[HarleyJay]

Haven't had an accident for quite some time so one was due I suppose.

Was out on my Harley at night when a young lady decided to pull out in front of me, pulled the brakes on my bike but it was too late, I hit the wheel/side of her car the bike slide away from me, he explanation was " sorry I saw you but didn't think you was as near as you was ".

I'm sore and the Harley doesn't have bad war wounds just superfiscal, I have to say Harley makes its bikes tough as nails if it was my yam it would have bent up like a pretzel, the young lady and her sister were shook up, but no big deal, the insurance says its pretty black and white and not my fault.

Anyway stay safe out there folks.

 

[Tobacco Road]

You were very lucky my man. Night ridding requires one to have greater awareness of the surroundings. Not that it was your fault, I'm sure it was not. But thanks for reinforcing my thoughts about not riding when the sun goes down. Be safe.

 

[HarleyJay]

You were very lucky my man. Night ridding requires one to have greater awareness of the surroundings. Not that it was your fault, I'm sure it was not. But thanks for reinforcing my thoughts about not riding when the sun goes down. Be safe.

It was a case of a novice motorist assuming she had time to pull out of a turning and then realizing it wasn't when I hit her car.

It happens just lucky it was low speed.

 

[hogcowboy]

During the day we all have to ride thinking someone might pull out in front of you but you can see subtle movements. At night that advantage is gone so it's at least 10 times riskier. I hate having to ride when it's dark. I'm tensed up anyway trying to watch out for pot holes and @ssholes so trying to see them in the dark I'm shot with exhaustion in a short amount of time compared to day riding. Glad you are okay HJ. I drop my speed at night in traffic a lot as well.

 

[GatorJoe]

Sorry to hear it happened but glad you can post about it .. No Argument that HD does build a better Front End than most if this happens to you .. Am always a bit leery about night riding at least prime time evening anyway, Leaving early Morning say at 5 AM does not so much, but traffic is a different animal at that time ..

 

[HarleyJay]

Thanks guys, I ride all year round all weather except snow and all times of day/morning and evening so its not a big deal you just adjust to you environment, someone can pull out on you at any time and if they don't give you enough time to brake, well thats the end of the story.

most drivers know when they can and cant pull out unfortunately for me I had a young inexperienced women pull out (no pun intended), hopefully she will learn a lesson from this, I'm not sure what there is for me to learn from it apart from it bloody hurts more than I remember hahah.

I just want my bike back minus the broken bits and scratches.

 

[Oz]

...it bloody hurts more than I remember hahah.

I just want my bike back minus the broken bits and scratches.

Ice helps with the pain, preferably with some single malt poured over it. :smile:

Good luck getting your bike back in action.

...watch out for potholes and @ssholes... trying to see them in the dark I'm shot with exhaustion in a short amount of time...

@hogcowboy, could be the lyrics of a C&W song. :smile:

 

[vito]

Many years ago I had no choice but to ride home at night and in the rain. Visibility was minimal, and even with being cautious I did not see the big pothole under what appeared to be a normal puddle on the road. The bike started to go down after the front wheel went into the pothole, and to this day I do not know how I kept the bike going and upright. In the years since, I try very hard to avoid riding at night, and especially if it is raining and nighttime.

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

Sorry it happened Harley,

Like others have said, "In the day time you can see tires start to roll or hood rise a bit." Seems at night that a bikes
lights would show up more and you'd be much more notice-able. So, she said she saw you but did not know you was
as near as you was. Sounds like she is a novice at speaking good grammar as well, probably a cousin or sister to
Earnest T. Bass on the Andy Griffith show.

Glad your bike will be repaired, hopefully she has to pay for it.

 

[HarleyJay]

Sorry it happened Harley,

Like others have said, "In the day time you can see tires start to roll or hood rise a bit." Seems at night that a bikes
lights would show up more and you'd be much more notice-able. So, she said she saw you but did not know you was
as near as you was. Sounds like she is a novice at speaking good grammar as well, probably a cousin or sister to
Earnest T. Bass on the Andy Griffith show.

Glad your bike will be repaired, hopefully she has to pay for it.

I am putting it through the insurance company, its not bad damage but I have priced it up myself and reckon its probably going to cost in the region of £1600 to fix the bike, its pretty clear cut its her fault so they will claim it back from her insurance.

I have fully comp insurance and protected 11 years no claims so its all good.

And yeah your right beginners bad luck I think from her side, but hopefully her and her sister have learnt something from it.

