Reality Check...

[mesaboogie]

A bit long winded so apology in advance...

Had a reality check on the bike last night...

riding home, took a left off Gt Est Hwy onto that rd that runs around the dome and up to farmer fwy... nice wide, quiet rd, with some mild corners, good fun at a decent pace... anyway, go through the round about and open it up, a small courtesy bus with a trailer is coming the other way, didn't indicate, but not the point, turns right into the rd that goes around the back of the dome carpark...

basically, he saw me, couldn't tell i was moving that quick, i was a fair distance away when he turned... plenty of time if i was at the limit... i went hard on the brakes, front and rear, knew i couldn't stop in time, couldn't go any harder on the front i knew it'd lock up, put more on the rear and locked it up very sideways at speed, still thought i was going to hit, off the brakes grips up, balls go straight into the tank stopping me from going over the bars, and around the back of the trailer i go missing it by about a foot.... if i had of kept it straight emergency stop style i would have collected the trailer...

needless to say it scared the fuck out of me, especially knowing i created the situation, i guess i was a little complacent, assumed the bus wasn't turning, and i know i should never assume... and it was all in the name of me having a bit of a fun, on the otherwise boring ride home...

i'm glad i didn't drop it, i'm very glad (and lucky) i didn't hit it, and i'm extremely glad it happened now as it re-enforces why i should ride with caution at all times. I don't ride like a maniac, and this proves to me that although i think somewhere's a safe place to have a squirt, no such thing exists outside of a track...

mesa

[EMVY]

Good bit of advise. Especially if your'e a noob to riding!!
Glad you and the RS are ok

[Trev]

Well done for surviving it and well done for learning from it. Normally it takes being t-boned for dumb bastids like me to learn this stuff, so pat yourself on the back that you didn't have to get hammered in order to learn this. It is the only thing that will help keep you alive on the streets.

[wombat39]

While we are on reality checks..

For those of us start work around 7.00am ...

Anyone who lane splits on the freeways going to work needs to remember that it is now dark.

Your head light is on but mixed up in a sea of other headlights and VERY hard to spot in rear view mirrors. I ride to work prob twice a week and alway take it easy, especially around merge points where cars seem to be going in all directions. (I have a company car and the boss gets upset if I don't bring it every now and then...)

I rekon riding a bike makes me a much better car driver but I gotta say some of the things i see people do on bikes...

Like the guy going to work today on a green Kwaka ZXsomething in the pouring rain, lane splitting while everyone around him / her was doing around 80kmph. Mate I understand you wanted to get there reasonably dry but geeze - I rather you get there alive for starters....

Just be aware that you are very hard to spot lane splitting at night is all.

[Gryphen]

I was still soaked when i got there.

[sabre1]

its victoria park drive the road by the dome

[lee]

I was still soaked when i got there.
[/b]

[Rhino]

Michael that's not good.... and IS good.

Glad you and the RS are OK bud.

[Lexy]

Had a reality check on the bike last night...
[/b]

Mate, that's a close call. Glad to hear that you and April came out of that physically unscathed!
Here's hoping that you're not too shook up.

The experience will make you a wiser rider

[areS]

Glad your ok Mick. Wipe the shit stains from your pants and learn from it I guess. I've had a couple of close ones too but yours sounds a little too close for comfort. Though I have experienced the nut cracker incident on the tank - not nice.

Anyway, you got through, lesson is learnt, you're ok and the bike is ok Good to hear mate.

Pez

[CB Boy]

The best bit about this post is that you didn't come on here saying the bus driver is a f*&#ing tool and needs his mirrors taken off blah, blah blah like a lot of other posts from people who refuse to take any blame from situations like this themselves.



Well done, you survived unscathed, learn't a lesson, will ride another day and have enough sense to realise that you were as much to blame as the bus driver

[lee]

A thought occured, you should start going faster, then you coulda beaten the bus/trailer

[wombat39]

I was still soaked when i got there.
[/b]

If it was you then you would have been soaked through to your gizzards - it only got worse after you went past!! Glad you got to work ok!!

