Did You Know?

[huckersteve]

... That you can ride out from your house, go two blocks, and while traveling blithely through an unregulated side street intersection, and suddenly see a tan Jeep Cherokee barreling through the intersection from your right going at a right good clip? Quickly locking up your sole brake with your feet does little to slow your inexorable slide into the rear quarter panel of said vehicle, instantly launching you into the air, bike impacting and body barely missing the rear of the Jeep.


Fortunately for me, though this happened just yesterday, the good news is that I, and apparently, my bike are okay. I'm over the fancy springer fork though, and today at work will be sourcing a replacement rigid or mtb style front end with V-Brake bosses. I will no longer be riding without front brakes.

As I sit here with a skinned elbow, some broken lighting systems, and a bruised up knee, I'm grateful for my catlike reflexes, and the fact that it was only me and one vehicle in that intersection. I could have gotten OWNED pretty bad..

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

If you'd have been through the intersection one second earlier, it wouldn't have mattered what kind of brakes you had...you'd have been a hood ornament.

Were they on the phone?

 

[RedB66]

I mounted brakes on my springer front end . I will post some pics.

 

[huckersteve]

looking forward to seeing them thanks!

 

[Pablo]

WHOA!!

Wow - glad you are OK.

I trust NO cars and am paranoid about the rest.

I have good mountain bike pull brakes and they stop pretty well, but I keep them in nearly perfect tune. I do get anal about getting lube on the rims. (especially the rear)

 

[huckersteve]

Yeah. Cars are very hard. As is the ground.

Knee feels better today Aleve is a wonder drug!

LOL I'm such a retard I am going to pick up a motorcycle today from some dude for $300. I am sure it will be completely safe and reliable.

 

[silvermaker5]

I had a guy in an SUV turn right, right in front of me. I did not have enough time to brake. My front tire went infront of his back tire. He went right over mine. I was flung over the handle bars and scraped my palm and rolded over onto my back. No gloves, or helmet, but a really good leather coat. The front tire was made into a woble wheel. The gas tank, 1 shifter were a little scraped up. He was really nice, freeked out, and in more shock than I was. We loaded my bike up into his SUV and he took me home. He wanted to pay for it, but I was going to replace the front tire from a spoke to the alloy I bought any way when the disk break I ordered that day came in. I told him to forget it. I was fine and a little work on the bike that was already planded would fix it. That night I took the car to get a bike helmet. I felt like a dork with it on, but I wore it till I got the carbon fiber extended half helmet I wear now. Got gloves after a spill on small loose gravel. I feel much safer now. So learn from this and be safe. Wear a helmet, gloves, eye protection, and when it's not TOO hot like today was, a good leather coat.

 

[stude13]

what he said!

 

[FileStyle]

safety first always! good brakes,reflectors,helmet,gloves,safety glasses are all a must have! never leave home without them! I 've had too many near misses with vehicles either turning in front of me or not giving me enough room on the side. you only live once, enjoy your motor assisted bicycle no matter what kind of dork you look like in your safety gear!

 

[FileStyle]

dont cross intersections until you can see the whites of the motorist's eyes!!!!!

 

[Goat Herder]

Then fire your muskets!

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Hucker I'm so glad you are Ok! I waited over 4 minutes while my neighbor backed her Isusu suv into a parking spot in broad daylight while on her cell phone and it took about 18 trys as other neighbors and I said bad things and laughed a lot. I just sat on my bike as she got out and still on the cell locked her keys inside None of the neighbors offered to help getting them out. She drives a postal jeep for a living.

 

[the_edge150]

glad you're ok. so far i've only hit parked cars that and leaned too much into turns and have had the bike slip out from under me (not fun) and if you are going through an intersection, make sure you have made eye contact with a driver that might get in your way.

 

[eDJ]

If you have a headlight and tail light.......turn them anytime you're riding. Many motorcycles are wired that way now so the lights are on when the key's turned on.

There's nothing as potentially dangerous on the road as a woman talking on her cell phone while driving her SUV with a M.A.D.D. sticker on the rear bumper. (and Baby Onboard caution sign in the rear window) Fortunately there hasn't been an aircraft company who wanted to market a line of "flying" SUV's to them.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

The Morons decided in there great wizzdom to turn the lights on cars on too
Now a great advantage WE bikers HAD for protection is now gone. Way to go Auto Makers. Money over life, Yep...

 

[Finfan]

Another thing to watch out for would be trucks with large mirrors! I had a friend get taken out on his bicycle by one of those. Fortunately he fell away from traffic and recovered but the driver never even bothered to stop.

 

[Dave31]

Another thing to watch out for would be trucks with large mirrors! I had a friend get taken out on his bicycle by one of those. Fortunately he fell away from traffic and recovered but the driver never even bothered to stop.

When I had my XR600 I got hit by a mirror right on the shoulder....that guy did not stop either. I wish I would have gotten the plate number but I was too stunned at that moment. It was a landscaping truck pulling a trailer. I still have that mirror.

 

[wheelbender6]

You can use a drum brake with the springer fork, or almost any fork.

 

[Spikedfox]

before i ever got a motor i had a steep hill in my neighborhood, ive clocked 46 going down it, and at the end of that hill what is it, a soft slope...no, a grassy noel... no, a sharp 90degree right turn that luckily doesnt lead to the creak immediatly after the turn... well maybee. almost lost my kneecap. got a few stiches, and never learned a lesson from it. still love carreening down thast hill

 

[saetta]

I added a front fork w/suspension and v style brake to work with my rear coaster brake when I built my cruiser. Front brake to me is a must! Shame to hear about your accident.