 

[FlipFlop]

I was riding my old DT175 one day on the way from college due to snow causing us to close early in Denver. It was just getting dark and this lady was next to me looking at her phone so I was watching her, and sure enough she moved over only after looking in her rear view mirror. I was close enough I was able to punch her driver side window. When we got to the stop light she proceeded to tell me I should not have been on the road that in "this" weather only cars should be out. I called her a stupid b!tch and went on down the road. People are unbelievable in 4 wheelers, they flat out loose their minds, even some that ride bikes and drive semi trucks like it is some kind of magical place to drop your brain and fiddle frak it while going down the road. If I had been a car I am sure she would have hit them, at least I had my lane to maneuver in.

 

[HarleyJay]

I suppose if she had knocked you off her defense would have been " Only cars should be out in this weather " you have to wonder how some people manage to breath sometimes.

 

[RonK]

...

Like others have said, "In the day time you can see tires start to roll or hood rise a bit."
....

--

That sentence perhaps describes what some may see, but I've never seen a hood rise or tire start to roll. When I ride the whole 180° in front of me takes on a "picture" where I don't see one thing in particular, but a number of potential danger areas. So then I just hold a quick picture in mind and be aware of any changes that may be of concern. If I were to concentrate on one thing only, I may miss something else that may be changing also.

What saves one from the danger when it appears is best handled by an automatic response appropriate. I have several times had cars pull out in front of me where I just applied the brakes as needed and no harm done. Totally automatic as it would be to most riders that have trained their minds to react that way.

One of the benefits for a new rider in city traffic is being able to get right up close to the action, so to speak, and start to gauge what the possible moves will be by impatient drivers. Good training although they hate it.

--

 

[MONI]

Muscle memory and well learned reflex action is some of your best defenses. That is why, in my opinion, parking lot practice and keeping those braking, swerving and other evasive skills well honed is important.

You've ridden enough that you probably used some of that reflex to immediately get on the brakes which allowed you to slow enough to keep it from being much worse. So glad to hear you were able to walk away with no major injuries!! Thanks for sharing to remind the rest of us how quickly things can happen.

 

[DGS65]

I rode at night for the first time in a long time about two weeks ago it was a short ride and I really wasn't comfortable I found my new to me bike doesn't have the best low beam in fact this is something I have address if I plan to ride after dark in the future! In the meantime I will simply avoid riding after dark.

 

[HarleyJay]

Muscle memory and well learned reflex action is some of your best defenses. That is why, in my opinion, parking lot practice and keeping those braking, swerving and other evasive skills well honed is important.

You've ridden enough that you probably used some of that reflex to immediately get on the brakes which allowed you to slow enough to keep it from being much worse. So glad to hear you were able to walk away with no major injuries!! Thanks for sharing to remind the rest of us how quickly things can happen.

To be fair I cant remember the whole thing, from pulling the brakes to hitting the car was very quick, I think what may have saved my ass was the wet roads believe it or not, I think when I broke hard I may have gone down on the wet and slid into the car but the bike slid the other way, if I and the bike had gone into the car, well I think the outcome could have been a lot worse, but like I said I am not sure if the bike did hit the car, no way was I going to be able to stop the bike in time to avoid the accident, she did not leave me that option.

 

[HarleyJay]

I don't know if anyone was interested but I hate threads being made and the outcome not posted, but here's an update, the third party insurance company has admitted liability and now I am just finding out what the fate is going to be on my Harley.

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

Hello HarleyJay,

I forgot you were in England, That woman must really be messed up, not just in driving either. I mean The English or the Brits
are so well known for their perfect Grammar/English. Anyway hope you got you ride fixed up and that you are doing well.
So how is Rumpole of the Bailey? He doing all right is he? Justice Featherstone? Judge Graves? Judge Jeffries still eating toasted
English muffins after he sent someone to the gallows? I've been enjoying the works of John Mortimer's Rumpole for the last 20 years.

 

[HarleyJay]

Rumpole of the bailey, your showing your age there me old china .

Well she was a young lady and we all make mistakes when we are young, I just hope she learns something from this, I had a reminder of how much crashing really hurts and how perplexing and frustrating it is to go through the procedure of making a claim.

 

[HarleyJay]

Last update on this.

My VROD has been written off as a cat N, which basically means non structural damage but cosmetic repairs are more than what the insurance want to pay to repair the bike, and to be honest most of the damage is cosmetic, so I decided to buy it back from the insurance company for £1035 it wont cost me as much to repair it as I will get some help with discounts and some parts will be resprayed rather than replaced, plus I will do most of my own work.

But first job will be to get the bike back to being road worthy and with an MOT (an inspection carried out once a year for road worthy) which I calculate to be around £600 for the parts then I want the wheels aligned properly and a pre check before MOT, in case I missed something.

Then ride and do cosmetics in my own time.

Bike is back with me Tuesday.