[henrybperth]

The best bit about this post is that you didn't come on here saying the bus driver is a f*&#ing tool and needs his mirrors taken off blah, blah blah like a lot of other posts from people who refuse to take any blame from situations like this themselves.



Well done, you survived unscathed, learn't a lesson, will ride another day and have enough sense to realise that you were as much to blame as the bus driver
[/b]

Yer good point. I never get road rage when I am on the bike because I totally believe 100% that I am invisible. I always expect the worse and always prepare for it, think of possible escape routes, start braking and changing my line etc. U might do that 1000 times and it will be for no reason because the car has seen u, but if just one time out of that 1000 times u do it and it turns out as bad as u had expected and it saves ur life, I think it is worth it.

I would even go as far as to say that 99% of bike accidents are the bike riders fault becasue u should have expected the stupid blind cage driver that cant see much past the dashboard doing that stupid thing and pulling out on u or turning in front of u.

Bring on the flames :-)

[Gryphen]

If it was you then you would have been soaked through to your gizzards - it only got worse after you went past!! Glad you got to work ok!! [/b]

Thats what I was running from, lol.



Musta been 200m up the road from my place, and the heavens opened up, It had stopped raining and looked clear, so i just donned the leathers and made a run for it.... BIG MISTAKE... by the time I hit the first roundabout it was a lake, I was already soaked, and so if I'd stopped would have just been pointless, lol.



So just tried to stay ahead of the downpour so it didn't get wet.



Most of the ride in ppl were doing about 20kph, it wasn't until the last bit that the speed picked up, only reason I was moving quicker was I didn't want to get caught between two cars when they decided to try and stop. I tried to make sure I wasn't moving next to single cars, tried to make it that there was a reason why they wouldn't try and move to the next lane, namely another car or truck.

[Warp Speed]

its victoria park drive the road by the dome
[/b]

No - its refered to as the Burswood Speed Bowl

Best done with no cars or in this case Buses & trailers in sight - watch out for cops who often wait up on the Graham Farmer overpass bridge too.

You did well too get out of this without injury - try country runs or the track.

Cheers Warpie

[mesaboogie]

I think the situation was 100% my fault and could have been completely avoided if i didn't have a heavy right hand coming out of the roundabout...

I'm just glad i esacaped with only a bruised ego and balls... it's the first time they've saved me, usually only get me in trouble...

[langy]

REALLY, REALLY pleased to see a post about close calls that make you evaluate your riding without any damage or injury being inflicted. All newbies should read this post and remind themselves of their vulnerability on a bike and how we are ulimately responsible for our destiny. Cars/buses will continue not to see us or be aware of the speeds we can achieve and by us being mindful of that we may be able to survive to ride another day.
Nice post mesaboogie. (and henrybperth)

[Dingo]

Good Headsup Mesa, nice work sharing.

Watch out for trailers hey, I hear they have an affinity for green zed thous , Would hate for that lovely 'prilla of yours to be next, esp if your on it

[Shadow Keeper]

I really hope this doesn't upset anyone, or make them think I'm trying to big note myself because I knew somebody once...

On that road just after the roundabout, heading north, attached to the light post there is a small cross. It is there to remember the life lost of a good friend of a few people on this, and and a couple of other bike forums aswell as being a great dad to two cute kids and lovely wife.

That intersection is bad news for traffic travelling in any direction, it is a beautiful road, well lit, nice and smooth and easy to open the throttle on, so many fond memories of people being pulled over by K9 units only to be let off and laughed at later, but also one that gets my full attention every time I ride down it.

In relation to the cross, a car pulled out, our friend could not stop in time and died there even though a registered nurse and an Ambulance officer was on the ride that night and tried so very hard to save his life. I still feel very proud to know them and for what they did for our mate.

I'm glad you lived, I wish he had every day since it happened. I'm happy you learned from this experience and can pass on your knowledge to others. Take care of yourselves guys and girls believe that you are responsible for your actions and that only you can control the outcome of what happens on the road....