Xf Crossrunner 2016 White and dirty, 120K miles.
Glad to you hear you're ok and no real damage was done.
Thanks for sharing it though - never hurts to be reminded about the risks some of us take every day and make sure we keep them to a minimum!
Pleased to hear you are able to use the experience!
Grandad asked me to clear his gutters, overhanging branch dumps loads of leaves, blockage, floods, etc. Four bed detached with a nice big porch. Four meter timber extending ladder (heavy), out about one and a third. Four years of compost solid in the gutter. And wet after yesterdays heavy rain. Easy either side of the porch. 'I walk along the porch roof and do it, least I did ten years ago', says he, five foot tall and 72 years old. Well if he did it..... Trouble is I am six foot and four stone heavier. How did he clear the gutter which was above his head, hold on and move along a 45 degree pitch roof??? I did it, but the three times I lost grip with my feet were exciting. I will make use of that experience! Think I'll go ride the bike, much safer.
Hi Jason,
Glad to see you can relate this incident to us! It's when you reflect back and it all goes through your mind again...."Oh S**t"!!
As you know, the secret is to learn from your experience. Amazingly many people repeat the same errors.
As Chris has said before, "survivals the name of the game"!
Gald your ok Jason,.. but it does scare the crap out of you. 'A 'moment-a-day, .... keeps complacency at bay' Unfortunately, .. the 'Moments' are starting to become more numerous than the 'Thrills', .. or maybe that's just an age thing for me.
I know what you mean - the 'moments' have been coming thick and fast this week - I was coming onto a roundabout early one morning and the lights were green my way. There was a Porsche following me through when someone coming up to the red light on the right clearly just didn't register the redand drove straight through it. I saw his head looking a the signs so his navigation was obviously overriding his concentration - it's amazing how your brain does some sort of 'something isn't right here' calculation and starts making plans even before you conciously register it so I broke hard and the car passed just in front of me and I think the Porsche driver worked it out too and stopped just behind - looked to check the lights and his was still red . Couple of nights ago a Jag pulled over into my lane on a dual carrigeway and almost touched my knee before suddenly realising there was something there. I try not to blame the car drivers unless they do something really obviously stupid because I've probably done most stupid things myself at some time and other drivers have had to make allowances or avoid me but it's weird when you seem to get spates of things happening close together - I know what Bailey says in true - as a courier it happens 10 times a day, and when I rode in India it was just mental - I got deliberately nudged by a bus once for christs sake but didn't really think much of it, but down here in the country you loose that 'edge' I reckon and it's a shock when it happens.
still, that's three things in a week so hopefully that's that for a while
Ditto what bailey and bocking bandit say.I gave up the courier lark jointly because of too many close calls and finding it hard to enjoy my rides during leisure time.I still remember my first time delivering to central london,pooed myself.After a while you adjust and take risks you would never take under normal circumstances.I always found monday mornings and friday afternoon the most dangerous time,drivers minds seemed to be elsewhere.As bailey said you develop ESP and take most developing incidents in your stride.
gus
but it's weird when you seem to get spates of things happening close together - I know what Bailey says in true - as a courier it happens 10 times a day, and when I rode in India it was just mental - I got deliberately nudged by a bus once for christs sake but didn't really think much of it, but down here in the country 